Snails and urchin dying off, sps turning black

JenkinsThePole · 02/12/2018, 09:26 AM

For the past few weeks I've had a bacterial bloom in my tank. As of the past week and a half my tuxedo urchin (rip) and all but one of my astrea snails have died off(about 10 deaths total). Also, my cyphastrea seems to have the outer polyps turning black. I really don't know whats causing this and any input would be helpful. I do plan on putting a sump on the tank soon but I don't know if I should if everything is just going to die off.
My parameters are:
Nitrate- 0
Phosphate- 0
Alk- 8.9
Ca-550
Salinity- 1.026
Temp-78
pH- meter came broken :/ (ordering a new one soon)

The tank is a 40b and it is about 5 months old and has only had livestock for about 3 and a half months. I use RODI water and Reef Crystals. It's been about a solid month of tank decline for me and I cant figure out why. I assume it was the snails I got a month and a half ago.
I've attached a few pictures of the cyphastrea and of my other coral.And I apologize I can't get the orientation correct.

jayball · 02/12/2018, 10:16 AM

What do you use for filtration?
Are you dosing anything chems, supplements?
Also do your rocks still look bleach white like the pictures with the cyphastrea?
Is the water cloudy or is the bloom only on rocks, are there oxygen bubbles in the mat (dinoflagellates)?

There is still quite a bit of maturing your tank needs to go through, have you had the normal cyano, hair algae, and diatom blooms?

JenkinsThePole · 02/12/2018, 10:38 AM

Filtration is a aquaclear 70 with a surface skimmer that has BRS carbon and polyfilter in it. I am not dosing anything. The rock with the cyphastrea is only white because I added it a few weeks ago so the . coral wouldnt be on the sandbed. There is oxygen in the mats and the whole tank is cloudy. It started with diatoms about two months ago now I believe its cyano and there hasnt been any hair algae yet. Thanks for your reply

mcgyvr · 02/12/2018, 11:26 AM

I see hair algae all over that rock with the zoas on it...

Unless reef crystals changed something lately your alk is too low for that..
It should be alk of 14dKH and cal of 490 at 35ppt
Have you tested a fresh batch of saltwater to see what its parameters are?

Do you have any powerheads in the tank?

What do you mean "oxygen in the mats" ??
Can you give a full tank shot please too?

rvareef · 02/12/2018, 11:38 AM

need a full tank shot but looks like your tank is too new/started with too much dry rock

mcgyvr · 02/12/2018, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvareef

with too much dry rock

Thats really not a problem..
A tank that hasn't fully cycled or has a low bacterial population is but "too much dry rock" is just not a problem as dry rock quickly becomes "live rock" and it will quickly become populated with bacteria.. That process happens in as little as a few weeks on its own..

At 5 months the cycle is long over and unless they used some product that devastated their bacterial population the "dry rock" is now "live"

JenkinsThePole · 02/12/2018, 12:06 PM

Mcgyvr, I believe you are right I think I've just got the algae mixed up from browsing too many threads. I have not tested a fresh batch of salt but my tank has always had about those test results. I do have two power heads one is a Jebao pp4 and a hydor koralia 425. By oxygen I meant little bubble stuck in the mat. As for starting with too much live rock I started with 40 pounds of the carib sea south sea base rock. Which sat for about three months with a peer head in a brute. I've never heard of starting with too much rock. Is there any specific problem with that? I'll get a full tank shot when I get home the I can't seem to upload the only one that I have.

mcgyvr · 02/12/2018, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JenkinsThePole

I've never heard of starting with too much rock. Is there any specific problem with that?

Not at all.. (except that it can get to a point where proper water flow is hindered but this is not that by any means)..
Not sure what the heck they are talking about in this thread or another one too.. Just pulling stuff right out their.. um.. yeah..

JenkinsThePole · 02/12/2018, 09:08 PM

Here is some pictures of the tank. And if anyone knows how to get the pictures to orient correctly i'd be happy to know so I dont cause neck injury. Would it beneficial to dip the cyphastrea just incase something was introduced? it hasnt opened in a few days and im really starting to get worried about it.

JenkinsThePole · 02/14/2018, 12:03 PM

Anyone have any ideas? I'm getting concerned about the cyphastrea.

OldReefGuy · 02/14/2018, 02:13 PM

as far as the algea, whats your lights and schedule?

Anemone · 02/14/2018, 02:30 PM

LIghts are my question as well. After 5 months, your tank should have some coralline algae, and I'm not seeing any.

Did you remove the snails after they died? Nine snails and a tuxedo urchin dying can add a lot of organics to the tank (supporting the bacterial bloom).

Kevin

Bent · 02/14/2018, 02:58 PM

I don’t care what that water testing says.

