Corals dying - Any Ideas?

DC_40gallon · 08/26/2010, 01:11 PM

I have had an Acropora die and a healthy birdsnest that was erupting in growth suddenly go south and slowly dying. I do a WC weekly at 5 gallons for a 40 breeder tank, 0 nitrates, 1400 magnesium, 480 calcium, 9-10 dkh alkalinity, salinity 1.026 and temp 72-74 during the night and 76-78 during the daytime.

I'm running T5's with 4 month old bulbs now, K2 and a K3 each on opposite ends for flow, and a Octopus LX 1000s skimmer.

Oh and occupants are: 1 urchin, 1 peppermint shrimp, handful of snails and blue and red leg crabs, 2 mated clowns, 2 firefish. I feed the fish daily with a quarter cube of mysis shrimp and the corals get feed weekly with target feeding of Coral Frenzy.

I've had the lights on a timer from 10:30 am until 7:30pm for 6 months.

I haven't figured it out, but afraid for the other corals, any ideas folks?

DC_40gallon · 08/26/2010, 05:38 PM

Bump

wrott · 08/26/2010, 06:11 PM

More WCs? How do you dose alk/CA? Once you see a decline in an Acropora it is usually too late by about 3 weeks.

DC_40gallon · 08/26/2010, 07:05 PM

So do more than a 5% water change weekly?

dead beat reef · 08/26/2010, 07:09 PM

Hey DC
Based on the info. the only big change to your reef are the t5 bulbs.
Diff. brand, new kelvin? I do not know what k2 and k3 mean.
Please tell us more about the bulb change. thanks dbr

iap · 08/26/2010, 07:10 PM

Bugs? Big temp swings.

iap · 08/26/2010, 07:11 PM

K2 and k3 are koralia 2 and koralia 3, powerheads. Maybe they weren't getting enough flow after growing larger and died from the inside out.

slakker187 · 08/26/2010, 08:32 PM

yes. the temp swings are more than likely what caused the deaths. also 72 is way to low for any acros that i know of. has the aquarium alway had that big of temp swings or did it coincide with the acros death?

Specialtang · 08/26/2010, 08:39 PM

I agree with temp swings, I would not let my tank get below 76 and not more then a 1 degree swing per day.

iap · 08/26/2010, 09:24 PM

^ uhh yea

thebanker · 08/26/2010, 10:44 PM

Good luck with the remaining corals. The temp is the only thing that I can think of, unless your acros got a disease. Did the dying slow down? What sort of death, RTN, bleaching...?

thebanker · 08/26/2010, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyny476

Please report spammers instead of quoting them~dc

And thanks you for the thanks you.

Grant W · 08/26/2010, 10:49 PM

I think the temp is too low I keep mine between 78-80and all is well

TampaReefer79 · 08/26/2010, 10:52 PM

Temp swing is my guess.

Is that a bot up a few posts??

DC_40gallon · 08/26/2010, 11:30 PM

The two corals died slowly and sped up towards the end.

The acro lost all of its outer color. It just shed off. The birdsnest was a frag and grew fabulously for 6ish month then suddenly the polyps from the inside started to disappear and now it's disappearing up to the tips.

I'll keep the tank at a 80 stable and see what happens.

DC_40gallon · 08/26/2010, 11:31 PM

The bulbs are 2 ati blue +, 1 Fiji purple and and a actinic that I cant recall the name of at the moment.

thebanker · 08/27/2010, 01:47 AM

Not the T5 expert but is there enough daylight in your mix?

Ldesp · 08/27/2010, 05:55 AM

What about salinity as a possibility? What are you using to check salinity, possibly a hydrometer? With such frequent water changes it would be easy for your sailinity to be inching upwards if not accurately monitored. I would suggest a refractometer for checking salinity for more accurate readings.

