Water changes.. I know not again?!

[p1u5h13r4m24]

So I’m a pro waterchange guy I try to stick with 10% a week for my schedule. I know everyone has their own theories or what works best from them and this is just what works for me.

However, recently I plumbed a 60gallon frag tank to my 120g system. To my surprise I still got the dinos and cyano outbreaks despite keeping elevated nutrients. I did my normal 10% water changes, but corals started dying. I doubled down on water changes and sent in an ICP. Things got worse when I ramped up water changes. ICP came back perfect… I stopped water changes for 2 weeks and the tank balanced and started thriving again.

So my conclusion is I believe that the initial addition of the frag tank diluted something the corals needed biologically. Continuing water changes just kept lowering whatever it is that was needed. Yes I know balance was disrupted and corals take time to show signs of stress and all things considered this is my conclusion.

I’m writing this because no matter how much I researched about too much waterchanges the answer tends to be it’s not possible to do too much wc; so long as nutrients are present.

Now I feel lrs frozen food daily which was never enough to maintain elevated nutrients so I dose ammonium bicarbonate and trisodium phosphate. Is it possible my tank was lacking on aminos and lipids? Or is there something else I’m missing.

Thanks!!

 

[JTP424]

I'd be curious about your before/after parameters.
Are the corals dying in your frag add on? Or the main system? Or both!??!!

 

[Johnd651]

That is a very interesting reaction, since a lot of times you see 50% WC as an answer when a tank is crashing to help try and bring it back.

 

[allof fish]

How old is tank. I also am curious what your nutrients were before and after a big sudden change would be a problem and could be the reason. If nitrates drop big time could be a reason but you wouldn’t always think that since water changes so the same. What about other parameters?

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I'd be curious about your before/after parameters.
Are the corals dying in your frag add on? Or the main system? Or both!??!!

Hey! They were plumbed together :so they were dying in both tanks. Before parameters were perfect. Sps dominate system.

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

How old is tank. I also am curious what your nutrients were before and after a big sudden change would be a problem and could be the reason. If nitrates drop big time could be a reason but you wouldn’t always think that since water changes so the same. What about other parameters?

This system was 3 years old before th addition of the frag tank. Nutrients were 10n and about .15-.2 phos

 

[Aquadude1]

I have run into very similar circumstances with Dinos and I can't figure out what is the water changes actually depleting or adding to encourage dinos.

Have you started your 10 percent weekly water change back?

 

[allof fish]

Also could be something bacterial which will cause a rapid deterioration in some coral. BJD and things of that nature. Did any of the sps bleach out or anything

 

[allof fish]

This system was 3 years old before th addition of the frag tank. Nutrients were 10n and about .15-.2 phos

Do you know what they were after don’t see any issues with that maybe a little high phosphate but tends who you ask so should be good

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I have run into very similar circumstances with Dinos and I can't figure out what is the water changes actually depleting or adding to encourage dinos.

Have you started your 10 percent weekly water change back?

Not yet, but I think I’m going to either do biweekly 10% or weekly 5%

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Also could be something bacterial which will cause a rapid deterioration in some coral. BJD and things of that nature. Did any of the sps bleach out or anything

I thought that as well as sps didn’t lose color it was more retracted polyps than rtn. However the issue affected everything including mushrooms and LPS. I’m religiously checking my nutrients dail. I do have to up my dosing by quite a bit so that could have contributed to the cause. I chalked it up as algaes that took hold of the new surface area were competing for nutrients with the corals until I got some bacteria and coraline on the new acrylic racks. There was no nutrient swing I maintained them the whole time

 

[Aquadude1]

Was it dry rock in the new tank or dry sand? Also what where both if you dont mind me asking.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Water changes in a dino outbreak are frequently known to make problems worse.

There are two reasonable theories why. One is that it further lowers nutrients, but I think the more likely one is that it supplies one or more trace elements that the dinos are using up.

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I thought that as well as sps didn’t lose color it was more retracted polyps than rtn. However the issue affected everything including mushrooms and LPS. I’m religiously checking my nutrients dail. I do have to up my dosing by quite a bit so that could have contributed to the cause. I chalked it up as algaes that took hold of the new surface area were competing for nutrients with the corals until I got some bacteria and coraline on the new acrylic racks. There was no nutrient swing I maintained them the whole time

Also DOC is thought to contribute to bacterial infections and I would imagine with my wc history and the addition of the new tank DOC was very low

 

[jordanart225]

I plumbed three frag tanks into my 200 gallon main display amd had the same problem. It takes time for bacteria to mature on a new surface. I just bought a bunch of turbo snail to clean everything. But go on facebook and look into macks reef dino support group that helped me with dinos. And make sure your phosphate doesn't bottom out that can cause dinos. Water changes could of deplete them.

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Water changes in a dino outbreak are frequently known to make problems worse.

There are two reasonable theories why. One is that it further lowers nutrients, but I think the more likely one is that it supplies one or more trace elements that the dinos are using up.

I do know this and I handled the dinos quite well. It only lasted about 2 weeks I stubbed it with some uv. The deaths came about a month later while dealing with the cyano stage

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I just want to be clear I am not having any current issues the tank is back to thriving. I’m really just looking at some insight as to what could have been depleted. Again I also dose AFR and ICP came back perfect I don’t believe this was a nutrient or element issue

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Was it dry rock in the new tank or dry sand? Also what where both if you dont mind me asking.

I didn’t add any rock or sand to the new system since it was plumbed to my already established system. So you could say it was pre planted with live sand and rock, however as with any new tank and frack racks they are bare and it does take time for bacteria to cover surfaces

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I do know this and I handled the dinos quite well. It only lasted about 2 weeks I stubbed it with some uv. The deaths came about a month later while dealing with the cyano stage

But it was some nasty dinos and I do know they release a toxin, but again the issues came a month later. I’ve been reefing for a long time and I really feel the issue was from a depletion due to the water being too clean

 

[dvgyfresh]

Welcome to the no water change side. lol I’m jk but this same thing happened to me - water change caused me so many issues