Every Time I do a Water Change My Corals get Very Stressed Out - Is is from Palytoxin?

[that Reef Guy]

What are your phosphates reading??

Phosphates are 0.04

 

[Reefing Madness]

All numbers in check and you run carbon during WC.....Theres nothing else to check. Unless you shut down the system when your changing out the water, and no flow in the tank.?? Sounds weird but, ya never know.

 

[that Reef Guy]

What about the worms in the power head is that the problem?

 

[that Reef Guy]

Somebody mentioned Stray Voltage.

The other thing different when I change my water is I turn all my equipment off and then back on until the next water change.

I noticed both my Power Heads were making a loud grinding sound when I turned them back on.

My digital thermometer which is always saying 78.6 was saying that for a few seconds then saying 82.5 and going back and forth.

It stopped doing that when I turned off my Power Heads.

Is that what is killing the Coral?

I did not get shocked or anything.

 

[Reef Pets]

How much of a water change are you doing each time? I ask because I was helping a new customer a while back and he was having issues everytime he done a water change. A water change to him was basically emptying nearly all the water out and replacing it with new.

 

[that Reef Guy]

Anybody have an idea of what is going on here?

 

[RadDadsReef]

Maybe you should read through other peoples post in here. There are multiple things people are suggesting that you said nothing about..

1. Stop pouring the water over the coral.
2. How much water are you changing? Might be too much of a shock.
3. Check for stray voltage.

 

[Reefing Madness]

All numbers in check and you run carbon during WC.....Theres nothing else to check. Unless you shut down the system when your changing out the water, and no flow in the tank.?? Sounds weird but, ya never know.

If your just changing out using a pitcher, don't shut anything off.
Powerheads tend to make that noise until they catch completely.

 

[spartanomega21]

When my captain americas are stressed in my nano my montis and all lps close up,recede, and give off a brown slime. I didnt know what happened the firat couple times it happened but it was definately them that caused it. Ran a ton of carbon and things got better within a day. Im just gonna give mine away. Its too muh of a risk

 

[cope413]

How much water are you changing?

 

[that Reef Guy]

How much water are you changing?

4 Gallons

I used to do 8 every week

 

[Munch]

How big Is your tank?

 

[that Reef Guy]

How big Is your tank?

20 Gallons

 

[Velodog2]

I killed off every monti in my tank and nearly killed my frogspawn and acans by trying to kill some palys. Palytoxin absolutely can hurt other corals. The lps reaction sounds like yours with the acans spitting mesenterials. Acros were not affected at all. I still have the palys unfortunately. But I am careful not to irritate them. Still sometimes I do inadvertently during a water change and the montis will close up for a couple days. The palys were not purple deaths.

 

[jdl513]

Sounds like too many polyps for your system.
Reducing the size of the colony should take care of the problem
My hunch is the palys have always been releasing something when irritated, but only became a problem when the colony grew too large for your display volume to handle.
If you do reduce the colony size make sure to do it in water that is not going back in the display and wear gloves/goggles to protect yourself when handling them.

Good luck!

 

[that Reef Guy]

I killed off every monti in my tank and nearly killed my frogspawn and acans by trying to kill some palys. Palytoxin absolutely can hurt other corals. The lps reaction sounds like yours with the acans spitting mesenterials. Acros were not affected at all. I still have the palys unfortunately. But I am careful not to irritate them. Still sometimes I do inadvertently during a water change and the montis will close up for a couple days. The palys were not purple deaths.

Really so I am not Crazy then.

That is good to know.

How many of these Paly's do you have?
What kind are they?
How exactly do they get irritated? (Is it from the water flowing over them too fast when you out the new water back in during the water change)?
How did you try to kill them?
Was the Tank fine before you tried to kill them?
Did the Palytoxin affect any Zoanthids?

Any details would greatly be appreciated.

I am so glad that you posted this.

