Protein skimmer and corals

[micahj26]

I was recently reading that protein skimmers will remove essential nutrients for corals. #1 is that factual information #2 what should I be doing/adding to supplement. I did have a massive coral die out around the same time I put in the skimmer but didn't put 2 and 2 together at the time. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Protein skimming, touted as however efficient it can be, is also inefficient. It can not completely strip the water of all nutrients. To really know what is going on, you need to have accurate test kits for nitrates and phosphates. Soft coral aquariums like a bit of nitrate (5-10ppm) and phosphate (0.05-0.10) and grow very well at those parameters. LPS are almost the same, but SPS corals prefer much less - in the 0.03-0.05 phosphate and a negligible about of nitrate. IF you are not feeding your corals anything by any means, then it is a possibility that they starved, however unlikely.
What are or were your tank parameters? How hot does the tank get? What is your current salinity? How much do you feed? How much does your pH swing? How much does your alkalinity swing? What kind of lights are you using? How old are they? When was the last time you changed the bulbs? IF you have LEDs, what are they and what intensity are they set at? There's a lot of things that can contribute to coral death, but I would not place it on a skimmer.
Also, are your fish ok? If no fish deaths and you have only had coral and invert deaths... have you used copper in your system at all? Have you used any copper alloys in your system anywhere? Where do you buy or make your top off water at? What are you using for top off water? Have you tested your system for copper?

 

[micahj26]

That's a lot to consider and think about thank you. I will have to start testing for some of those things. All I can tell you at this point is that I had mushroom polyps, mushrooms, richordea, Kenya tree, and green star polyps. Forgive me if any of these names are wrong. I had most if not all of those for the better part of 2 or 3 years. They were all doing well, I was propogating most of them, some were spawning on their own. I got a new light fixture corallife 48" t5 about a year ago. All was well, haven't added any fish, no fish have died, besides a clown that took the jump. I added the protein skimmer and sump and that was about the time that all at once, my richordea died in the matter of days, my red mushrooms disappeared, my star polyps are alive but struggling, my Kenya tree seems to be fine, seems a little "limp" but it is still spawning. My red mushrooms seem to keep coming back and then disappearing. I realize that there is quite a few things that I need to be checking. But overall my question is can a protein skimmer contribute to these types of problems. And from here I will start getting some testing supplies as I can afford.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Micah,
A drastic change in salinity, temp, or pH can cause problems. Also, a switch in the type of salt you are using can cause issues as well. You should start getting some hard data as soon as you can. Adding a sump is kind of like doing a water change and adding water volume. Make sure you are getting an accurate reading of your salinity with a refractometer. If any corals are still living, then I wouldn't worry much about copper. High levels of copper in the tank would kill everything. Though, it can be something to consider if other stuff doesn't make sense.
Check your tank for stray voltage. Use a multimeter to check if there is any current going through your tank. If you don't have a GFCI Unit on your power outlet, I suggest getting one. For the most part there are two main sources of stray voltage: heaters and powerheads. Consult a guide on using your multimeter before using.
If you don't have a digital temp reader, I suggest getting one.... they are as cheap as $10... and by paying attention to your tanks temp you can avoid problems.
Do you burn candles, incense or other perfume products in your house? Has your house been fumigated, painted, or sprayed for insects?