SPS Tank O Death

[michika]

Originally Posted by Myka

So this rock was previously run in another system of yours I assume...? If it were my tank, especially considering it's only 24g, I would pull the rock (and sand), and replace it with different stuff from one of your other systems possibly. At this point, I think the biggest suspect would be the rock. Even if it was run in a different system before... I know you had some GHA issues in the tank previously.

I'd have a really hard time believing it was the glass. Possible...but unlikely for sure.

I would also suspect the silicone before the glass.

However, I doubt it's the glass or the silicone, as I believe if that were the issue it would affect all the corals. Honestly, I doubt it's the rock either (although that's an easy try). If I ignored all the information I know about your tank (I skimmed your journal), and was just told, "hey my softies and LPS are fine, but my SPS are dying, what's wrong?" I would immediately suspect parasites, flow, and micronutrients first. Do you know what red bugs, and AEFW look like? Have you seen them in person before? Can you test for Strontium, Iron, and Silicates? Can you take a short video clip of your tank that will show the polyps waving in the flow?

Yes I do know what AEFW and Redbugs look like. I also have a QT procedure for those things before any SPS even goes into my tank. SPS receive a dip in TMPCC, an interceptor bath, and they are inspected for flatworms.

I only have one system running at this time. All the rock that I have started out with me when I began this hobby and have moved through my various tanks, 29g, 46g, 77g, 230g, 90g, 24g, 28g. I only ever keep one system running up at once. There is no more hair algae in this system.

At this point I'm trying to find reasons not to shut down this tank permanently when my 180g goes up. The cost of switching out my rock, and a whole brandnew sand bed isn't worth it. While I would like to keep running this system, I would rather put my money into my 180g.

I don't have video capabilities, or at least I don't think my camera does. I use a Nikon D40x.

I've never tested for Strontium, Iron, or Silicates. What makes you think I should be testing them? Does something stand out about my problem that makes you think of these elements?

Originally Posted by Jason McK

Where did the glass come from when you constructed the tank? I see why you may think it was the glass.

The back and side panes came from a previous tank. The front pane and overflow box were glass I had cut for me specifically for this project. I can account for the 20g sump/fug, it was my SPS QT/dipping tank on my 230g system.

Silicone was the non-anti-fungal type made by GE. Although someone recently sent me a PM letting me know that they had seen a thread where there was something wrong with the silicone itself. From what I understand anti-fungal silicone was packaged and sold as the non-anti-fungal variety. I'm still looking into this, and waiting on a link to that thread.