# Help PH off the chart coral dying



## dc_addict (Mar 14, 2013)

I dont understand what is happening with my tank, I was on vacation for a few weeks and while I was away things started going a bit bad. A few of my mushrooms just disintegrated and my acans are not opening, my open brain isnt opening and one of my hammer corals just died upon my return I really couldnt find the problem. On the other side my clam is doing fine, my other hammer is fine, the frogspawn is huge, my bubble coral is growing, the green napthalea tree is growing very well as are my zoo's and the xenia is also huge. My carpet anenome has grown as has my bubble tip.
Today when I came home my apex was playing a song, this is a bad thing as I have it set to play songs only in bad situations. When I checked my PH was at 8.52. I have no idea what is happening and why it is like this. I dose BRS 2 part I do the Calcium during the day and the ALK at night in equal parts. The Alk will not dose if the PH is high.
I have attached two images of my apex which show my PH over the past three days as well as the Calc dose schedule and ALK dose schedule. I need help, I have already moved my acans to my second tank at my office, but this tank was meant to be a FOWLR tank and shouldnt have coral in it, but it is doing better what I have put in there.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/aj0ejn85f3ky5z0/APEX ALK.png

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3ods7gx5guwxjzv/APEX Calc.png


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## dc_addict (Mar 14, 2013)

I should also mention I did a 20% water change yesterday and a 20% water change 1 week before that. I started using a new salt which I got from Aquatic Kingdom called Omega Premium Reef Salt, I used to only use Red Sea Coral Pro. Not sure if this could be related but its worth mentioning.

As of right now I shut off my dosing pumps.

My water parameters as of Jan 22 before the water change was 

Calc" 350
Mag 1120
Alk 8.9
Nitrate 0.25
Phosphate 0.04

I was having a Phosphate issue when I came back from my trip it was at 0.16 but I have been running a product which reduced this, it was a product we got from Aquatic Kingdom which binds the Phosphate. Apparently it is better than a sponge,
I have also been running carbon roxx because I thought perhaps the issue was due to some construction dust in the tank.

Really need help figuring this out before everything dies.


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## kamal (Apr 21, 2009)

Have you tested freshly mixed salt water with your new salt? I would do that to check the chemistry of the new salt


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## dc_addict (Mar 14, 2013)

I have not done this, I am filling the 30 gallon container now and will mix the salt tomorrow. If you look at the chart after the water change parameters were fine. Today around noon is when it got crazy and the pH went through the roof. I will test the salt though to see what I am getting I have done at least 3-4 changes with this new salt.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

The issues are localized to one side and the corals on the other side are thriving...low Ca and Mg shouldn't affect the mushrooms...I'm not convinced that it's the salt.

Does the flow from the return hit that area?


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## Flameangel (Sep 25, 2013)

First thing first,check the pH of your new salt.....process of elimination.


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## dc_addict (Mar 14, 2013)

The pieces affected are scattered around the tank at different heights and flow rates. I am definitely going to test this salt tomorrow and see what I am getting. I tested my RO water and I am getting 2 ppm. So that should be good, I have also turned off the dosing pumps in case something is wrong with the chemical mix perhaps?


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

How it was described I interpreted that the issues were localized.

What is the photoperiod range of the main display and the refugium, if you have one running. Just trying to gauge a peak in reference to the APEX graph.


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## dc_addict (Mar 14, 2013)

Sorry for the delayed response I ended up having to go out of town for work, just got back now. The lights are set to start a 60 minute ramp up starting at 10:00 am under start a 60 ramp down at 7:00 Pm. The refugium turns on at 7:00pm and shuts off at 9:00 am. I have amazing chaeto growth in the refugium. 
I am making a new 35 gallons of salt right now and will have the test results in the morning after it sits over night. The pH was reasonable today topping out at 8.32 but my brain coral and my Acans still look like crop. The ones I moved to my office fowler tank are looking really good again.


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## dc_addict (Mar 14, 2013)

So a few more things I should add to this after read another recent post on here with another user having some issues. 
I recently upgraded my lights. I was running in general three At Sol blue led lights but recently added two supplementary led lights which I got from aquatic Kingdom I dodon't know the model name but it is large bulb with 8 white lights three blue and one red.
I am also using RODI water which I have tested with my TDS meter and am getting 3 ppm. 

Also at the same time I added the lights I added a lot of coral, I went on a shopping spree and got about 4-500 worth of new stuff at Christmas. Some of which is now dead.


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## Flameangel (Sep 25, 2013)

dc_addict said:


> So a few more things I should add to this after read another recent post on here with another user having some issues.
> I recently upgraded my lights. I was running in general three At Sol blue led lights but recently added two supplementary led lights which I got from aquatic Kingdom I dodon't know the model name but it is large bulb with 8 white lights three blue and one red.
> I am also using RODI water which I have tested with my TDS meter and am getting 3 ppm.
> 
> Also at the same time I added the lights I added a lot of coral, I went on a shopping spree and got about 4-500 worth of new stuff at Christmas. Some of which is now dead.


