Ready to GIVE UP!!!

OK, I know that I haven't posted pics of my 12g Nano, and I've kept corals in this tank before with NO PROBLEMS whatsoever. This time, I have a 7 month old bunch of mostly zoas, pulsing Xenia, a yellow leather (which is just about dead and looks more pink), and some mushrooms. The water has been overrun with cyano (red), and I tested water perams... PERFECT. Salinity- 1.022. I was going to transfer this group of corals into my 40g tall for a seahorse setup... but now it isn't fit to do ANYTHING with, it seems, except watch everything close up and die. I'm really sad about it... the corals were so beautiful, and I'm sure most can be saved, but some I've lost for good.

There is a greenish-grayish POND SCUM looking stuff that has been collecting on the corals and especially the surface of the water. I tried increasing flow, I tried antibiotics, I tried decreasing light cycles... I tried frequent water changes. NOTHING works. WHAT is this scummy stuff, and where is it coming from? It is really yukky and slimy.

Two things that may be contributing and/or directly responsible:

1. We've had an EPIDEMIC of box elder beatles (here in Michigan, they come out on warm sunny days, EVERYWHERE in and around your house, especially in rural areas). They have infiltrated the house and many have died in my tank (no glass lid). I fish them out when I find them, but their decaying bodies or chemicals may have caused an outbreak of some kind... this is the first thing I noticed.

2. My leather coral is pretty much dead. My pulsing Xenia is now dead, too. I want to cut my losses and save whatever I can... the zoas look like they can be rescued from this tragedy. How can I remove these dead things from the rock so their decay doesn't foul the water further? Do I use an X-acto knife, or break the rock? HELP!!!

This is SUCH a bummer... I'm trying to get pics, but I can't seem to get one still enough with my stupid camera. I might have to turn off all flow, but that won't really show a lot of the scummy stuff. ANYONE KNOW what I can do???

 

Sorry to hear of your struggles. What has been your schedule for water changes and what is your plan now?

 

It could be chemical warfare between coral?
Or 1000 other things. What are you water perimeters exactly?
How old are you bulbs? What lighting are you using?

J

 

Can't tell you exactly what my perams are, they are written down at home. This was the first water test I'd done with my used kit, so some of the chemicals may have been too old. I do know that Ph, Ni, Na and Am levels were at the LOWEST readable. I need to do a water change tonight, but I really need to know how to get these dead corals out. What method is recommended for removing dead corals?

The lighting is an 80w power compact, and the bulbs are at least 7 months old. Seems to be okay as far as light, but since I added a powerhead, it seems to have made the outbreak worse.

 

You can just pull the dead coral out. If it's mount on rock they will come off with a little pulling.

I usually change my PC lighting every 6 months. I don't think there is much life left in the bulbs after that

J

 

Do you have a CUC or a fuge?

 

Hey young man, you have to post pics. Get a few of the coral so we can assess what to do and advise you. Don't be embarrassed, we have all fought our battles, believe me. I think the coral could possibly be saved in the other tank. Sounds as if you have a nutrient problem in the small tank. Without a protein skimmer it is difficult to control the excesses. Lights are too old, you should replace them every 5 mos. I have a 14 gal. Biocube and that practice seems to be the best. If a skimmer is not feasible, you can try a small sterilizer, I have done that and the cyano (3 bouts over 1 year) has not returned.
Come on, relax and keep your chin up!

 

Ph was at the lowest readable level? what level would that be?
its suppose to be around 8.2-8.3

 

OK, FIRST OF ALL, if you look at my avatar, you'll see that I'm a WOMAN, not a "young man".
I recently bought a small skimmer, but it won't FIT in the tank! That reminds me, I need to look that info up, because the directions were sent on DVD format, and we don't have a DVD player on our PC. When it rains, it pours, I guess. I will follow your (and others') advice and get new bulbs for my light fixture.
My 40g will be up and running in a few weeks. If I can keep the corals happy, or at least alive until then, I'll be fine. The rocks with the dead Xenia have been removed, and there's still PLENTY of live rock in the tank. I did a water change, and it made a huge difference. There is still a bunch of gunk floating around in the water, but I think I'll do another water change (about 25%) tomorrow, after agitating some saltwater.

Thanks for the pep talk, sometimes my perfectionist/OCD ways can get too overworked from things not going right!

 

The Nano Cube has a kind of "fuge" built into the back, where the pump is housed. It has 3 chambers, and I had removed the filter media to treat the water for cyano. Last night I put the media back in, and the tank looks lots better this morning. Corals are still ticked off, but most of them will make it, I'm sure.

My CUC consists of 2 peppermint shrimp, a red sea star (not sure what good he does), a brittle star and these snails: nassarius, stomatella, nerite, astrea, and ceriths. I removed all the crabs because they pose a threat to my beloved shrimp and a possible threat to my future seahorse duo. However, scarlet hermits are considered safe-R, so do you recommend hermits in the CUC? Anything else I should add?