 

[that Reef Guy]

Sounds like too many polyps for your system.
Reducing the size of the colony should take care of the problem
My hunch is the palys have always been releasing something when irritated, but only became a problem when the colony grew too large for your display volume to handle.
If you do reduce the colony size make sure to do it in water that is not going back in the display and wear gloves/goggles to protect yourself when handling them.

Good luck!

The Paly Rock did not grow too big.

I got it off someone else very large and ever since I get that Rock I have been having problems whenever I do water changes.

I wish that I never got the stupid thing.

 

[c.declivisowner]

First I'd say to make sure that the water change water is the same. It sounds as though you have already done that. Second I'd check the TDS of the RODI water your making. Maybe this is a more touchy coral for you. Or it is stressed so it's immune system is lower than that of other corals. Third I would recommend to either buy a pump and pump water in for water changes, This for me made water changes a lot easier and much more enjoyable, or do not dump the water on the coral! Fourth I would direct the flow blowing over this coral away from other corals. If it's on the far right of the tank and you have a big powerhead blowing on it to the right it will blow whatever toxins its realizing onto other corals. Keep this piece downstream of as many other corals as possible.

Questions for you.
Does the coral come out of the water when you do a water change? If so, corals will release a slime to protect themselves.
Does it have some type of infection or pest?

Finally, if absolutely nothing seems to help just cut a couple polyps off for yourself and trade the rest, or sell, or whatever you desire. I doubt a couple polyps of one coral will be able to do much damage to others even if it continues to do this. Hope this helps!

 

[Velodog2]

Really so I am not Crazy then.

That is good to know.

How many of these Paly's do you have?
What kind are they?
How exactly do they get irritated? (Is it from the water flowing over them too fast when you out the new water back in during the water change)?
How did you try to kill them?
Was the Tank fine before you tried to kill them?
Did the Palytoxin affect any Zoanthids?

Any details would greatly be appreciated.

I am so glad that you posted this.

It's always nice go hear u are not crazy.
I have maybe a hundred of the so-called Texas trash palys in a 25 gal system. But I only have to irritate a few to get a reaction from my other coral. They get upset with water changes either from the power head I use to blow detritus off everything before the change or if they get caught and yanked by the siphon hose. I tried to kill them by injecting vinegar into them. Really bad idea. The reason they are still there is because I can't take out the rocks they are on and can't find a way to kill them without nuking my whole tank. My other zoanthids reacted by closing up. The effects have been verified many times. There is no doubt in my mind the palys are the cause.

 

[that Reef Guy]

First I'd say to make sure that the water change water is the same. It sounds as though you have already done that. Second I'd check the TDS of the RODI water your making. Maybe this is a more touchy coral for you. Or it is stressed so it's immune system is lower than that of other corals. Third I would recommend to either buy a pump and pump water in for water changes, This for me made water changes a lot easier and much more enjoyable, or do not dump the water on the coral! Fourth I would direct the flow blowing over this coral away from other corals. If it's on the far right of the tank and you have a big powerhead blowing on it to the right it will blow whatever toxins its realizing onto other corals. Keep this piece downstream of as many other corals as possible.

Questions for you.
Does the coral come out of the water when you do a water change? If so, corals will release a slime to protect themselves.
Does it have some type of infection or pest?

Finally, if absolutely nothing seems to help just cut a couple polyps off for yourself and trade the rest, or sell, or whatever you desire. I doubt a couple polyps of one coral will be able to do much damage to others even if it continues to do this. Hope this helps!

There was some poop or something on the Rock when I got it so I thought maybe that was the problem and yes for a couple of the water changes I took it out of the Water and Swooshed it around in my Water Change Bucket (The old water after the change) pretty hard to try to knock off the stuff on the Paly Rock.

I have not done that the last couple of week though and still had the Corals stressed out.

I did not notice any Pets. (What type of Pest would stress out the Corals only after a Water Change though)? I have not heard of any Pests like that.