Tank has gone downhill! Please help!!

OP
OP
CurtnStac

CurtnStac

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
289
Reaction score
233
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Look at nitrate and phosphate. Is it in line with what your numbers usually are?
Slightly lower because I haven't been coral feeding like I usually do. And have been doing alot of water changes. This is something that pretty much happened over night.
 

ycnibrc

SOCAL REEF TOTM 11/2019 GHL TOTM 02/2020
View Badges
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
Messages
2,562
Reaction score
3,817
Location
Irvine, CA
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I've been using a 4 bulb t5 since I upgraded to this tank. It is a shallow! Bulbs are changed about 4 months ago
Lol u just answer your question u change your bulb 4 months ago and then your mushroom start to shrink. Your old bulb may be weak and your mushroom adapt to it intensity. Now u change all new bulb then the light intensity is changing so your mushroom don't like it. Raise your light up to lessen the intensity
 

rlman41299

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
1,164
Reaction score
617
Location
san jose
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
you have a couple of nice anemone in there when the tank was doing great. What happened to them? Maybe an anemone got shredded and nuked the tank?
 
OP
OP
CurtnStac

CurtnStac

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
289
Reaction score
233
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Lol u just answer your question u change your bulb 4 months ago and then your mushroom start to shrink. Your old bulb may be weak and your mushroom adapt to it intensity. Now u change all new bulb then the light intensity is changing so your mushroom don't like it. Raise your light up to lessen the intensity
This, with the mushrooms and tank, started about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks ago. And it happened overnight
 

Mykawl

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 2, 2019
Messages
394
Reaction score
266
Location
Midway
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You said there was nickel and tin in icp results I’m wondering would water changes remove metals sufficiently? No idea if metals explain melting mushrooms though and all you’re experiencing
 
OP
OP
CurtnStac

CurtnStac

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
289
Reaction score
233
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
you have a couple of nice anemone in there when the tank was doing great. What happened to them? Maybe an anemone got shredded and nuked the tank?
No they are all accounted for but super mad and all shrunk up.
 
OP
OP
CurtnStac

CurtnStac

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
289
Reaction score
233
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You said there was nickel and tin in icp results I’m wondering would water changes remove metals sufficiently? No idea if metals explain melting mushrooms though and all you’re experiencing
That icp test was done beginning of Sept. When my zoas were closed. I did end up finding 2 bad magnets. A few weeks ago the zoas started to open a little. Then overnight the wrath came down and now I'm left with this crap storm!
 

Marlon C

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 28, 2019
Messages
657
Reaction score
327
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had this happen mine was ultra low nutrients 0 to be exact killed all my sps and LPs
 
OP
OP
CurtnStac

CurtnStac

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
289
Reaction score
233
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It's there anything in a Tunze 9004 skimmer that can go bad and mess up a tank??
Cuz the daggum thing hasn't worked right in awhile. I had to keep the air valve closed to get it to skim anything. Then when it overflowed overnight is when everything went downhill. I have yet to take the skimmer out of the tank but it is off.
 

Mykawl

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 2, 2019
Messages
394
Reaction score
266
Location
Midway
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
That icp test was done beginning of Sept. When my zoas were closed. I did end up finding 2 bad magnets. A few weeks ago the zoas started to open a little. Then overnight the wrath came down and now I'm left with this crap storm!
Overnight doesn’t seem to fit with metal from magnet but still can’t be helping, curious if the icp results will show the same ppm of tin and nickel.

you also mentioned feeding much less but your tank is packed, and unless I missed it didn’t give any specific numbers for nitrate and phosphate. Maybe they’re just hungry? This is combination with so many water changes system running too clean no food.
Of course just my inexperienced thoughts and opinion hope you get it figured out. Don’t think any of my ideas explain corals going south overnight though.
 

living_tribunal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
4,198
Reaction score
12,164
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have tested salinity, always do when making up new water. It's right at 1.025
Alk is at 9, cal 420, mag 1350. Haven't looked at nitrate and phos cause usually it's high and my tank loves it.
The only thing I would suspect is ammonia spike and I don't have a test for that. Not a test I thought I'd need since my tank has been up and good for years. But even if it was an ammonia spike the tank should have processed that or water changes diluted it by now

I would take a look at nitrates and phosphates, these two are very underrated in this hobby and are more often the culprits in a stable system.

My corals look terrible when phosphates zero out for extended periods of time.
 

