I Need Major Help Here!!!!

[steve76s]

Hey All,

I have a huge problem with my reef tank. About 4 weeks ago, I had lost 3 of my babies (Flame angel, Butterfly (Battling apstisia) and my anthias, then about 3 days later, I lost my yellow fiji coral, toadstools now are down and my red candy cane and montipora are almost white. My levels are good with the exception that I found the PH had dropped while I was on vacation to 78, normally keep at 8.3. I did a 40% wc almost immediately and now have another 40% ready to go with tropic marine. Fyi, I have a 155 bow front with mega 4 sump, 140 lbs live rock, 150 lbs live sand, 780w lighting system about 1 year old. I run my atinics 9 hrs, 3 150w mh 10000K for 7 hours. I run Carbon regularly, I am beside myself and really need help. I went to my lfs and they told me to switch up salt from instant ocean to tropic marine. I have my setup for over a year now with no issues until this one.. let me know if more information is required in order to give me some guidence? your advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Luukosian]

I would look into foreign contaminates....air freshner, cleaning agents, kids dumping something into the tank....you say your levels are fine but have you actually tested everything? If I had that kind of experience I would measure ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, calcium, magnesium, alk, PH, phosphate.....just to KNOW what everything is. Theres a small possibility you have some kind of predator in your tank you aren't aware of....just throwing some ideas out since your post seems kind of vague. Current leaking into the tank from a faulty pump/light is also a possibility.

Are you using RO/DI or tap/well ect?

 

[Luukosian]

double post sorry

 

[steve76s]

Thanks for the reply

I tested all my levels and they are right on the money. The only thing I do not test for is Iodine, but I do not dose it so I figured why test. The lfs told me that instant ocean is not a good salt mix, but I have used since getting the tank up and running with no issues. He explained that the minerals in my water might be minimul, but their was no way for testing. I have no children other then my babies in the tank, we do not use air fresheners within 20 feet from the display. I use RO/DI water for changes. I have the system setup with GFCI, but that is a good point about the grounding issue. I do see my maroon clown and hyppo tang perfectly happy, but have seen some fin rot on my yelllow tang. I will check tomorrow and see if there is a pump grounding out. Do you think the salt mix had something to do with it? I did buy the tropic marine and have the water mixed and circulating, but I'm baffled as to why this wouldn't have happened before

Calcium - 440
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
PH - 8.3, previously at 7.8 brought it up gradually
Phosphate - near zero
Magnesium - good
Alk - good
KH - good
salinity 1.025

 

[Luukosian]

Alk and mag of good means you probably haven't measure in a while lol.....how are you getting 440 calcium with instant ocean, are you dosing 2-part or using calcium reactor?......anyways I don't think that is the problem anyways. If you have a DSB theres a chance that a pocket of gas got released by a rogue fish/critter disturbing the bed....or that one of your fish/critters is doing something it shouldn't be at night stressing everybody out. Like I said, just kind of throwing ideas out to get the ball rolling....I could imagine your pretty stressed at this point.

when you brought up that PH was that before or after the deaths? How often and what level of water changes are you doing? Fin rot would explain the fish but not really the coral bleaching.

ps. everything bad seems to hapen on vacation doesn't it....trust me I had one of my freshwater tanks dump co2 until the ph was 4 and I was only gone like 3 days.....

 

[steve76s]

I tested the alk and mag this week, they are good but do not recall the numbers and my wife is sleeping so I cannot get my journal. (she would kill me). I dose with a 2 part calc/alk. Sand bed is about 2 inch deep and do stir occasionally. I brought the PH up after my flame died, but did it gradually. I change about 15% every 2 weeks. Right now I'm doing everything I can think of. I will not go on vacation again after this mess. You would think everything would be ok, but it probably won't be. I'm really stressed. Thanks for the feedback though, I really appreciate it.

 

[jgking21]

Did you have someone watching the tank while you were on vacation, could they have topped off with tap water? Usually a vacation is good for you and the tank! How long were the dead fish in the tank? Is it possible you had another cycle after they died, causing a build up of Ammonia and Nitrites? I'm not a fan of changing salts, but both brands are pretty good so I don't see a problem there. A 2" sand bed should not be deep enough to build up hydrogen gases. Just trying to get more information, sorry for all your troubles!

 

[CharlieHustle]

Any chance your temp is getting too high. I just had that happen to me. I found a fish dead and my frogspawn detaching. I tested water, perfect. Did a h2o change, nothing. Then realized it was 92* outside and I don't have AC or a chiller. My tank was up in the low 90s. Felt like such a dumbie when I realized that it was temperature, especially after thinking the worst that it was a water problem. The simplest answer is usually the right one. Check it out.

