just a guess... But could it be related to light shock? either to much or to little & he is self adjusting?
Glenn, this just started in the last day or so though. I noticed yesterday that my salinity was down to about 1.021. I "accidently" brought it up too much over the course of the day to 1.025....that's .004 in like 16 hours. Maybe the drop started it, and the quick rise sped it up. If so, you think it will come out of it and stop? Should I be thinking of fragging and trying to save the good? I know Norman will kick in here sometime today and imagine he has a wealth of knowledge about it. Any help is appreciated. That is the only SPS in the tank. Oh, and there was a hermit crab on it for two days in a row. could it have stressed it?
How long has it been in that location in the tank???? Raising the salinity that much in 16 hrs is a big no no. Why did you do that? 1.021 well support most corals. I wouldn't go below 1.021 , but 1.021 well not kill them. If you are going to do SPS corals try to keep things steady, don't alter things overnite. I don't think it is RTN, as it well be gone in a day or 2, it most likely is STNing and you need to lower it down if you have it under MH lighting and keep an eye on it and if it doesn't stop you well need to frag it, BUT don't just do that until you observe it for a few days.
Well John, I had a momentary case of stupidity and didn't realize how much salt I added. Trust me it wasn't on purpose. I know it's best to do no more than .001 per day. It is under halides and it has been in that spot since the february meeting, so about 2 and a half weeks. I actually noticed a little spot several days ago but really didn't think a lot about it. It has progressed over the last 2 days. I figured if it was RTN it would have already obliterated a 2 inch frag. I will move it to the bottom of the tank, less light and flow. I did check my params today and they were good. Around 500ppm calcium, 1500ppm mag, alk was about 8.2, no nitrates or amonia. Another think I noticed was I think my little one may have turned the heater up without me knowing she had been around the sump. I had it unplugged for a about 3 hours messing with my skimmer and when I turned it back on tank temp was 79.2 and I had to turn the heater down about 1/4 turn (app 5 degrees I think). So it is possible with the halides going and all the temp could have gotten up to mid 80's without me realizing it sometime in the last few days. I just check temp periodically. When I get my 150 it's gonna be on a dual controller with heaters and chiller. but right now I'm doing a lot of things the poor boy way.
Jason You laid alot of issues on with that response. It is almost impossible to determine what caused the STNing. Big temp swing, and not being sure of how much, big salinity swing, and when these things happen other things happen with bacteria and other water parims, as most always one swing well effect other things as we are dealing with not only that coral as a living animal, but the whole system is a living animal, so when you cahnge the enviroment, more then just that coral is effected. Just an observation and don't take this the wrong way, okay??? One reason SPS corals get maybe more of the glory is that they are harder to keep as a whole then the others. BY THAT I mean you have to keep things VERY stable and to be honest a monti is some of the more forgiving of the SPS. Hydnophoras and most acros won't take any miss steps. My suggestion is to watch it and if it continues to receed over the next couple days, take some side cutters and snip off the good and glue it to a rock or frag disk, and say a prayer.
John, will do. Never had a screw up this big so far, but I would venture to say everyone has at one time or another especially starting out. Just a learning experience. I have temp good, my other params are good and hopefully everything will come around. All my LPS and softies are doing great thank God. I plan on having a little more automation on the new system as well as a chiller. I do test weekly but would like to have pinpoints I can just click on once or twice a day to make sure. The new big system will be pretty well kid proof. Enclosed in a wall so no sticking stuff in the tank, and all the equipment will be in the sump room I'm fixing to build in the garage.....WITH LOCKED DOORS. I learned a lesson and my tank will be better in the long run for it. I am usually super careful.....heck, I drip top off water so as to not have a fast salinity swing. I just didn't pay attention to what I was doing when I brought the salinity up, but like I said it was started before that. I will just pay more attention in the future, I know I'll still lose something from time to time....everyone does.
It seems to me there were a number of things that could have contributed to the tissue loss. It's hard to say just what the cause would be. First I would lower it in the tank away from the direct light of the MH. If it continues I would cut off the good parts and let them start over. Sometimes things happen in my tanks that I can't explain. One day a coral will be perfectly healthy with several of the same frag right beside each other and one will suddenly RTN or just look bleached out. Maybe warfare between corals, chemicals from another coral, I can't always find a reason. As far as the crab on the frag, it's probably cleaning off the dead and dying tissue. Thats how I sometimes notice something wrong with a coral. When you have a few hundred corals it's sometimes hard to watch them all daily. Like I always say, get your system and stick with it. Try to keep it as regulated as you can and you will have success. As far as your calcium level being 500, I think that's pretty high. Why so high? What do you have in the system that is a drain on calcium? If you have a very well stocked SPS tank with numerous clams I would worry about calcium levels. With regular water changes and the amount of livestock you have I see no reason for dosing anything. Try just leaving it alone for a while and let it get some age on it and stabilize on it's on. Remember every change you make effects the whole system.