Nitrates and phosphates are not “0”. Not with that algae.

OldReefGuy · 02/14/2018, 03:04 PM

^agree with that also

HBtank · 02/14/2018, 03:54 PM

What kind of RO/DI, and are you confident that the filters are not spent? Do you have bad tap water?

JenkinsThePole · 02/14/2018, 04:31 PM

My light schedule is 12 hours of the blue channel (running at about 20%) and 10 hours of the white(also at 20%). It's a black box mars hydro. As for my filters I replace the poly filter about every 2-3 weeks and the carbon about every month. I rinse out the sponge part about once a month with a bucket of tank water. The tank actually seems clearer today. There is coralline its just hidden because of the algae there isnt an insane amount but if I hit the algae with a turkey baster it goes translucent/whiteish and I can see it. I use the salifert test kits to get my results although I am skeptical about the phosphate test as I have never had the phosphate even register. My RO/DI unit is a BRS 5 stage 75 GPD and I have always got 0ppm on the tds meter. And yes the tap water in these parts is horrid, it smells like the chemical store room of a water park when it comes out of the tap. Thanks for all the help so far.

HBtank · 02/14/2018, 05:36 PM

Do you have chloramine rated carbon blocks on your RO/DI, and/or are you aware of or have tested for chloramine in your tap water? Is your DI resin "color changing" and look good?

ClownNut · 02/14/2018, 05:56 PM

try to add some water flow to the tank.

Bent · 02/14/2018, 05:58 PM

I bet it’s high nitrates plain and simple.

Haunt · 02/14/2018, 06:09 PM

Necrosis? This "black death" does spread... (hopefully not) GL.

JenkinsThePole · 02/14/2018, 06:23 PM

Just tested the nitrates and they're hanging between .2 and .5ppm according to my kit. My DI resin is color changing and it looks fine. My city doesn't add cholramine to the water but my carbon blocks could take out most of it even if it did according to the BRS website. I will up the flow a bit to see if that helps.

JenkinsThePole · 02/16/2018, 04:13 PM

I think I figured out some of the problem. I tested a batch of fresh saltwater and got Ca-560 and KH- 10. I feel like somethings not right lol.

HBtank · 02/16/2018, 04:17 PM

Refrac calibrated? High parameters in fresh salt can be from that.

Edit: Actually you use Reef Crystals, those numbers seem OK for it. High CA and KH are expected with RC, the CA is a bit higher and KH lower than typical, but it can vary with mixes and tests.

JenkinsThePole · 02/16/2018, 08:37 PM

I recalibrate it every few uses so I think thats good. Could high calcium cause my cyphastrea to stress a bit? and is there any good way to bring it down?

02/12/2018, 11:26 AM	#4
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	I see hair algae all over that rock with the zoas on it... Unless reef crystals changed something lately your alk is too low for that.. It should be alk of 14dKH and cal of 490 at 35ppt Have you tested a fresh batch of saltwater to see what its parameters are? Do you have any powerheads in the tank? What do you mean "oxygen in the mats" ?? Can you give a full tank shot please too? __________________ Who me?

02/14/2018, 02:30 PM	#12
Anemone Cloning Around Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Valencia, California Posts: 25,267	LIghts are my question as well. After 5 months, your tank should have some coralline algae, and I'm not seeing any. Did you remove the snails after they died? Nine snails and a tuxedo urchin dying can add a lot of organics to the tank (supporting the bacterial bloom). Kevin __________________ Back in the pool, swimming with the sharks... Current Tank Info: Red Sea 425XL w/Kessil AP700, Vertex 180i Skimmer, 2 x Vortech MP40s

02/14/2018, 02:58 PM	#13
Bent I got nothin' Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The anals Posts: 6,420	I don’t care what that water testing says. Nitrates and phosphates are not “0”. Not with that algae. __________________ Quitters never lose. [QUOTE=CStrickland]Who gets mad at a starfish?[/QUOTE] Current Tank Info: 75g DT, 30G refugium, 10g chaeto tank, 50g stock tank basement sump

02/14/2018, 03:54 PM	#15
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	What kind of RO/DI, and are you confident that the filters are not spent? Do you have bad tap water? __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

02/14/2018, 05:36 PM	#17
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	Do you have chloramine rated carbon blocks on your RO/DI, and/or are you aware of or have tested for chloramine in your tap water? Is your DI resin "color changing" and look good? __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

02/12/2018, 10:16 AM	#2
jayball Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,671	What do you use for filtration? Are you dosing anything chems, supplements? Also do your rocks still look bleach white like the pictures with the cyphastrea? Is the water cloudy or is the bloom only on rocks, are there oxygen bubbles in the mat (dinoflagellates)? There is still quite a bit of maturing your tank needs to go through, have you had the normal cyano, hair algae, and diatom blooms?

