Coral Toxins?

[koda_dad]

Wouldn't be a normal day if I didn't have some problem...so here is today's update :)

Okay.....last night I noticed my open brain was not happy at all.

Levels are okay...but phosphates and nitrates are elevated.

sal 1.0255,
ph: 8.4,
ALK 7.8
Ammon: 0.25,
Nitrate : 7. (this seems pretty bad)
Nitrite = 0,
Calc: 480,
Phosphate: 0.5 (not great either)

My wife told me the jawfish was spitting sand on the open brain it all day yesterday so I thought that had to be it. Today it was shriveled up most of the day and when it did expand it did so very very little. Totally not like this guy at all

Now if you recall the toadstool was looking really bad (everyone thought it was just going through a growth stage However....... its position...just a little upstream from the brain. I read today that when stressed they release toxins which can seriously effect anything withing 8" (which the brain is)

The plot thickens... I have a purple colt that just won't stay put. (I have tried everything) Well I noticed today I could not find him....AGAIN. I have no idea when he went missing. Honestly, it could have been a while. I looked and looked and could not find him until a little while ago.

He was under a rock directly upstream (like 2" ) away from the toadstool which is about 5 inches from the brain. It looks really really bad. Might be dead.

Could that be the whole cause of all my troubles? The colt releasing toxins...ticking the toadstool off, then the toadstool and the colt ticking the brain off?

Thoughts?

 

[Bifferwine]

It's definitely not your nitrates -- nitrates at 7 is great. Most people are lucky to get them in the single digits!

Is your ammonia accurate though? Any ammonia above zero could be having a detrimental effect on livestock. Are you using a liquid test kit or a dip stick?

Toxins from the leathers could be doing it, but I really don't think it could have killed a brain basically over night. Toxins from softies will take a while to have an impact, and you'd watch the brain slowly recede and die. Plus, 5 to 8 inches away is kind of far.

 

[koda_dad]

The brain isnt dead...just really really ticked off.

I am using API test kits and have checked it against and elos kit a few days ago and all appears good :)

The only other thing that might be the source of the problem is that I converted the alk wrong... (it is my only non API kit) It is a redsea which uses meq/L

According to that kit Alk is around 6.2dkh after conversion.

I have tried using Reef Builder to raise it up...but that product just doesnt dissolve very well at all...everytime I add it (mixed with topup) it really ticks off everything. Right now, it is only the brain and toadstool that are ticked.

Lastly, I have removed the colt and plan on adding in my fluval with carbon to hopefully remove any toxins left.