Part II: Why my corals are either dying or not thriving...

[JLAudio]

Ive already posted about this but still remain clueless, even after going to WWOF and having water tested and all parameters: (nitrite .10, phos, alk, calc, nitrates, TDS of RODI EVERYTHING was on point except iodine was a little low.

Ive been dosing iodine fairly regularly (I need test kit but stick to the once a week recommended dose. However my Leathers, colt, brain either die or dont open up. Some of my polyps do fine as well mushrooms. I just dont get it.

I have had multiple successful reef tanks with half as much maintenence as I do on this one, so im contemplating something in my water that is getting through membranes. There are 0 TDS but still, something is wrong.

Tank: 125 200 lbs LR, 150 LS
MH lighting (3) 150 14k, 2 96 PC
OCT 160 skimmer
Phos reactor
chiller keeping tank at 78
Dose, ESV 2 part daily
almost 0 algae

Just dont get it, my PH is 8.2, alk is always in proper range and calcium always 300-350 and should not be problematic for a colt coral....

Any other thoughts beyond the basic (nitrates, cal/alk, phos, ph)?

 

[Deanos]

Seeing as you're a reefing "veteran", you won't take offense to "Never dose what you don't test for." Perhaps your iodine levels are too high for the corals.

 

[JLAudio]

Definitely a truth for the hobby, however the results of the corals are the exact same before the dosing of Iodine and after, so it may not be helping but also has not caused any new detrimiental effects. I attempted to purchase test for this but I am searching for a good iodine test.

My other though is; could there be some copper being I bought it used from a MR member? My inverts, fish are doing amazing (featherdusters, brittle star, crabs, snails, shrimp) so not sure

 

[Dre]

I add iodine daily instead of a large weekly dose get a iodine / iodide test kit.
Seachem iodine test kit is good for a month after opening.

 

[noelskii]

did u buy ur tank brand new? maybe there are some hazardous chemicals leeching out of it. :scratchch

 

[jackson6745]

Iodine isn't even a factor. It won't do anything noticeable for your system. May not be helping but you maybe overdosing ???? (I don't think this is the reason but it would just be one less variable)

Do you have any SPS corals in your tank? If so, how are they doing?

Did WWOF check your salinity?

Are the UV protectors on your halides in place?

 

[2slo4me]

Seeing as you're a reefing "veteran", you won't take offense to "Never dose what you don't test for." Perhaps your iodine levels are too high for the corals.

"EVERYTHING was on point except iodine was a little low"

I dont think so if he just tested and said it was low?

 

[JLAudio]

I dont have any SPS, I attempted to put a monti frag and it died in a cpl days. My salinity is at 1.024 according to my hydrometer and they came up with same # using there refractometer, so not an issue.

UV protectors are in place

The tank was purchased used from a MR member, but I believe he had a reef tank just before his upgrade...However all of these poor coral results came from when I moved into a new APT in an old pre-war building. I try and stay on 10% WC's but they really dont seem to change the constant effect.

My other thought is I bought a lot of LR from an EBAY seller some time ago. It was listed as cured, but was shipped dry (odd). I didnt get any spike from it, but Im wondering if it is made from some kind of material that is effecting corals. If it is my parameters are not indicating this,

so Im wondering if anyone knows a place I can have water tested for other toxins?

 

[2slo4me]

How old is this tank set up?

 

[JLAudio]

"EVERYTHING was on point except iodine was a little low"

I dont think so if he just tested and said it was low?

It was tested by WWOF and they said it was 0, which they found very strange.

I have a lot of chaeto probably absorbing this as well a cpl monster anemones doing amazing, probably absorbing alot of this

 

[JLAudio]

The tank has been setup since last January,

 

[2slo4me]

Did you test for copper? maybe the tank the LR was in that you brought off of ebay had copper in it. and now its leaching off the rocks?

 

[noelskii]

Did you test for copper? maybe the tank the LR was in that you brought off of ebay had copper in it. and now its leaching off the rocks?

+1 it usually takes a while for this stuff to start leeching out...

 

[JLAudio]

Im going to try and test copper as well contact the individual who I got it from to see if that is a possibility.

As I asked earlier, does anyone know where I could send a water sample to have it analyzed for any possible toxins. Much like they would use to test drinking water for all elements and not just the ones that are specific to our hobby

 

[morphiii]

You Ca is low, what is your ALK? Mg? PO4?

Without specific numbers, it is hard to pinpoint the problem. How come you have nitrite? Probably something died or dying, releasing a lot of NH4?

Do you run any carbon?

 

[JLAudio]

You Ca is low, what is your ALK? Mg? PO4?

Without specific numbers, it is hard to pinpoint the problem. How come you have nitrite? Probably something died or dying, releasing a lot of NH4?

Do you run any carbon?

All levels were tested by both FT, WWOF as well myself (alk/cal, ph, nitrates, phos API kit, TDS, salinity etc) that could possible have to do with this. My cal is low but should still be fine for colt's, brain, etc. I just put that there because they tested everything, and found nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[Dre]

Iodine isn't even a factor. It won't do anything noticeable for your system. May not be helping but you maybe overdosing ???? (I don't think this is the reason but it would just be one less variable)

Do you have any SPS corals in your tank? If so, how are they doing?

Did WWOF check your salinity?

Are the UV protectors on your halides in place?

Are you saying iodine is unecssary ? Can you share your methods with us may be we can stop using it.

 

[morphiii]

All levels were tested by both FT, WWOF as well myself (alk/cal, ph, nitrates, phos API kit, TDS, salinity etc) that could possible have to do with this. My cal is low but should still be fine for colt's, brain, etc. I just put that there because they tested everything, and found nothing out of the ordinary.

Well if your Ca is low, you gotta figure out why. Is it because you have really high ALK? Is your Mg out of whack?

You say everything is fine, but what is fine though?

 

[JLAudio]

Well if your Ca is low, you gotta figure out why. Is it because you have really high ALK? Is your Mg out of whack?

You say everything is fine, but what is fine though?

I here what your saying but my calcium is pretty low because I dont dose that heavy because I have only low maintenance corals and no sps, so in the past the balance of cal/alk/mag were never that detrimental to softies and hardy LPS/polyps.

However I believe my last test had my cal at 350/alk at 3 meq/L and mg aroun 1200. Most of this was maintained with weekly 10% WC's and dosing 2 part daily

 

[masterswimmer]

JL, seems to me that you have low ca and low mg. Unless you have ALL your parameters in line I think you'd be sending your water out for toxin tests unnecessarily. JMO

swimmer