Corals Suddenly Dying

[Maho.B]

Hello, I have recently joined the forum and this is my first post so hopefully I'm placing it in the correct area! Thank you for a great forum, I have read many posts and learned quite a bit from all of those who participate. Unfortunately my first post is a bit of an emergency.

I am experiencing a sudden die off of almost all of my corals. The tank has been cycled and running steady for 7 months, and up until about a week and a half ago, all corals but one were doing extremely well, great color, excellent growth, good polyp extension, etc. Then, seemingly overnight they started to show signs of stress and within a couple days started have flesh die back on most of them. I test water very regularly and keep things as stable as I can. Even my LFS is perplexed (and the shop is an excellent facility and only sells saltwater/reef related livestock and equipment) with my situation and the only course of action I am taking is water changes. Water parameters are all where they should be. They mentioned a metal of some sort could be the cause, I bought a metasorb that pulls out 6 different metals, that has not helped at all. They also mentioned stray current perhaps? I am not familiar with that though.

System:
Red Sea Max 400 (total water volume 110 gallons)
Reef Octopus skimmer
2 Reefwave gyre's
2 power heads (built into the back wall)
2 Reef LED 90 lights
Reef mat 500

Parameters:
Alk: 8.7 (I use an ecotech versa pump for dosing) it stays very steady) (Hanna test kit)
Calcium: 420 (Red Sea test kit)
Magnesium: 1360 (Salifert test kit)
Nitrate: 1.7 (Hanna test kit)
Phosphate: 0.02 (Hanna test kit)
Ammonia: 0 (API test)
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 77.8 (this does seem to swing a little throughout the day a degree or so)

Corals that started to die off or stress out at the same time:
4 different Acropora sp
2 different plating Montipora
2 different Cyphastrea
1 Duncan (the Duncan was amazing, adding heads, super wavy. Now its literally sloughing off some tissue and is entirely closed up. All in a week and a half)

Corals that don't seem to be stressed:
1 Acan
1 Palythoa
1 Hammer (it's a little less extended, but still pretty good)

When I say "die off" I mean all of the SPS have tissue receding from tips of branches with brown algae now growing on it) and the cyphastrea are not extending polyps well and the tissue on the top is dying back. The Duncan I believe is at the point of "rotting" and I wonder if/when I need to pull it. I did a 25 gallon water change 4 days ago and doing another one when I'm done with this post. Any advice as to what could possibly be causing this quick decline, or something I can test/look for would be greatly appreciated.

Apologies for the long post!

 

[cdemoss01]

id recommend tagging the reef squad

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

A few thoughts from me here:

-Nitrate and Phosphate seem a little low (probably not low enough to be the problem though).

-Was the instrument you used to check your salinity calibrated?

-Has anything changed in/around the tank? (Lights, powerheads, wall paint color, etc.)

-Any possible pollutants/toxins? (Like exposed wires in the water, toys from kids, etc.)

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello, I have recently joined the forum and this is my first post so hopefully I'm placing it in the correct area! Thank you for a great forum, I have read many posts and learned quite a bit from all of those who participate. Unfortunately my first post is a bit of an emergency.

I am experiencing a sudden die off of almost all of my corals. The tank has been cycled and running steady for 7 months, and up until about a week and a half ago, all corals but one were doing extremely well, great color, excellent growth, good polyp extension, etc. Then, seemingly overnight they started to show signs of stress and within a couple days started have flesh die back on most of them. I test water very regularly and keep things as stable as I can. Even my LFS is perplexed (and the shop is an excellent facility and only sells saltwater/reef related livestock and equipment) with my situation and the only course of action I am taking is water changes. Water parameters are all where they should be. They mentioned a metal of some sort could be the cause, I bought a metasorb that pulls out 6 different metals, that has not helped at all. They also mentioned stray current perhaps? I am not familiar with that though.

System:
Red Sea Max 400 (total water volume 110 gallons)
Reef Octopus skimmer
2 Reefwave gyre's
2 power heads (built into the back wall)
2 Reef LED 90 lights
Reef mat 500

Parameters:
Alk: 8.7 (I use an ecotech versa pump for dosing) it stays very steady) (Hanna test kit)
Calcium: 420 (Red Sea test kit)
Magnesium: 1360 (Salifert test kit)
Nitrate: 1.7 (Hanna test kit)
Phosphate: 0.02 (Hanna test kit)
Ammonia: 0 (API test)
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 77.8 (this does seem to swing a little throughout the day a degree or so)