02/12/2018, 10:38 AM	#3
JenkinsThePole Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 43	Filtration is a aquaclear 70 with a surface skimmer that has BRS carbon and polyfilter in it. I am not dosing anything. The rock with the cyphastrea is only white because I added it a few weeks ago so the . coral wouldnt be on the sandbed. There is oxygen in the mats and the whole tank is cloudy. It started with diatoms about two months ago now I believe its cyano and there hasnt been any hair algae yet. Thanks for your reply

02/12/2018, 11:38 AM	#5
rvareef In Memoriam Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 664	need a full tank shot but looks like your tank is too new/started with too much dry rock

02/12/2018, 12:06 PM	#7
JenkinsThePole Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 43	Mcgyvr, I believe you are right I think I've just got the algae mixed up from browsing too many threads. I have not tested a fresh batch of salt but my tank has always had about those test results. I do have two power heads one is a Jebao pp4 and a hydor koralia 425. By oxygen I meant little bubble stuck in the mat. As for starting with too much live rock I started with 40 pounds of the carib sea south sea base rock. Which sat for about three months with a peer head in a brute. I've never heard of starting with too much rock. Is there any specific problem with that? I'll get a full tank shot when I get home the I can't seem to upload the only one that I have.

02/14/2018, 12:03 PM	#10
JenkinsThePole Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 43	Anyone have any ideas? I'm getting concerned about the cyphastrea.

02/14/2018, 02:13 PM	#11
OldReefGuy Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 542	as far as the algea, whats your lights and schedule?

02/14/2018, 03:04 PM	#14
OldReefGuy Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 542	^agree with that also

02/14/2018, 04:31 PM	#16
JenkinsThePole Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 43	My light schedule is 12 hours of the blue channel (running at about 20%) and 10 hours of the white(also at 20%). It's a black box mars hydro. As for my filters I replace the poly filter about every 2-3 weeks and the carbon about every month. I rinse out the sponge part about once a month with a bucket of tank water. The tank actually seems clearer today. There is coralline its just hidden because of the algae there isnt an insane amount but if I hit the algae with a turkey baster it goes translucent/whiteish and I can see it. I use the salifert test kits to get my results although I am skeptical about the phosphate test as I have never had the phosphate even register. My RO/DI unit is a BRS 5 stage 75 GPD and I have always got 0ppm on the tds meter. And yes the tap water in these parts is horrid, it smells like the chemical store room of a water park when it comes out of the tap. Thanks for all the help so far.

02/14/2018, 05:56 PM	#18
ClownNut Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,859	try to add some water flow to the tank. __________________ Dont let me know where u lived if u have a nice pair of clownfish in ur tank!^_^ Clown kidnaper^_^ Current Tank Info: 300DD, SM200/RD3,ATI 60-8X80+4X75, 2 Sea Sweep & 4X6105 & 6208

02/14/2018, 05:58 PM	#19
Bent I got nothin' Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The anals Posts: 6,420	I bet it’s high nitrates plain and simple. __________________ Quitters never lose. [QUOTE=CStrickland]Who gets mad at a starfish?[/QUOTE] Current Tank Info: 75g DT, 30G refugium, 10g chaeto tank, 50g stock tank basement sump

02/14/2018, 06:09 PM	#20
Haunt Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 109	Necrosis? This "black death" does spread... (hopefully not) GL. __________________ "Your off the edge of the map mate. Here there be monsters..." Last edited by Haunt; 02/14/2018 at 06:22 PM.

02/14/2018, 06:23 PM	#21
JenkinsThePole Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 43	Just tested the nitrates and they're hanging between .2 and .5ppm according to my kit. My DI resin is color changing and it looks fine. My city doesn't add cholramine to the water but my carbon blocks could take out most of it even if it did according to the BRS website. I will up the flow a bit to see if that helps.

02/16/2018, 04:13 PM	#22
JenkinsThePole Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 43	I think I figured out some of the problem. I tested a batch of fresh saltwater and got Ca-560 and KH- 10. I feel like somethings not right lol.

02/16/2018, 04:17 PM	#23
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	Refrac calibrated? High parameters in fresh salt can be from that. Edit: Actually you use Reef Crystals, those numbers seem OK for it. High CA and KH are expected with RC, the CA is a bit higher and KH lower than typical, but it can vary with mixes and tests. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA Last edited by HBtank; 02/16/2018 at 04:26 PM.

02/16/2018, 08:37 PM	#24
JenkinsThePole Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 43	I recalibrate it every few uses so I think thats good. Could high calcium cause my cyphastrea to stress a bit? and is there any good way to bring it down?