Stressed or Dying Corals?

[CoralineCori]

I recently treated our 40gal reef tank for a red algae (cyanobacteria) outbreak that had built over the course of a few weeks. I used Easy-Life brand "Excital Red Algae Remover which was recommended by my LFS. I was told it was completely reef safe and one of the more natural treatments as it promotes the growth of "good" micro-bacteria which smothers the "bad". I treated as directed over the course of 5 days, and sucked out the red algae as it appeared and everything seems to have improved 100%. The downside to this and I'm not sure if it has to do with the treatment or not, is that a few of my corals have declined in health recently. My Pulsing Xenia's although one of the hardiest of softies is now dark pink, shrivelled and the polyps are closed up. I did notice a few tiny pulses from some during feeding but barely readable. My Goniopora (flower pot) which was once thriving and had even turned a healthy brown on the tips (sign of good health rather than being bleached) is now receding into it's skeleton and is hit and miss with extending. Only the green Zoa's out of my mixed red and green are opening up and the red are closed up tight and have beeb for a week. Also my rose bubbletip anemone decided he wanted to vacate his usual spot and hide behind the rock and only come out for a bit before feeding before deflating. All other corals in the tank (purple, red and brown mush, clove polyps, pink Zoa's, Hammer, Acropora, Montipora and Duncans) are still doing great as well as fish and inverts. The tank is well established over 2 yrs, we do weekly 5 gal water changes, we have ONLY ever used R/O water, run UV sterilizer, protein skimmer, canister filter with all media except for when treating water, feed both fish and corals a wide variety of food every other day, use additives only when needed such as: Prodibio Bioreef kit twice a month, Prime water conditioner, Aqua Vitro brand 8.4 buffer and calcification and have cut back our 2 dual aqualife T5 HO's to 8 hrs. The only thing we did change was the salt which is still same brand (Instant Ocean) but we switched from regular marine salt to reef salt. I am at complete loss of what is going on other than maybe it's just time for these corals to kick it. We closely monitor our water params and everything has always been good and consistent other than our higher reading of calcium recently. I will list the water params here:

NH3/NH4 - 0
NO3 - 0
NO4 - <3mg/L
pH - 8.3
Ca - 550 (higher than usual)
dKH - 8.5 or 150mg/L
PO4 - 0
Salinity (SG) - 1.025

Any help with suggestions or reasons why these once thriving corals are hardly lively anymore would be greatly appreciated. I am running out of explanations as we are doing everything we that we possibly can.

Thank you!!

[Red Coral Aquariums]

CoralineCori;

Sorry to hear about the problems.

I have used the excital with good results but every tank is different and reacts differently to any new chemical or addition we add.

Your Goniopora is very delicate and it's demise could very well be the addition of the Excital.

Your calcium is high but you say you changed salts. Did you mix the salt in the bucket before you took any out for a water change?

Your hard corals seem to doing fine but your food coral (zenia, Gonipora ) are suffering. Try feeding your tank ie phytoplankton or zooplankton, coral vit etc and monitor those coral reactions. Excital might have stripped the water of one or more of these.

Kevin

[CoralineCori]

Thanks Kevin, I will try adding some zooplankton later today I have Kent Zooplankton as well as Reef Crew's Nannochloropsis Oculata. When you ask if I mixed salt do you mean mixing the marine and reef crystals to gradually ease into the new salt water? If so no...we ran out of the marine and chose to try the new stuff without even thinking about it. other wise yes I mix the salt water and then let it sit over night to completely adjust etc. I was reading up on some chemical additives and heard that they could burn corals that are in the path of powerheads. What I have observed though is that these corals look like they are trying to hang in there and I noticed that my Gonio is a bit more perky. We knew getting it that its survival rate was not the greatest, but we decided to try it out. We have already had it longer than some LFS can hang onto them lol. Since I have tried everything I can thnik of, my only concern now is when to pull out the corals (if they dont make it) so they don't release any toxic substances and spike the tank. I really dont need a crash on my hands!

Michelle

[Red Coral Aquariums]

Originally Posted by CoralineCori

Thanks Kevin, I will try adding some zooplankton later today I have Kent Zooplankton as well as Reef Crew's Nannochloropsis Oculata. When you ask if I mixed salt do you mean mixing the marine and reef crystals to gradually ease into the new salt water?
Michelle

That food should be fine.

What I mean about mixing the salt . Before you opened your new pail of salt Did you roll the pail thus thoroughly mixing the dry salt in the bucket before use. In new pails chemicals settle like sand in your tanks. Smallest particles to the bottom biggest to top. Cal or Mg would be the top chemical in an unstirred pail of salt.

Kevin

[CoralineCori]

hmmmm, interesting...never thought of doing that, but it makes all the sense in the world. I will start doing that. Will keep you posted on how everything goes in the tank, I am keeping my fingers crossed

[CoralineCori]

Well, things are slowly...very slowly starting spring back..however I see signs of cyano returning. It's very little and barely there but hubby and I can see it. Hubby was scared that the treatment completely stripped the tank of nutrients because all algae had gone including whatever was stuck on filter return, skimmer intake. I would imagine if we have a tiny bit of nitrate in there, that there is still some beneficial nutrients/algae? Anyways Gonio is reaching out a bit more, everyday I get more red polyps opening on the zoa and although the xenias are still shrivelled, the polyps have turned a light pink again...still not opening up but better than they were for sure. My fingers are still crossed lol.