30 years and about to give up.

[240gallons]

I was raised with SW and Reef aquaria. I've done everything from show SPS tanks to owning and operating wholesale coral shops. I have always been successful even when importing difficult to care for coral.

Over the years I've downgraded my home system. Career and kids have taken priority. I'm now having the toughest times in reefing! Just when I thought things were going to get simple, I'm more frustrated than ever.

Zoanthids have been mostly closed since January.

My tank is fairly basic.. 75 AGA. My current "bullet proof" setup.

Toadstools

Zoanthids

Torch

Chalice

small hippo tang

False clown

damsels

It appears to me there is some serious coral warfare going on. Corals open after water changes, then close up 3 to 4 days later.
I'm wet skimming and running a carbon reactor. Water parameters have been tested and retested. I have "perfect water" according to every LFS and my own testing. I dose 2 part as needed.



What corals could be causing issues? What can I pull out to see if things improve.
I've changed out EVERYTHING except for the coral. (Rock, pumps, lights, etc)
Something in this tank is ****ed off, what is it?

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[sde1500]

Can you post numbers? What are your actual test results? What lights do you use? That is a pretty big shadow down the center of your tank, what is causing that? Zoanthids on the left side look fine, the right ones look unhappy, have you tried moving them?

 

[crawlerman]

Looks like those palys are touching the toadstool, that could be causing the toadstool to respond with toxins. Leathers are known for that.

 

[homer1475]

Looks like those palys are touching the toadstool, that could be causing the toadstool to respond with toxins. Leathers are known for that.

Was just going to say this exact thing, but the OP is running carbon in a reactor so the toxins the leather is putting out should be soaked up by the carbon. Could still be the problem, cause I do see 2 in there.

 

[elegance coral]

can you post a pic of the filtration?

 

[240gallons]

Thank you all for your interest in my issue. Although the toadstools are NOT touching any of the Zoanthids, I can see where they Toadstool heads have receded in areas where the were millimeters from touching zoanthid colonies. This must be causing some stress and potential warfare.

Today I cut off all toadstoods and mounted them on rubble in this was causing an issue

Please see my thread from January. Parameters are the same
Temp 74
ph 8.3 - 8.2
KH 10-12
Cal 380-400
TDS 0 on top off
Dose BRS 2 part

Using Chinese LEDs. (about 50%) The shadow is not visible to the naked eye, but is caused by the cross bar on the tank and a fan. I place my low light corals there.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2661266

 

[240gallons]

Pics

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[ajoe]

WoW. 30 years in the hobby and still reaching out to learn. I tip my hat. When you say you have "downgraded your home system" exactly what did that entail? It would be helpful to know then and now. I think we can all learn something here.

 

[240gallons]

WoW. 30 years in the hobby and still reaching out to learn. I tip my hat. When you say you have "downgraded your home system" exactly what did that entail? It would be helpful to know then and now. I think we can all learn something here.

Here is a pic from 2008.

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[zachfishman]

I had a similar problem (corals slowly shrinking to nothing, no growth, briefly bouncing back after large water changes) and solved it by replacing my DIY plastic tub "food safe" sump with acrylic. The turnaround was immediate. I don't see any nameless plastics in your filtration picture, any hiding elsewhere?

An ICP test might be worthwhile to see if anything is releasing metals into your system.

I also had an old Koralia die recently - the shielding on the power cord wore away near where it attached to the pump. The tank was not happy with the stray current (and maybe some copper from the corroding lines). Worth checking.

 

[ajoe]

I had a similar problem (corals slowly shrinking to nothing, no growth, briefly bouncing back after large water changes) and solved it by replacing my DIY plastic tub "food safe" sump with acrylic. The turnaround was immediate. I don't see any nameless plastics in your filtration picture, any hiding elsewhere?

An ICP test might be worthwhile to see if anything is releasing metals into your system.

I also had an old Koralia die recently - the shielding on the power cord wore away near where it attached to the pump. The tank was not happy with the stray current (and maybe some copper from the corroding lines). Worth checking.

