Unhappy Hellfire

[driciladr]

My hellfire torch which was originally one head in January 2024 is multiple heads now but no longer extends. It's been in the same spot and used to extend fully and wave all over but not anymore. See pics. He is still attached to his original clay base when I got him, maybe I should cut him loose from it.

It's the total opposite to my other LPS which are happy as hell.
My Duncan was three headed December 2023 is huge and like a zillion heads now, see pic, always open. Lives on bottom.
My Cristata was one head, may be five now, extends fully, see pic. Sits at same light level as the hell fire but on the far end of the flow.

Nitrates low and calcium a little high. Salinity is usually high because I buy my water changer water, I don't mix my own, using Nutri-sea. Auto top off water is R0. (all info below)

I also considered that the Hellfire no longer likes either the flow or the PAR but again I haven't changed those either. So, to test I did another AI prime setting, he HATED it closed up all day today, so I put my light back to how I normally have it and he came back out to his new normal. Settings in pics.

I thought it was the power head struggling maybe after being nearly two years old, so I took it off and removed any bubble algae, grape algae and scraped and soaked off the coralline algae two months back. (I do bubble algae and some brown on sand)

Tank Info.

I have a Waterbox 15 it's about two years running. I rarely add anything to it just clean and watch tiny things grow. I buy a frag or dying coral for cheap and watch them grow. Don't mind glass being covered, it's water change, scrape glass day. Parameters are always holding steady for the past year and a half. I dose with all for reef daily.

Tank has auto top off of RO, UV sterilizer, AI prime, uses filter fleece vs sock, has some carbon - change rarely, has grape algae for live plants in a few areas.

Filter changes weekly, water weekly or biweekly depending on my travel. (I do not change or rinse the center foam or any bag filter media) - ton of pest starfish, some spirorbid,

2 clowns, blue damsel, one goby, one pistol shrimp, two mini max, stupid waving hand taking over, some zoas, Candy Cane, Leather I grew from a dime size is huge, and my three main LPS with some other hitchhiker things like a tiny goni (he's growing slowly over last two years, was a tiny little dot originally), tiny monti, and mushrooms. And cleanup crew. All fish original to the tank from when I started it in 2023 except my original goby jumped out so I got a new one.

Side note, how do you kill off waving hand, cause OMG stop spreading, my clownfish are hosting it now. They are confused.

Reef

NH3/NH4

NO2

NO3

KH

Ideal

8.1-8.3

PPM X (.058) which is 5.8 based on PH and temp / 100

0​

0 to 10

1.023 - 1.026 SG / 32 - 35 ppt

380-450

8 to 12

Iodine/Iodide

76-80

1200-1400

<.003 SPS, <.005 Soft , LPS, Zoas

Date

Time

pH

Ammonia

Nitrite

Nitrate

Salinity

Calcium

Alkalinity

Iodine/Iodide

Temp

Magnesium

Phosphates

10/11/25​

3:53pm

Sal PH 8

Han .07 (.004 NH3)

Sal 0

Han 2.3

1.029​

Sal 470

Han 11.5

77.9​

Ha 1310

Han. 04

​

​

​

 

[mcarroll]

Double check your salinity – 1.029 is *extremely* high if it's true.

Also showing Ammonia – double check your reading there as well.

Make sure neither kit is expired, etc. If *both* readings are true then the salinity might be affecting your nitrifying bacteria already.

Any other explanation for the Ammonia?

 

[driciladr]

Double check your salinity – 1.029 is *extremely* high if it's true.

Also showing Ammonia – double check your reading there as well.

Make sure neither kit is expired, etc. If *both* readings are true then the salinity might be affecting your nitrifying bacteria already.

Any other explanation for the Ammonia?

Salinity is with a refractometer
I’ll use a buffer and reset it tomorrow
The water inbox from manufacturer- it says it’s 1.027 as their base point so it sits high but I’m due to change it and level off with RO tomorrow it’s the only way to lower it from box level

.004 is low NH3 - total Hannah result is .07 - it’s under .10 that’s not a general concern on ammonia for an established tank -

 

[mcarroll]

Salinity is with a refractometer
I’ll use a buffer and reset it tomorrow
The water inbox from manufacturer- it says it’s 1.027 as their base point so it sits high but I’m due to change it and level off with RO tomorrow it’s the only way to lower it from box level

.004 is low NH3 - total Hannah result is .07 - it’s under .10 that’s not a general concern on ammonia for an established tank -

It's probably not enough to harm anything, but I think you still should be seeing 0.0 ppm if your nitrifiers are established and undisturbed.

Just taking that as "proof" of the high-salinity....but that still needs confirming by your re-test.

Bacteria will kick back in shortly after you correct the salinity....if the turns out to be confirmed.

 

[driciladr]

I checked calibration it's dead on and used calibration liquid to confirm. Tank is actually more like 1.0285 and I then checked water right out of the box 1.028 dead on. So, it's high in the box. I've always used this water from day one, but I'll run it a week diluted with my RO and see how it does.

Ammonia has always been NH3 .002 - .004 every test for the past two years, the tank sits pretty consistent in all measurements. No added fish, I think I under feed a bit due to travel so the pest snails, spiroids etc. bloom and die in light intervals.

 

[driciladr]

With my water change I took the salinity to 1.027, waited 24 hours and did a bit more to 1.0255 ish. Going to stop there and retest in 24 hours. No one seems upset or anything, all eating, corals all open (except hellfire).

 

[driciladr]

UPDATE we've gone from unhappy to dying with the changes. All other coral are still happy, probably happier with the lower salinity still at 1.027. Any way to save hi

 

[BryanM]

UPDATE we've gone from unhappy to dying with the changes. All other coral are still happy, probably happier with the lower salinity still at 1.027. Any way to save hi

Prime for any sort of pest dip right now to try and save.... and while dipping inspect for flatworms or other issues.

People have had a lot of success stories with Joker Corals Coral Infection Eliminator, you might want to get some of this and keep it on hand for future emergencies.

 

[driciladr]

Prime for any sort of pest dip right now to try and save.... and while dipping inspect for flatworms or other issues.

People have had a lot of success stories with Joker Corals Coral Infection Eliminator, you might want to get some of this and keep it on hand for future emergencies.

Will do, I had flatworms a year ago and beat them with treatment, haven't had anything since but maybe they are hiding. Will dip and check and order the infection eliminator.

 

[driciladr]

Prime for any sort of pest dip right now to try and save.... and while dipping inspect for flatworms or other issues.

People have had a lot of success stories with Joker Corals Coral Infection Eliminator, you might want to get some of this and keep it on hand for future emergencies.

Dip done, only three hard things came off, all this black is actually just crust from lid of the dip I have, no flat worms. Ordered that Joker but also another Rx. There was one starfish on it and one bubble of bubble algae.

 

[driciladr]

Well did RX on the hellfire and did my duncan too because when changing the water he fell off his rock and I saw some what looked like BJD on my duncan (it was brown slimy and the heads didn't retract just stayed brown out of water) removed infected heads and he's fine now.

See no signs of BJD on the hellfire but heads keep dying. No pests, no damage...just dying.

Moved it way from rock it was on and did RX but no help. I will likely be gone by the end of the week. Everything else is good and Duncan seems fine now. My other torch appears okay and happy.