Sps bleaching, help!

[oowtfmang]

BTW, what what your dosing like up through and after the move? I ask because I just noticed the high number of stony frags in the system from the "before" photos. A healthy load like that is bound to make a big impression on alkalinity once they become established. (One reason I don't favor lower alk numbers like yours - not enough "extra" or safety in the system to cover events like this...and others...IMO.)

-Matt

My dosing was done with a doser and I kept it online and running right before the tank move and right after the tank move. Of course there was a slight fluctuation in ALK when the tank moved but I continued dosing right away, so it couldn't have gone too low. One thing that is interesting is that my dosing had to be upped from about 24ml/day to about 34 ml/day over the span of the first month because the old amount wasn't keeping up. I find it hard to believe that the corals were taking up that much alkalinity in their stressed state of browning and bleaching so I'm assuming that lots of precipitation was occuring and taken out by the skimmer.

 

[EcoFrags]

you sort of asked how big is the universe and gave us a piece of string to figure it out lol but luckily you have the best stringists (?) around...maybe seamstresses is better than stringists lol

 

[oowtfmang]

you sort of asked how big is the universe and gave us a piece of string to figure it out lol but luckily you have the best stringists (?) around...maybe seamstresses is better than stringists lol

How else do you suppose to solve this issue? I'm giving as much detail and information as possible.

 

[oowtfmang]

A couple of corals have RTN'd.. including birdsnest and acropora. I don't understand what's wrong. I added a polyfilter today, hopefully it helps.

 

[mcarroll]

I would honestly raise Alk by a point and get you water tested for ammonia (free or cheap at abt any LFS) just on principle at this point. Calibrate your refractometer (RODI or even tap water will get you very close to zero) and make sure salinity is what you think. Review your plumbing to make sure no metal parts were used and/or no saltwater is touching them/anything else metal via spray or drips.

You may want to consider a very large water change - 75%-100% - soon as well. (Aged a day and temperature adjusted.)

This stinks…

-Matt

P.S. Maybe triple check the flow situation too. Use your hand to feel and make sure none of your pumps are running backwards. Looks can sometimes be deceiving (personal experience).

P.P.S. If you have a multimeter, stray voltage can also cause these symptoms. Remember that heaters will only show a problem when they cycle ON.

 

[oowtfmang]

I would honestly raise Alk by a point and get you water tested for ammonia (free or cheap at abt any LFS) just on principle at this point. Calibrate your refractometer (RODI or even tap water will get you very close to zero) and make sure salinity is what you think. Review your plumbing to make sure no metal parts were used and/or no saltwater is touching them/anything else metal via spray or drips.

You may want to consider a very large water change - 75%-100% - soon as well. (Aged a day and temperature adjusted.)

This stinks…

-Matt

P.S. Maybe triple check the flow situation too. Use your hand to feel and make sure none of your pumps are running backwards. Looks can sometimes be deceiving (personal experience).

P.P.S. If you have a multimeter, stray voltage can also cause these symptoms. Remember that heaters will only show a problem when they cycle ON.

Alk is at 8.3 right now. I already bought a brand new refractometer to make sure my other one wasn't wrong and the old one was completely fine (I also have a 35ppt calibration solution). No metal in my plumbing and I also don't have ammonia in my water. Nothing wrong with powerheads as well. I will check the multimeter tonight.

Thanks for the help mcarroll.

 

[oowtfmang]

Anybody else?

 

[bobssecrtsn]

how much carbon are you using and what kind.

 

[oowtfmang]

BRS ROX, maybe 2 cups, probably less.

 

[Saltgator]

I recently (still recovering) from this as well. Faulty phosphate readings was my issue. My pulsing xenia (which I've always used as a reference point for phosphates) was thriving, hammer and other lps was fine. Sps would RTN or bleach out within 24 hrs. IMO, I'd get the phosphate under control (I recommend high capacity BRS). Start with 1/4 the recommended dose (maybe only 1/8) and do a WC. Test the phosphates each day and have them checked against your numbers at the lfs (if possible). Please don't overdose it to save a few sps, the lps will go into shock. Again, just my opinion. Did you use the old sand as well? Doing so might have started a mini cycle or released the phosphate the sand had in it. GL

Brought to you by a Country Boy utilizing his Evo 4G and the Reef2Reef App

 

[180galSPSsharktank]

Im thinking High phosphates as well.

 

[oowtfmang]

I recently (still recovering) from this as well. Faulty phosphate readings was my issue. My pulsing xenia (which I've always used as a reference point for phosphates) was thriving, hammer and other lps was fine. Sps would RTN or bleach out within 24 hrs. IMO, I'd get the phosphate under control (I recommend high capacity BRS). Start with 1/4 the recommended dose (maybe only 1/8) and do a WC. Test the phosphates each day and have them checked against your numbers at the lfs (if possible). Please don't overdose it to save a few sps, the lps will go into shock. Again, just my opinion. Did you use the old sand as well? Doing so might have started a mini cycle or released the phosphate the sand had in it. GL

Brought to you by a Country Boy utilizing his Evo 4G and the Reef2Reef App

I run GFO. I don't think that my phosphate is especially high at .06 and it's already back at .03. I didnt' reuse sand. I've had some RTN already, maybe lost 5 corals. Others are still bleaching and losnig color.

 

[Decalf]

My dosing was done with a doser and I kept it online and running right before the tank move and right after the tank move. Of course there was a slight fluctuation in ALK when the tank moved but I continued dosing right away, so it couldn't have gone too low. One thing that is interesting is that my dosing had to be upped from about 24ml/day to about 34 ml/day over the span of the first month because the old amount wasn't keeping up. I find it hard to believe that the corals were taking up that much alkalinity in their stressed state of browning and bleaching so I'm assuming that lots of precipitation was occuring and taken out by the skimmer.

ALk is not used by corals alone. Most of the biological processes in the tank use the ALK in their processes. The reason it needed higher than usual ALK was an increase in the biological processes from moving the tank and sturing up detritius and other items. Any time you release more than usual food sources the tank will drop its ALK until those items have been processed and the extra bacteria go back to normal levels.

 

[oowtfmang]

Alk hasn't been bouncing up and down though, so I don't think that's the issue