Corals Dying

qasim99 · 10/01/2014, 02:31 AM

Recently , my corals slowly started dying. I tested for magnesium and found that it was very low. I have been carefully raising it and its nowsitting at 1440, but still no change to the corals. KH has remained stable while i was dosing magnesium and is still at 8.0 . The corals that have died are mostly Ricordea mushrooms and some other mushroom species. I also have a torch coral which isnt looking good. Anyhting else i should test? Calcium perhaps? PH is around 8.3, salinity is 1.026. Nitrates were a little high last i checked (25ppm) but i have added biopellets to the reactor to lower it (i dont think 25ppm nitrates would kill the corals anyway) . Phosphates in check too.

Titans_Reef · 10/01/2014, 02:49 AM

What kind of lights do you have and if you have bulbs, when was the last time you changed them out? My mag sits around 1200, alk at 8dkh, cal at 420, nitrates at 10, ph at 8.2, salinity at 1.024, temp at 76-78 F and everything is doing great in my tank. I know mag is a little low but if they are fine, there is not reason for me to change it. How much biopellets did you add at a time. When you first add them, you need to slowly add it into your system. Have you checked for stray voltage?

qasim99 · 10/01/2014, 02:57 AM

I added a small amount of biopellets, about half of the recommended dosage as per the instructions on the pack.

I bought the lights secondhand with the tank, they are giessemann t5 fluorescent lights as far as i know. Something like these http://www.marinedepot.com/lighting_...t_lamp-ap.html

Titans_Reef · 10/01/2014, 03:25 AM

I used those bulbs before and I loved them. Do you know how old the bulbs are?

qasim99 · 10/01/2014, 03:31 AM

No idea how old they are tbh, but they seem like they are still in good condition.

qasim99 · 10/01/2014, 04:38 AM

Id also like to add, that i noticed small worms-like things coming out of my mushrooms as they were dying, not really sure if they were just some part of the coral, or something else.

Titans_Reef · 10/01/2014, 05:01 AM

If its white string like wormish looking stuff and around its mouth in the center, I think its their insides. I would also change out the lights to make sure its not that. What kind of flow is your torch under? I keep my frogspawn under low flow and it fully opens up. I had a hammer under medium flow and it would always be closed up until it was in low flow. Did you light acclimate the corals also? I had an issue with a hairy mushroom where I placed it in my wifes biocube but forgot to lower the lights since it was LEDs and it started doing the samething, "white string like stuff coming from its mouth" but I moved it to my 125g and it went back to normal and started splitting a month later.

qasim99 · 10/01/2014, 05:14 AM

I originally had the torch at the bottom, but it looked to be doing a little better after i moved it a bit higher in higher flow. I dont think its the lights, as i had these same corals in a small quarantine tank not so long ago, with just some simple and ordinary fluorescent lights and they were thriving, but i may be wrong. Will calcium affect these types of corals? and should i test calcium

BlindZide · 10/01/2014, 05:29 AM

Yes you should be testing calc. All other params seem to be in check. The Nitrates are a bit high but that shouldn't kill corals like that. Is there a place in your tank with low flow and low light? Maybe move them there to see how the corals react. Did they start to discolor and then go downhill from there?

qasim99 · 10/01/2014, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlindZide

Yes you should be testing calc. All other params seem to be in check. The Nitrates are a bit high but that shouldn't kill corals like that. Is there a place in your tank with low flow and low light? Maybe move them there to see how the corals react. Did they start to discolor and then go downhill from there?

Yes the mushrooms discolored first before going downhill.

My tank has pretty decent flow all around, but i will make a plan and move some corals to see the reaction. The torch though looks happier in the higher flow (It might not even be a torch tbh, might even be a close relative of a torch. Ive attached a pic of the day i put it in my tank.

Just went to get Ca test kit now, will test tonight after work.

Most of the ricordeas you see in the pic are dead besides the biggest one, but it is no longer reddish,its green and much smaller than it was before

shesacharmer · 10/01/2014, 06:47 AM

My Ricordia Floridas live on the sandbed. I don't see anything in your parameters that is so off it should be causing this problem. Yes, that is a Torch. Mine like enough flow to move them quite a bit...if they get too much they shrivel and deflate or retract. They also live down on the sand. My understanding is that the bulbs for T5 lose the correct spectrum after about 9 months and need to be replaced even though to our eyes they look just fine. They don't do their proper job for the corals anymore once they are 9-12 months old. That's one of the objections about T-5 lighting is the frequency of bulb replacement.

firemountain · 10/01/2014, 06:56 AM

I am curious what your calcium reading are, and gonna follow along. I just added 3 Ricordea Floridas, and 3 Yumas to my tank, along with a Scoly. It's only been a few days and only 1 Yuma was struggling a but...but seems to be better. For a reference here are my tank parameters as of yesterday....

