SPS RTNing... due to increase in light?

[Dylan]

So I added a ton of carbon after doing a big WC because I was treating flatworm exit.

The water was 2x clearer than I've ever seen... but some of my acros started RTNing. One of them bleached.

Could it be because of too much light? :( It is a 250w EVC 20k on a nanocube 28. I raised the light higher off the tank and took out the carbon.

My parameters are perfect.

Calcium: 420
Alk: 9
Mag: 1420
Temperature swings from 78 to 78.5.
Nitrates: 0.

Zoas, LPS doing great. Only SPS aren't.

 

[gflat65]

I would probably link it to that. Rapidly stripping nutrients can cause issues. I've got a friend that does aquarium maintanence that has called asking about similar events (replacing a lot of carbon or phosphate media at once and RTN issues and loss of established shrimp in one case, I think). A 250W over a 28 gallon sounds like a good bit of light, but I've seen 400W over nano's... If they've been under those lights up to now and the event happened only after the big water change and carbon change, I'd link it to that.

I have had SPS losses immediately after treating with flatworm Xit. I had a good many flatworms (even after pre treatment siphoning and in process siphoning-they sheeted up off the substrate), so I figure it was their toxins. All of my Monti's in that tank went within a day of treating. Seems like I had some issues with Stylos and Pocillopora, too. I think some of the acros faded, but I don't think I lost any.

 

[SunnyX]

With the changes done to your tank in such a short period of time and with such a small volume of water the SPS were bound to take a hit. The best thing to do now is save what sps you can and hope for the best. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[jonzee2006]

+1 on the big change I recently had the same thing happen to me and it wasn't pretty. I hate to sound like a downer but I would make frags of everything and take it to a friends or a frag tank. Better safe then sorry

 

[Dylan]

Thanks guys. I have tips on acros burning, so it seems like it was an overdose of Carbon. WIth what gflat said, I lost ALL of my monti's, including my monti setosa.

I'm going to do a 5 gal water change... it's been a week since the last change.

 

[Dylan]

Thought everything was done, but 2 weeks later, I have an acro colony RTN'ing from the base...

 

[Dylan]

Woke up today, I have another frag rtning from the tips.

SHould I add a little bit of carbon and phosban? :(

 

[SunnyX]

Woke up today, I have another frag rtning from the tips.

SHould I add a little bit of carbon and phosban? :(

I was under Tue impression that you were running carbon already. If you are not doing I would add some immediately.

 

[Dylan]

Will do. Thanks sunny.

 

[smokenax]

it sounds like a big change in alkalinity.

 

[Acefspds]

Temp swings? Alk can do it too.. Thats the bad thing alot of things can cause a coral to stress.

 

[uchin]

Sorry to here about your loses. Check your light with a par meter. You still using flateworm exit?