S.o.s!

[aqujoe247]

Its been 2 days since I switched everything from my 55 to my 90 and my corals still hadnt open up. :bouncebox When I got home from work both my Xenia look almost gone (just the base of them), my starburst are completely closed and the leather looks like its dying. Also all me snell are dead but the hemit crabs are alive, so is the clownfish.

Ammonia-.25-50
Nitrites-0
Nitrates-0-5
Ph-7.8-8.0
Alk.-175ppm
Cal.-300

The only thing I can think of is my sump was low and I unplugged it about 2-3 days before the switch and didnt empty the water out before rerunning.

 

[Woodstock]

Yikes. Are all the corals/anemoes accounted for? Maybe something died in the switch? Did you use the same rock/sand/etc...? Looks like you're having a cycle...

 

[aqujoe247]

All are there, only thing thats dead are the snails that died overnight. I removed the bioballs from the fuge/sump while doing the switch. Also added the LR that been in the 10g cooking for about 4mo. There is layer of debris on the LR now though.

 

[Gina]

I would try and do a water change and get the Ammonia down.

 

[aqujoe247]

I believe I just seen my clownfish picking at my pompom xenia, so i'm guessing he may have tore all the xenia apart. my mushrooms are shrivelled up and the leather looks irritated also.

 

[Gina]

Your clown may be nipping at the Xenia but, Xenia are picky about water condition and I believe they are melting due to the ammonia.
I would do about 10-15% water changes for a couple of days to try and get your water in better shape and it wouldn't hurt to run some carbon till things clear up.

Good luck!

 

[aqujoe247]

Thanks Gina, I thought xenia was one of the tougher corals for beginners. Also followed your advice on the cleaning of the 55g and it came out great. Do you mean, 10-15% w/c everyday? How much carbon is enough to run on the 90g?

 

[Gina]

1 cup of Reef Carbon should do just fine.
Make sure to rinse it first in RO/DI water.
Use it for about 3 days straight.

Do your water change and then test it.
If your Ammonia is still on the high side you could skip a day then repeat with another water change.
I remember when we had an Anenome die in our old tank about 3 years ago, It fouled our tank horribly and our Ammonia spiked.
We were told to do multiple water changes to try and lower the Ammonia before we lost anything else.
It took about a week of daily water changes before we started seeing a difference.

 

[lcstorc]

Also removing the bio-balls can start a cycle or at least make it worse.
In the long run it will help with nitrates, but they were converting amonia to nitrites to nitrates. Now that capacity was removed quickly.
I agree with Gina the best thing is water changes and lots of them. I would increase the percentage to about 25% and do every 2 or 3 days till things are under control. Also the xenia may come back. I thought mine was gone entirely at one point and several wekks later I got one head then two etc. They do not like changes nor do leathers in my experience. Give them some time and get the water in good shape.

 

[aqujoe247]

Thanks for the help, i'll do the water changes today. I'll keep you informed.

 

[Yarr]

Good luck Joe.

I agree with the above. try to do a fair few substantial water changes til your readings start to come down and use carbon towards the end of that.

If some of the snails were left in there after they died it woudl also add to your amonia spike.

 

[aqujoe247]

I did a 10g w/c today and added a pad of ammonia remover. Its depressing, the only thing that looks like it may survive is the mushrooms, maybe the starbust polyps their still closed up though. I need to get of the layers of gunk off the LR. Anything else I can do to help along the process?

 

[burning2nd]

w/c more w/c's and remove the dead people there only brakeing down causeing nh4,= another cycle

 

[aqujoe247]

The hermit crabs have already eaten all the snails, and I don't want to throw out the corals yet because i'm hoping they'll grow back.

 

[Yarr]

more W/C for sure. Is your skimmer working overtime? If you can adjust your flow on your skimmer.. wind it up so it is running a bit more.. wet.

 

[aqujoe247]

I have a POS Seclone 150 on it right now, which was on the 55g before, so that contributes to the problem for sure. I also have a Precision Marine H.O.T., but it has flooded the room with the adjustment all the way down. I think I will be getting the Coralife 220 ASAP

 

[aqujoe247]

Tested water yesterday and everything seems in order, except nitrates

ammonia-0
nitrite-0
nitrate-10
phosphates-0

One of the Xenia is on a big piece of Tonga rock should I just scrape the rest of it off, my leather is inside a big snail shell so it can thrashed, as well as the Pompom Xenia because its on a brain skeleton. The mushrooms are trying to hang in there, I don't know about the starburst polyps

 

[Gina]

From what I understand Nitrates are in an acceptable range. I've heard 5-10 is ok as long as fish and corals seem ok. I would still try and get it alittle lower.
As far as your corals go, leave the xenia be. Once things stabalize it may come back. Is your Leather gone? If you are certain that it is, I would probably pull it out. Leave the polyps and mushrooms where they are also.

Glad to hear that things are starting to turn back around for you.
Good luck!

 

[aqujoe247]

Thanks Gina, i'll be pulling out the leather, all of the xenia is about gone and a buddy was saying there's no chance of it growing back. I swithced from the Seaclone 150 to the Precision Marine HOT that was a hand-me-down from my dad hope it makes a difference.

I think I found out what caused this problem. My salinity was 1.022-23 in the 55g, when I finished with the 90g it was 1.019 STUPID MOVE I know. Steep learning experience I guess.