Coral Dying Help!

[NanoMan16]

Ok woke up 3 days ago and noticed all my coral was closed up. Didn’t think much of it at first *mistake*. Next day same and started to worry. Tested water with Red Sea test kits all looked ok nothing to crazy. Today my Duncan’s green skin around base is starting to peel away showing the white skeleton. My Acan frag is dead bleach white. My toadstool leather is a white solid lump so dead. Zoa’s and GSP are closed with a brown almost red slime over the opening. Help I have know idea what is going on. I’ve had a tank crash but usually something was wrong. Plus my fish are fat and happy.
Water Condition:
Temp- 79.2-80F
PH- 8.3-8.4
Ammonia- 0.5
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 10
Alk- 8-10
PO4- 1
Calcium- 480
System Info:
Biocube 16, 460gph wave maker, stock pump, chemipure elite, purigen, running chateo in the middle chamber, stock lights blues 12hrs - whites 8hrs

 

[Lavey29]

I'm certainly no expert but usually problems are greatly multiplied in small tanks versus larger. I'm sure you have already considered a very large water change even though your parameters seem ok but what is the salinity? Using RODI?

 

[dedragon]

have you checked rodi TDS?

 

[dedragon]

phosphate is very high at 1 but i am assuming u meant .1ppm?

 

[NanoMan16]

I'm certainly no expert but usually problems are greatly multiplied in small tanks versus larger. I'm sure you have already considered a very large water change even though your parameters seem ok but what is the salinity? Using RODI?

Salinity- 1.024
Salt mix and water is not an issue. I use seachem prime at each change. Water is also purchased at LFS. Yes water changed right away and it was 50%.

 

[NanoMan16]

have you checked rodi TDS?

Yes reads 0

 

[NanoMan16]

phosphate is very high at 1 but i am assuming u meant .1ppm?

Yes my mistake 0.1ppm. Typing on my phone in a confused panic.

 

[dedragon]

Salinity- 1.024
Salt mix and water is not an issue. I use seachem prime at each change. Water is also purchased at LFS. Yes water changed right away and it was 50%.

Could have been a bad batch of water or salt mix, i would have them check rodi TDS in front of you to make sure it is 0, if you dont own a tds meter.

 

[dedragon]

how are the other inverts in the tank? Stray voltage or a rusting magnet will kill inverts faster than fish

 

[NanoMan16]

Could have been a bad batch of water or salt mix, i would have them check rodi TDS in front of you to make sure it is 0, if you dont own a tds meter.

Own my own meter and do full test before I do a change.

 

[NanoMan16]

how are the other inverts in the tank? Stray voltage or a rusting magnet will kill inverts faster than fish

All are ok. Noticed a few black specs on my cleaner shrimp. But the follow a pattern and same on both sides. I will take a look. Come to mention it I haven’t been seeing them come out when I feed the fish. Cleaner usually try’s to steal and hasn’t moved during feeding.

 

[NanoMan16]

 

[MaxTremors]

Could any sort of chemical or poison gotten in the tank (any aerosols or sprays, and especially any insecticides anywhere in the home)? Any kids that could’ve put something in it? Any metal that could’ve fallen in the tank? There’s got to be a reason, and if it’s not any of the parameters we usually measure for, that points to poisoning or a stray electric current. Also, and this wouldn’t be the cause, but going forward, I would shoot for a specific gravity of 1.026.

 

[Uncle99]

Ok woke up 3 days ago and noticed all my coral was closed up. Didn’t think much of it at first *mistake*. Next day same and started to worry. Tested water with Red Sea test kits all looked ok nothing to crazy. Today my Duncan’s green skin around base is starting to peel away showing the white skeleton. My Acan frag is dead bleach white. My toadstool leather is a white solid lump so dead. Zoa’s and GSP are closed with a brown almost red slime over the opening. Help I have know idea what is going on. I’ve had a tank crash but usually something was wrong. Plus my fish are fat and happy.
Water Condition:
Temp- 79.2-80F
PH- 8.3-8.4
Ammonia- 0.5
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 10
Alk- 8-10
PO4- 1
Calcium- 480
System Info:
Biocube 16, 460gph wave maker, stock pump, chemipure elite, purigen, running chateo in the middle chamber, stock lights blues 12hrs - whites 8hrs

How old is that system?
How long have those parameters been that way?

 

[NanoMan16]

Could any sort of chemical or poison gotten in the tank (any aerosols or sprays, and especially any insecticides anywhere in the home)? Any kids that could’ve put something in it? Any metal that could’ve fallen in the tank? There’s got to be a reason, and if it’s not any of the parameters we usually measure for, that points to poisoning or a stray electric current. Also, and this wouldn’t be the cause, but going forward, I would shoot for a specific gravity of 1.026.

Not that I am aware of. I had a razor blade in the tank a few weeks ago. Always use that for the hard algae at the sand bed line on the glass. Done that for years. Literally nothing has changed same typical stuff and my husbandry is very good not perfect but very good.

 

[dedragon]

All are ok. Noticed a few black specs on my cleaner shrimp. But the follow a pattern and same on both sides. I will take a look. Come to mention it I haven’t been seeing them come out when I feed the fish. Cleaner usually try’s to steal and hasn’t moved during feeding.

Yep, it shud be out so i would check on that. Check all pumps impellers and magnets in the tank for rust. Do you have or know anyone with a copper test kit?
If you have a voltmeter i would also check the tank for any stray voltage. You could also try an icp test if the first two tests dont show anything wrong

 

[NanoMan16]

How old is that system?
How long have those parameters been that way?

6 month system

Parameters have been that way for the most part since after it’s first full cycle. Minus the initial ups and downs in PH and ammonia/nitrite. Waited until level at month 2 before adding anything. First in was the Rasta Zoa’s. Then the Green star Polyps.

 

[dedragon]

Did you do a large water change before the corals started reacting? It could have also hit it with a large alk swing which corals hate. From 8-10 is a big swing, what test kits are you using to measure alk, ca, etc

 

[NanoMan16]

Yep, it shud be out so i would check on that. Check all pumps impellers and magnets in the tank for rust. Do you have or know anyone with a copper test kit?
If you have a voltmeter i would also check the tank for any stray voltage. You could also try an icp test if the first two tests dont show anything wrong

Hmm copper makes sense now. I dosed with Aquavitro’s Fule. It has copper in it I may have double dosed by mistake. And where I dose the corals hardest hit are right there….hmmm you may have something there. Now only how to test for copper… I have done two 50% water changes so that should be out or down by now…?..

 

[dedragon]

If you do suspect copper, use cuprisorb and activated carbon to take out the rest of it