Corals that started to die off or stress out at the same time:
4 different Acropora sp
2 different plating Montipora
2 different Cyphastrea
1 Duncan (the Duncan was amazing, adding heads, super wavy. Now its literally sloughing off some tissue and is entirely closed up. All in a week and a half)

Corals that don't seem to be stressed:
1 Acan
1 Palythoa
1 Hammer (it's a little less extended, but still pretty good)

When I say "die off" I mean all of the SPS have tissue receding from tips of branches with brown algae now growing on it) and the cyphastrea are not extending polyps well and the tissue on the top is dying back. The Duncan I believe is at the point of "rotting" and I wonder if/when I need to pull it. I did a 25 gallon water change 4 days ago and doing another one when I'm done with this post. Any advice as to what could possibly be causing this quick decline, or something I can test/look for would be greatly appreciated.

Apologies for the long post!

Alk: 8.7 (I use an ecotech versa pump for dosing) it stays very steady) (Hanna test kit)
Calcium: 420 (Red Sea test kit) Good
Magnesium: 1360 (Salifert test kit) Good
Nitrate: 1.7 (Hanna test kit) Add feedings and reduce water changes temporarily- Raise it to at least 10
Phosphate: 0.02 (Hanna test kit) While ok - feeding will get you to at least .06
Ammonia: 0 (API test)
Salinity: 1.025

Other reasons for sudden die off:
- Alkalinity spike
- Temperature spike
- Salinity spike
- Low dissolved oxygen
- Poor water quality related with phosphate levels up to 5 ppm
- Change in water flow
- Additions of sand
- Changes in brand of salt
- Bad test kits giving faulty results
- Levels of minor elements such as Iodine, Potassium, Strontium
- Light intensity

 

[Maho.B]

Thank you for your replies. I have been dosing nitrates for a month to try and get them up. I did calibrate my refractometer to make sure that wasn't an issue. No changes in equipment at all, and no changes like wall paint, air sprays, etc. Definitely no wires or anything odd in the tank. The only "change" I can think of is that a carpenter wrasse died back on Jan 27th. It must have died in a rock crevice or cave and I assumed the CUC took care of it, so I thought maybe an ammonia spike? Not sure that would start a coral die off when it didn't even affect my other fish though. In regards to the list of other possible reasons, I am wondering about the test kits and maybe one of them is faulty? not sure how common that is, they are all less than 7 months old (all titrants are well before the expiration). Outside of that, one of my ReefWave pumps started making a loud humming noise a couple weeks ago, after a few days I took it out, broke it down completely, put it back together and it's been silent ever since. Feels like I'm grasping at straws now. Thanks again.

 

[Mikeltee]

What's the par? Were they added at the same time and when where they added?

 

[Maho.B]

What's the par? Were they added at the same time and when where they added?

Not sure if the exact par, I go by what red sea shows on their par graph for the reef LEF 90. The corals have slowly been added one by one over the last 5 months. None of them have been moved around recently either. I just did another 25 gallon water change, that's a total of 50 gallons changed within the last 5 days. Thanks

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you for your replies. I have been dosing nitrates for a month to try and get them up. I did calibrate my refractometer to make sure that wasn't an issue. No changes in equipment at all, and no changes like wall paint, air sprays, etc. Definitely no wires or anything odd in the tank. The only "change" I can think of is that a carpenter wrasse died back on Jan 27th. It must have died in a rock crevice or cave and I assumed the CUC took care of it, so I thought maybe an ammonia spike? Not sure that would start a coral die off when it didn't even affect my other fish though. In regards to the list of other possible reasons, I am wondering about the test kits and maybe one of them is faulty? not sure how common that is, they are all less than 7 months old (all titrants are well before the expiration). Outside of that, one of my ReefWave pumps started making a loud humming noise a couple weeks ago, after a few days I took it out, broke it down completely, put it back together and it's been silent ever since. Feels like I'm grasping at straws now. Thanks again.

As mentioned, possible false readings, ammonia generally not an effect unless sky high. If unsure of readings, take a water sample to a store that does Not use Api kits and see what readings they come up with and to compare with yours

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Outside of that, one of my ReefWave pumps started making a loud humming noise a couple weeks ago, after a few days I took it out, broke it down completely, put it back together and it's been silent ever since.

I know it's unlikely, but is there any chance this could have introduced an issue? Maybe not having the housing back 100% in place or something?

If not, hopefully someone will have an idea for you here.

