Oh no, it's happening again!

[Mickey]

I got home from work last night and found my corals all withdrawn again. The temperature was only 82.

But, the mushrooms were in the process of dissolving again. They had come back good and looked normal the day before. Now the middle of each one has totally opened up, looks like there is a big hole in the middle of each one surrounded by light purplish whitish loops.

I decided to remove the mushrooms that were on movable rock and put them in my little kitchen tank. There are only two left on part of the main reef structure that I couldn't move. And I am running carbon again.

I just can't figure out what is causing the problem.

I'll try to post pictures tomorrow.

Mickey

[Tobyt]

mushrooms are pretty hardy. I think it's something other than temp. What are your water parameters?

[Mickey]

Tobyt

Check out my earlier thread titled Reef Tank Dying - may be the heat.

Water parameters are fine.
pH 8.2
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - < 5 ppm
temp 80-82
Calcium 400-420
Alk 7-8

Hairy mushrooms are falling apart just like they did a few weeks ago and this also happened 18 months ago. Other corals were withdrawn and sloghing mucus. But things improved slightly when I removed the mushrooms and added fresh carbon.

I may just get rid of the mushrooms rather than take any more chances.

My little nano-tank is still just fine.

Mickey

[dburr]

Mickey,
It's only the mushrooms giving you a hard time?
Could some thing be picking at them?

[Mickey]

Haven't added any new fish in 18 months or more.

Also, there were lots of mushrooms, and everyone seemed to self destruct at the same time. So, it's unlikely that's the cause.

The mushrooms I was able to move to my little tank are just starting to recover. If anyone wants them, let me know. At this point I don't think I want to take any chances -- and I wouldn't blame anyone else for feeling the same.

Mickey

[ciwsmk15]

Try throwing a polyfilter in and see what color it changes to, may give you a clue to what is in the water that test kits do not pick up. Maybe some type of metals in the water some how. If it goes red, you have metal issues. Hopefully you are using RO/DI water. My brother's tank started going south shortly after moving into a brand new house. Threw in a poly, it went red, and he was astounded. He added a DI cartridge to his RO unit. He kept running a poly in his sump and after several months things improved (did not want to do a huge water change to stress things more). He came to the conclusion that he must have had some metals in the tank from the source water. DI addition along with the polys slowly removed his problem. Now all is as it should be.

Glen

[ladymagicka]

Mickey, it just occurred to me that you said you went on vacation for 2 weeks?? Was anyone feeding the tank? My reason for asking.... I so want to go away here and there... but am under the impression that i can't leave my tank...for that long...I have no one to feed them..... sorry..this may not be the post for that question.. but just realized when I read that..... Thanks Danielle

[Mickey]

ladymagika -

Yes I did have someone feeding my tank and adding topoff water. A friend of my daughter's had agreed to tank sit for me. She knows nothing about reef tanks, but I had everything prepared. Food in little cups, one for each day, and individual bottles of water for top-off.

How long are you planning on going away for?

do you know how much evaporation you get every day.

For just fish you can probably leave them for a few days with ho problems if you can make sure too much water won't evaporate.

Mickey