Help! Duncan Troubles

[Pezking182]

Ive had this Duncan for about a month and a half. The last couple weeks its started to look like its going downhill. 

 

I tested my water and it seems ok. The mag is high but its always high. 

 

I use Red Sea Coral Pro salt. 

 

Sg 1.026

Temp 78.8

Ammonia 0

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 15 - 20ppm

Phos <. 05

Mag 1600

Dkh 9.8

Calc 475

 

I use distilled water. I run chemipure and chaeto. 

 

It looks as though skin is disappearing and the heads dont open anymore. 

Ive tried diffebt spots low flow high flow. Low light high light. And everything in between. 

 

Live stock is a six line, 2 clowns, 2 hermits and some snails. Its not near any other corals either. I dont know what to do, i just want it to make it! 

 

Before and now.... You can see some bare patches.... 

[Humblefish]

How are your other corals looking (especially LPS)?

 

I'm not sure if it's a factor, but you might wanna let your Alk drop down to 8 to see if that makes any difference. I've had some LPS that closed up if Alk got too high.

[Pezking182]

8 minutes ago, Humblefish said:

How are your other corals looking (especially LPS)?

 

I'm not sure if it's a factor, but you might wanna let your Alk drop down to 8 to see if that makes any difference. I've had some LPS that closed up if Alk got too high.

Acans are good, hammer has 6 heads and 2 of them close up around the same time almost everynight then the next morning open back up like nothing happened. 

 

So how do I let alk drop? Just no water change? I change 5 gallons every 2 weeks. Its a 29 gallon with 10 gallon sump. 

[Clown79]

If you were moving it frequently or changing things often, that could cause problems.

 

It takes corals weeks to acclimate to changes, so frequent changes leads them to problems.

 

Alk fluctuations would be a problem. Does your alk fluctuate between waterchange yo waterchange?

[Humblefish]

2 hours ago, Pezking182 said:

So how do I let alk drop? Just no water change? I change 5 gallons every 2 weeks. Its a 29 gallon with 10 gallon sump. 

That will work. Just don't let it drop too low. Always keep it above 7dKH.

[MrObscura]

I wouldn't mess with your Alk if you've had it were it is consistently and want to keep it there. You could end up doing more harm. 9.8 is fine if that's where you want to keep it. 

 

Problem is, and its one I just ran into, is coral pro mixes so high that once corals start consuming Alk at a good rate water changes will start creating swings unless you keep it high. 

 

Anyway unless you Alk has been fluctuating by more than 1dkh regularly I highly doubt that's the issue. But the question is, has it been? Because if so, then it very well could be. 

 

Another possibility is have your clowns been messing with it? 

 

OH and what's lighting and flow like? 

[Clown79]

I agree with @MrObscura

 

Altering alk will cause more issues. 9.8 is not high and if it is stable at 9.8, it's unlikely the issue.

 

Instability is an issue. 

 

Maybe it doesn't like the nitrates that high.

[Andreww]

Check out my Duncan colony that I lost quite a while ago.

This particular picture was taken in daylight.

It eventually grew into a 30+ head colony.

 

I dosed about 150 ml of magnesium in the tank in about 3-4 minutes to raise Magnesium by roughly 100ppm (yeah pretty dumb to do it that fast and  in the tank instead of the sump) and that night Duncans closed up and I had a dying colony by the following day.

 

Gal at the LFS told me she experienced something similar.

 

Im just bringing it up cuz you mentioned high magnesium. Might be worth looking into getting it down to normal .

I have no scientific proof it’s just what I’ve noticed with my Duncan’s. 

[Andreww]

High Alk with low nutrients will cause issues as well. Make sure you feed your tank . 

[Pezking182]

My nitrates are consistently 10 ppm after wc and around 15-20 when due for wc. (every 2 weeks) 

 

Phosphates never seem to get high enough to read on the test kit. Always less than 0.05. Its a seachem kit. 

 

I used to use AF Probiotics. Then switched to RSCP. I think the high mag is from the AF. Ive read similiar problems with AF mag. Tank is young. Just shy of 6 months. Have 2 small pieces of monti cap ( like a nickle size), 2 in piece of Spongeodes, hammer, and 2 acans with 3 heads each. 

 

Clowns havent been messing with it. Theyre in love with the return nozzle. 

 

For lighting I have an AI Prime HD with the longer arm. 

 

For flow i have a aqamai kps and koralia 240. 

 

Oh and i feed 1/4 tsp reef roids every Monday and alternate frozen mysis and pellets 1x a day

 

[Andreww]

Do you ever spot feed your lps?

[Pezking182]

8 minutes ago, Andreww said:

Do you ever spot feed your lps?

Yes, mysis. 

[Andreww]

Could be one or more things. Moving it a lot is definitely not helping. Same with fluctuating /high parameters.

Try to keep every parameter stable, I know we all hear that a lot but it’s so true...I wish I could help more! Let us know if it bounces back.

[Clown79]

High mag isn't known to hurt anything whereas low msg does. High mag is often used to combat algae outbreaks.

 

 

Have you ever tested your alk on a daily basis?

[Andreww]

25 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

High mag isn't known to hurt anything whereas low msg does. High mag is often used to combat algae outbreaks.

A Mag overdose will surely hurt livestock . That’s why it is not recommended to go above 100ppm a day when dosing or raising levels.

 

High magnesium levels will also make snails lethargic. Long exposure will kill them.

I think it’s safe to assume it can hurt something else besides snails, we just don’t have much data on this...

 

OP confirmed his levels were elevated for awhile , or being always like this.

Just something to think about that’s all...

[Clown79]

13 hours ago, Andreww said:

A Mag overdose will surely hurt livestock . That’s why it is not recommended to go above 100ppm a day when dosing or raising levels.

 

High magnesium levels will also make snails lethargic. Long exposure will kill them.

I think it’s safe to assume it can hurt something else besides snails, we just don’t have much data on this...

 

OP confirmed his levels were elevated for awhile , or being always like this.

Just something to think about that’s all...

Ya any parameter dosed rapidly to high levels is harmful but if the salt mixes regularly at high levels of mag, it's not going to be the problem long term.

 

The mag being dosed 100ppm is a problem.

 

Fluctuations in general is a problem.

 

Many run mag at 1500-1600 with no issues.

 

 

[Pezking182]

Yea, I hear ya. However I havent dosed anything. 

[Clown79]

4 minutes ago, Pezking182 said:

Yea, I hear ya. However I havent dosed anything. 

Ok. 

 

Well 1600 mag is not that high and many keep their mag at that. Mag being high is not known to cause issues, low mag causes problems.

 

 fluctuations are more of a problem than a number and without testing daily, you won't know how much fluctuation there is.

 

Your current parameters are normal and not a concern but are they stable?