Corals dying...help!

[damslndsrs]

Corals dying...help!
I have recently noticed that my hammer's, torch, and trumpets are starting to look like they are decaying. They are starting to whiten around the edges, which to me looks like its totally bleached or something like that. Not sure what is going on.
120 gallon tall, 550 watts mix of pc and VHO. amm = 0, nitrites=0, and nitrates are 30 (I know I am working on getting this down, have ben high for awhile now). Do have red hair or cyano problem also. I cut back light and feeding because of the cyano problem, and now have noticed that my corals are starting to decay!? Fish are looking ok no problems there.
Doing a water change at the moment. I have been getting ro/di water from fish store and I finally tested that today and it was around 14ppm. Just started making my own, and tested that water and it was at 1, not ready to use that yet, but going forward yes. Not sure what the problem is and not sure if this is in the right forum. Please help. I have not used anything to help increase the reef nutrients could that be it? Trying ot give as much info as possible, but I'm sure I have forgotten something

 

[theappe]

Originally Posted by damslndsrs
Corals dying...help!
Please help. I have not used anything to help increase the reef nutrients could that be it? Trying ot give as much info as possible, but I'm sure I have forgotten something
You def need to add supplements and other things to keep your corals healthy. Depending on the corals you would need all or some of these. Calcium, Iodine, Trace elements, Strontium & molybdenum and so on. You also need to feed your corals.
Have you done that?

 

[damslndsrs]

not directly I have been using some cycleoeeze plankton for the brain and plate and mushrooms but thats about it. Any reccomendations as to which nutrients I should use?

 

[stuckinfla]

DON'T! I repeat dont add any additives unless you know what the prolem is. How long have you had the corals? what is their placement in your tank? How old are your lights? There are reasons for the cyno, what type of flow do you have in the tank? Usually bleaching corals is a sign of not enough light. More info is needed.

 

[trainfever]

I agree with the above, do not add and supplements until you fix the problem and are able to test for the supplements. You say that your water is at 14ppm but you dont say for what. What did you test it for?

 

[damslndsrs]

Well I am changing some bulbs this week. I also think my temps are fluctuating quite a bit. I haven't added anything yet. The 14ppm was the test that I did on my ro/di water that I am getting from the fish store. I am making my own as I am typing.
2 maxijets 900's and a 1200 are running at the top pointing in differnt directions for the flow and also the in and out tubes of the overflow leading to the sump and refugium where the mag 18 is pumping the system. I am replacing one of my vho's and 3 pc's so I am hopeful that will help.

 

[damslndsrs]

still getting decaying on my corals. I have added the new lights and I am still seeing my corals decaying around the edges. Seems to be almost a bleaching type scenario. I'm not sure what else it could be. Any ideas? This has been happening for awhile. Help before I lose everything.

 

[mikeyjer]

Did you just change all the bulbs at the sametime?? You should do one or two at a time depending on how many bulbs you have. You can shock the corals with new light bulbs. Another thing is you shouldn't lower the light limit on the corals, that might be part of the issue. Have you check for calcium, ph, alkaline, salinity, etc??? You should try to feed the corals, it will help'em to regenerate. You should try to find the issue that's causing all the excess algae instead of lowering your light schedule!!! Corals will not tolerate that unlike fish. :happyfish

 

[miamireefr]

From the cyano stand point.....try to keep an eye on how much you are feeding these fish....alot of left over foods of course contribute to nitrates and if I am not mistaken your cyano problem...
What kind of maintainence do you do for this tank?? How often conducted? Whats your alk and CA level??

 

[damslndsrs]

Yes I changed three of the bulbs at the same time, but this had started before I changed the bulbs. I am currently running the lights about 7-8 hours a day now. What do you suggest feeding the corals, any specific recomendations? Well I do have a lot of sunlight that comes in from the day time that could be feeding my cyano problem. Feeding dry foods mostly, but have been switching it up every other frozen and then dry, feeding once a day. Just increased my light underneath the tank to help the chaeto and calpulpera grow faster. It has helped and it is slowly bringing down the high nitrates.
Haven't tested the Ca or Alk, salinity is around 1.24-25, PH is around 8.2. No Nitrites, and no ammonium.
Maintenance has been doing about a 20 gallon water change a week, to try and help bring down the nitrates. I try and suck the cyano off the sand at the bottom, and I use the mag float every day/ other day. Let me know.

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by damslndsrs
Yes I changed three of the bulbs at the same time, but this had started before I changed the bulbs. I am currently running the lights about 7-8 hours a day now. What do you suggest feeding the corals, any specific recomendations? Well I do have a lot of sunlight that comes in from the day time that could be feeding my cyano problem. Feeding dry foods mostly, but have been switching it up every other frozen and then dry, feeding once a day. Just increased my light underneath the tank to help the chaeto and calpulpera grow faster. It has helped and it is slowly bringing down the high nitrates.
Haven't tested the Ca or Alk, salinity is around 1.24-25, PH is around 8.2. No Nitrites, and no ammonium.
Maintenance has been doing about a 20 gallon water change a week, to try and help bring down the nitrates. I try and suck the cyano off the sand at the bottom, and I use the mag float every day/ other day. Let me know.
The trumpets you can feed mysis shrimp or chopped up seafood. The others you can target feed it with cyclopeeze or chopped up seafood. You need to run your lights around 10-12hrs a day for those corals!!! In order to really bring Nitrate down, you need to do around 20-25% water change every other day. :happyfish

 

[mryoung7]

Originally Posted by damslndsrs
Yes I changed three of the bulbs at the same time, but this had started before I changed the bulbs. I am currently running the lights about 7-8 hours a day now. What do you suggest feeding the corals, any specific recomendations? Well I do have a lot of sunlight that comes in from the day time that could be feeding my cyano problem. Feeding dry foods mostly, but have been switching it up every other frozen and then dry, feeding once a day. Just increased my light underneath the tank to help the chaeto and calpulpera grow faster. It has helped and it is slowly bringing down the high nitrates.
Haven't tested the Ca or Alk, salinity is around 1.24-25, PH is around 8.2. No Nitrites, and no ammonium.
Maintenance has been doing about a 20 gallon water change a week, to try and help bring down the nitrates. I try and suck the cyano off the sand at the bottom, and I use the mag float every day/ other day. Let me know.
i don't know much about corals but i found that even a little ambient light from the windows was a huge contributing factor in my cyano problem about a year ago. be careful with that.