HELP!!! My corals are dying.

[Goaway]

Adding in the extra CUC to help.

Ended up getting 10x blue legged hermits (they had a deal at 10 for $10, so it was a steal) and 3x Astrea snails.

Some of these look nice and strong, so I’m hoping they make a big difference.

Place them on top of the parts you need help with. don't make them guess.

 

[James_O]

James my shrooms sat in dark for 5 days during upgrade. Corals see longer periods of dark during storms on the reef. Id personally turn the lights completely off for few days. While lights are off get a handle on sand and rock.
Then lower intensity and put your lights back on schedule they are acclimated to. A quarter of the intensity they where at. Slowly over cpl weeks bring them back up when you see the reacting positive. I just literally went through it.
Chemipure elite is not bad. In fact idk how it works so well. What im saying is. Check your phosphates daily. And remove it once you get to .05.
You dont want to bottom out phosphates = dinos.

I was told previously that my phosphate readings might be inaccurate, because of all the algae? How do I know if it’s accurate or not? (I’m using API by the way, for phos and nitrate)

—-

But yes, I will black the day out for a couple of days and work on the sand bed/rocks.

I’m just really sad about my big colony melting. It’s still alive, but I can tell some heads have died and others are super small.

 

[James_O]

Place them on top of the parts you need help with. don't make them guess.

Yes, I placed some on the heavy algae parts of the rock and others on the sand bed where the algae was the most dense. Tomorrow, if they are chilling in clean sand, I might move them back to ‘dirty’ sections.

 

[Goaway]

I was told previously that my phosphate readings might be inaccurate, because of all the algae? How do I know if it’s accurate or not? (I’m using API by the way, for phos and nitrate)

—-

But yes, I will black the day out for a couple of days and work on the sand bed/rocks.

I’m just really sad about my big colony melting. It’s still alive, but I can tell some heads have died and others are super small.

Right now, trust that torch. I don't know how else to put it into words. You are going to have to learn it's language. And now is the time to do just that.

 

[Goaway]

Basically, try to remember when your torch was going to sleep and waking up. These would be the signs of things getting back to normal.

 

[James_O]

 

[Goaway]

I was waiting for that ;Hilarious

 

[LRT]

James i had a particular type of hair algae that wiped my phosphates completely out when I ran my turf scrubber. Yes certain algae can harbor phosphates that can be released back in when it dies same as nitrates.
Getting it all gone is only way to get a true reading on where your params sit.
Get back on schedule you where before. The same due diligence routine. Dont stop until you have a handle on it that size tank. With dedication you will have it back in shape in no time.
You have gotten the best advice you could have gotten here. Just need to do the work now.

You will lose some corals in sure if your seeing death watch your ammonia. Remove the dead parts. Just stay on top of it.

 

[Goaway]

Torches are very moody animals. You know when they are happy, upset, irritated. And you hate it when they get sick. Its so hard to watch

 

[LRT]

Right now, trust that torch. I don't know how else to put it into words. You are going to have to learn it's language. And now is the time to do just that.

Great advice. I have a sun coral that lets me know when something is wrong. If its happy everyone is happy for sure.

 

[Goaway]

Great advice. I have a sun coral that lets me know when something is wrong. If its happy everyone is happy for sure.

Having those pieces have helped me so much, that coral that tells me something is wrong.

 

[Jekyl]

CuC will help but probably not noticeably. Manual removal of algae is best. The CuC gets what you don't.

 

[Goaway]

CuC will help but probably not noticeably. Manual removal of algae is best. The CuC gets what you don't.

We told him, another guy threw a.rip clean guide at him.
Edit: He's going to be busy

 

[LRT]

Yeah my Cuc never really made a dent until I got a handle on things. Now they scavenge for algae and food. Hermits be spit shining my shrooms feet looking for strands they may have missed.
Hard work and dedication to scrubbing and ripping clean is only way to make it right. I scrubbed my rocks every water change for a few months until it just stopped growing and was replaced by coraline.

 

[fishguy242]

great advice here James.
must stop buying corals ,get tank stable first.
dedication to getting this cleaned up and stabilized is key.
heed the advice given here.

 

[James_O]

great advice here James.
must stop buying corals ,get tank stable first.
dedication to getting this cleaned up and stabilized is key.
heed the advice given here.

Yessir, definitely won’t be buying any coral anytime soon.

CuC will help but probably not noticeably. Manual removal of algae is best. The CuC gets what you don't.

Yes, of course.

I have to go to work today, so it might be pretty late tonight before I get to do it.

James i had a particular type of hair algae that wiped my phosphates completely out when I ran my turf scrubber. Yes certain algae can harbor phosphates that can be released back in when it dies same as nitrates.
Getting it all gone is only way to get a true reading on where your params sit.
Get back on schedule you where before. The same due diligence routine. Dont stop until you have a handle on it that size tank. With dedication you will have it back in shape in no time.
You have gotten the best advice you could have gotten here. Just need to do the work now.

You will lose some corals in sure if your seeing death watch your ammonia. Remove the dead parts. Just stay on top of it.

Dang, I really hope I don’t loose any coral.

—-

The tank is completely blacked out now and all the corals look pretty much the same.

Will it be normal over the next few days to see them all closed up, because there’s no light?

 

[LRT]

Yessir, definitely won’t be buying any coral anytime soon.



Yes, of course.

I have to go to work today, so it might be pretty late tonight before I get to do it.



Dang, I really hope I don’t loose any coral.

—-

The tank is completely blacked out now and all the corals look pretty much the same.

Will it be normal over the next few days to see them all closed up, because there’s no light?

I didn't black mine out. Some natural light in room can't hurt anything and will allow you to observe what they are doing some of my crispy shrooms didn't even start responding to light until around 3rd day. Yours may bounce back quicker. Slow and steady wins the race. Consistently and stability is key.

 

[Goaway]

The tank is completely blacked out now and all the corals look pretty much the same.

Don't cover the tank to darken it. Just keep your room lit like LRT said.

It will take time for the shock to go away. in a few days I would go to 50% of what you did use for lights.

 

[Goaway]

You have a nice camera. You need to start documenting your corals.
Examples of mine corals sleeping.

Torch just finished splitting after 8 months. Took her long enough

This goni here has been through a lot since I have had it. It has survived brown jelly 3 times, a torch sting and being shredded by a powder blue tang.
This is what it looked like before

And now it is recovering after removing a monster PBT

Understanding each coral is very critical. This is hard work. You got the camera, you can do it. Take photos and write observation notes on each one. I am sure we all do this. Until we don't need too anymore.
If I could get another goni colony, I can show you one ticked off torch. My torch HATES new goniopora's being added into the tank. But, I just bought a trachy brain. So we will see how she responds tuesday to that addition.

Edit: and Yes, I am worried for you. I have had my battles. I still have them.

 

[SplashReefs]

One thing i've learned, is to invest the $30 in a Wyze camera dedicated to your tank. It will save you the worry on your next vacation.