I'm sorry to here your tragic experience.We all do experience crashes at some point of our hobby and it can happen to even the most experienced,unfortunately.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

If you added these lights roughly the same time of pH spikes, the increased activity of photosynthesis will drive up pH.

For the lost coral, it would be reasonable to guess that they didn't adjust well to the increased light intensity. I would take the supplementary LEDs off line of they cannot be dimmed down. Knowing the wattage and lens angle (if any) of the LEDs in that unit will help us figure this out.

If you have/can borrow a PAR meter, it will help determine where the light "hot spots" in the aquascaping.


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## G.Higgins (Feb 13, 2010)

I would agree, the new lights likely shocked the coral, when I added my LED razors I started then dimmed to %40 and increased them 5% pr week. I would try dimming them, if you can't dim put a screen between the fixture and the water, ie. glass or acrylic.


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## dc_addict (Mar 14, 2013)

The lights can't be dimmed so I have shut them off for now. My water parameters for the newly mixed salt water are

Calcium - 400
Alk 7.7
Mag 1120
Nitrate 0

My water in the tank has also gotten better since I shut the lights and stopped dosing. I did not do a water change and the parameters changed which is odd. 
Calcium 400
Alk 9.0
Mag 1280
Nitrate 0.25
Phosphate 0.08 (this is high not sure why) 

After both of these tests were complete I did a 35gallon water change but did not test again after that. 

Nothing has started recovering yet though, the brain is still closed up as is the acan, the one mushroom left that wasn't doing well is still the same.


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## G.Higgins (Feb 13, 2010)

It's likely it will take a couple of weeks for things to bounce back, your water chemistry will fluctuate as your ph swings. I would start wet skimming and daily water changes to help export toxins from the 
dying coral and to help regulate your levels.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Overall, it seems like the corals just got a too much light. One of the by products of photosynthesis is a "superoxide" radical and since they have been subjected to a high amount of light in a short period of time, the biological mechanism has not caught up with making enough enzymes (dismutase) to deal with the radicals produced from increase photosynthetic activity.

Recovery from too much light usually takes a few weeks and it's not that uncommon to take a few months, IME. It all depends on how much damage has been one on a cellular level. 

The change in water parameters is typical as the "demand" from high photosynthetic activity has reduced...lower rate of uptake and parameters shifting to another state of equilibrium. 

Don't worry too much about water params right now other than keeping them within acceptable limits. Revert back to the photoperiod and set-up prior to all the changes. Keep an eye on the rest of the corals.

HTH


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## dc_addict (Mar 14, 2013)

Thanks very much everyone, I purchased these hoping to grow my coral faster and better, I really wish I had of thought this through a bit more.
I guess if I go to turn these on again I would have to start by dialing down by AI SOL lights first and then start ramping those up, or I guess I could run the new LED bulbs for only a 2 hours a day and start increasing this.

When you purchase new coral though if the lights were as bright as mine I am guessing I would always have problems, so perhaps I should not be adding these new lights at all.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

This is where knowing your system vs others and making adjustments for coral acclimation is another facet in this hobby.

With the APEX system, it's quite simple to adjust intensity and photoperiod and just put the new acquisition in place. Otherwise those that do not have the ease/ability for that level of control have to either put the new corals on the sandbed and slowly move them up to the desired location, raise the lighting system, add material to diffuse the light, etc.

If the new LED light has an external ballast, you might be able to change it for a dimmable ballast and control it through the APEX.


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## dc_addict (Mar 14, 2013)

Thanks for the help, I am going to be doing as many water changes as I can and have dealer up the swimmer to be more or a wet skim. Secondary led lights are now off and I just need to be patient. 

On a related good note my fowler tank at the office is doing amazing, the coral looks great and is recovering very well in there and today I noticed my clown fish are spawning in the tank after they hosted a torch Coral! My clowns in my home tank won't host my green carpet or my bubble tip!!!


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## dc_addict (Mar 14, 2013)

So looks like I finally figured this out.. I would definitely never recommend anyone make as many changes to the system at the same time as I did as it made it impossible to find the cause. 

Matted Filefish!!! I brought it in to deal with a huge aptasia issue, he dealt with it all then slowly moved on to eating all my coral. I finally saw him do it, moved him to the refugium just to see and within 2 days things started to come back. He is now at Aquatic Kingdom looking for a new home without coral!

The PH I am sure was contributing to this as was my phosphate issue, but the filefish was definitely the main issue. Phosphate is now under control as is the PH and everything is rebounding well.


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

Glad you figured it out! 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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