tank crashing......

[Troylee]

sending pm...

 

[HighlandReef]

This sucks lee
I have been seeing a few threads with the same issues, all of the sudden for no reason corals start to die
Params are all good
What are the chance of it being the same salt mix?
If you guys figure it out please let us know
I am not having the issue but would still like to know what the issue is and avoid it at all costs

 

[denash]

Could it be your RODI unit?
How old are the filters? even if your TDS meter reads 0 your water could possibly still contain chloramines if you haven't replaced the filters.

 

[soccerbag]

Troy ..whats the number i can call you , i think i might know what it is .

Dan

Dan, could you send me that pm too? I'm curious to know.....thanks! : )

 

[Troylee]

Just got off the phone with dan and he truly believes it's the pellets also... I have read this problem in a few places but I'm thinking it's mote wide spread than I or we hear.... Most people are not speaking up for what ever reason but I will.... Pellets suck!!!!! Removing them in 2 min when I get home!!!!!

 

[Troylee]

Back to vodka for me!!!! The worst I ever exp with vodka was a Dino outbreak never lost a piece.... This is just insane!!!! Ya know it's crazy your tank is thriving but what looks great is not always what it's cracked up to be... I watched my Millie yesterday " more colorful " than it has ever been just peel with the polyps extended ad long as they could go up in smoke.... The coral looked better than ever but dying on the inside.... arrrrrt

 

[Paul_N]

What kind of issue are we talking about with the pellets? I'd like to keep an eye out for any "signs" in my tank.

 

[Troylee]

Death!!!! Out of the blue your tank is thriving and then one by one you lose a piece a day.... I hate pellets!!!!!! I hate pellets, pellets suck!!!! Ahahahahahahah

 

[Troylee]

Pellets are offline...."yeah" hopefully that cures it.... Next week I will kick the vodka back in...1smile1

 

[Jcr's Reef]

Well hopefully that is the problem Troylee. If it is the pellets its a pretty simple fix, so thats good news, sucks you lost so many coral though. As for the pellets, I think there is much more than meets the eye IMHO. I'm by no means an expert (on anything for that matter :tongue, but some people run them with no problem for months then all hell breaks loose. Others see problems right away.

 

[Troylee]

That's what happend to me and I'm glad to speak up and help the next guy... I have been running pellets for about 3 or 4 months now and no problems then in one day blam!!!!! One after another after another.... I think this is a wide spread problem but people are not speaking up for some reason.... I'm not a pro either and I'm sure half this board had more exp than me I just share good and bad, why hide it ya know???? None of us are better than the next... I hate that most posts are bragging and no one talks about bad things here or anywhere for that matter..... It is what it is ya know so be it share it and help the next guy!!!!

 

[swannyson7]

My questions is....is it all pellets or just certain brands? I've been running the WM EcoBak since August and I've had no problems (knock on wood)

 

[gqjeff]

I had a few buddies in NY have bad experiences with the pellets also. I have ran them for 11 months on my office tank with just zoos, palys, chalices and favias. I added some Monties a few weeks back and they have done less then great. I know the LEDs are part of the cause so i have since dialed them way back for a few weeks. I will be taking the pellets offline myself and just going to do some prodiobio and gfo/carbon or just put some cheato in the fuge compartment and let things go naturally. Params r super solid on this tank also running balling lite method. Hope u get it worked out. Maybe get some poly filter also and run it for a few days with some larger sized water changes.

 

[Troylee]

I'm not running those for the record I have a different brand but I am hearing the same story over and over and getting pms about them and that brand has been mentioned.... Not sure why people are afraid to speak up.... If it's not the next best thing let's know about it!!!!!! I don't like killing my animals because someone is afraid to say hey these don't work!!!!

 

[Acroholic]

It could be something other that biopellets causing this. I had the same type situation occur in my 210 gallon SPS reef just over a year ago. Everything was fine, then I started experiencing everything from STN, RTN, and sometimes even entire Acro colony loss overnight. Tested, retested, and had others test, looked for pests none, etc, just like you. Couldn't blame it on anything. Finally, I had just resigned myself to having a softy tank when I decided that it was a good time to upgrade to a 300 gallon. Didn't have much to lose since the SPS were headed south anyways. I went from an AGA 210 RR with a reef wall type setup to a Marineland DD 300 with an open style aquascape, and also went from 4x Tunze 6105s to 4x MP40wES pumps and the STN/RTN/Total loss stopped in its tracks. It was like flipping a switch. I have since concluded that when all my Acros were little frags and small colonies, the Tunzes and the reef wall Aqauscape were sufficient regarding flow, but as my colonies matured and got some size on them, the reef wall and the Tunzes just did not provide the flow characteristics the corals needed. Some of my acros that started out as 1/2" frags two years ago are larger than dinner plates now, and I can't help but think that larger acro colonies can radically restrict water movement as they grow. A reef wall aquascape further restricts water movement, and I don't think the 6105s were giving me the undertow and type of water movement the Vortechs do. I personally believe the corals were either starving or smothering (or both) from lack of flow in my 210 gallon tank.

I have since changed out two of the 40wES pumps to MP60s (one 60 on left/right side and two 40s on the back).

So you might want to look at your aquascape and your internal water movement as a possible cause of your troubles. Sounds like you have some large colonies as I do. Also, I maintain an alkalinity of 10-11 in my 300 and I have not had any issues with acroporas because of it. I have not heard of high KH being necessarily detrimental to SPS.

 

[Troylee]

Flow is not a problem... Tank is 220 I have a flowstar return 3200gph and 2 mp60s that I have cranked were talking almost 20k turnover per hour...

 

[gqjeff]

Ps I do not advise 10-11 alkalinity in an ULNS... That has been a source of many pellet problems. When the nutrients get lower with higher alk values it has lead to burnt tips, paller colors and Stn/rtn events. When people have lowered alk many of the problems straightened out.

 

[Acroholic]

Flow is not a problem... Tank is 220 I have a flowstar return 3200gph and 2 mp60s that I have cranked were talking almost 20k turnover per hour...

That's about what I have in my 300. I do not run biopellets, but have talked to some folks that have, and can the amount of biopellets you run affect your corals? One friend was having some nitrate issues (high levels) after using them, and he talkied with Proline, who told him to use 25% of the recommended amount. He has and his nitrate levels are going down. He used more than was recommended in the beginning. So could the biopellet issue be related to the amount used, and not the biopellets themselves? Are the manufacturers telling Reefers to use too much of the product?

 

[Acroholic]

Ps I do not advise 10-11 alkalinity in an ULNS...

I'm not sure if my system qualifies an ULNS (no Zeovit), but my SPS are quite happy there at a KH of 10-11

 

[skinz78]

Just curious, why do people feel the need to run bio pellets or dose vodka?

I use the KISS method "Keep It Simple Stupid" on my tank and I have good growth and colors.

What type of Salt mix do you use Lee? Also have you changed your RO/DI filters lately? One of my local buddy's changed his filters a few years ago and he accidentally placed one of them in backwards and if I remember correctly he seen the same thing you are seeing.