Tank slowly crashing. Please help, tough one

[iroc2zep]

So where do i begin....this started roughly March 1st, 3 hermit crabs were constantly on my orange monti cap and shortly to follow was some algae growth(diatoms maybe) on the cap. I banished them to the sump, algae growth went away for about a week and then started back again. It also started on my blue digi colony but just the tips, so at that point i double checked my alk and was a little higher than i usually have it at 12.4, usually keep it at 9.5 to 10. Slowly adjusted it over the next week and it has been fine since. The problem is continuing, it started on my spongodes colony. At that point i thought maybe nudibranchs. I removed some pieces and branches, basted them in a dish to possibly find some pest but nothing. I also dipped a digi frag and put in different location. Problem still continues, now my kryptonite candy canes slowly dying and birds of paradise showing stn. Tank info as follows.
72 bowfront.30 gallon sump, carbon and gfo in single reactor, eshopps in sump skimmer. Radion xr30 lights.
Temp 78 ( digital and float style)
Alk 9.5 (red sea)
Calc 450 ( red sea)
Mag 1375 ( salifert)
Ph 8.2 night 8.0 mornings. (Api)
Phosphate .25 (api)
Ammonia 0 (api)
Nitrites 0 (api)
Nitrates 0 (api)
Salinity 1.025 ( atc refratometer)
Weekly 10% water changes red sea coal pro
2ppm of tds right now with ro...i always change filters at 3 ppm.
Daily dosing red sea part ab&c 3 part powder
Livestock.
Tomini tang...pair of clowns...six line wrasse...royal gramma...lyretail anthias...
Inverts.
Cleaner shrimp...harlequin shrimp...5 ish red leg hermits..2 electric blue hermits...2 Mexican turbos..etc..on misc clean up crew.
Coral
Large colonies montiporas, multiple birdsnests, stylos, large amount of zoo and mushroom colonies. Acan colonies.
Tank has been running for 3 years, i check parameters weekly and adjust as needed. 2 1/2 months ago lost all my acropora in quarentine process from aefw. So this is real kick in the groin right now. I've heard stories of softies crashing tanks, no idea even how to figure that out. But I've been changing carbon every 2 weeks since this started with the thoughts of that. Let me know if any other info helps, i know this is long story and any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

My first thought was nudibranchs since it sounds like you are only losing montipora right now. The pests tend to attack one colony at a time, usually working from the edges and going towards the middle. What did you dip them in? I think Revive is the best one for nudibranchs. They will start to move around immediately and are easy to spot in the clear liquid. Buy a cheap magnifying glass and check again. They can be as small as a grain of sand.

 

[dz6t]

How did you do your QT process to treat AEFW?

 

[iroc2zep]

I set up a 40gal tank with a radion, circulation pump, skimmer. Was dipping once a week with water changes. None of that equipment came back to this setup. I think it may have been too late when i started the process and the shock finished them off... I've never had pests before until that encounter, so didn't diagnose properly and early enough

 

[iroc2zep]

I'll try the revive and magnifying glass. Thanks

 

[dz6t]

For monti eatting nudi, full tank treatment with Flat Worm Exit will take care of them. Do 3 treatments a week apart to catch the new hatch.

 

[showard]

Just spitballing here but api test kits are not the most reliable, maybe take a sample to the closest LFS and get all the same parameters checked and compare just make sure your phospate isn't high and causing stn and algae growth. Happened to me a bit ago. Thats the best ive got at this point but will keep thinking

 

[Nickt]

What is the algae if it's not diatoms? I only ask because my tanks been set up for about 3 years also and I ended up with dinoflagellates twice in two months. I've been dosing hydrogen peroxide seems to help a lot.

 

[frank180reef]

I would get another opinion on alk and calc.....

 

[nemodan]

I am more than sure that was your Alk peak.

SPS can show the stress signs days or weeks,after the event independently that you have your system stable again.

Unfortunately there is not much to do. Burned tips with algae growth is a typical sign of an Alk peak. It can be other reasons too, but if you do frequent WC you replenish all the elements, leaving the Alk levels as the most probable cause


My answer is from my own experience (twice happened to ne) and from reading.

 

[Bandit13]

Is your dosing automated or is it by hand? If it's by hand what is the swing from before to after dosing? I was doing hand dosing and eventually the alk swings were getting to large because I had to dose more and more to keep up with growth. My monti cap bleached, lost a few sps and some lps receded. Switched to automated dosing and most corals bounced back. Not sure if this is your case but throwing the thought out there.

 

[iroc2zep]

Appreciate everyones input, i had all my parameters tested and seems either user error on my part or faulty alk test kit, i know i have tested it in the past with a fresh batch of red sea to make sure testing was correct. My alk was tested at 7 at reputable LFS when i got home i was reading 10 with my test kit. Again using red sea, i will double check today and check fresh batch of salt. Would my symptons line up with this new found info?? All other parameters were right on. Thanks again

 

[iroc2zep]

Is your dosing automated or is it by hand? If it's by hand what is the swing from before to after dosing? I was doing hand dosing and eventually the alk swings were getting to large because I had to dose more and more to keep up with growth. My monti cap bleached, lost a few sps and some lps receded. Switched to automated dosing and most corals bounced back. Not sure if this is your case but throwing the thought out there.

Dosing by hand, i have honestly never tested before and after dosing, i will definitely be checking that too. My consimption and dosing is less right now than it was 3 months ago because of my loss of my acropora colonies. But something definitely to check. Thanks