Only some of the corals are bleching/ RTN

M

malau

Member
Hi all,

I've setup a new (well old tank tho) frag tank using the sand (half old half new), water and same model of power head ..etc from the existing one then I moved frags:
Few monti,
Few tiny Cluster coral frag (photo http://www.oceanarium.com.au/admin/photos/.CaC_200_IMGP2717.JPG),
2 clams,
1 Xenia frag,
3 tiny acro (their quality were not good already in LFS but was in my previous tank for near whole month).
few very tiny hermit crab
a torch corals
a birdnest (small, purchased last week )


Here is the spec of the tank
Water volume 31 L
Power head, hydor something, 2800L/HR. Not directly blow to the corals but slightly towards to the surface
Lighting - vertex (same light from old tank and I had this for almost a year without any problem with the corals).
Protein Skimmer (From the old tank)

Ca ~ 470 ppm
Kh 9-10
Mg ~ 1400 ppm
NO2 - 0.15ppm
NO3 ~ 0-5 ppm
PO4 ~ 0.4 (I know it is still high but let me explain below later)
Iron - 0, then I dosed 2 ml according to RedSea instruction
PH 8.4 last night (was 8.1-8.2 in last few days)
Don't have tester for Ammonia
Started using active carbon yesterday
Dosed Aquavirto Fuel twice a week with half dosing from the instruction

Also changed the salt from Auqavitro to Seachem.


I had my old tank for awhile and then I decided setup a new frag tank to free up some spaces. I went to overseas few months ago for few wks and of course you can expect what happened.. for those still survive at that time PO4 was 2.5 and then I change the water immediately as soon as I back.

3 of the green cluster corals (frag) still survive, saw 1 bleched this morning and I had this > 6 months. 2 of them are ok so far.

For few acros frag, apart from those RTN which I removed, I still have 2 looks healthy (I asked the LFS if they can give it to me as it is a small branches at the bottom so I cut and glued on the rock)

So far all the monti are ok

You may think my tank is new which may caused the problem. I broke my other frag tank last year so I moved all corals to a small container (glad that it was spring) use the same tank, Aquavitro salt, same light moved the corals back with no loss at all seriously. I also got purple algae within a month.

Just wonder do you guys know what happened to my tank?

Here is what I can think of:
The power head is too strong ? (it is on the left hand side glass but front, blow to the rear right corner with slightly a bit towards to surface)
Fine bubble from skimmer causing the problem
The salt causing the problem or
Some chemicals released by the corals which I dont know? I know I cant mix leather with acro only.
Hermit crab? but seems unlikely
NO2 too high?

Btw I dont feed the tank at all so far, the hermit crab just picking the food from the rocks
Any ideas? thanks
 
fishguy4

fishguy4

Member
maybe water temp is causing stress. i lost an elegance about this time last year from high water temps. summer heat can really impact your system
 
M

malau

Member
I want to provide another information:

I got the Seachem Salt after I back from overseas and since then the tank KH dropped significantly (even in old tank). It used to be 11 KH but now only maintain around 9-10. At the same time Ca reading did not drop at all (in both old and new tank). Before I went to Overseas the tank (old tank) reading: Ca 430 as I was using dosing pump, pH 8.5, KH 11 and the rest of the reading are ok.

I emailed Seachem they said KH dropped but Ca remain unchanged is because I have organic acid in the tank which consume carb, bi carb to form CO2....
 
M

malau

Member
fishguy4 said:
maybe water temp is causing stress. i lost an elegance about this time last year from high water temps. summer heat can really impact your system
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply first of all, I am not sure if it is the temp issue. However it is winter in here therefore during I setup the new tank I make sure both tank temp are not +/- 2'c diff and I also did water bath for the corals before I moved them to the new tank too. Right now the new tank temp is around 25-26'c compare to the old tank 27'c - well.. not a digital themometer
 
dmatt88

dmatt88

Has been struck by the ban stick
OK. 31l huh. Dude u need to prepare a 31 litre wc. Same temp same ph. U have water issues.

........cutting n glueing living things to stuff. who'd have thought
 
M

malau

Member
dmatt88 said:
OK. 31l huh. Dude u need to prepare a 31 litre wc. Same temp same ph. U have water issues.

........cutting n glueing living things to stuff. who'd have thought
Click to expand...

I think so too and I did (partial, around 1/3 with same temp and same pH) too.. but I just dont understand which part of water causing the problem...
 
M

malau

Member
fishguy4 said:
yep u do have water problems. WCs WCs and more WCs!
Click to expand...

Yeah.. just got the water ready and will do WC after this post..

I ended up spoke to LFS about the salt. Initially I thought seachem salt is seachem "flatship" product instead of aqua vitro, but then they said aqua vitro is the seachem better product within seachem... however they dont have the aquavirto salt atm and have to wait for 2 wks. I told them I can wait for 2 wks but I dont think my corals can get so now I tried red sea salt

Also I forgot to mention last year I got a small monti frag which is around 0.5cm x 0.5 cm and within 6 months it grew over the flag plug.. using Aquavitro salt... so now I change other salt and see how's going...

I can tell is water problem but just dont know which part of water goes wrong :/

I use same bucket of water for other tanks ... 1 FO tank and another one is Softies and both are ok.... :/
 
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