2 issues- Algae and Dying torch

[reefwithareefer]

Thanks Denny, but it is definitely not Brown jelly.

Only on the glass and when I use the magnet scraper to clean glass it makes a "dust" cloud in the water. Then you look at the magnet cleaner velcro and it is a deep brown color with no real slimy/jelly feel to it. It feels like wet dust.

The torch has noting on it at all, just the clear, light brown slime left from the tentacles that have died and now bright white skeleton on 3 of the 5 heads.

Besides the bioload of the livestock and foods, how else can nutrients be introduced to the water column?

[denny_C]

Originally Posted by reefwithareefer

Thanks Denny, but it is definitely not Brown jelly.

Only on the glass and when I use the magnet scraper to clean glass it makes a "dust" cloud in the water. Then you look at the magnet cleaner velcro and it is a deep brown color with no real slimy/jelly feel to it. It feels like wet dust.

The torch has noting on it at all, just the clear, light brown slime left from the tentacles that have died and now bright white skeleton on 3 of the 5 heads.

Besides the bioload of the livestock and foods, how else can nutrients be introduced to the water column?

my pleasure my friend although im gonna guess you didnt google brown jelly disease?


it has nothing to do with your algae, glass or even most of the system and how it operates.

brown jelly is a bacterial infection that will mat over lps and eventually it is fatal if not stopped and can even spread to other lps.

signs are white to brown film and rapid tissue loss.

it is contagious and it is also for the most part treatable but now always

[Reef Pilot]

Does seem kind of odd that all was going good and then suddenly everything dying. Was this after a water change? New salt? New carbon? There have instances where bad batches have poisoned the water.

No bugs or nudis?

A little algae on glass is normal, and needs to be cleaned often. Doesn't sound like you have a nutrient or husbandry problem.

I know there are other local reefers in Abby. Maybe get someone to come over and have a look, and might discover something.

[denny_C]

Originally Posted by reefwithareefer

Besides the bioload of the livestock and foods, how else can nutrients be introduced to the water column?

nutrients can come from just about anything but mostly organics , so your salt has it, your water has it , the animals create it and so on....ther are many sources

one can have too much nutrients and still have no algae fwiw

[reefwithareefer]

I did google it. Read and looked at it. I do not see anything that would leave me to believe it was. I would never sluff off anyones offerings without researching.

I do not see any of the symptoms etc.

Not saying it is not, but I do not see anything to say it is.

I have been going thru my head, what I have been doing differently and the only two things come to mind of what I have done differntly. I have been mixing in some copepods, mysis, brine into a small bottle of phyto, and coral frenzy. I keep it in the fridge and use it to feed my two anenomes and sun coral. I only mix up enough for three days and then make a new batch. they anems and sun coral are fine

I just started my auto water change about 2 or three weeks ago. I fill up my 50 gal drum with rodi water, use Instant ocean salt. The drum has a heater in it as well as a maxijet to keep the water going. I let it sit for 48hrs and then let the apex control the pumps to pump water in and out . I change about 2 gals a day. the drum has a lid on it.

Mmm, crap... I wonder if it is my filter fabric i am using...I got a box full of of this stuff that I put in my sump to strain out the small stuff. I was using the stuff from wal mart but changed because a box was left at work. The fabric is used to filter out sediment. Crap maybe it has something in it...

No new type of salt, carbon etc. I use Randys 2 part with mag. I bought schlobster bulk stuff at J&L.


Maybe the wife is mad at me.....

[reefwithareefer]

Thanks RP, I do not know any reefers out here as I just started this hobby. Maybe I will call a few guys that do it for a living.

The only thing else I did was add a whack of zoas into the tank, They are growing like crazy...

Thanks again everyone.

The torch seems to have quit dying. One head is sort of coming back and the other seems to be healthy


Seahawks game is on , so going to take a break for a bit.

[Reef Pilot]

Are you changing water every day!!?? That would seem a little excessive. I do mine (20%) every 3 weeks or so.

Are you testing your salinity with a refractometer? You definitely don't want that to vary.

[denny_C]

Originally Posted by reefwithareefer

The torch has noting on it at all, just the clear, light brown slime left from the tentacles that have died and now bright white skeleton on 3 of the 5 heads.

^^^^ this is the symptom

fwiw theres no way to diagnose this ( not on a hobby level anyways) as bacteria is almost impossible to id just by visuals alone

torches in particular are very prone to it , if your torch melted over night and ended up with a white film on it i would imagine its bacterial based

the algae is a seperate issue

[reefwithareefer]

ReefPilot
Yes , everyday. I have 235 or so gals. I exchange roughly 2 gals a day. It is actully approx 1.75 gals. so in 21 day I exchange approx 37 gals. That is 16 percent in three weeks. How is that excessive?

I do changes everyday because i believe it keeps all my parameters more consistent. If i change out 37 gals in one shot, my parameters will change much more drastically and it makes it harder to know what amounts to dose etc.

Yes, I use a refractometer. In fact I have 2. I calibrate once a month. I am consitently at 1.025. I check the tanks and holding tank, as I have the apex/tunze doing the topping off of the evaporated saltwater every hour, 24 hrs a day. The water is all run thru the refugium, so it mixes well, then to the sump and back up to the display.



Denny

When I say "just the clear, light brown slime left" I mean that while it is dying, that is what you see. Once it was dead to the skeleton part there was nothing left, nor is/was there anything while dying. What I see is the tentacles dying off, they go kinda clear/brown as they dye and float away in tiny pieces. This occurred over a 3 to 4 day period.

Does that mean that I have Brown Jelly. I took it as the brown jelly was left clinging to the skeleton or was there before the lps died.. Sorry, I am a lil confused and trying to make sure I understand everything. When I look at the pics, it does not seem to look anything like it.

The other LPS just sucked himself into the skeleton and never came out again, or at least that is all i saw happening.

On a side note, I may be moving out to Calgary, so I will have to come look at your new digs. I saw the posts you put up. Looks pretty cool. Plus no point in bring my old tank with me, when I can get a new one..

Sorry, what is "fwiw"?


Yeah, go Hawks!!

[reefwithareefer]

Geesh, the more i post and describe my stuff, the more I see myself as obsessed with this hobby. I admitted to having 2 refractometers!!! Oh geesh, is this how it happens..Ugh...More therapy I suppose.. lol