PH: 7.6/7
SG: 1.025 (measured with Milwaukee refract.)
Temp: 77.6 deg.
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: bet. 5 & 10 ppm
Ammonia: 0
Phosphates: 0.067452
Alkalinity: 8.848 dkh
Calcium: 417 ppm
Mag: 1360 (as of a week ago)

My only pitfall is my PH, but my meter is not the greatest, and I don't chase PH anyway. Hope this helps.

Also...I run a Kessil 360WE on their new controller. I have been keeping the blues up higher, and the intensity only at like 15 % max for now. They are in a low flow area at the bottom of the tank, and in in indirect light just near an overhang. I am a newbie with these mushrooms, so I have been playing it very cautious.

uncleL · 10/01/2014, 07:44 AM

What is your tanks Temp? I keep my tank at 79.7.......

Siebo · 10/01/2014, 07:56 AM

Think back to everything you have done/ added or did not do/ removed and when the change in corals happen. Was this just happening after you added biopellets for example?

qasim99 · 10/01/2014, 10:04 AM

I just tested calcium.and it is.420. I had all the mushrooms etc in a hospital tank for quite s while, since I had to medicate my main tank. I waited for my main tank to start growing a decent amount of algae etc..again and then I took s small rock with.some. zoas and moved it to the main tank to test if they will live. They were doing great at first, looking better than I've ever seen them, so I moved.all into the tank. Around the same time, someone gave me the torch as a gift, it was open for a couple of days and then all of a sudden all the corals started declining. At first I dosed with aquavitro fuel and coral snow, then I discovered low mg which I sorted out, and now here I am. I'd also like to add, that I had very high phosphate levels before I put the corals in. It read 3 -ppm which was the highest reading on the test kit. I bought phosphate remover and got it down to 0.03 which it is.at now.

Sk8r · 10/01/2014, 10:10 AM

High phosphate is no help.
And our bulbs burn 'down' but don't burn out. I'd replace those bulbs asap and start them out at 3 hours a day, increasing one hour per day until you reach the full photoperiod.

qasim99 · 10/01/2014, 10:43 AM

What would be the better way to go, buy 8 New t5 bulbs, or investing in an led system? Led is expensive, but do I need to ever replace bulbs etc?

qasim99 · 10/01/2014, 12:08 PM

Think ill go and get some t5 globes soon, LED just too expensive for now.

acabgd · 10/01/2014, 04:48 PM

What did you medicate the tank with? Also, did you introduce coral before starting to lower phosphates?

Hodge Podge · 10/01/2014, 05:19 PM

I would suggest confirming the measurements that you are taking are accurate. A friend of mine had things not doing well and it turned out to be a faulty test kit and his alk was actually at 4 dkh. I also had some problems and realized that my refractometer was way off. I agree that bulbs would be a good move as mentioned.

qasim99 · 10/02/2014, 02:00 AM

Medicated the tank with chloroquine. I reduced phosphates before adding corals. Test kits is accurate, i have used 2 different test kits for KH.

uncleL · 10/02/2014, 10:43 AM

I have to ask are you using RO/DI water? Have you changed anything to your tank? Adding any removal additve will effect the balance of your tank........ I started adding corals to my tank before using Ro/DI water and made that buy to saved my corals.

qasim99 · 10/06/2014, 02:30 AM

I am using RO/DI water , i have even bought new lights, but no difference to the corals yet

qasim99 · 10/06/2014, 02:58 AM

My parameters all seem fine, i have tested KH etc several times using several different test kits. New lights not making a difference either. Ive been using brightwell restore as well, but its not really helping. Could it be that the corals are still adjusting to the tnew lights (they have been in a couple of days)

Rudimenta · 10/06/2014, 05:21 AM

How long did you cycle the tank, your picture is not super clear, but the first thing I thought was that looks like very young rock or live rock that was just put in...

