Everything is dying!!!! HELP!!!!

[jhai]

I have a 12 gallon Nano, attached to a Aqua Euro USA Micro titanium chiller/heater. The tank has a live sand bed with live rock and was cycled correctly! I have a clown, dusky jaw, fire fish, peppermint shrimp, cleaner shrimp, hermit crabs, nassarius snails, conch snail and a cleaning crew… I also have a selection of mushrooms, a SFS corals, which all seem to be taking a turn for the worse.

My system’s parameters are on target except for phosphates >.5, pH 7.7, and a red hairy appearing algae, which I am really struggling with… I change the water every 10 days, replace the poly filters every two weeks or when dark brown. I have reduced feedings to ensure there aren’t too much nutrients in the water, I don’t over feed to begin with. The tank is 6 months old and I have lost a Frog Spawn and a brain coral and it looks like I might loose all the coral this week and the rate the tank is deteriorating, the fish seem to be fine…

In the tank I use the following setup, the included sponge filter that came with the unit, two poly filters and nohing else, I removed the carbon about a two weeks ago and I removed bio balls when I bought the unit.

What should I do!

[wozza]

hmmm... all i can think of is that your tank is quite over stocked, in a 12g i would have 1 of either of thoes fish.

Your pH is a bit low, do you have big pH swings? if so that could be you problem.
If by SFS you mean SPS and your keeping them in a nano that would lead me to the next question.

What lighting are you useing is it stock 2x18w PC? if so there in lyes you problem, to little light even for LPS IMO.

cheers james

[Ninong]

Justin,

What is your specific gravity right now? Have you been maintaining it fairly steady or have there been wide swings?

What about pH? Was the 7.7 reading taken early in the morning or late in the afternoon? What is your typical daily pH swing between early morning and later afternoon?

Are you replacing evaporated water on a daily basis? Are you using just plain R.O./D.I. water for evaporation replacement or are you using limewater? If you are using limewater, are you adding it slowly via a drip system?

What is your alkalinity right now?

Exactly which corals started to show evidence of something wrong first? In particular, was it the mushrooms or something else?

[CSeaSee]

I'd be very concerned about that pH... dose some kalk or something and get it up.

[jhai]

hmmm... all i can think of is that your tank is quite over stocked, in a 12g i would have 1 of either of thoes fish.

Your pH is a bit low, do you have big pH swings? if so that could be you problem.
If by SFS you mean SPS and your keeping them in a nano that would lead me to the next question.

What lighting are you useing is it stock 2x18w PC? if so there in lyes you problem, to little light even for LPS IMO.

cheers james

James,

I have no pH swings just a consistant 7.7 I am adding Arm & Hammer baking soda to see if I can increase the pH today.

Sorry SPS is correct and I have the 1x32w SunPaq Dual Daylight & 1x27w SunPaq Dual Actinic. This should be good loghting for what I am stocking in my tank..

Regards,

[jhai]

Justin,

What is your specific gravity right now? Have you been maintaining it fairly steady or have there been wide swings?

What about pH? Was the 7.7 reading taken early in the morning or late in the afternoon? What is your typical daily pH swing between early morning and later afternoon?

Are you replacing evaporated water on a daily basis? Are you using just plain R.O./D.I. water for evaporation replacement or are you using limewater? If you are using limewater, are you adding it slowly via a drip system?

What is your alkalinity right now?

Exactly which corals started to show evidence of something wrong first? In particular, was it the mushrooms or something else?

Ninong,

Thanks for your help.. My salinity is 1.027 consistant with no swings since I cycled my tank. pH is consistant to but as noted above in the prevoious thread I am going to try Arm and Hammer Baking soda today to increase the pH. Yes I am using R.O./D.I. water for evaporation replacement. Alkalinity is 4.0. My SPS have simply lost their color and whited out. The Mushrooms are withering....

Regards,

[Ninong]

Justin,

How do you normally maintain calcium and alkalinity? Just with water changes or have to added anything at all? In other words, is it possible that you added anything that resulted in a sudden spike in alkalinity?

Mushrooms are known to react almost immediately to sudden increases in alkalinity. That can happen if someone accidentally adds too much limewater all at once.

If none of your water parameters changed or experienced any sudden spikes up or down, then perhaps it's a pathogen of sort sort that is affecting the corals. Whatever it is it isn't bothering your fish but fish are more tolerant of swings in water parameters than invertebrates.

The snails and shrimp are not showing any signs of distress?

[CSeaSee]

Aside from today, when was the last time you adjusted your pH to a more realistic (8.0-8.3) level? And, how long did it take to make the correction?