Green Slimer Problem

[TheNobleSavage]

Ok, here is the long story I have a 30 gallon Nano Reef tank and been running for about 2 1/2 years. I bought a really nice frag and it is good size, here are problems that I had:

1:250Watt 20k SPS HQI metal halide 3 inches from the water level

A. Problem Fixed by Moving the Light to about 10 inches

2:Coral went from a bright green to a brown even though the coral was 1/2 in the tank

3:Getting white spots where tissue is dying

4:I decided to frag the coral into smaller frags (8 frags now)

5:I bought another small slimer frag about 2 days after the 1st one and looks fantastic

6: Did I do the right thing by fragging the big coral due to the necro tissue loss?

7: If I can save at least 2 or 3 frags, Ill be happy

8:I can never keep Acropora coral, eventhough I can keep montipora, Caps LPS, Stylophora, Birdsnest coral

I just cannot keep Acros alive

My water parameters are all good to go. ammonia, nitrites, Nitrates, are at Zero. I recently bought a phosphate reactor and I tested and read just about zero. The Calcium is about 480, PH is 8.2, DK 10, temp around 78-80F, salinity is 1.026

So what am I doing wrong? I can keep everything else alive with ease but acros are just not working out. All of this happened before I moved my lighting up to 10 inches. I have 1 good green slimer and 1 red Acro.

So what Gives? Your help would be appreciated!!!

TNS

 

[lvsuckerfish]

is it getting stung by anything what is it close too with in Id say a foot radius of the coral affected?

 

[TheNobleSavage]

Nope, it was all by its self on a frag plate mid way. Also after all of this started, I added more curent to the tank by adding a nano korela and a powerhead. so there is plenty of current but it is diffused so it isnt tearing apart the tissue

 

[ashton]

Do you have any soft corals in the tank like leathers? Also do you run any carbon?

 

[TheNobleSavage]

I have finger coral but they are on the other end of the tank and no where near my SPS. I also not only run carbon but I also run Chemipure and have a phosphate reactor. I dose my tank 2 times a week with calcium, and a mixture of Stontium/molybrum solution. I do this in between my water changes. I do 1 to 2 gallons a week as far as water changes go. I dose mid week

 

[returnofsid]

Are you testing for Strontium/molybrum? If not, how do you know how much your tank is consuming? This is something you need to know, before dosing anything. Also, do you know what your Strontium/molybrum levels should be, or what these trace elements even benefit? I wouldn't suggest dosing anything that you aren't testing for. I'd also suggest knowing the benefits and optimum levels of any trace elements you do dose. It's possible that these trace elements are the cause of your problems, though I don't know what the benefits of these trace elements are, nor do I know the reactions of an overdose.

It's more likely that your problem is due to lighting, flow or a possible pest. Are you familiar with Red Bugs or Acro Eating Flatworms? Inspect your coral very closely, using a magnifying glass, for any pests.

Another possibility is your Finger Leather. They don't "sting" other corals, but use Aleopathy (chemical warfare). If they do produce chemical warfare, no sized tank is large enough to protect the other occupants from it. Filtering with Carbon will remove some of the nasty chemicals.

 

[TheNobleSavage]

Since I do water changes on a weekly basis, Ill stop dosing and see what happens next. The next thing is get a test kit for Strontium/molybrum. As for bugs, no problems there, I have yet seen one on any of my SPS corals both on full lighting and on my moon lights. So flow and Lighting was probobly the cause. Ill keep you informed as to where things stand in the next week or 2. As I said before, If I can save atleast a few frags, Ill be happy!! I did notice that moving the lighting up to 10 inches brought out color and some growth in some of my corals. My mushrooms are growing quite well but again I seperate the LPS from the SPS and chemical warfare could be very likely.

Are acros harder to keep than Stylos, Birdsnests and montiporas?

 

[returnofsid]

Acropora, in general, are one of the most demanding of the SPS corals. Stylophora, Seriatapora and Montipora are generally a lot more forgiving of water quality, flow and lighting issues. However, among Acropora, there are "easier" to keep species. Green Slimer, A. yongei is one of the more forgiving Acropora corals. Kevin will probably chime in soon, and he'll be able to give you the best advice and suggestions.

 

[TheNobleSavage]

Wow, I thought I would have the most problems with montis and Stylophoras and pociliporas. Acros are just a tough nut to crack!!!

 

[lvsuckerfish]

I think it is a combo of too many changes at once. which could effect a coral all the time no but sometimes I believe it can and will effect a coral. other then other things in the tank not sure how long the list would be but as Sid stated chem war fare could be a problem and that is the most sensative coral and will be the first to lose as for fraging it that was good thinking but still may not be the problem solver the issue that caused it is what needs to be pinned down and fixed. dod you add any new corals?

and as for the testing what all do you test for. I am a little cunfused that you dose ca but not alk or mag.... I would also test for mag. see what readings you get, and dosing stronium I would just pass on with weekly water changes that will do your tank just fine may be an over dose of stronium if thats possible ( that is an area I have not ventured into yet)

 

[TheNobleSavage]

Sounds like a good Idea, I was dosing with calcium/alk and mag between water changes. Ill lay off all dosing and just stick with water changes and see how it works out.

TNS

 

[TotalVapor]

what is your alk at?

I would not dose anything for a few weeks at the least. Maybe not even a water change unless your parm are all out of whack.

Test for Alk, CA and Mag. Heep those in check for a bit and slowly start testing for other things. I found when my ALK would start to get too high my green slimer would get white spots or the base tissue would come loose and move up as the coral grew.