08/26/2010, 01:11 PM	#1
DC_40gallon Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,474	Corals dying - Any Ideas? I have had an Acropora die and a healthy birdsnest that was erupting in growth suddenly go south and slowly dying. I do a WC weekly at 5 gallons for a 40 breeder tank, 0 nitrates, 1400 magnesium, 480 calcium, 9-10 dkh alkalinity, salinity 1.026 and temp 72-74 during the night and 76-78 during the daytime. I'm running T5's with 4 month old bulbs now, K2 and a K3 each on opposite ends for flow, and a Octopus LX 1000s skimmer. Oh and occupants are: 1 urchin, 1 peppermint shrimp, handful of snails and blue and red leg crabs, 2 mated clowns, 2 firefish. I feed the fish daily with a quarter cube of mysis shrimp and the corals get feed weekly with target feeding of Coral Frenzy. I've had the lights on a timer from 10:30 am until 7:30pm for 6 months. I haven't figured it out, but afraid for the other corals, any ideas folks?

08/26/2010, 06:11 PM	#3
wrott Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,912	More WCs? How do you dose alk/CA? Once you see a decline in an Acropora it is usually too late by about 3 weeks. __________________ OK, but where does the meat go! ------------------------------------------------ 120g SPS, 125g mix, 56g FOWLR, 20g qt

08/26/2010, 08:32 PM	#8
slakker187 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: chico, ca Posts: 76	yes. the temp swings are more than likely what caused the deaths. also 72 is way to low for any acros that i know of. has the aquarium alway had that big of temp swings or did it coincide with the acros death? Last edited by slakker187; 08/26/2010 at 08:41 PM.

08/26/2010, 10:49 PM	#13
Grant W Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Petaluma,Ca Posts: 2,840	I think the temp is too low I keep mine between 78-80and all is well __________________ Really honey, I'm not going to buy anything at the fish store I'm just going to have a look. The Other Pres. at Wine Country Reefers. Current Tank Info: 120 gallon SPS dominant tank, custom lighting, etc, etc

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08/26/2010, 05:38 PM	#2
DC_40gallon Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,474	Bump

08/26/2010, 07:05 PM	#4
DC_40gallon Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,474	So do more than a 5% water change weekly?

08/26/2010, 07:09 PM	#5
dead beat reef Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: New Mexico Posts: 279	Hey DC Based on the info. the only big change to your reef are the t5 bulbs. Diff. brand, new kelvin? I do not know what k2 and k3 mean. Please tell us more about the bulb change. thanks dbr

08/26/2010, 07:10 PM	#6
iap BOSS Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 691	Bugs? Big temp swings.

08/26/2010, 07:11 PM	#7
iap BOSS Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 691	K2 and k3 are koralia 2 and koralia 3, powerheads. Maybe they weren't getting enough flow after growing larger and died from the inside out.

08/26/2010, 08:39 PM	#9
Specialtang Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Orange County, NEW YORK! Posts: 121	I agree with temp swings, I would not let my tank get below 76 and not more then a 1 degree swing per day.

08/26/2010, 09:24 PM	#10
iap BOSS Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 691	^ uhh yea

08/26/2010, 10:44 PM	#11
thebanker Moved On Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Socal Posts: 2,315	Good luck with the remaining corals. The temp is the only thing that I can think of, unless your acros got a disease. Did the dying slow down? What sort of death, RTN, bleaching...?

08/26/2010, 10:52 PM	#14
TampaReefer79 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Parts Unknown Posts: 3,448	Temp swing is my guess. Is that a bot up a few posts??

08/26/2010, 11:30 PM	#15
DC_40gallon Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,474	The two corals died slowly and sped up towards the end. The acro lost all of its outer color. It just shed off. The birdsnest was a frag and grew fabulously for 6ish month then suddenly the polyps from the inside started to disappear and now it's disappearing up to the tips. I'll keep the tank at a 80 stable and see what happens.

08/26/2010, 11:31 PM	#16
DC_40gallon Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,474	The bulbs are 2 ati blue +, 1 Fiji purple and and a actinic that I cant recall the name of at the moment.

08/27/2010, 01:47 AM	#17
thebanker Moved On Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Socal Posts: 2,315	Not the T5 expert but is there enough daylight in your mix?

08/27/2010, 05:55 AM	#18
Ldesp Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 268	What about salinity as a possibility? What are you using to check salinity, possibly a hydrometer? With such frequent water changes it would be easy for your sailinity to be inching upwards if not accurately monitored. I would suggest a refractometer for checking salinity for more accurate readings.