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Corals Dying-plz help

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    Posted: May 07 2012 at 11:54pm
Greeting,
Today I was shock when 2 of my corals are showing their skeletons, and the another one is not opened at all.  Moreover, one of my shrimp has a black spot near by his head.  Hope these images will help to express my situation.  Please help me to id the issue, and how to fix it.  Looking forward to hear from you.  Thanks so much for your help Cry
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote McClure Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 07 2012 at 11:58pm
What are your parameters?
How long has your tank been up?
What else is it stocked with?
Do you have a picture of the entire tank?

We will definitely be needing more information to help effectively.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2012 at 11:39am
+1 what McClure asked.

The Green Sinularia(3rd pic) does that from time to time. It will be fine.

I wouldn't worry about the spot on the Cleaner Shrimp. It could be nothing. Either way, there's little that can be done about it.

My concern, with what you have said, the pics of the stony corals and not knowing the tank, is whether the Cleaner Shrimp is actually part of the problem. To determine that, I need to see a pic of the tank and to know the Alk and Ca levels.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CCFMIG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2012 at 11:46am
I'm not an expert but i had the same thing happen to me a while ago when I first started. it was when I first started and I found out after the fact that my lights were the problem. I didn't realize that the bulbs were working fine except they were 18 months old. just a thought. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FishnFriendz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2012 at 4:39pm
The tank has been up more than a year.  Those corals were there more than 8 months.  I will try to take a picture of my whole tank tonight, and give an exact water parameter number.  But there are something that I have done to my tank lately:
  Move the MP40es higher position, and modify thru WXM so it can run with a random mode.
  Changed 1 VHO bulb to purple for 2 days, then changed it back to white.
  Start dosing Vitamin C (Iherb) for 2 days ( 1tps each day mix with 1 cup of water)
  The day one of my SPS turn white, I have used toothbrush to brush off some tiny algea on their tips.
 
My last test number (2 days before the disaster):
*** Ca: 440
***dKH: is always low: 7 (been dosing with Kent's product for months)
*** Mg: 1250
*** pH: little fluctuation 8.39 (light out)--> 8:47 (light on)
***Salinity: 1.025
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bstuver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2012 at 4:53pm
From experience I know SPS does not handle vitamin c dosing, I lost SPS when I dosed vitamin c.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FishnFriendz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2012 at 5:09pm
Before I start dosing Vitamin C, I heard this same warning from few hobbyist, but I also got some good feedback from it.  I can't believe it, only dosing for 2 days with a small amount of it, but it already took my favorite SPS down.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bstuver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2012 at 5:21pm
I don't know if it is just that but I had that problem, I only dosed a couple times and it took out my SPS:( however please post your full tank pic as I am guessing there is more to it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bstuver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2012 at 5:21pm
What is close to the brain coral? It looks like it was getting stung by something maybe...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote napalm77 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2012 at 5:22pm
i dose vitamin c frequently and have never had a problem what kind of v-c are you using? you could use calcium chloride to buffer the alk. i've used some kent products in the past with varying results.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bstuver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2012 at 5:28pm
He states it's the Iherb one which is the same that I used. Which is the one recommended on all the forums talking about it. I didn't have a problem with a few SPS but some died within a couple days.
As I said I am guessing there is something else going on as well.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FishnFriendz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2012 at 5:53pm

Yes, I will come up with a whole tank pic tonite.  But for now..here is my tank @ nite couple months ago.  FYI, that brain coral is alone by himself.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 12:51pm
Originally posted by FishnFriendz FishnFriendz wrote:

***dKH: is always low: 7 (been dosing with Kent's product for months)
You are probably following the directions on the bottle. That's good, but not the complete story. The amount of Alk and Ca being used by your growing garden of coral has increased over what it used to be. They need more. What Kent products are you using? How much and how often are you dosing Kent part A and part B?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FishnFriendz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 1:23pm
Yes Mark, I was caution try not to overdose it.  The Kent Marine Superbuffer dKH (dry/powder supplement)  is the one I have been using.  I mix every 2 tsp of it with 2.5 gal for the topoff water.  For the A&B, 10ml each every 3 days.  As we speak, that SPS is totally turning white now...It not only adds an unique color in my tank but also adds a great heaviness sorrow in my heart.Cry
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sabeypets Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 5:45pm
I dosed VC and the first corals to go was my (big) bird nest colonies. VC negatively Affected some SPS and LPS in my tank. Although buffered, (I-Herb) VC can drop alkalinity, especially in a system where alkalinity is all ready low.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 9:13pm
Originally posted by FishnFriendz FishnFriendz wrote:

Yes Mark, I was caution try not to overdose it.  The Kent Marine Superbuffer dKH (dry/powder supplement)  is the one I have been using.  I mix every 2 tsp of it with 2.5 gal for the topoff water.  For the A&B, 10ml each every 3 days.  As we speak, that SPS is totally turning white now...It not only adds an unique color in my tank but also adds a great heaviness sorrow in my heart.Cry


Yes, it can be very sad to lose animals. Leave it in the tank though. Sometimes, when water parameters are brought back in range coral come back from the dead, so don't brush any more skin off the skeletons.

Alkalinity Testing is how we know how much Alkalinity to add to our tanks. The Alk needs to be around 9-10 dKH. Ca is within range (350-500 ppm) so the dosing of that supplement can be maintained or even decreased a little.

The Kent Marine Superbuffer and the Kent part B are doing pretty much the exact same thing, adding Alkalinity. To get the Alkalinity up, I would double the amount you have been adding and if you don't have test kits for Alk and Ca, I would strongly advise you to buy them.

Eventually you will run out of the Kent products and need to buy more. Those additives are essentially Baking Soda & Washing Soda for Alk and Calcium Chloride (Ice Melt) for Ca. There is more on this in the Reefkeeping Tips Thread
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FishnFriendz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 10 2012 at 1:10pm
Thanks for all your feedback guys.  And yes, I will try to increase the dosage for Alk.  I am definately not gonna use Vitamin C again.  This weekend I will try to come up with a full tank pic (busy with yardwork lately)  Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bur01014 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 10 2012 at 5:05pm
Wow- you have rapid tissue necrosis on your SPS and no one suggested to start fraggin?  If the tissue is receding rapidly, it is always advised to frag off any good parts left and remount, or else the whole coral is lost.  Low alk and alk swings may likely be your issue, but it is hard to say without further information.  If you have good parts of coral left, I would suggest fraggin them to save those pieces, however small they may be.
 
Good luck!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 10 2012 at 5:54pm
My answer to that is that from the pic of the tank and the close-ups it really looks to me like the gradual fall in Alk has finally reached the level which caused those two unrelated stony coral to show the signs of low Alk. Unless the Alk is raised soon, they will continue to decline. We are not dealing with a disease, it's that they are starving. Alk and Ca are like food to a coral.

Raising Alk immediately will stop the decline. It will only take a minute of your time to do it. Adding a double dosage today would be best and buying Alk and Ca test kits would be my next step. Alk can be raised by 1 dKH daily without any trouble. I'd definitely watch the Ca at the same time.

Just so you know, we have learned to ignore the instructions that say to add equal parts of A and B. Testing and then adding one or the other as needed is the only way to keep a healthy reef long term.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DLindquist Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 11 2012 at 11:25am
Unless I missed something- his Alk has been around 7KH for a time. While raising that level to 9-10 is okay, you will find NSW between 7-8. Therefore, I do not believe his corals are starving and raising Alk up to 9-10 may not make a difference. I would also suggest fragging your coral- well above any dead tissue in hopes of saving and regrowing your pieces.
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