Help me think

ReefHog10 · Jan 12, 2023

I've had a 32 gallon biocube up for ~ 15 months. Started with caribsea live sand and dry rock, bottled bacteria, etc. Run stock return pump with RFG nozzle as well as a small Hygger wave maker. In Tank media basket with filter floss, chemipure blue, and biopellets. Matrix in the back chamber which has been present since tank began. Have consistently changed ~ 5 gal water weekly (sometimes every other but not often). Stock is 5 small fish, assorted inverts/urchins, and mixed corals (mostly soft corals, a couple of birdsnest, and some euphyllia). Feed once daily - frozen mysis ~ 3 days/week and pellets/flake the others and typically have broadcast a small amount of reef roids once a week as well. Supplement 5 ml All for Reef daily to maintain alkalinity. Have had minimal hair/turf algae but nothing too out of hand to date and everything has generally done well. Parameters have remained consistent for months.

Temp - 78 F
SG - 1.026
Alk - 9.4
Nitrate - 10-12
Phos - 0.04
Ca - (only have API test but ~ 420-440)

About a month ago I noticed one of my torches (which was previously doing well and growing new polyps), was not opening as wide - nothing major and decided just to leave it alone and let it play out. Two weeks later my single "tester" acro frag went RTN overnight. Remainder of corals looked great. 3 days ago I started noticing dinos for first time ever and they began to irritate some of the soft corals and other euphyllias. The aforementioned torch, opened less and less for a few days until yesterday when it completely brown jellied overnight. I pulled it immediately, but have since had two acans begin to show skeleton and noticed a gorgonian had shed almost its entire bottom 1/2.

So far I have performed a water change today (5 gallon) and placed new carbon (chemipure blue) in the media basket. Checked parameters and they remain consistent to prior levels. Not clear to me if this is something in the water, dinos, or coral death affecting the others? Advice on next steps? (I'm torn between doing another water change as I've heard that may exacerbate the dino issue). Thanks in advance!

vetteguy53081 · Jan 12, 2023

ReefHog10 said:
I've had a 32 gallon biocube up for ~ 15 months. Started with caribsea live sand and dry rock, bottled bacteria, etc. Run stock return pump with RFG nozzle as well as a small Hygger wave maker. In Tank media basket with filter floss, chemipure blue, and biopellets. Matrix in the back chamber which has been present since tank began. Have consistently changed ~ 5 gal water weekly (sometimes every other but not often). Stock is 5 small fish, assorted inverts/urchins, and mixed corals (mostly soft corals, a couple of birdsnest, and some euphyllia). Feed once daily - frozen mysis ~ 3 days/week and pellets/flake the others and typically have broadcast a small amount of reef roids once a week as well. Supplement 5 ml All for Reef daily to maintain alkalinity. Have had minimal hair/turf algae but nothing too out of hand to date and everything has generally done well. Parameters have remained consistent for months.

Temp - 78 F
SG - 1.026
Alk - 9.4
Nitrate - 10-12
Phos - 0.04
Ca - (only have API test but ~ 420-440)

About a month ago I noticed one of my torches (which was previously doing well and growing new polyps), was not opening as wide - nothing major and decided just to leave it alone and let it play out. Two weeks later my single "tester" acro frag went RTN overnight. Remainder of corals looked great. 3 days ago I started noticing dinos for first time ever and they began to irritate some of the soft corals and other euphyllias. The aforementioned torch, opened less and less for a few days until yesterday when it completely brown jellied overnight. I pulled it immediately, but have since had two acans begin to show skeleton and noticed a gorgonian had shed almost its entire bottom 1/2.

So far I have performed a water change today (5 gallon) and placed new carbon (chemipure blue) in the media basket. Checked parameters and they remain consistent to prior levels. Not clear to me if this is something in the water, dinos, or coral death affecting the others? Advice on next steps? (I'm torn between doing another water change as I've heard that may exacerbate the dino issue). Thanks in advance!

First thing I would address having had a 32g biocube is lighting. What are you using for lighting. The next obvious is level of water flow.
This is a great tank for fish and basic LPS coral but coral like sps require proper flow, light and stable parameters and use of reliable test equipment.
Some things that will need to be stable are alk and mag also. PAR from lighting very important as SPS cant thrive on One spectrum of light but variable light spectrums and at 12 hours per day.
If youre blasting with light at introduction that too will be an issue

ReefHog10 · Jan 12, 2023

I replaced the stock lights with "Steves LEDs" back before Thanksgiving. It is up to ~ 40% of Blues and ~ 15% White Channel. Pretty low still if anything. I have crept it up once a week. (I wasn't surprised with the acro - reason I just had the one "tester" frag - it's the others that have me baffled)