Author Topic: HELP!!!!! Dad's tank is slowly crashing! (Read 3624 times)

The WuSue · « **on:** February 22, 2012, 13:20:46 »

I don't know where else to go about this... My dad's tank is dying. He has a great set up and the parameters all look good and have for quite a while. He thinks that his corals are being choked out by red turf algae, I'm not sure. It started out as his zoas closing up and then the rest or the corals (mostly lps, softies, and a plating sps) all just started going downhill. We switched to brightwell which seemed to help temporarily and replaced the bulbs which did nothing. I don't know where else to look, I haven't seen any micro pests....

If anyone is going near or could make the trip to Springfield it would be much appreciated.

I'll swing by his house after work for pics....

Boonjob · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2012, 14:07:35 »

Bacterial infection?

The WuSue · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2012, 14:38:32 »

It could be, how would you check for that? We did a 50% water change then a series of three 20% changes each week and it acted like a bandaid....it would look better for a day or two and then decline again. Thought it might be phosphates and ran a pad, that did nothing....

It's been like this for months.

HUNGER · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2012, 14:45:14 »

Has he added anything or changed any thing what have all the test say if its algae then it will be the phos I would test with 2the differnt test kit to make sure

Neogenesis · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2012, 14:48:10 »

I would check for stray voltage. My sis had the same symptoms.....fish were dying, corals were dying, ended up with a dyno outbreak. In the end they found their grounding probe had broken and there was voltage in the tank, although it couldn't be felt while working in the tank.

Ashlar · « **Reply #5 on:** February 22, 2012, 14:53:16 »

Carbon, carbon, carbon..

Also, got any polypad on hand?

The WuSue · « **Reply #6 on:** February 22, 2012, 14:59:47 »

Used a salifert and another that I can't remember the name... Both showed no phos. The also checked with a multimeter for voltage. No dice.

He swears up and down that its an algae problem, but in my experience an algae problem is a symptom of another problem. His sump is stellar, and I'm out off ideas. It has to be something unseen or unknown, its a mystery....

The WuSue · « **Reply #7 on:** February 22, 2012, 15:00:20 »

And he runs ROX carbon.

Boonjob · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2012, 15:33:26 »

hmmm............

Is his ph swingin up and down? any changes around the tank on the outside?

Chem warfare coul dbe it, but the carbon should take care of that...

Pics may help identify if it's a bacterial infection...?

What kind of fish does he have?

Possible any of them have acquired a taste for some of his coral?

The WuSue · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2012, 17:06:30 »

Ph stays around 8.1-8.4.

I'll try to swing by tonight and get pics....

He has several fish, and I thought that was an issue at first... But watching the tank on several occasions for several hours (and cocktails) later there isn't a nipper in the tank.

The WuSue · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2012, 08:45:40 »

First time loading a video. My phone was not taking pics that accurately displayed the problem, but the video option looked pretty spot on.

The WuSue · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2012, 08:49:37 »

Sorry about it being such a long video. I just wanted to showcase the problem. Both of the frogspawn and Hammer corals are the size of basketballs when the polyps are out and now they are nearly toast. Similar with the the candy cane.

I wasn't aware that the audio was so loud... JK is my Dad's name.

Ashlar · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2012, 09:49:36 »

He's not using kent carbon, is he?

http://reefbuilders.com/2012/02/23/kent-marine-reef-carbon-recall/#ixzz1nD6bDMvThttp://reefbuilders.com/2012/02/23/kent-marine-reef-carbon-recall/

The WuSue · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2012, 11:57:27 »

Nope. It's ROX carbon from bulk reef supply.

It looks like he has an outbreak of cyano but its not on the corals, and wouldn't cause this type of decline....

lazylivin · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2012, 12:41:49 »

Feel free to bring water sample to the meeting for testing Saturday

Neogenesis · « **Reply #15 on:** February 23, 2012, 13:11:11 »

Did you check for voltage......it's presenting the exact same way my sisters tank did when they were leaking voltage into the tank.

The WuSue · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2012, 13:21:09 »

We'll do that! Go ahead and mark us down for 3 folks coming. He also wanted me to invite anyone over to his place to have a look at the system firsthand. (perhaps an after party)

Ashlar · « **Reply #17 on:** February 26, 2012, 16:27:59 »

If the filter socks were washed with soap (as indicated in the other thread).. you may have phosphates through the roof, too.

The WuSue · « **Reply #18 on:** February 26, 2012, 16:32:13 »

They never showed on any of the tests we ran....

Ashlar · « **Reply #19 on:** February 26, 2012, 16:45:35 »

Most test kits check for organophosphates, as that's what's most important to us. Many soaps have inorganic phosphates.

Polypad will adsorb both kinds.

The WuSue · « **Reply #20 on:** February 26, 2012, 18:51:12 »

Thanks for the heads up! We got a liquid bottle of slime remover from Marine Solutions that's battling the cyano. I'll tell Pop to get more pads as another failsafe.

kattz · « **Reply #21 on:** February 26, 2012, 22:47:21 »

Where's the tank? I might be able to swing by and see it. I'd also get rid of the arrow crab. As Travis Tritt once said, T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

The WuSue · « **Reply #22 on:** February 27, 2012, 08:22:38 »

Dad lives in Springfield and I'm in between there and Urbana near Terre Haute. We always keep a welcome sign up for friends if you are ever in the area... Don't have any arrow crabs, but there were a few emerald crabs that went rouge (if they start turning white get the trap ready).

micki · « **Reply #23 on:** February 27, 2012, 08:28:45 »

White emerald crabs? What does that mean?

The WuSue · « **Reply #24 on:** February 27, 2012, 08:35:32 »

They didn't have enough algae as food so they started eating polyps. We pulled the crab out of the tank and his shell was white as toilet paper. From what I gathered, if they don't have enough algae (which is what keeps their shell green) they become more opportunistic.

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Author Topic: HELP!!!!! Dad's tank is slowly crashing! (Read 3624 times)