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Coral dying but fish ok?!?! Help please

post #1 of 29
1/20/12 at 11:04am
Thread Starter 
So I have a 30 g tank and all my coral has died ( zoas, hammer, torches, flower pot, favia) but my fish are all doing fine. It started about a month ago and I have tons of green algae. I do about 5g water change a week. My fish are 2 perc. Clown and a sand sifting gobie. My tests are fine except my trates are a little high. I feed every other day. I don't know what is going on. Can anyone help?
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post #2 of 29
1/20/12 at 11:28am

Can you give more detail on your water parmeters other than "fine"?  Sounds like an alkalinity or Phosphate issue.

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post #3 of 29
1/20/12 at 1:23pm

Have you done changes lately? Any pictures?

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post #4 of 29
1/20/12 at 1:44pm

what is your actual nitrate reading? do you have any carbon running? could be chemical warfare

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post #5 of 29
1/20/12 at 2:11pm

How fast are they dying after you put them in?

 

Have you treated the tank with anything?

 

What is your salinity, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, calcium, etc...? We need them all...

 

What type of lighting do you have? How long do you run them? How old are the bulbs?

 

What temp is your tank?

 

Do you have powerheads?

 

What do you feed? How much?

 

What type of filtration do you have? Canister, Sump, HOB, etc? What size?

 

Did you notice anything weird about the corals before they died? Brown slime, polyp retraction, slimming, damaged areas, exposed skeletal area, etc.

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post #6 of 29
1/20/12 at 8:03pm

+1 to all the questions above and lastly what kind of test kits are you using?

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post #7 of 29
1/25/12 at 2:36pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks guys. I'll have all of that info up in a day or with some life. But I did buy another filter to create some more filtration.
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post #8 of 29
1/25/12 at 2:36pm
Thread Starter 
* with some pics
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post #9 of 29
2/17/12 at 11:00am
Thread Starter 

Hey guys,

     Sorry for the super late response. I've been crazy busy with work and school. But the tank is looking alot better. I got a new filter, so I'm running two HOB Aquaclear 50's with 3stage filters (bio, carbon,and foam). I also brought my temp down because it was high, so it's at a steady 77. I also got a new hydrometer because my other one wasn't working. So my salinity is 1.024-.025. Fish are still doing well. I took all my lr out and scrubbed it to get rid of the green algae as well as did a serious cleaning of the tank itself, which I've been doing once a week for 3 weeks now. I siphoned out as much algae of the sand as I could. Rock is looking a bit brown but I'm guessing that is from the algae dying off? I've got to get some new test stips today then I'll put up those numbers.

@smallreef-Which test kit do you recommend?

@Xcali1985-Most of them lasted about 3 weeks, accept for my zoas which lasted about 2 months.I supplement the tank with PurpleTech, Magnesium, PhBuffer, Stront. & Mold., and Iodide. I am running T5HO's about 10hrs a day. I do have a powerhead which gives me plenty of flow. I feed flakes/myosis shrimp every other day.Before my torch and flower pot died I did notice that they were retracted. And my zoas just closed up and looked like they were shrinking. But no damaged areas or anything like that.

 

 

I'm going to give it about another 3weeks before I put any coral in there just to make sure water parameters stay steady. Thanks for all of the input though. I really appreciate it.

 

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post #10 of 29
2/17/12 at 1:08pm

You're adding quite a few supplements.  Do you know what the levels are before you add the supplement?  This could be the root of your issues.  If you don't test these levels then it's best not to add them, especially something as toxic as Iodine. 

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post #11 of 29
2/17/12 at 1:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by socalninja650 View Post

Hey guys,

     Sorry for the super late response. I've been crazy busy with work and school. But the tank is looking alot better. I got a new filter, so I'm running two HOB Aquaclear 50's with 3stage filters (bio, carbon,and foam). I also brought my temp down because it was high, so it's at a steady 77. I also got a new hydrometer because my other one wasn't working. So my salinity is 1.024-.025. Fish are still doing well. I took all my lr out and scrubbed it to get rid of the green algae as well as did a serious cleaning of the tank itself, which I've been doing once a week for 3 weeks now. I siphoned out as much algae of the sand as I could. Rock is looking a bit brown but I'm guessing that is from the algae dying off? I've got to get some new test stips today then I'll put up those numbers.

@smallreef-Which test kit do you recommend?

@Xcali1985-Most of them lasted about 3 weeks, accept for my zoas which lasted about 2 months.I supplement the tank with PurpleTech, Magnesium, PhBuffer, Stront. & Mold., and Iodide. I am running T5HO's about 10hrs a day. I do have a powerhead which gives me plenty of flow. I feed flakes/myosis shrimp every other day.Before my torch and flower pot died I did notice that they were retracted. And my zoas just closed up and looked like they were shrinking. But no damaged areas or anything like that.

 

 

I'm going to give it about another 3weeks before I put any coral in there just to make sure water parameters stay steady. Thanks for all of the input though. I really appreciate it.

 



 Probably not the best option.  Look into getting the tests that have the drops for better accuaracy

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post #12 of 29
2/17/12 at 2:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Wolf View Post



 Probably not the best option.  Look into getting the tests that have the drops for better accuaracy



 

+1
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy View Post

You're adding quite a few supplements.  Do you know what the levels are before you add the supplement?  This could be the root of your issues.  If you don't test these levels then it's best not to add them, especially something as toxic as Iodine. 


+1

 

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post #13 of 29
2/17/12 at 2:07pm

why are you dosing in the first place? just because they sell it dont mean you need it. a good reef salt is plenty with water changes.i dont supplement anything

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post #14 of 29
2/17/12 at 2:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by deejeff442 View Post

why are you dosing in the first place? just because they sell it dont mean you need it. a good reef salt is plenty with water changes.i dont supplement anything



 



Quote:
Originally Posted by socalninja650 View Post

.....PurpleTech, Magnesium, PhBuffer, Stront. & Mold., and Iodide. .......



 

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post #15 of 29
2/24/12 at 11:01am
Thread Starter 
I was hardly dosing anything because I only had few pieces of coral and its such a small tank. But I did test the water before I added anything and followed all the dosing directions on the bottles. Once I saw the coral looking not so healthy I stopped dosing the iodine and the stront. and moldb.. once my calcium was at 420 ppm I rarely dosed purpletech.
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post #16 of 29
2/24/12 at 11:39am

Do you use carbon?

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post #17 of 29
2/24/12 at 11:54am
Thread Starter 
Activated carbon filter which I change once a month.
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post #18 of 29
2/24/12 at 11:59am

Brand?

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post #19 of 29
2/24/12 at 12:03pm
Thread Starter 
I'll double check when i get home but im pretty sure its aquaclear
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post #20 of 29
3/8/12 at 4:26pm

how is your tank doing now? its been almost two weeks, any improvements?

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