10/01/2014, 02:31 AM	#1
qasim99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 146	Corals Dying Recently , my corals slowly started dying. I tested for magnesium and found that it was very low. I have been carefully raising it and its nowsitting at 1440, but still no change to the corals. KH has remained stable while i was dosing magnesium and is still at 8.0 . The corals that have died are mostly Ricordea mushrooms and some other mushroom species. I also have a torch coral which isnt looking good. Anyhting else i should test? Calcium perhaps? PH is around 8.3, salinity is 1.026. Nitrates were a little high last i checked (25ppm) but i have added biopellets to the reactor to lower it (i dont think 25ppm nitrates would kill the corals anyway) . Phosphates in check too.

10/01/2014, 05:29 AM	#9
BlindZide Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 1,273	Yes you should be testing calc. All other params seem to be in check. The Nitrates are a bit high but that shouldn't kill corals like that. Is there a place in your tank with low flow and low light? Maybe move them there to see how the corals react. Did they start to discolor and then go downhill from there? __________________ ~Trent Biocube 14 Mixed Reef 75G LPS Reef

10/01/2014, 06:47 AM	#11
shesacharmer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Central NH Posts: 1,241	My Ricordia Floridas live on the sandbed. I don't see anything in your parameters that is so off it should be causing this problem. Yes, that is a Torch. Mine like enough flow to move them quite a bit...if they get too much they shrivel and deflate or retract. They also live down on the sand. My understanding is that the bulbs for T5 lose the correct spectrum after about 9 months and need to be replaced even though to our eyes they look just fine. They don't do their proper job for the corals anymore once they are 9-12 months old. That's one of the objections about T-5 lighting is the frequency of bulb replacement. __________________ 75 gal, LR w/refugium, 79 deg, PH 8.0, sg 1.025, amm 0/nit 0/nit 0, Calcium 420, dKH 8.3, mag 1300, Phos 0 Current Tank Info: A work in progress...

10/01/2014, 10:10 AM	#16
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	High phosphate is no help. And our bulbs burn 'down' but don't burn out. I'd replace those bulbs asap and start them out at 3 hours a day, increasing one hour per day until you reach the full photoperiod. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

10/06/2014, 05:21 AM	#25
Rudimenta Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Ho Chi Minh Posts: 321	How long did you cycle the tank, your picture is not super clear, but the first thing I thought was that looks like very young rock or live rock that was just put in... __________________ Not allowed to put your blog here ;) Current Tank Info: 770 Display 205l Sump, 100l Nano

10/01/2014, 02:49 AM	#2
Titans_Reef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 188	What kind of lights do you have and if you have bulbs, when was the last time you changed them out? My mag sits around 1200, alk at 8dkh, cal at 420, nitrates at 10, ph at 8.2, salinity at 1.024, temp at 76-78 F and everything is doing great in my tank. I know mag is a little low but if they are fine, there is not reason for me to change it. How much biopellets did you add at a time. When you first add them, you need to slowly add it into your system. Have you checked for stray voltage?

10/01/2014, 02:57 AM	#3
qasim99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 146	I added a small amount of biopellets, about half of the recommended dosage as per the instructions on the pack. I bought the lights secondhand with the tank, they are giessemann t5 fluorescent lights as far as i know. Something like these http://www.marinedepot.com/lighting_...t_lamp-ap.html

10/01/2014, 03:25 AM	#4
Titans_Reef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 188	I used those bulbs before and I loved them. Do you know how old the bulbs are?

10/01/2014, 03:31 AM	#5
qasim99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 146	No idea how old they are tbh, but they seem like they are still in good condition.

10/01/2014, 04:38 AM	#6
qasim99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 146	Id also like to add, that i noticed small worms-like things coming out of my mushrooms as they were dying, not really sure if they were just some part of the coral, or something else.

10/01/2014, 05:01 AM	#7
Titans_Reef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 188	If its white string like wormish looking stuff and around its mouth in the center, I think its their insides. I would also change out the lights to make sure its not that. What kind of flow is your torch under? I keep my frogspawn under low flow and it fully opens up. I had a hammer under medium flow and it would always be closed up until it was in low flow. Did you light acclimate the corals also? I had an issue with a hairy mushroom where I placed it in my wifes biocube but forgot to lower the lights since it was LEDs and it started doing the samething, "white string like stuff coming from its mouth" but I moved it to my 125g and it went back to normal and started splitting a month later.

