Tank transfer not good

[MixedFruitBasket]

The tank is brand new from crystal dynamics. They delivered it. I didn’t wash the tank but I did fill it up for a leak test and drained it.

If you didn't wash the tank there is no telling what they might have cleaned it with to remove silicone, hand prints, and anything else that could have gotten in it. Just a leak test wouldn't wash this stuff off especially if it was some sort of petroleum based product to remove stuck on silicone. Honestly to lose corals like you describe, sounds more like something detrimental to the actual zooxanthella or corrosive to the flesh of the coral. If they used a molded overflow there could have been mold release still on the plastic or any PVC, etc used.

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

Again I’m not 100% sure. I think the dead starfish rotting away released a lot of toxins In the water. My skimmer was going crazy For a while.

In my experience a skimmer will go insane like that when there is some type of detergent present or similar chemical.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Normally people use alcohol to clean up silicone. And cleaning reef tanks with anything bad is not a practice in the good tank manufacturing companies.

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

Normally people use alcohol to clean up silicone. And cleaning reef tanks with anything bad is not a practice in the good tank manufacturing companies.

That may be, but something could have been spilled in it, or whatever. You never know.

 

[SeaDweller]

In my experience a skimmer will go insane like that when there is some type of detergent present or similar chemical.

You have a point though...

 

[danreefman]

I just did a tank transfer all new water about 110 gallons with minimal live rock maybe 40-50 lbs compared to the 350 plus pounds I had in my 200. Started losing pieces pretty fast at first. Realized alot of stuff was bleaching. To me that usually means to much light with not enough food. So I started dumping oyster feast. Bleaching slowly stopped. Than I started with amino acids color started to come back fast and receding stopped. Nutrients got to high, coral colored and than started to go brown. For the last 2 weeks everything is living on meaty foods I feed the fish and aminos. Phosphate started at 35 on ULN phosphorus hana checker to 0 for past month. Couldn't get my other tank below 70 with ULN. I'd never dose phosphate. They like food and aminos better. This is over a two month period. Ended up only losing a few. My favorites of corse. Everything is back to normal now though.

Corals want food, and new tanks don't have it. I always use tons of snails to take care of the algae before it starts in a new tank. Especially when I feed the corals the way I do. Bacteria helps as well.

Just takes time to figure out every new system.

Just my experience.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I just did a tank transfer all new water about 110 gallons with minimal live rock maybe 40-50 lbs compared to the 350 plus pounds I had in my 200. Started losing pieces pretty fast at first. Realized alot of stuff was bleaching. To me that usually means to much light with not enough food. So I started dumping oyster feast. Bleaching slowly stopped. Than I started with amino acids color started to come back fast and receding stopped. Nutrients got to high, coral colored and than started to go brown. For the last 2 weeks everything is living on meaty foods I feed the fish and aminos. Phosphate started at 35 on ULN phosphorus hana checker to 0 for past month. Couldn't get my other tank below 70 with ULN. I'd never dose phosphate. They like food and aminos better. This is over a two month period. Ended up only losing a few. My favorites of corse. Everything is back to normal now though.

Corals want food, and new tanks don't have it. I always use tons of snails to take care of the algae before it starts in a new tank. Especially when I feed the corals the way I do. Bacteria helps as well.

Just takes time to figure out every new system.

Just my experience.

Thanks for chiming in. Things are finally settling now. Coraline is growing and what’s left of my corals are starting to grow. I will not be adding anything new for about 6 more months.

 

[SeaDweller]

I just did a tank transfer all new water about 110 gallons with minimal live rock maybe 40-50 lbs compared to the 350 plus pounds I had in my 200. Started losing pieces pretty fast at first. Realized alot of stuff was bleaching. To me that usually means to much light with not enough food. So I started dumping oyster feast. Bleaching slowly stopped. Than I started with amino acids color started to come back fast and receding stopped. Nutrients got to high, coral colored and than started to go brown. For the last 2 weeks everything is living on meaty foods I feed the fish and aminos. Phosphate started at 35 on ULN phosphorus hana checker to 0 for past month. Couldn't get my other tank below 70 with ULN. I'd never dose phosphate. They like food and aminos better. This is over a two month period. Ended up only losing a few. My favorites of corse. Everything is back to normal now though.

Corals want food, and new tanks don't have it. I always use tons of snails to take care of the algae before it starts in a new tank. Especially when I feed the corals the way I do. Bacteria helps as well.

Just takes time to figure out every new system.

Just my experience.

Bingo!

 

[jda]

I am sorry to hear this, but it is pretty common. It seems that no matter how careful you are and what lengths that you go through, colonies suffer with moves. Most people don't know this since most move frags and smaller stuff like baseball size, but it is really hard to move actual colonies.

I have let tanks establish for 18 months and move one coral a week and still stuff can STN a bit, or even loose large sections of tissue.

While everybody offers what happened to them, there is not much you can do so don't take it personally. Even the best have had this happen. About all that you can do is keep back some healthy, chunky frags in your old tank just in case.

 

[ccombs]

IMHO getting some bottled bacteria is one of the best things you can do when doing major changes like that in a tank/doing a transfer. I have personally used it to maintain stability when doing major changes and it is great because it is fairly inexpensive in relation to this very expensive hobby.