Corals not doing well...help!!

g8rorchid · #1 12/20/2007, 11:39 PM

Not sure what is going on. After my hammer began to deflate I noticed that one of my open brains wasn't looking well and neither was my pagoda. I did a 15-20% water change a couple of days ago and dosed with 2 part calcium. I tested the water yesterday... ph 8.2, alk about 240-300ppm, nitrite 0, nitrate a bit high at 80ppm. Temp 78-79 and salinity at 1.024. Yesterday noticed that my second open brain was starting to go downhill too. Then tonight out of nowhere my anemone flipped itself, facing the back of the tank as opposed to facing up. I fed it 2 days ago and it was looking good. After all of this I "cleaned" some of my filter media(canister filter - rinsed out sponges, prefilter media, and put a new phos x bag).

What is causing all of this??? Are either brain salvageable? What about my pagoda? anemone? I am in Ft Lauderdale and if anyone from the tri county area is reading this and would like to play coral doctor and help out or perhaps do a trade, I would really appreciate it!

Thank you!!

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OPEN BRAIN #1

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OPEN BRAIN #2

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ANEMONE

Rogger Castells · #2 12/20/2007, 11:54 PM

the nitrates are very high, can't say for sure that is the culprit but you did good by doing a water change, the alkalinity reading is probably a mistake of yours, there is no alk value in ppm, I have a feeling that the alkalinity is probably your issue or some kind of ion imbalance.
could you try checking the test kit again, BTW which test kits are you using to measure all this?

ReefWreak · #3 12/21/2007, 01:32 AM

Beautiful Nem, sorry to hear that the corals arn't doing well. I would suggest you go out to the nearest LFS when you get the a chance and pick up their salt water, and do a water change with that. Do your next few changes with that, leave things alone (don't dose 2 part for a while, I doubt your calcium demands are that strong that water changes alone can't supply enough calcium/alk).

If you want to rescue, I'd offer to host your corals, but I'd be too worried about a nem getting stuck in an overflow or walking and killing my pretties (SPS/Acros

)

Get your water re-tested at an LFS. Most will do it free of charge for most of the parameters. Just do yourself a favor and do research before you buy whatever they say will fix your water quality, because chances are, it won't. Water changes, as simple as they are, are truely your best friend for getting your tank back on track.

Cheers,

Eric

Bernie21 · #4 12/21/2007, 02:18 AM

I agree w Eric and Roger, Try simple water changes and things should get better. Keep us posted.

FleeVT · #5 12/21/2007, 08:48 AM

Rogger, I use the Hagen Carbonate Hardness test kit (KH/GH) which reports in ppm CaCO3 (I think, don't have the box in front of me). You can convert that to dKH or meq/L with some multiplication or this handy-dandy table...

racermike27 · #6 12/21/2007, 08:56 AM

The corals should be salvagable, w/ time they will come back. For now, like everyone else has mentioned, I would do some weekly water changes. It should stabilize after a while. Also check the dates on your test kits to ensure you have fresh reagents.

Do you mix your own water or get it from a LFS? The weekly water changes should take care of the problem though. Within a month or two it should stabilize. I do weekly water changes in my tank and I have managed to keep everything pretty stable.

Keep us posted as to any changes that occur with the tank.

-Mike-

tmz · #7 12/21/2007, 09:31 AM

Flee VT, Thanks for the table.

G8rorchid, If I read the table correctly your 300ppm alkalinity is about 6 meq/l or 17dkh. This is much too high. Did you dose buffer? Your nitrate is also a concern. I would do a thorough cleaning of the tank blowing off detrius with a turkey baster . Upgrade skimming and run carbon and a resin like polypad. I would also do several 25% water changes over the course of a week.

I would remove the first brain, the decaying matter adds to the nitrates and I don't think it has a chance based on the picture. Watch the anemone closely, If it starts to decay, remove it. If not, it will pollute your tank.

g8rorchid · #8 12/21/2007, 01:28 PM

Hi everyone,

Thank you all for all of your responses and suggestions! I get my salt water and ro/di from an lfs. Could the high alk be a misreading because I had dosed Kent's 2 part the day before. If it is a true reading, does that mean that my calcium is low? If I recall if one is high, then the other is low?

Thanks again!!

ReefWreak · #9 12/21/2007, 01:50 PM

I would really stop dosing all together, just do some water changes. One or two a week should set you straight, and it doesn't seem that you have demanding enough corals to require you to be dosing 2 part. I would leave the 2 part alone for a bit, just do the water changes. Your tank will be fine, I promise. The only thing that dosing can do right now is hurt your tank more.