Losing all my corals

[momof6kids]

Not sure what is going on. I had Brian from ReefCo over see if I was missing anything. It started with Ida and I lost my Octospawn, and Birdsnest, and an Acropora. Did a water change and didn't think anything major was going on. As time has gone on, more and more corals have been dying. All my hammers,, my ricordia, my montiporas, many of my zoas, my leathers even my green star polyps.

These were first water parameters after Ida:
Temp - 79
pH - 8.6
Nitrite - 0 I am using an API kit to test and really need to order something else, as it is really hard to know with the colors what the reading actually is
Nitrate - 0
Ammonia - 0
Salinity - 36
Alkalinity - 8.1
Calcium - 440
Magnesium - 1650

I realized the mag was too high and changed the setting on the dosing pump. Water change to bring the salinity down.

I have been doing water changes every other week, with no change in the decay. The parameters are all within range now.

After having Brian over, the only thing we are thinking is that when I ordered new filters for my Ro unit from Marine Depot during their sale, either I ordered the wrong ones or they sent the wrong ones. The ones I put in do not have the blue rim which remove chloramines, as well as chlorine. During Ida the water company added more chemicals to the water to purify our drinking water and the filter did not remove the chloramine. Brian recommended getting a new RO/DI as mine is ancient and doesn't have the DI portion.

That is pretty much the only explanation that we can think of that would affect all different kinds of corals. I have not added anything new since Reefapalooza, no other major changes. It does not seem to be affecting the fish. Really at a loss.

If anyone has any other ideas, please jump in and let me know.

 

[Foxchase]

I would get an ICP test done. Could be something you can't test for with the home test kits

 

[redfishbluefish]

Erna, so sorry to see this. Did Brian verify your results with test kits he might have brought along? If your nitrate number is real, I'd stop doing water changes. You didn't mention phosphate, but seeing a zero for nitrate I would assume that would be zero as well. All living things, our corals included, need nitrates and phosphate to live. I'd immediately stop doing water changes and hold off until you see nitrates (and phosphates) rising.

As far as corals, I don't have much from my re-boot, but can certainly set you up with some stuff once you get this figured out.

I have a ton of candy cane, either alien eye or mummy eye (the purple one), birds nest, a rock covered in zoas/palys, etc.

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

can you try a dechlorinator? I'd also done a bag of purit in.

 

[momof6kids]

Thanks Paul, I just bought the Hanna checker for Phosphate, need to set that up and test. He also suggested sending a sample off and having an icp water test done to see if there are any metals in the water that we aren't picking up.

 

[Deleted member 27248]

I’ve lost many corals from no nitrate and phosphate.

 

[eholceker]

You are probablly going through a chain reaction tank crash. When you see the corals dying are you seeing a gooey slime over your sps and euphyllia?

 

[mnat]

You can call your local water facility too to see if they changed anything in the water treatment process. With chlorine on such sort supply this summer, water companies have been using different additives that are causing problems. New filters, new membranes and new media will help. Call Will at AO, he had it happen to an employee and can give you a better understanding.

 

[eholceker]

Not sure what is going on. I had Brian from ReefCo over see if I was missing anything. It started with Ida and I lost my Octospawn, and Birdsnest, and an Acropora. Did a water change and didn't think anything major was going on. As time has gone on, more and more corals have been dying. All my hammers,, my ricordia, my montiporas, many of my zoas, my leathers even my green star polyps.

These were first water parameters after Ida:
Temp - 79
pH - 8.6
Nitrite - 0 I am using an API kit to test and really need to order something else, as it is really hard to know with the colors what the reading actually is
Nitrate - 0
Ammonia - 0
Salinity - 36
Alkalinity - 8.1
Calcium - 440
Magnesium - 1650

I realized the mag was too high and changed the setting on the dosing pump. Water change to bring the salinity down.

I have been doing water changes every other week, with no change in the decay. The parameters are all within range now.

After having Brian over, the only thing we are thinking is that when I ordered new filters for my Ro unit from Marine Depot during their sale, either I ordered the wrong ones or they sent the wrong ones. The ones I put in do not have the blue rim which remove chloramines, as well as chlorine. During Ida the water company added more chemicals to the water to purify our drinking water and the filter did not remove the chloramine. Brian recommended getting a new RO/DI as mine is ancient and doesn't have the DI portion.

That is pretty much the only explanation that we can think of that would affect all different kinds of corals. I have not added anything new since Reefapalooza, no other major changes. It does not seem to be affecting the fish. Really at a loss.

If anyone has any other ideas, please jump in and let me know.

Oh and forgot to add I don't think it has anything to do with the rodi. Its either going to be one of the following:

1- some type of contamination. Bad pump or a chemical that got into your tank. Pumps and magnets can leach all types of metals into an aquarium. You need to send out samples to ATI and see what's up.

2- you got a bacterial imbalance and a vibrio species is attacking your coral. Unfortunately nothing you can do at this point and it's just a chain reaction. You can try dosing low dose cipro for a week if you have nothing to lose. You can also dose chemiclean which is erythromycin.

In the meantime I would also add cuprisorb and metasorb into your filtration. Between the two of them you will pull out all the metals from your water. Only do this though after you send out the ICP sample. Don't waste your time on the RODI theory.

 

[hcker99]

Looking at the numbers I'd be more inclined to think your nitrates and phosphates dropped out to 0. So basically everything is starving. Rerun those 2 test and post the results.

 

[Miketc17]

I agree with the 0 nitrate and possible 0 phosphate. That would explain everything. I’d also throw some carbon in there to be safe just in case some sort of containments got into the water.

 

[ericrodriguez]

Looking at the numbers I'd be more inclined to think your nitrates and phosphates dropped out to 0. So basically everything is starving. Rerun those 2 test and post the results.

If you get 0 nitrates and phosphates, wouldn’t the corals starve slowly and some quicker than others.?
Do you have kids in the house?
Do they play around the system? (The sump)?

 

[eholceker]

0 phosphates and nitrates wouldn't cause die off like this.

 

[amado]

RODi with resin is needed to have a healthy tank.
If you don’t have di- resin to remove and have the water
At 0 tds.

 

[NikkiT]

I am so sorry to read this. When your tank is stable again, we will have acros and zoas for you.

 

[eholceker]

Also have you ever dosed flucanazole in this tank in the months leading up to the first die off?

 

[DEL]

def has to be a chemical reaction of some sort. high mag wouldn't do that. I've had high mag. but also be careful and try not to change too many things at once.

 

[swissy44]

I'm sorry to hear this! best of luck!

 

[MadReefer]

Sorry to hear.

 

[momof6kids]

You are probablly going through a chain reaction tank crash. When you see the corals dying are you seeing a gooey slime over your sps and euphyllia?

No slime, just literally melting and disappearing.

Also have you ever dosed flucanazole in this tank in the months leading up to the first die off?

Never dosed flucanazole.

If you get 0 nitrates and phosphates, wouldn’t the corals starve slowly and some quicker than others.?
Do you have kids in the house?
Do they play around the system? (The sump)?

We did have all 6 of our children and 9 grandchildren over but, the issue had already been going on. The two year old and three year old did open the sump doors, but were caught pretty quickly and I looked the sump over pretty well and didn't find anything in there.

You can call your local water facility too to see if they changed anything in the water treatment process. With chlorine on such sort supply this summer, water companies have been using different additives that are causing problems. New filters, new membranes and new media will help. Call Will at AO, he had it happen to an employee and can give you a better understanding.

I changed all of this new filters, new membrane, new media, extra carbon, after Ida. I can give Will a call and see what he thinks.