Norman, Glad to know even the seasoned vets have mysterious problems. I actually don't dose any calcium. I don't know why it's so high. The only thing I supplement is kent reef essentials. Half a dose, once a week or so. I don't put anything in the tank. Stoopid question but could the new rock have raised the calc a up some? I know it's primarily calcium based right? I'm trying not to get discouraged on SPS....I would really like the top portion of the 150 filled with nice monti, milli, and acro. I can't let one backslide keep me from moving forward. I don't want a tank full from the middle down and just blah up top.
The first thing you need to do is slow down. If you want corals, especially harder to grow SPS, you have to get some age on the tank. It's hard to tell someone how to start populating a tank, but do some research on everything you want to add to the system. Starting all new like you did I wouldn't start putting corals in for several months. By that I mean harder SPS. It's ok to start with some softies and zoos, and maybe a monti or two, but you don't want to waste the life, or dollars on the expensive stuff (corals and fish). Some members of the club can tell you the results of trying that. Be patient and surf, try to learn as much as you can while your system is aging. Remember you want this system for the long haul.
I'm an impatient person but I am actually doing really well. I don't plan on putting much of anything else in this tank. When I get the 150 in, up and cycled I'm gonna slowly add some softies and some LPS. a fish here and there, every 3 or 4 months maybe. Not even thinking of putting any SPS in it till it's at least a year old.....then it's gonna be slow going. Like you said, I want it for the long haul and I know most tank likes yours and Johns have been running for years. I know trying to build a show tank over night is a recipe for disaster. I really shouldn't have put the monti in this one, I went against my better judgement. Everything else in the tank is softies and LPS....7 corals all together....they are thriving....you should see my acans, they are growing like crazy. I believe everyone is right in saying my tank was not ready and stable enough for SPS yet. And please remember I don't get mad at constructive criticism. You guys are only trying to help and I'd be a fool to get upset when someone offers help. NEVER feel bad about voicing your opinion on something I've done that I shouldn't have. I take all you guys advice very seriously. Thank you all for being so supportive and helpful.
What brand of salt are you using??? Some are high in certain elements out of the box. Calcium at 500 is alittle high, but 1500 mag is what I would be concerned with. As for the STNing, if it started before the spike in salinity, I would probably say it was the high temp swing. Temps much above 86 well cause alot of SPS to STN. Some well say that in the wild that happens with nothing happening. The corals that it happens to in the wild are usally in an enviroment that they have adjusted to it happening. In our tanks or even in the wild if things are steady and then all of a sudden a big change takes place, they can't handle it, kinda like one of us going to Mexico and drinking the water, our systems can't handle it, but the locals have no problems. And yes you are right, it has happened to all of us, but you wanted some idea as to why this happened and between the two, I would have to say the temp probably was the culprit, but that is just a guess. Remember automation does not take the place of regular oversight and good husbandry, I personally don't automate much at all, as I like the fact that I need to check things regularly. I have had alot of friends loose whole tanks because of relying on automation and a part of it quit working at the wrong time and they didn't catch it for a few days because they weren't in the habit of doing daily checks. I check things like temp when I walk by my tank several times a day just for one.
Next time you mix a batch, check the calc., alk., mag. and see waht they are. let it mix for 24 hrs first.
Get it steady! Most of all IF IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT!!! Congrats on the new tank and remeber dont rush.
Well after I got my head out of my butt and got my params stable my monti is doing well. The STN stopped and it is growing new again. The tips are purple/white with new polyps starting. Even the piece I fragged off in my attempt to save some of it is growing. New polyps have also covered where I broke the frag off on the original piece. Now I keep a close daily eye on things and never ever ever raise or lower anything quickly....always at a snails pace. Just a little speed bump on the road to success. I think I'm gonna try my hand at another piece of monti, some of the easier and hardier varieties. Thanks for all the help with it guys, and I learned a valuable lesson. Always do things VERY slow and keep a close watch on things.