Mykawl

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 2, 2019
Messages
394
Reaction score
266
Location
Midway
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It's there anything in a Tunze 9004 skimmer that can go bad and mess up a tank??
Cuz the daggum thing hasn't worked right in awhile. I had to keep the air valve closed to get it to skim anything. Then when it overflowed overnight is when everything went downhill. I have yet to take the skimmer out of the tank but it is off.

Maybe this is the problem, stagnant water in the skimmer body, low oxygen environment breeding bad stuff.
Initially caused by dumping the skimmer cup water in. Maybe a bad bacteria growing in tour tank.
I would definitely pull theskimmer if it’s not on I’ve read horror stories of stagnant water.
 
OP
OP
CurtnStac

CurtnStac

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
289
Reaction score
233
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Overnight doesn’t seem to fit with metal from magnet but still can’t be helping, curious if the icp results will show the same ppm of tin and nickel.

you also mentioned feeding much less but your tank is packed, and unless I missed it didn’t give any specific numbers for nitrate and phosphate. Maybe they’re just hungry? This is combination with so many water changes system running too clean no food.
Of course just my inexperienced thoughts and opinion hope you get it figured out. Don’t think any of my ideas explain corals going south overnight though.
I just stopped feeding when this started. So I've only missed a few coral feedings. I haven't tested but I know it hasn't zeroed out cuz my gsp is still green. Whenever my nutes would get too low my gsp would lose its color.
I know for a fact this was literally overnight because everything was fine, zoas were kinda making a comeback, and the skimmer was making noises. It's done it before so I knew what made it stop... Just open up the air valve. But that made it overflow. The next day foamy skim mate was all in the back of the tank and the corals were closed. So I was just did some extra water changes. But here I am almost 2 weeks later and there's no improvements.
 
OP
OP
CurtnStac

CurtnStac

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
289
Reaction score
233
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Maybe this is the problem, stagnant water in the skimmer body, low oxygen environment breeding bad stuff.
Initially caused by dumping the skimmer cup water in. Maybe a bad bacteria growing in tour tank.
I would definitely pull theskimmer if it’s not on I’ve read horror stories of stagnant water.
I did plan on removing the skimmer and return pumps tomorrow to have a look at everything. Thanks!
 

Mykawl

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 2, 2019
Messages
394
Reaction score
266
Location
Midway
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I just stopped feeding when this started. So I've only missed a few coral feedings. I haven't tested but I know it hasn't zeroed out cuz my gsp is still green. Whenever my nutes would get too low my gsp would lose its color.
I know for a fact this was literally overnight because everything was fine, zoas were kinda making a comeback, and the skimmer was making noises. It's done it before so I knew what made it stop... Just open up the air valve. But that made it overflow. The next day foamy skim mate was all in the back of the tank and the corals were closed. So I was just did some extra water changes. But here I am almost 2 weeks later and there's no improvements.
Currently the skimmer is sitting in the tank off?
 
OP
OP
CurtnStac

CurtnStac

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
289
Reaction score
233
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So I just checked my apex and I shut down my skimmer on the 9th. So that's when all this started. So actually it's only been a week.
And the pic with my bta looking all happy was taken on the 24th of Oct. which was only 2 weeks before the started.
 

Mykawl

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 2, 2019
Messages
394
Reaction score
266
Location
Midway
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Honestly I’m so convinced and my gut is telling me it’s that that I’m gonna take my skimmer out too lol, I leave if off too often and I always pour it back into the tank no idea why haha guess I like to explore the bad as well as the good.

Curious if there’s any research into stagnant salt water in the presence and lack of light.

update if things get better I just removed mine it really doesn’t seem to prduce very dirty water anyways and with a nano water changes are easy enough
So I just checked my apex and I shut down my skimmer on the 9th. So that's when all this started. So actually it's only been a week.
And the pic with my bta looking all happy was taken on the 24th of Oct. which was only 2 weeks before the started.
hopefully that’s the answer it seems most likely since you said both the overflow and it breaking preceded the tank going south
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
90,851
Reaction score
200,118
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
Melting away too points to either salinity ir lighting. Regarding your readings, i used two refracts that were calibrated and a digital unit which all indicated. 1.023-1.024.
Water sample to LFS WAS 1.031. I used calibration solution by brightwell
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 58 50.0%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 64 55.2%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 27 23.3%
  • None.

    Votes: 28 24.1%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 7.8%
Back
Top