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Corals dying off? Now fish acting weird.


Nano tanker Nick

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What are you testing salinity with? Hypersalinity would cause what you're experiencing. Hypo, not so much until you get really low as far as the fish is concerned.

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Oh wow... It's amazing how some of the hardiest corals for some will perish for others in the slightest imperfection.However I have never had nor wanted a gramma so I don't know how hardy they are, that being said I have seen them be labeled as a very hardy fish so you think high nitrates killed it?

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Nano tanker Nick

Did you use live sand?

 

I'm just throwing things out sorry if I sound like I know everything

I did use the live crushed araginite(spelling) sand from a bag.

 

Did you do a large water change at the end of the cycle? I would make sure to do that before you try more fish/coral to get the nitrates down. Test kit's are not super accurate so it's possible they are higher.

 

I have a Salifert, Red Sea, and a API kit and they all give me different readings, not just Nitrate but any of their test kits. I doubt we truly know the values with hobby grade kits so I just go for stability.

I did do a couple water changes before I put anything in. I did 2, 5 gallon water changes about a week apart. and have gotten on the routine of going a 3 to 5 gallon waterchange every other week.

 

Xenia would be harmed by a rapid reduction in phosphates. Any media online?

I don't use any media. Just sponges and filter floss.

 

What are you testing salinity with? Hypersalinity would cause what you're experiencing. Hypo, not so much until you get really low as far as the fish is concerned.

I am useing two hydrometers I currently have. one being Kent, and the other coralife. But I did order a refractometer and calibration fluid and more test kits on Sunday night. So hopefully we will get it figured out. I don't plan to add anything else for atleast a couple weeks til i'm reading zero across the board. Would yall recommend I drop the temp to 78?

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Nano tanker Nick

Yes that is the "ideal" temperature for most people and I wonder if thas what is causing your issues some hitchhiker came in on the sand?

It was the bagged sand they sell in retail stores. I really don't see hitchhikes being the case. At first I was blaming the lights. But the three different places I got stuff from were all using led's. I'll lower the temp to 78. Thanks.

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It's such a strange case!I don't get why the fish is dead...it means that something attacks weaker corals(any signs of the corals being stressed/not opening?) Either way a coral disease shouldn't affect a fish.

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Nano tanker Nick

It's such a strange case!I don't get why the fish is dead...it means that something attacks weaker corals(any signs of the corals being stressed/not opening?) Either way a coral disease shouldn't affect a fish.

The acro never opened for the 3 days it was in the tank. The duncan was in the tank well over a week and it had started growing new heads then just wouldn't fully extend and just started to wither away. and the xenia did the same thing, were only in the tank 4 days or so and just withered and disappeared. Maybe the fish ate something the coral excreted?

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Any possibility something got into the tank?Some corals(I.e. Gsp) might be able to withstand a mild toxin?Also did you get the corals from the same place(even more the same tank)I know my lfs sells some corals along with fish from the same tank so last time I went I picked up a blend and a tri torch out of the same tank

 

Edit:Blenny*

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Nano tanker Nick

Any possibility something got into the tank?Some corals(I.e. Gsp) might be able to withstand a mild toxin?Also did you get the corals from the same place(even more the same tank)I know my lfs sells some corals along with fish from the same tank so last time I went I picked up a blend and a tri torch out of the same tank

 

Edit:Blenny*

The acro and zoas were from one store different tanks, royal gramma was from another store, gsp and xenia were from another place same tank, and duncan was from the same place as the fish different tank.

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Ok so that has been eliminated.How do you clean your glass?The outside specifically(I would hope you don't use chems to clean inside your tank lol) But also do you clean stuff around your tank like the stand and overspray got into the tank?

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Nano tanker Nick

Ok so that has been eliminated.How do you clean your glass?The outside specifically(I would hope you don't use chems to clean inside your tank lol) But also do you clean stuff around your tank like the stand and overspray got into the tank?

I use one of those magnetic mag float things. The only think that gets into the tank is cat and dog hair by the hundreds. This new puppy I have sheds more than a husky. Also the cats shed alot too. I just use paper towels to clean the outside of the glass no water or chemicals.

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Huh hair shouldn't do anything as I have a terrier who I swear to god wants to swim in my tank lol...ok I'm running out of ideas.Its weird you seem to be doing everything right but everything is going wrong=/

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That's not much for water changes. I do about a 50% after the cycle finishes and about 5g a week to replenish trace elements.

 

Gramma's are hardy, I have one that has been through hell. I don't think Nitrates killed it but it could have died from something not related to the corals. Coincidence.

 

Sounds to me like the corals died fairly quickly. At this point, I would do 1 or 2 large water changes. Once your kits/refractometer arrive, make sure everything is spot on and add carbon to remove any toxin's and then try again with an inexpensive coral.

 

If the zoa's are still alive, I have found iodine based dips seem to perk them up.

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Nano tanker Nick

That's not much for water changes. I do about a 50% after the cycle finishes and about 5g a week to replenish trace elements.

 

Gramma's are hardy, I have one that has been through hell. I don't think Nitrates killed it but it could have died from something not related to the corals. Coincidence.

 

Sounds to me like the corals died fairly quickly. At this point, I would do 1 or 2 large water changes. Once your kits/refractometer arrive, make sure everything is spot on and add carbon to remove any toxin's and then try again with an inexpensive coral.

 

If the zoa's are still alive, I have found iodine based dips seem to perk them up.

I have stuff for dosing but no testing equipment yet for them so they are just sitting there. I'll look into the dips as well. I will also look into doing bigger water changes and just let things ride out for a couple weeks and try again. I appreciate all yalls help!

