pdxmonkeyboy Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 I don't think anyone was diving in my aquarium and collecting wild fish with cyanide but when I got home today it certainly looks like it. I tested levels and came up with the following Temp. 78.9Alk 8.4 Cal 420Mag 1580Nitrate 0Phos.. nothing on salifertSalinity 1.023 It's a 80g volume system that has been doing fine. Levels have been rock solid and stable for the past 6 weeks. I was getting lots of hair algae so I reduced feeding a bit and started running gfo and carbon. I had my phos tested with a benchtop photometer (thanks upscales!!) And it came out at 0.05. I feed some pellets, frozen food, a pinch of reef roids daily. I also dose acropower once a week. I have been noticing over the last week that some of the corals were starting to look a little pale. After reading forums till blood was coming out of my eyes I seem to land on the theory that maybe my nutrient levels are too low? Since I should have some nitrogen and i haven't seen any in my testing for several weeks now. When I came home, everything looks REALLY pale. Is this a massive xanthele exodus? I shut my skimmer off and fed pretty heavily just now. Suggestions ? Prayers ? Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefbandit Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Sounds like you may of brought the nutrients down to quickly. How much gfo did you run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoolander Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 That was going to be my thought, too. I've made the mistake of doing wide parameter swings and things don't fare too well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Good theories those who posted before. I tend to agree it is definitely a huge possibility. Its amazing how sensitve corals are to change. Seems like they can tolerate a big range of parameters as long as they are steady. I have a few bleached pieces from bringing my calcium reactor back online a few weeks ago. The rapid yet minor increase in alk killed a hawkins and a red planet in < 24 hours. Good luck, it can be so frustrating for sure. Some day I am getting me a KH guardian! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Ouch! Sorry to hear Brian. I would also be suspicious of too rapid a nutrient drop. I have seen a few people post about this as a risk of the GFO. Did you pull that off line already? If not, I would probably do so. Given the age of your tank, I wouldn't stress too much about the hair algae at this point, especially given your readings and the fact that you have a healthy chaeto population already growing in your sump. I know... a little late for that advice I realize. Sorry man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 I did take the GFO offline. I thought was in the clear as I tested the phosphates and there was a trace. The gfo has been running for like 3 weeks? Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoolander Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 25 minutes ago, TheClark said: Good theories those who posted before. I tend to agree it is definitely a huge possibility. Its amazing how sensitve corals are to change. Seems like they can tolerate a big range of parameters as long as they are steady. I have a few bleached pieces from bringing my calcium reactor back online a few weeks ago. The rapid yet minor increase in alk killed a hawkins and a red planet in < 24 hours. Good luck, it can be so frustrating for sure. Some day I am getting me a KH guardian! Mine was an alk increase, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 Would it take several weeks for the corals to show the effects of a rapid drop? Like I stated above, the GFO has been in for several weeks.. 3 at least. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 14 minutes ago, pdxmonkeyboy said: Would it take several weeks for the corals to show the effects of a rapid drop? Like I stated above, the GFO has been in for several weeks.. 3 at least. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Curious what others may say about this but in theory I could see it happen. You might have gotten a significant quick drop but not to the point of compromising the coral until it had time to drive levels down that last few parts - at which point, the coral started to respond. It all depends on what the binding curves look like and I honestly don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 Yeah kind of a mystery, this is the part of biology that I don't enjoy. I had my water tested at little fish (cause nothing makes a tank crash better than Friday traffic). That was a waste of an hour. I'm going to do a water change and stay the course.. sans gfo. OR... light the whole thing on fire and book a two week trip to fiji. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 26 minutes ago, pdxmonkeyboy said: Yeah kind of a mystery, this is the part of biology that I don't enjoy. I had my water tested at little fish (cause nothing makes a tank crash better than Friday traffic). That was a waste of an hour. I'm going to do a water change and stay the course.. sans gfo. OR... light the whole thing on fire and book a two week trip to fiji. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Two weeks in Fiji sounds good.. not so sure about the fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremevans Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 I've seen lots of color running nutrients too low with GFO and carbon. It took place over a week or two and then I dialed back the carbon and shut off the GFO for a while. About two weeks later colors were back. I chalked it up to a sudden drop in Phosphate to 0 from about 0.1. I can't be sure of the cause though. All that said there was no overnight bleaching and I didn't lose any corals. Are you sure they are bleached (no hope left?)Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 I said they were bleached because I poured bleach in there Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 At least I hadn't brought your Tierra del Feugo back yet. Silver linings and all that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenH Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 Too low of nutrients can absolutely cause color loss. It generally takes a week or two before it becomes noticeable. Taking the GFO off-line is probably a good idea as is feeding your fish a little heavier for awhile. There is also a correlation between nutrient levels and maximum lighting levels for the corals. With higher nutrients, you can run higher intensity on the lighting. If your nutrients have dropped, it may be beneficial to also lower the light intensity for awhile if your lighting is adjustable. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 Seems like good advice for sure. I took the GFO offline and fed the corals and fish. I also raised the lights a little. Basically putting the tank in hangover mode. Fingers are crossed. About half of the corals don't look that bad but the other half.. uggh, they look like the corals you buy on the side of the road in Florida. Thanks to everyone for the advice!! Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 Ok folks, so working with Trevor at seahorse we figured out what happened with my tank. Big shout out to him as he rejected outright that it wasn't low nutrients. "It wouldn't happen overnight like that so just forget that theory". So, now that I definitely know what happened we can play the game.. test your trouble shooting ability. I will make it a little easier by two clues. 1. I didn't add anything new to the tank or any weird additive. And 2. I always perform proper accepted tank maintenance. Sean does NOT get to play, because he knows what happened. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 Really? Nobody is even interested? Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 2 minutes ago, pdxmonkeyboy said: Really? Nobody is even interested? Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Well, since you wouldn't let me play... it is actually pretty interesting although painful in the extreme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 Indeed, I can see the same thing easily happen to others. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmas_one Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 Ok, I'll play. Equipment failure (heater or pump) causing stray voltage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 Ooh. That is a good guess, and something that Trevor suggested. But no. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 Another hint.. nothing failed or broke. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 1 hour ago, pdxmonkeyboy said: Ooh. That is a good guess, and something that Trevor suggested. But no. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk BTW - I think you mean Terry ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 Lol I knew it started with a T lol. I feel like a douche now. At any rate, do you think anyone will figure it out? It's not like totally off the wall. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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