 

[Maho.B]

Thanks everyone. Prior to the post I did bring a sample into the LFS (they don't use API thankfully) and while some readings were a bit different than mine, they were well within the zone I'm/they're looking for in terms of corals. Slightly good news, the second water change seems to have slowed down the degradation of most of the corals, however the Duncan has completely died, which is odd to me given that the SPS haven't? I thought Duncans were among the super hardy types. Definitely not out of the woods yet but it seems like the tissue recession is slowing now (after 50 gallons of water changes in 4 days) I will do another water 25 gallon water change in a few days, hopefully that will save the remaining corals. Crazy to think a perfectly thriving tank can crash so suddenly, reminds me that we (hobbyists) are challenged with keeping incredibly sensitive animals!

 

[Maho.B]

Hello, quick update and question about this post. After the second big water change, some of the corals seem to have either stopped dying or at a minimum slowed down at least. The duncan (previously to this was doing amazing) completely died unfortunately and it seems the cyphastrea are still struggling badly. I have two questions for potential remedies to whatever is causing this.

1. My LFS suggested dosing Cipro. I have no experience with this at all and wondered if anyone on this forum has used it to treat mysterious coral decline?
2. Is it possible any part of a Red Sea Reefwave25 could "break" and release harmful metals into the water?

Thanks.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Hello, quick update and question about this post. After the second big water change, some of the corals seem to have either stopped dying or at a minimum slowed down at least. The duncan (previously to this was doing amazing) completely died unfortunately and it seems the cyphastrea are still struggling badly. I have two questions for potential remedies to whatever is causing this.

1. My LFS suggested dosing Cipro. I have no experience with this at all and wondered if anyone on this forum has used it to treat mysterious coral decline?
2. Is it possible any part of a Red Sea Reefwave25 could "break" and release harmful metals into the water?

Thanks.

If they're doing better, then I would avoid dosing cipro.

I'm not sure what materials go into a Red Sea Reefwave 25, so I don't know if it could be an issue or not.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Definitely don’t use cipro (or any medications) since there isn’t a specific infectious diagnosis. Any medication or chemical can interfere with the developing microbiotic ecology. My best guess is that the system isn’t mature and that your reef is at a vulnerable stage where little fluctuations of something can trigger rapid decline. My system certainly was at that stage early on and took 1-2 years to get to a fairly stable condition. Also lighting may be an issue.

My general approach is to accept instability and losses early on and don’t panic by throwing in all sorts of remedies that may actually cause more damage and delay the natural maturation process.

My system is very mature and can take a lot of abuse now. My alkalinity has varied from 5-15, temp fluctuates 5F on a daily basis, and salinity has been neglected at times. Yet the system is thriving.

 

[twentyleagues]

Have you checked any and all magnets and pumps for corrosion? Its possible a magnet casing cracked and is rusting.

 

[Maho.B]

Thanks all for the advice, especially helpful when based on your own experiences. I will hold off on the Cipro, what you said about the system not being mature and more vulnerable makes a lot of sense. As for checking magnets/pumps I have not, but sense all parameters look great and are not fluctuating I am thinking it might be time to look into the magnet issue. With the system/equipment under a year old I was hoping that would not be the case, but it certainly could be. I have 5 pumps in the system (actually 6 including the skimmer pump) so I will start on those. Thanks!

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Anything weird with your lighting program that you’re aware of? I’ve seen programs tweak for all of the major lighting brands (Ecotech, AI, Kessil, etc) where lights end up being on all night. A few days of that, and you start to see the symptoms you’re describing.

 

[Maho.B]

Lighting system is all good, I see them off before going to sleep and still off in the morning when I'm up. Ever since setting it up I have ran them at 100% blue and 50% white. There are two units and they are the Red Sea reef LED 90 models. Thanks.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Idk if anyone said this. Your nutrients are reading low enough to be a false positive and actually be zero.

Raise. May be starving corals

 

[Maho.B]

Thanks Nate Chalk, they have been difficult to get them higher with feedings, So I have started dosing and currently nitrate is 4.7 and phosphate is .03 so hopefully on the right track. I don't think this was the coral issue however, because the decline was fast, like healthy actively growing LPS and SPS for months and they all stressed/declined or dead in a period of 8-9 days. Thanks for the input though I appreciate it.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Thanks Nate Chalk, they have been difficult to get them higher with feedings, So I have started dosing and currently nitrate is 4.7 and phosphate is .03 so hopefully on the right track. I don't think this was the coral issue however, because the decline was fast, like healthy actively growing LPS and SPS for months and they all stressed/declined or dead in a period of 8-9 days. Thanks for the input though I appreciate it.

For me, similar story when I started. I kept nutrients low corals die from inside out then RTN.