Sps coral help pleaz

[Kwater]

I am getting ready to to on vacation for 10 days and I have sps problems. I hade a 10 day old sps coral not shoure of the name and he died over night. I am now noticing that a small part of one of my birds nest corals is turning white. The underside of my staggorn is a little white. And this one sps I have had a long time is starting to turn white one one limb. I am starting to wonder if it is a worm or something. Because my birds nest has been really healthy. I have a 150 watt 14000 k halide. I will test the water as the day gets later. I am starting to thaink it could have been because of carbon. I turned off the carbon and hopfully that will help. But I'm leaving tommorow for vacation. Help pleaz doe anything I could do

 

[sen5241b]

What are you nitrates and phosphates?! It doesn't take much to start klling many corals.

 

[Kwater]

I will test them around noon but I am using phosphate remover and denitrate

 

[Kwater]

Ok my high range ph 8.2

Nitrite is 0ppm

Ammona is 0ppm.

And my nitrate is just below 10.

Also I have noticed the the bottom part of my birds nest has been dead for a long time and is black. My birdsnest is a large colony so do u think that the bottom will keep dying off as it gets bigger

 

[yote]

You say that you had a new SPS that died out over night?
You need to looking close at the water parameters,including temp,calcium,alkalinity and magnesium.In addition to that,get yourself a magnifying glass and look at your SPS close,and I mean SUPER close.Look for little small red bugs,other wise known as acro eating flat worms.

 

[Kwater]

Thank u I will look. But would those be on my birds nest the base is starting to turn white. I really don't WANs loose him I love that birds nest and he has done so well. The feats I made off of him are doing great though. Would the little red bugs be on the birdsnest along with all my sps

 

[sen5241b]

Nitrates of 10 are too high for those corals. Your phosphates are too high also. Phosphates must be tested when you keep corals and they should be zero. The 'trates are probably what is killnig your corals.

 

[dcantucson]

+1 sen. 'trates, 'trates, 'trates!!!
I hate those things.

 

[d2mini]

Alk and mag and maybe calcium is probably way too low if you're not dosing. I know mine is when I don't dose. And especially if i'm not doing weekly water changes.

 

[Kwater]

I am going to buy a profesinal nitrate remover. I'm saving up money

 

[yote]

Why waste your money on something like that when a good maintance routine would do the same thing?
Water changes,keeping the skimmer clean,keeping any sponges and filter media rinsed,will all go a long way in lowering nitrates.

 

[Kwater]

Well this is why. I change out both my filter socks 1 every 2 days. I do water changes once a week but have now switched to 1 every 2 weeks so that more bacteria can build up. I only gave 8 small fish. My skimmer is cept more than cleani have a tube that leads from the cokection cup to a bottel. But I still clean the collection cup even though it is not necessary. I do more than recomended and even with the help of nitrate remover there still 10. I am soon getting a refugium sump the nicest one I have ever seen. The sump refugium goes up to 250 gallons so it agin is more than necessary. Plus I'm buying another skimmer. I take allthe precitions but my nitrates are still high. So I decides to go over the top. :p

 

[dcantucson]

Kwater I have thought about one of those things too as I battle nitrates as well. Please post your results if you get one.

 

[Kwater]

I would be happy to. I wish we could solve nitrates all together

 

[dcantucson]

That would be nice :D

 

[Kwater]

indeed :). I will see if the refugium helps with the tank.