10/01/2014, 05:14 AM	#8
qasim99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 146	I originally had the torch at the bottom, but it looked to be doing a little better after i moved it a bit higher in higher flow. I dont think its the lights, as i had these same corals in a small quarantine tank not so long ago, with just some simple and ordinary fluorescent lights and they were thriving, but i may be wrong. Will calcium affect these types of corals? and should i test calcium

10/01/2014, 06:56 AM	#12
firemountain Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Bergen County, NJ Posts: 1,033	I am curious what your calcium reading are, and gonna follow along. I just added 3 Ricordea Floridas, and 3 Yumas to my tank, along with a Scoly. It's only been a few days and only 1 Yuma was struggling a but...but seems to be better. For a reference here are my tank parameters as of yesterday.... PH: 7.6/7 SG: 1.025 (measured with Milwaukee refract.) Temp: 77.6 deg. Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: bet. 5 & 10 ppm Ammonia: 0 Phosphates: 0.067452 Alkalinity: 8.848 dkh Calcium: 417 ppm Mag: 1360 (as of a week ago) My only pitfall is my PH, but my meter is not the greatest, and I don't chase PH anyway. Hope this helps. Also...I run a Kessil 360WE on their new controller. I have been keeping the blues up higher, and the intensity only at like 15 % max for now. They are in a low flow area at the bottom of the tank, and in in indirect light just near an overhang. I am a newbie with these mushrooms, so I have been playing it very cautious.

10/01/2014, 07:44 AM	#13
uncleL Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: NC Posts: 411	What is your tanks Temp? I keep my tank at 79.7.......

10/01/2014, 07:56 AM	#14
Siebo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Chicago Posts: 79	Think back to everything you have done/ added or did not do/ removed and when the change in corals happen. Was this just happening after you added biopellets for example?

10/01/2014, 10:04 AM	#15
qasim99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 146	I just tested calcium.and it is.420. I had all the mushrooms etc in a hospital tank for quite s while, since I had to medicate my main tank. I waited for my main tank to start growing a decent amount of algae etc..again and then I took s small rock with.some. zoas and moved it to the main tank to test if they will live. They were doing great at first, looking better than I've ever seen them, so I moved.all into the tank. Around the same time, someone gave me the torch as a gift, it was open for a couple of days and then all of a sudden all the corals started declining. At first I dosed with aquavitro fuel and coral snow, then I discovered low mg which I sorted out, and now here I am. I'd also like to add, that I had very high phosphate levels before I put the corals in. It read 3 -ppm which was the highest reading on the test kit. I bought phosphate remover and got it down to 0.03 which it is.at now.

10/01/2014, 10:43 AM	#17
qasim99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 146	What would be the better way to go, buy 8 New t5 bulbs, or investing in an led system? Led is expensive, but do I need to ever replace bulbs etc?

10/01/2014, 12:08 PM	#18
qasim99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 146	Think ill go and get some t5 globes soon, LED just too expensive for now.

10/01/2014, 04:48 PM	#19
acabgd Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Belgrade Posts: 1,086	What did you medicate the tank with? Also, did you introduce coral before starting to lower phosphates?

10/01/2014, 05:19 PM	#20
Hodge Podge Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 4	I would suggest confirming the measurements that you are taking are accurate. A friend of mine had things not doing well and it turned out to be a faulty test kit and his alk was actually at 4 dkh. I also had some problems and realized that my refractometer was way off. I agree that bulbs would be a good move as mentioned.

10/02/2014, 02:00 AM	#21
qasim99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 146	Medicated the tank with chloroquine. I reduced phosphates before adding corals. Test kits is accurate, i have used 2 different test kits for KH.

10/02/2014, 10:43 AM	#22
uncleL Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: NC Posts: 411	I have to ask are you using RO/DI water? Have you changed anything to your tank? Adding any removal additve will effect the balance of your tank........ I started adding corals to my tank before using Ro/DI water and made that buy to saved my corals.

10/06/2014, 02:30 AM	#23
qasim99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 146	I am using RO/DI water , i have even bought new lights, but no difference to the corals yet

10/06/2014, 02:58 AM	#24
qasim99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 146	My parameters all seem fine, i have tested KH etc several times using several different test kits. New lights not making a difference either. Ive been using brightwell restore as well, but its not really helping. Could it be that the corals are still adjusting to the tnew lights (they have been in a couple of days)