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I use one of those magnetic mag float things. The only think that gets into the tank is cat and dog hair by the hundreds. This new puppy I have sheds more than a husky. Also the cats shed alot too. I just use paper towels to clean the outside of the glass no water or chemicals.

 

Any flea and tick meds used on the dogs or cats? Any flea or tick collars?

 

Besides that, and this is just my opinion, but dry rock cycled tanks seem to be prone to a lot more issues than the messier live rock cycled tanks. It may be lack of a good variety of bacteria. That said I had a pretty bad crash in my 40 gallon when it was new and I used live rock mixed with dead rock. The episode lasted for just a few days and by the time the symptoms were apparent it was over and unmeasurable. I did have elevated salinity due to a mis-calibrated refractometer but knowing what I know now I just don't think that would have caused all the issues I experienced.

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Almost all of the animals we keep give off toxins. Its in their nematocytes, their skin tissue, in the slimes and snots they form, its in their internal tissue structures that can be given off when they die.

 

Its so they can establish turf out on the real reef. On the real reef its diluted immediately by the ocean.

 

In our small tanks, even a small amount can take out other animals.

 

GAC removes most of these toxins. Water changes work too. I dont think I would run a tank without GAC. And I would flush a tank out with a 100%(2 50%, 4 25%, 5 20%, etc) water changeS if I suspected toxins, before I spent the time testing and chasing down nitrates.

 

I had a nice Strawberry Shortcake frag die and slough during a heatspell, i tried to CA glue save it, nope no good, and every frag that slough touched RTN'd in about 6 hours. Like six skeletons in 6 hours, into the skimmer scum bucket they went.

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Nano tanker Nick

Any flea and tick meds used on the dogs or cats? Any flea or tick collars?

 

Besides that, and this is just my opinion, but dry rock cycled tanks seem to be prone to a lot more issues than the messier live rock cycled tanks. It may be lack of a good variety of bacteria. That said I had a pretty bad crash in my 40 gallon when it was new and I used live rock mixed with dead rock. The episode lasted for just a few days and by the time the symptoms were apparent it was over and unmeasurable. I did have elevated salinity due to a mis-calibrated refractometer but knowing what I know now I just don't think that would have caused all the issues I experienced.

I just got my refractometer today and it is saying 1.026 where hydrometers are saying 1.024. Nothing used on the cats, but the dog gets shots nothing I physically put on them.

 

Almost all of the animals we keep give off toxins. Its in their nematocytes, their skin tissue, in the slimes and snots they form, its in their internal tissue structures that can be given off when they die.

 

Its so they can establish turf out on the real reef. On the real reef its diluted immediately by the ocean.

 

In our small tanks, even a small amount can take out other animals.

 

GAC removes most of these toxins. Water changes work too. I dont think I would run a tank without GAC. And I would flush a tank out with a 100%(2 50%, 4 25%, 5 20%, etc) water changeS if I suspected toxins, before I spent the time testing and chasing down nitrates.

 

I had a nice Strawberry Shortcake frag die and slough during a heatspell, i tried to CA glue save it, nope no good, and every frag that slough touched RTN'd in about 6 hours. Like six skeletons in 6 hours, into the skimmer scum bucket they went.

The guy at the fish store said my lights could have also been too powerful for the corals. Which was my original thoughts, I have sinced turned down the lights to 40% on both channels and will tone down a little more tonight so we will see how that goes. Still waiting on my test kits for alk, mag, and calc. I'll update with those readings when I have them.

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I just got my refractometer today and it is saying 1.026 where hydrometers are saying 1.024. Nothing used on the cats, but the dog gets shots nothing I physically put on them.

 

The guy at the fish store said my lights could have also been too powerful for the corals. Which was my original thoughts, I have sinced turned down the lights to 40% on both channels and will tone down a little more tonight so we will see how that goes. Still waiting on my test kits for alk, mag, and calc. I'll update with those readings when I have them.

 

What were they at before?

 

40% may even be to high.

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Nano tanker Nick

What were they at before?

 

40% may even be to high.

I had them ramp up to 60% on both channels for 4 hours then ramp back down.

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Nano tanker Nick

Okay The zoa's are starting up open back up again and they have lost every bit of color they once had. They just look brown now when they used to be extremely colorful. Is this because the light was too strong? Or because they have been closed for almost 2 weeks? and will they brighten back up to how they used to be? This is how they used to look.

post-43253-0-29789800-1411833375_thumb.jpg

post-43253-0-61482700-1411833380_thumb.jpg

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Nano tanker Nick

Finally got my test kits in and water params are follows:

Salanity: 1.026

Ammonia: 0

Nitrites: 0

Nitrates:10

PH: 7.8

Magnesium: 1120

Calcium: 450

MeQ?: 2.5

DKH: 7.0

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Mag is low and so is Alk, what salt are you using? pH is a little on the low side also.

 

Also, dunno if this has been said before but what is your light cycle? A friend of mine experienced similar issues when the timer of his light failed and he blasted his tank for 4 days straight with his halides.

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Nano tanker Nick

Mag is low and so is Alk, what salt are you using? pH is a little on the low side also.

 

Also, dunno if this has been said before but what is your light cycle? A friend of mine experienced similar issues when the timer of his light failed and he blasted his tank for 4 days straight with his halides.

I am using instant ocean reef crystals. It has a slow ramp up from 10 in the morning to 10 at night with being at 40% power on both(currently max power) channels for 4 hours. I have the two part dosing stuff just never done it and was told to test for 3 days strait to see how much they drop in that time and dose accordingly.

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