Problems with Inverts

Cantusaurus · Jul 13, 2021

Hi, I have a 32.5g Fluval reef tank. It has been up and running for a little over a year. I ironically had a lot of success with inverts during the first 6-9 months of my reef tank. I had a serpent star, Cleaner Shrimp, and Peppermint Shrimp. I had to rehome the Serpent Star since it was too big and I had more corals that it would bother. I also rehomed my cleaner shrimp since it would bother my corals, and it would stress out my Scooter Blenny when spot feeding. My peppermint shrimp looked fantastic for a majority of the time I kept him. I got him when it was a small-medium size, and it grew like crazy. Once he had a bad molt, and looked bad, but I spot fed him and he pulled through despite his bad coloration and lack of limbs. A couple months later he molted and I never saw him again. Very strange. I was on top of my testing, and would occasionally dose Seachem Iodine to help with corals and molting. The Shrimp dying was very unexpected since his health was great, and he would eat a variety of foods. I got a porcelain crab over a month ago, and had him for about 2-3 weeks. He looked GREAT! I loved watching him filter feed. I would spot feed him a couple times a week different things such as Mysis or even Reef Roids. Was happy, and he hosted my Kenya tree for some reason despite me having a rock flower anemone, and adding a RBTA not long after getting him. He just sorta vanished. I saw what looked like a molt (not fully intact) 3-4 days after he vanished in the back of the tank. I'm guessing he molted and just did not live through it, but I suppose it may not have been a molt and just pieces of his shell that no inverts would eat.
I also have had Trochus and Turban Snails that just never seemed to do well. Both times they only seemed to live about 2-3 weeks in my tank despite their being a decent amount of algae and random food to eat.
I have not replaced my Sediment Filter in my RODI unit yet. I replaced all the Cartridges a couple months ago. I have a portable TDS measurer, but I have not used it in a couple weeks. I am definitely going to get a new Sediment replacement regardless, but could that be a source to my issues? An excess of metals? I did put Phoszorb in the tank several weeks ago which soaks up Phosphates and Silicates (did it mostly for phosphates to keep them low). So it is weird that my peppermint shrimp and crab died similarly.

andiesreef · Jul 13, 2021

check your basic parameters. ph, ammonia, nitrites/nitrates, alk, calc, and mag. are you only keeping softies? inverts need some minerals for healthy molts- if you are keeping hard corals and not dosing there could be a lack of said minerals leading to incomplete molts...

Cantusaurus · Jul 13, 2021

andielehman said:
check your basic parameters. ph, ammonia, nitrites/nitrates, alk, calc, and mag. are you only keeping softies? inverts need some minerals for healthy molts- if you are keeping hard corals and not dosing there could be a lack of said minerals leading to incomplete molts...

My Ph, ammonia, nitrites, are all good. Nitrate is usually below or around 10. It looks about 8. I use tropic marin salt so my ph has been sitting around 7. It would usually drop to about 6.7, but I have been slowly dialing it up and it is now at 7.5. Calcium around 410. Mag around 1300.
I do have a mixed reef. Mostly LPS and Soft coral. But I do have some "beginner" sps. I have a small green monti cap. A stylophora, pocillopora, and thick branching birdsnest.

andiesreef · Jul 14, 2021

Cantusaurus said:
My Ph, ammonia, nitrites, are all good. Nitrate is usually below or around 10. It looks about 8. I use tropic marin salt so my ph has been sitting around 7. It would usually drop to about 6.7, but I have been slowly dialing it up and it is now at 7.5. Calcium around 410. Mag around 1300.
I do have a mixed reef. Mostly LPS and Soft coral. But I do have some "beginner" sps. I have a small green monti cap. A stylophora, pocillopora, and thick branching birdsnest.

you said your ph was around 7? that seems low

Clarkjw2002 · Jul 14, 2021

Thinking he meant his dKH is 7. If pH then I'd suspect your test kit is bad or your probe needs calibrating/replacement.

Test for phosphates before trying to remove.

Some things that come to mind w/out knowing your set up details and husbandry routine are copper, corroding magnets and stray voltage.

Maybe try a grounding rod and check all your magnets for swelling/corrosion--pumps, feeders, algae scrubbers, frag racks etc.

If you've ever treated w/ a copper based med it may have been absorbed by your substrate and is slowly leaching out.

Get some poly filter and see if it changes color on you. This will help rule out metals.

Clarkjw2002 · Jul 14, 2021

Oh yeah, any evidence of dinos or cyano? If you think you have cyano make sure it is not dinos. A common sign for dinoflagellates (besides the obvious physical characteristics) is snails dying off.

If you suspect them, collect some and do the paper towel test. Pour them through a paper towel used as a strainer and collect the strained water in a glass. Let sit for 10 or 15 minutes and then check to see if they've collected back together--will look like strings in the water when you slowly stir.

Have you used any algae treatments from a bottle?

Cantusaurus · Jul 14, 2021

Yes, sorry I meant to write 7 Dkh. My Ph is always around 7.9. I had slight phosphate issues in the past, and I do test for them. I really do not believe I have ever had Dinos. I have possibly had/have a tad of cyano. My gorgonian seemed to have a really strange bacterial disease months ago, and I notice a bit of brown on the outside of my overflow (or back wall of my AIO tank). I don't think it is Cyano and just diatoms especially since I have never really cleaned/scraped the back wall of my tank. I have never had hair algae, or any serious algae issues.

I tested the TDS in my freshwater I made recently and it is only at 1ppm (last time it was zero). I think changing out the sediment filter will fix that since I changed the other cartridges not too long ago.
I don't really have magnets in my tank. The only ones I do have are from my 2 Hydor Nano Powerheads. The magnets have always seemed fine, and I have never rinsed them in vinegar (since I have heard vinegar can harm the magnets and or powerhead itself). I use citric acid for my powerheads, but I probably should clean/inspect the magnets. I also soaked my return pump recently in citric acid, and rinsed in RO water afterward. I don't believe any of my equipment is leaching anything.
I have never dosed copper or anything like that to my tank. I don't even use copper in my QT setup. I have dosed Fluval trace elements a couple times, however in VERY small amounts, and very occasionally if I did not do a water change for a little while to give some more trace elements to the water. It does say copper on the elements, but that is a natural trace element, and is nearly as strong as the levels in copper medications.