 

[TheNobleSavage]

I can do that!! Ill skip the weekly water changes and instead of 2 gallons every week, I go 1 gallon every other week. I just purchased a new salt water reef kit to test minerals and chemistry. This might get me on track to figure out what happened.

After fragging that big slimer colony, it seems as though the polyps are starting to come back.

 

[knyreefguy]

i have found that using bio-cal from tropic marin has been the best way for me to keep things in check on my 40g breeder.. and all i need to check is alk.. if alk is a 9 my cal is 450... only problem i have found is when doing water changes you must use tropic marin boi-active salt... tried a water change with reef crystals and took my alk from 9 to a 6 with nothing more then a 10g water change... switched to bio-activ and all is good!...

 

[vinny2261]

With all the hard corals and the one soft coral there could still be a good war going on in that small of a tank. Depend on the flow and how the flow is moving through the tank it could still be getting the effect of the soft coral. I also agree that you are dosig way to much, most of those cemicals should be check monthliy and can take a week to properly show results. In that small a tank I would switch over to a reef salt mix, stay on your water changes and maybe get rid of the leather coral.

 

[TheNobleSavage]

I noticed changes for the better since the change of my lighting from a year old 250Watt Sunpod 20K SPS HQI to a 20K USHIO HQI and moving the lighting to 10 inches above my waterline. Also moving the corals to a new location along with adding a new phosphate reactor using Boyd Chemi Pure Elite and a wavemaker, it looks like some of them are making a comeback. I also noticed that using a wavemaker has incresed the amount of skim scum in my collection cup. This is 2 times more than what I was getting before. I have 2 Korila and 1 rio power head and I have the Rio and Korila Nano set at 60 seconds and the Korila 2 set at 2 minutes. I also decided to buy an ATO JBJ auto topper and I have had really good luck with it do far. The floaters are working since I have not had to manually add water to the tank. It has been running for almost a full week now. I dont have a sump, so I use a 5 gallon container for the RO/DI top off water. Since my calcium levels are at a good level, there is no need to dose with Kalk, eventhough I bought a filter for the pump on my JBJ ATO. The filter was cheap so I shelled out the money for it but probobly wont use it anytime soon. I did buy 2 check valves for safety measures. My wife would kill me if the tank decided to drain on the carpet!!!

This weekend I built a nice box to put the 5 gallon container into with holes drilled in the back so I wont have to see this 5 gallon container sitting next to the tank. I built it much larger than I hoped for but I think It is for the better and I can hide more stuff inside of it. Ill have to post a picture of it soon!!!!

What I first thought after the movement of the corals to the new location, the tissue was dying off and bleaching, but the areas that I thought were once bleaching are now turning a bright flourescent green now. So I know it isnt algae especially due to the color and the polyps growing back. Some of the frags I made after the problems I was having are starting to have small polyp extensions now. So I think I saved at least 1/4 to 1/2 of my frags at the very least. This was my initial goal after cutting and refragging then and putting them on ceramic discs and moving them away from the soft corals.

By the way, I also have not done a water change in 2 weeks yet but that is my next thing to do tonight. I will only do 1 gallon at most now. I normally do 2 gallons a week but ever since I had this problem, I cut down the water changes from 2 gallons a week to 1 every other week. My magnesium levels are on par along with my calcium at 500, hardness 10 or so and now my phosphates are almost at zero, less than .25 and now. After changing the Phosphate media to Chemipure Elite they are now right at zero. I also lowered the output to the reactor since I was getting the "media dance" in the reactor. So I am running at 1/2 to 1/4 the speed. I also stopped dosing and testing more. So less stuff to dose the better unless I am deficient in minerals.

Vinny, you dont think Ocean Pure Pro is good enough? Personally I been using it for about 2 + years and had very good luck with it. I also cut back my light cycle to around 8 to 9 hours.

Anyone have any other new suggestions for me?

Anyways I really appreciate all of your help here. This is a fintastic ( ) site with great members with excellent knowledge!!! You all have been of great help to me!!

Thanks a Bunch

TNS

 

[user 2204]

Can I ask why such a small weekly water change? In my nanos I try and do a 25% weekly wc.

Examples, I have a 20H that I do a weekly wc of five gallons and on my 20L mixed frag/prop tank I do 2 or 3 five gallon wc every week. I've never had any issues with doing wc like this in over 8 years of keeping nanos.

FWIW, in my 20L I currently have a variaty of SPS, LPS, and softies, leathers, without any ill effects. But I do run carbon 24/7 and change it out ever 2 weeks. Along with filter floss that I change out daily.

 

[TheNobleSavage]

Why do I do such small water changes? I Thought that 2 gallons weekly would be good enough and keep the tank from going into shock. I run Chemipure elite in my reactor and Chemipure in my final chamber. I also have a bicube filter with activated carbon in it that I change about once a month.

 

[TotalVapor]

The weekly water change really depends on you and your set up. With the small tanks they are less forgiving and can use a larger percent of a water change. On the same token depending on the levels of CA, Mag and Alk in your fresh salt mix could cause issues. I have noticed the IO salts lately have had high Alk when I make a fresh mix. A 3 to 5% water change a week should be good to get your reef started and after 6 months to a year adjust your water changes as needed. You don't want your water so clean that it cannot carry anything to feed the corals.

 

[TheNobleSavage]

Sounds like a good idea and will try it out and see what happens. Normally, Ill drain a gallon and then replace it, then drain at a different location and then add again. Also I put my phosphate reactor out line in an area where there isnt much water flow. What are your thoughts on that?