Frag help!

[emilyruthwinsor]

I got all of these these coral frags in October 2023 and they were all thriving, bright and happy. A few weeks later I had a big alkalinity spike, killing most of my fish and a few bigger corals.

Everything got sorted, and my LFS housed the remaining frags and fish. Since then I’ve had a bit of new tank syndrome which has now ended and my corals just seem to be not growing and declining every day.

Zoas haven’t opened since before Christmas and are growing algae.

Red Plating Montipora went half white after spike now completely lost all colour and keeps growing algae.

Green Stylo, still angling itself towards light but no sign of other life and keeps growing algae.

Candycane Trumpets seem to be doing okay but keep receding and coming back as and when they wish.

Purple tree like coral (can’t remember name) is fine!

Green little frag (can’t remember name) seems happy just not growing at all!

Levels all steady and healthy now.

Any tips on how to revive these and regain brightness of these corals would be hugely appreciated.

 

[Troylee]

The majority of them Sps are dead and candy canes on its way out.. do you do water changes with rodi water?

 

[Nate Chalk]

All that is for sure dead +1

Cloves and zoas maybe. But super stressed. Trumpets definitely on death bed.

What are ur parameters. Tank age. And what husbandry do you do on a weekly basis to maintain those parameters.

If you cant answer these. Then that's your first step.

 

[emilyruthwinsor]

All that is for sure dead +1

Cloves and zoas maybe. But super stressed. Trumpets definitely on death bed.

What are ur parameters. Tank age. And what husbandry do you do on a weekly basis to maintain those parameters.

If you cant answer these. Then that's your first step.

Tank is nearly 2 years old, parameters are as follows from today:

Nitrites - 0
Nitrites - 0
Phosphates - 0
Alkalinity - 7.8
Calcium - 420
Magnesium - 1280

Tank is only 100L so don’t use pumps or anything, all maintained manually by testing and dosing.

Think the alk spike has got them to be honest!

 

[emilyruthwinsor]

The majority of them Sps are dead and candy canes on its way out.. do you do water changes with rodi water?

Yes, have system constantly topping up with RODI when level drops and change with salt water every week, adding RODI where needed to bring salinity to where it should be

 

[Troylee]

Tank is nearly 2 years old, parameters are as follows from today:

Nitrites - 0
Nitrites - 0
Phosphates - 0
Alkalinity - 7.8
Calcium - 420
Magnesium - 1280

Tank is only 100L so don’t use pumps or anything, all maintained manually by testing and dosing.

Think the alk spike has got them to be honest!

What kinda test kit? If you’re truly at zero nitrate and phosphate everything is starving.. you’d need to add more fish and feed them more.. or start dosing p04 and n03

 

[emilyruthwinsor]

What kinda test kit? If you’re truly at zero nitrate and phosphate everything is starving.. you’d need to add more fish and feed them more.. or start dosing p04 and n03

I use the Salifert tests but have always been told 0 is where it should be with these tests?

 

[PocketGoose]

I don’t think alk swings would have much of an affect on fish - may be something else at play here that’s responsible for the decline in health.

What do you consider a “spike”?

 

[twentyleagues]

How big of a spike? is 7.8 your normal dkh?

 

[emilyruthwinsor]

I took the rocks out to re-landscape and didn't realise lots had dry bits despite being laid in water, guessing some were sticking out as I was moving bits about. Next day all fish bar 2 dead and test changed colour immediately, even took water to lfs to test and alk was off the chart!

 

[emilyruthwinsor]

How big of a spike? is 7.8 your normal dkh?

Normally sits between there and 8.

 

[Troylee]

I took the rocks out to re-landscape and didn't realise lots had dry bits despite being laid in water, guessing some were sticking out as I was moving bits about. Next day all fish bar 2 dead and test changed colour immediately, even took water to lfs to test and alk was off the chart!

That leads me to believe you had an ammonia spike if the sand was stirred up… that doesn’t explain an alk spike thou. Ammonia spike would explain the fish and possibly the corals if it was truly peaked.

 

[twentyleagues]

Normally sits between there and 8.

So what was the result of the test when it spiked?
Removing the rocks probably caused an ammonia spike or something of that nature.

 

[I never finish anythi]

Agree with the ammonia spike . I put my dkh up to 20 once and all fish inverts and even my corals all survived. You got something else going on .

 

[emilyruthwinsor]

Yes it was ammonia and alkalinity. It was explained to me when ammonia spikes that high then so can alkalinity and I presumed the mixture as well with an increased Ph would have suffocated them?

I really want to get this sorted so that I can re-add some colour to the tank. Should I get rid of existing corals?

 

[kevgib67]

As stated, you need to get your nitrates and phosphate up, soft corals especially zoas like higher nutrient levels. When you get more sps and lps you’ll want to get your magnesium up as well. To get the alga off the plug mix a 2/1 ratio of tank water with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Place the frag in for 7-8 minutes, rinse with tank water and place it back in the tank.

 

[noobreefer2]

As stated, you need to get your nitrates and phosphate up, soft corals especially zoas like higher nutrient levels. When you get more sps and lps you’ll want to get your magnesium up as well. To get the alga off the plug mix a 2/1 ratio of tank water with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Place the frag in for 7-8 minutes, rinse with tank water and place it back in the tank.

I agree, I think the main idea is that the corals are starving. Corals cant survive in zero nutrient (nitrate, phos) systems. I had/have this problem, and they respond super well when I dose up nitrates/phos or feed more.

 

[kevgib67]

I agree, I think the main idea is that the corals are starving. Corals cant survive in zero nutrient (nitrate, phos) systems. I had/have this problem, and they respond super well when I dose up nitrates/phos or feed more.

Agreed, my tank seems to run well with nitrates 10-15 and phosphates at .05-.1. Stay safe with that big storm hitting Boston today.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Ur corals are starving as others have stated. , what do you mean no pumps?

Tank is nearly 2 years old, parameters are as follows from today:

Nitrites - 0
Nitrites - 0
Phosphates - 0
Alkalinity - 7.8
Calcium - 420
Magnesium - 1280

Tank is only 100L so don’t use pumps or anything, all maintained manually by testing and dosing.

Think the alk spike has got them to be honest!

 

[noobreefer2]

Agreed, my tank seems to run well with nitrates 10-15 and phosphates at .05-.1. Stay safe with that big storm hitting Boston today.

Haha, thanks! The storm moved further south, so I'm only getting about two inches where I am. Sometimes nature is so boring .