 

[ReefLady]

Very strange - those parameters all seem very good. I agree it sounds like it could be a temp spike. especially with the bleaching of the corals.
Question -- what were the "symptoms" (if any) of the fish before they died -- and what happened to the leather & toadstool? I understand the sps & candycane bleached, but what did the softies do?

What are the other tank inhabitants (fish, coral, and inverts) that are still alive?

 

[steve76s]

I had my brother inlaw stop by and feed my babies with containers I left prepared asking for every hour on the hour feeding. Very small portions, I have an auto top off setup and he swears to have only fed them on the hour as requested. I keep my reef tank @ 74 degrees (Night), 77 degress (daytime) throughout the winter and then slowly bring it up to 79 during the summer. I still have my Hyppo tang, Maroon clown and Yellow tang along with both of my toad stools, one is almost white but still standing, the other is turning slight yellow and aiming towards the sand, red candy cane (almost white) and some hitch hiking zoas that are almost white from a nice flourecent green color. I have some clean up crews left, but lost my banded shrimp, cleaner shrimp, almost all of my snails, still have plenty of hermit crabs though. I went to my local pet store and asked if they could help me, but I did not get anywhere with them other then change to a different salt, because instant does not have the minerals needed for a reef. I am at a total lost here!!

 

[Slickcg33]

I had my brother inlaw stop by and feed my babies with containers I left prepared asking for every hour on the hour feeding. Very small portions, I have an auto top off setup and he swears to have only fed them on the hour as requested. I keep my reef tank @ 74 degrees (Night), 77 degress (daytime) throughout the winter and then slowly bring it up to 79 during the summer. I still have my Hyppo tang, Maroon clown and Yellow tang along with both of my toad stools, one is almost white but still standing, the other is turning slight yellow and aiming towards the sand, red candy cane (almost white) and some hitch hiking zoas that are almost white from a nice flourecent green color. I have some clean up crews left, but lost my banded shrimp, cleaner shrimp, almost all of my snails, still have plenty of hermit crabs though. I went to my local pet store and asked if they could help me, but I did not get anywhere with them other then change to a different salt, because instant does not have the minerals needed for a reef. I am at a total lost here!!

Do you have an electrical discharge in the tank perhaps? if i recall correctly, inverts get effected the most and fish the least.
Do you have a ground probe for the tank?
Perhaps your mh bulb is to old to put out par,(you said a year old? might be a cheap bulb and lasted only a couple months) and some coral died and rotted and started a chain reaction with other corals and fish.

 

[ReefLady]

Well, I'm pretty certain that changing the salt is not the issue. LOL - I'm sure you knew that.

Is there any possibility he had something on his hands and did not wash - some sort of contiminant - grease, soap, anything? Did he clean the tank (spray windex on the front and possibly overspray into the tank)? The temps seem a bit on the cool side, but that's not the issue either.
Do you have access to anywhere that could do a comprehensive test on the water for toxins, heavy metals, etc?

 

[steve76s]

I wish I had a more reliable lfs, but I do not. I envy all who say that the locals are willing to help. I had my brother inlaw feed the babies with containers (Bought and boiled to ensure safety) he only dumped them in the water without direct contact. Windex is a no, no I even have a sign on my display. I am willing to try anything even changing salt mixes. I am lost right now and can't afford to loose another one of my babies. I think I will loose it completely. How can I check on the ground issues?

 

[jgking21]

I lost alot once in my 25 when the rubber around the wiring to a powerhead wore away. I only noticed it when my hand was in the tank and my arm touched the light, I got a small shock. I'm sure there is a better way, but that is a quick way. Only felt a little funny, but scared the s**t out of me!

 

[Slickcg33]

I wish I had a more reliable lfs, but I do not. I envy all who say that the locals are willing to help. I had my brother inlaw feed the babies with containers (Bought and boiled to ensure safety) he only dumped them in the water without direct contact. Windex is a no, no I even have a sign on my display. I am willing to try anything even changing salt mixes. I am lost right now and can't afford to loose another one of my babies. I think I will loose it completely. How can I check on the ground issues?

purchase a ground prob, place it in the tank and to a ground outlet.. in a wall not a surge protector. they are like 15 bucks at lfs. You didn't acknowledge my thought of the light issue?

 

[steve76s]

wow, I think I found out what happened! one of my flouresant mushrooms had died and I just found it behind the rock work, it was not a pleasant smell after all. I removed it, but my wc is not complete yet! still needs a day to be fully acclimated to my parameters. My lights are a little over a year old, how can i check the par? Also, the lights in my systems consist of the following: 4 - 39w T5 420 atinics, 4 - 39w t5 460 atinics and 3 - 150w 10000k metal halides. Should I stay with this configuration? I'm sorry about the late response, my reef is consuming me whole