ReefSafari Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 So I knew something was off in my new tank, and I just got new test kits to test everything, here is what I found out tonight, and I have plans to go to one of the shops to retest everything to make sure my tests where right....but anyway here is what I found... P.H.- 8.4 Salinity- 1.025 Calcium- 460 Alk- 9 Magnesium- between 1470-1500:eek:(scary) I am using Reef Crystals and when searching the reviews prior to going with Reef Crystals I had seen some threads and comments being made about how Reef Crystals had bad batches of salt but had supposibly fixed the problem, The issue was very high Magnesium, and sure enough this is the issue I am having. I purchased the salt at one of the local shops and my guess is that Reef Crystals never "Recalled" any of the salt, and that this shop had some of the "bad batch" of salt... My question is how do you lower the Magnesium levels? The other question I had was, I couldn't find any information on what happens to corals when the magnesium is super high? When setting up my tank I had some corals that where pretty tough and had been with me through several new tanks and never really where phased, but once in this tank they perished, like in a matter of days I had mass losses, thats why I got all the new test kits. Would super high magnesium cause corals to die? I won't be adding any corals for a while to the tank, and it seemed to only effect the SPS, the LPS seem a little pissed but ok and the softies seem fine....I knew something wasn't right, but can having to high a magnesium cause SPS to die? and How does one lower Magnesium levels? I won't be using the bucket of Reef Crystals salt that I got, and will be going back to plain ol Instant Ocean for the water changes, is that a bad idea? I need to figure out a way to balance out my tank chemistry wise.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefnjunkie Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 1470-1500 is nothing to worry about-I shoot for those levels myself- SPS are sensitive to swings in general-more KH than anything else-So if you have been swinging through different params I would suspect that to be the issue-again those mag levels are fine. Mag will be absorbed and the only way to lower it will be through "waiting" or water changes that have lower levels of mag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted December 29, 2010 Author Share Posted December 29, 2010 1470-1500 is nothing to worry about-I shoot for those levels myself- Really? So Magnesium this high would not harm the SPS? Would the shock of putting corals that are used to lower magnesium levels into a system that has high magnesium levels kill them? Or was my original fear that I killed them putting them into a new tank probably what did them in?DOH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefnjunkie Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 Really? So Magnesium this high would not harm the SPS? Would the shock of putting corals that are used to lower magnesium levels into a system that has high magnesium levels kill them? Or was my original fear that I killed them putting them into a new tank probably what did them in?DOH! Probablly the later-I know you can bump your Mg a maxium of 100ppm in a 24 hour period, this is the high end of the scale so depending what mag the SPS came from and how they were acclimated could have played a role or a combo of "many factors" new tank, higher Mg etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold B Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 Thats exactly where I keep my Mg, it has helped ward of some bryopsis I had on a few rocks. I make sure not to exceed 1500 though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewisriverfisherman Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 I dont see anything wrong with those parameters at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted December 29, 2010 Author Share Posted December 29, 2010 I dont see anything wrong with those parameters at all. Oh man...you guys are killing me.....Give me something to blame it on other than my own stupidity.....PLEASE!!!!....lol(laugh) So basically I killed my corals by rushing things...bummerDOH! I set the tank up, used RODI and Reef Crystals moved some of the established rock from the previous tank into the new tank with the rest of the Marco Rock and setup the refugium with some live sand and sand from the previous tank moved the fish, fired up the protien skimmer, got the tank running, (And this is where I went wrong) and moved my corals into the new tank.. Within 24 hours most of the SPS looked faded, within 2 days they started dying, and by day 5 everything was totally completely white and dead, I was sure there was something wrong with the salt and my water chemistry was out of wack, The only SPS that is still kicking is the birdsnests of all things, but they look pissed... This was a beautiful green millepora(sad) It went from beautiful green with great polyp extension to this within a matter of days....breaks my heart... I was hoping that by adding established live rock and sand from the previous tank that it would help the process, I honestly never thought I would loose all my SPS in such short time like that. I am all freaked out now and not sure what to do, I have never witnessed corals die so fast, and I have moved a few of them around to different tanks over the last year, with no ill effect, I am trying to narrow down the possible reasons, trying to figure out what I did wrong....I used RODI water for the first time, but that shouldn't have done any harm right? I used Reef Crystals instead of Instant Ocean....(sad) I guess the tank is too new, I should have maybe put more live rock and less Marco Rock and waited to move the corals in to the new tank....It was just shocking to see all the SPS bleach out and die like that, the Monti Caps, the Digitata, the Milleporas...Gone(sad) How do I know when to try SPS again? I have been testing the regular, P.h., Ammo, NO3, NO4 and the only think I have noticed is just a very slight Ammo, but everything else is fine, tonight I got the test kits to test for Phosphate, Calcium, Magnesium, and Alk and those seem fine as well....(scratch) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted December 29, 2010 Author Share Posted December 29, 2010 Is it normal when you "F" up for SPS to bleach and die that quickly? I mean within 48 hours they where STARK white and DEAD!! I have never seen corals die so fast...has anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgf86123 Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 Movin too fast, trust me man, we've all done it lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgf86123 Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 It's called RTN David, an it moves very very fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted December 29, 2010 Author Share Posted December 29, 2010 Movin too fast' date=' trust me man, we've all done it lol[/quote'] On all the previous tanks we have set up we have used established live rock, but this time I used Marco Rock with some live to help "seed" the Marco Rock, but I guess I was a little caulky in thinking it would be good to go that quickly....I guess I am just stunned at how great the SPS where doing one day and how completely dead they where the next:eek:.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgf86123 Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 RTN means rapid tissue necrosis, an it can happen in a matter of hours... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgf86123 Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 I have vowed that we are going to take our time on the next system no matter what, nothing gets set up until everything is bought, and no corals or fish get bought til we are completely sure that everything is running smoothly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubberduck9 Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 my guess The problom with macro rock is it leaches phosphates, so can the new sand if it hasnt been cleaned well enough. Have you checked your phosphates? That is going to be my guess. To many disolved solids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted December 29, 2010 Author Share Posted December 29, 2010 The problom with macro rock is it leaches phosphates' date=' so can the new sand if it hasnt been cleaned well enough. Have you checked your phosphates? That is going to be my guess. To many disolved solids.[/quote'] I tested the phosphates and nitrates tonight as well and they both where undetectable, but of course I don't have super fancy test equipment, that is why I am taking in a sample to one of the shops. The next "toy" I am getting is a reactor to run some Carbon and Phophate Remover.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdadof2 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I have had my Mg levels up around 1800 and things survived. I will never buy salt in a bucket again due to the Mg settling towards the bottom and I did not catch it in time (and yes, i did mix the salt bucket). Good idea on the reactors - I run 2 two little fishies reactors - one 1/2 full of carbon and one with zeo stones in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandinga Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 very common for SPS to die that fast in a new tank. While that level of Mg is high, it shouldn't hurt anything...SPS should actually like it. You didn't post your Nitrate or Phosphate levels, I would be more interested in those....or Ammonia/Nitrite could even be a possibility in a new tank, even with established rock/water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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