What could be so bad...

[jjboods]

that it causes corals to die within 48 hours. I have recently added a soft coral and some polyps. The coral died within 2 days, the polyps have survived. Although there has been no growth. I added 3 Xenia over six months ago. All three were surviving until about a month ago when two shrank and died. The other is the same size it has always been. I purchased about 70 lbs of LR last week from a fellow hobbyist. It had been in a tank so there should have been minimal, if any, die off. He was generous enough to give me a frogspawn and some mushrooms. All "melted" and died within 2 days. I also found my urchin dead. One fish was missing for a several hours and then came out again with a fin damaged...looked chewed. Other fish are fine, cleaner shrimp is alive. Crabs and snails are alive.
Temp seems to be a steady 80 degrees. pH seems to be a steady 8.0/8.2. Ammonia is at .25ppm. I know it should be zero and possibly spiked from the new LR, but would that cause such a fast death to the corals?
The tank is a 75g with 2 150W DE HQI MH's.
15 gallon sump with Turboflotor 1000 Skimmer.

 

[puffer32]

Do a good water change to get rid of ammonia, even small amount of it can kill fish and coral.

 

[jjboods]

I only have 4 fish in the tank. 2 clowns, a Yellow Tang, and a Kole Tang. I'm assuming the new rock I added caused the recent spike. But before that, I don't think 4 fish would have been causing enough ammonia to kill the last coral I bought. And I also have the issue of the Xenia not growing. That has been a 6 month problem. Would a high or low pH cause this?

 

[monalisa]

Had the tank that the 70# of LR came out of ever been treated with copper? That would account for something...that stuff supposedly stays in the rock, sand, everything...
Lisa :happyfish

 

[jjboods]

I don't think so. The person I bought it from went from a 125 to a 55 and the 55 is in awesome condition. While I was picking it up, he gave me the frogspawn out of the 55. Died 2 days later.

 

[ctgretzky9]

What are your other parameters?
Alkalinity, calcium, magnesium (if possible)
Ammonia obviously is a problem, but you may not have had that before the LR was added, so I would maybe rule that out, unless you have something dead somewhere rotting.
Salinity level? Too high or low of a salinity level will cause problems as well pretty quickly.
Ar eyou temp acclimating the coral for a while?

 

[jjboods]

I may not have temp acclimated them long enough. I had a 30 minute drive home and it was cool out, so it may have cooled the water and maybe I didn't allow it enough time to come back.
But what would be the reason for the Xenia not growing for the last 6 months?
There can be anything rotting anywhere, everything was present and accounted for before the Urchin died.

 

[ctgretzky9]

Check your alk level, I have heard this will kill them/stunt them as well.
How are you mixing water change water?

 

[reefnut]

With MHs your Xenia should have spread like wild fire.
Have you tested the water for stray voltage?? I just lost 6 sps corals due to a heater breaking... although I had a ground probe the GFCI didn't trip. Even after getting a shock of a life time it still didn't trip. IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING WITH THAT TANK

Also, as asked above, what are your other parameters?? any algae problems?? What is your water change schedule?? tap water?? anything more you know of that could be relevant??

 

[jjboods]

I mix the water in a large rubbermaid tub. Sits with a PH and heater for at least 24 hours.
Alk levels might be a problem. Would high pH be a possible culprit? I know this sounds odd, but could the tank be understocked and the alk is increasing rather than decreasing?

 

[reefnut]

High PH could but what would be causing the PH spikes?? The only way your alk will increase is if you add to much of an additive... water changes will only bring it up to a point and no higher.

 

[ctgretzky9]

Alk, calc and pH are all related. If one is off, many times the others may be off.
pH is the actual measurement of the acidity of the water, the alk/calc is the measurement of the buffer capacity of the water...ie how much acid can be added to the water before the pH will swing.
Test your alk and calcium, or at least your alk since the calc test is a pain. I only test calc now every month or two.

 

[jjboods]

Since I didn't have anything other than the xenia before getting the frogspawn, I wasn't measuring for or adjusting for calc or alk. The only additives were recent. I've been adding microvert, DT's Phyto, and Iodine(was told it's good for xenia). Other than that, nothing.

 

[ctgretzky9]

As well, I suggest testing pH in the morning and at night, so you can get an accurate veiw of any swings.
Also...if you are using a lot of top off water, and you buffer isnt up to par, it can swing things quickly.
I suggest, if this is the case, using b-ionic alk/calc to help with the swings.
Going home...I'll check thread tomorrow and see if you have any test results...

 

[jjboods]

I am using RO/DI top off water...maybe 5-10 gallons per week. What buffer would you guys recommend?
I started using Kent liquid calcium and kent Marine Superbuffer dKH Buffer and KH Builder when I added the frogspawn. I will be switching to B-Ionic when I can get to the LFS that carries it.

 

[reefnut]

Iodine(was told it's good for xenia).
What, how much and how often?? That could be your culprit... have you tested the iodine level?? Iodine can become toxic at a relatively low level... and sounds like nothing would have been using it up.
I'd do some water changes as suggested... that's always a good start no matter the cause.

 

[jjboods]

I had just done a water change last week. But I plan on doing another this weekend. I'm traveling tomorrow and Thursday. I have been using about a capful every week. Hadn't improved the xenia anyway so I'll probably stop adding it.