SPS bleaching Rocordia not opening.....Come on now.....

[Marines_Wife]

So EVERYTHING was fine in my tank. Until Christmas Eve, I noticed my Green SPS was bleaching, and rapidly at that. I admit Ive been ridiculously busy during the holidays so I neglected testing like I should. So I tested everything and my phosphates were above 20, I did a 50% water change, and started some rowa to help combat it. For MONTHS my phosphates have been a non issue and all of the sudden, they are sky high. Why I have no idea. I have added nothing new to my tank, I have changed nothing in it. So I fragged out my sps to save what I could of it, and everything bounced back fine, except for my ricordia which refuses to open up and fan out like it usually does. Fish are all fine everything was doing a bit better until about 3 days ago. SPS starts bleaching out again, BOTH of them this time. So I test my levels and everything was fine except for my nitrates, they are at 20 ppm now. Again, no death, nothing new in the tank. Everything the same. So we decided to put together a sump. So now I am running a 30 gallon sump with my 29 gallon tank (haha yes its huge) I have chaeto, I have the rowa......I tested my levels and everything is a little bit better but the SPS is STILL bleaching and now one of my zoas have melted. PLEASE help me. Here are my levels as of this morning.

Using RO water
Temp: 78.8
PH: 7.8
Salinity: 1.024
Calcium: 480
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 5.0
Nitrite:0
Phosphates: 0
KH: 161

I am feeding mysis (I am aware they are high in phosphates but I have used them from the start and nothing has changed) and blood worms every two days. Some times I throw in a little pinch of pellets just because I have them.

Any thoughts would be helpful. I am at the end of my rope here. my SPS were my most beautiful things in my tank. I loved them. Now they have been hacked up and bleaching out and I am so frustrated I have no idea what to do.

Caleb if you read this CURSE you for being closed for another two days.:grumble:

 

[little_fish]

what are your nems and other corals doing? Also are you using tap water to make up your waterchange water?

 

[Marines_Wife]

what are your nems and other corals doing? Also are you using tap water to make up your waterchange water?

Nem is happy as a clam. Open and just fine. All of my zoas and palys save that one have been open, color is beautiful and spitting babies like crazy. I went from 2 rastas to 6 since thanksgiving. WC is with RO as well.

 

[little_fish]

Any possible chance you had a temp spike or company over and something might have gotten into the tank?

 

[fastrd400]

Get your Trates down, do your water change again about 20-25%. Just for shits and giggles, run a full test on your new water before you put it in and make sure it is clean as well. I've seen a lot of RO units with bad or dirty filters that people didn't know about.

 

[Marines_Wife]

Woke up this morning to the Sunset monti almost 100% bleached out. The only thing I am having a bit of a problem with is the temperature. Other then that I dont understand it. Testing now.....

And all my company has been adults....who sat on the couch. No one has put anything into the tank

 

[Marines_Wife]

Water is still testing fine. All that is being affected is the stony coral. Started with the green birdsnest and I think I have RTN wiping everything out.....

 

[Marines_Wife]

There is NO advice. Anywhere. On anything???

Come on I have been on the phone with Wade all day and wracking my brain but please, more input would be great. 107 views and only 2 people with thoughts?

 

[little_fish]

If you have RTN take out all of the sps that look even a little bit bad and start doing massive water changes.

I got RTN from a temp spike, you might have also or there could have been something funky in the water for whatever reason.

Or your nems are letting their nematocysts lose and its bothering your sensitive corals, causing the RTN to set off a chain reaction of death

Or the softies have let lose enough of their chemical weapons to bother the SPS causing RTN...