Excellent suggestions zackfishman. With such a drastic change (beautiful tank in 2008 by the way) I would have to think chemistry is the issue. ICP testing and if possible check for any current in the tank. Both great places to start.

 

[jestronix]

I had a similar problem (corals slowly shrinking to nothing, no growth, briefly bouncing back after large water changes) and solved it by replacing my DIY plastic tub "food safe" sump with acrylic. The turnaround was immediate. I don't see any nameless plastics in your filtration picture, any hiding elsewhere?

An ICP test might be worthwhile to see if anything is releasing metals into your system.

I also had an old Koralia die recently - the shielding on the power cord wore away near where it attached to the pump. The tank was not happy with the stray current (and maybe some copper from the corroding lines). Worth checking.

I had a koralia magnets rust away, they changed to cheaper magnets and I had a major issue like yours till I found the cause

 

[George_n_Joanne]

Don't give up. You will regret it.

 

[NeverlosT]

changing rock and other bits may be keeping you in a constant "new tank" state. I think things may need to settle in a bit more, change less and give more space between corals and let a month or two go by, and keep the lights turned pretty low (the LEDs are strong!).

Hopefully things turn around, good luck!!!

 

[Silly clownfish]

As for chemical warfare - leathers are know for releasing toxins when fragged. But the first thing I see as a threat in your tank is the torch. Euphyllia put out sweeper tentacles at night that can reach much further than what you see during the day and sting anything they can touch. I have definitely had problems with that. I use a rule of thumb that euphyllia needs to be at least 6” away from anything else I care about (it is allowed much closer to mushrooms). I sometimes position it so that my live rock is blocking it from reaching something else.

Kim

 

[Sk8r]

Even carbon can't stop fullblown chemical warfare:I had a leather that would turn purple and tick off absolutely everything. Everything would shut.

OTOH, if you think you might have a case of old-tank-syndrome, where old situations are just continuing to be a problem, and piling on, you might consider first a dose of Reeflux (I had NO dieoff from it except pest algae of various sorts including bryopsis) followed by four weeks of waiting, intense skimming and filter-socking, followed by one 30% water change, and the next week another 30%. It's really helped my tank get out of the doldrums.

 

[David MC Lee]

Look out for copper or brass getting into the tank. I spend a year once having to do water changes every two to three days. Turned out a new pump I was using had a brass seal that contains copper. Replaced the pump with different seals and the tank turned around in days.

 

[LPS_Blasto]

Look out for copper or brass getting into the tank. I spend a year once having to do water changes every two to three days. Turned out a new pump I was using had a brass seal that contains copper. Replaced the pump with different seals and the tank turned around in days.

WOW!! So sorry that happened to you. Water chages 2 or 3 times a week? I'd have thrown in the towel. Glad you got it fixed.

 

[laverda]

I really don’t think it is chemical warfare. Check all electrical equipment and magnets in the tank. I had a simaler problem for 6 months. One morning my ex tells me she saw a flash coming from the end of the tank. I imeadately removed my heater that was there. Turned out the seal on the heater failed. The inside of the heater came right out and was covered in black muck. The heater tub was filled with black stinky water. The heater had been sending electricity in to the tank every time it turned on( flash of light). My leathers started to look better the next day.
Another thing you might check is your water for chlorimines. Water districts change sources of water and how they treat it more often than you probably realize.
Good luck!

 

[240gallons]

As for chemical warfare - leathers are know for releasing toxins when fragged. But the first thing I see as a threat in your tank is the torch. Euphyllia put out sweeper tentacles at night that can reach much further than what you see during the day and sting anything they can touch. I have definitely had problems with that. I use a rule of thumb that euphyllia needs to be at least 6" away from anything else I care about (it is allowed much closer to mushrooms). I sometimes position it so that my live rock is blocking it from reaching something else.

Kim

Old thread but maybe it will help someone. It was the toadstool! Never thought a toad will create so much havoc. Thanks kim!

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