Mushroom killing bacteria?      8/21/17
Hi Crew! I am at a total loss, I need help.
I run 2 tanks, my main 75 gallon display tank (established 3.5 years) and a newer (7/8 mth) 55 gallon 'frag tank'.
I am a big mushroom enthusiast, but also keep a variety of other soft corals, Zoanthids, lps and a couple small easy sps (birdsnests, montis).
<Mmm; you likely have heard/read that Zoas and Shrooms often "fight" chemically; more than most stony corals>
You'll hate to hear this but I have never been big on testing, I simply rely on frequent small water changes via drip, and constant observation for anything looking 'off'. I have a low fish stock in both (maroon clown, starry blenny, azure damsel, pink spotted watchmen and an unknown Anthias in the 75, and a small clarkii clown and azure in 55).
<I'm of the same "practice">
Up until recently both tanks have thrived, very minimal coral or fish loss over the past few years. Everything has always seemed very stable and well balanced, no issues with algae and in fact immediately before my current
issue my display tank looked the best it ever had.
But we all make mistakes, and I always learn from them, but in this case I think it's too late. I know I should have been quarantining everything and I have learned and now have a quarantine tank set up but as I said, too late.
<Mmm>
So on to my issue. A few months ago I purchased the coral contents of a fellow reefers tank with plans of fragging and reselling the corals. The vast majority were Euphyllia (torches, hammers, frogspawn, as well as a favia, large brain and some others) I placed them all in my frag tank, except one large plate that I didn't have space for that went into my display.
<The Euphyllias rank near the top for allelopathy amongst Scleractinians...
Oh how I wish you'd slowly acclimated the new to the established as gone over here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompppt.htm
Within 24 hours the brain and plate both looked ill
<Losers to the mentioned combatants; classical>
and eventually started melting, and were covered in the dreaded brown jelly. Never having dealt with brown jelly before it was a great learning experience. I promptly removed both corals but the brown jelly didn't take long to affect the other Euphyllia (i suppose since they were not well established and under stress). I saw no ill effects on any corals in my main tank, assuming because they were well established and healthy. My attempts at fragging off dying pieces, treating in a separate tank with furan 2, dips with revive, rinsing in fw etc all failed. In the end i lost
the vast majority of Euphyllia that I had purchased, aside from the frogspawn which never seemed effected.
<More reading: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/envdisphysiof.htm
A few weeks later and all the Euphyllia in the frag tank were gone besides the frogspawn, and everything seemed back to normal, so I resumed my normal practices. I fragged some Rhodactis mushrooms in the frag tank,
<... Yeeikes; not in the tank; not this soon>
and to my surprise they melted. I have never had issues with fragging any mushrooms in the past. At the time I did not think it could be related, (and am still not sure it is) maybe I had just 'butchered' them or they weren't well established, so I simply decided to hold off on any fragging for a while. At some point I moved some mushrooms into my display, considering them quarantined and healthy. Weeks went by with no issues, now the nightmare starts.
A few weeks ago I lost one of my prize Rhodactis in my display. It had been doing amazing and was growing rapidly, and then didn't open fully for a couple days, then suddenly melted within hours. Since then many healthy
mushrooms (some that I have had for at least 3 years) have just suddenly melted away.
<A familiar "cascade" event>
Some first detach from the rock then disappear, some start expelling their guts then begin oozing from their mouths till they melt away, the odd one simply begins oozing from an outside edge then melts. These are healthy mushrooms, not recently fragged or damaged in any way. I have learned to syphon them out now as soon as i see it beginning, but I need to find a way to stop this!
<For now; just time going by: NO CHANGES>
So far it has only affected Rhodactis and Discosoma, I haven't lost a single Ricordea, or any other type of coral for that matter. The mushrooms that die are all in random places in the tank, it doesn't necessarily travel from one and then directly to it's neighbour. I even accidentally damaged a hammer coral while moving it (it and an anemone were getting dangerously close to each other ) and it has recovered quickly and without incident.
I've done large water changes and added carbon with no luck, just in case it was allelopathy.
<Ah, good>
I apologize for the long story, but I feel all details are necessary.
<They are; no worries>
Please help guide me, what steps should I take next? I have spent 3.5 years building my mushroom collection, this is devastating to me. I am normally very good at researching and problem solving on my own, but I feel I have
hit a dead end.
<IF you have other well-established systems to move some stock to, I would.
Otherwise, no further additions or fragging here for a few months>
The last thing I would like to note is that the only other major change I had made around the time this started was that I began feeding Reef Roids to the tank, although I am sure this is merely coincidental.
<Agreed. Bob Fenner>

Please help. Cnid. allelopathy in a new, large sys.       5/26/16
Hello Mr. Fenner,
<Hey Dai>
I hope you can point me in the right direction. I have a 265 gallon reef tank that I set up 4 months ago. I have sump/refugium, 4" carbon reactor, 6" media reactor with media pellets, 8" skimmer. Lights are 4 Hydra 26 HDs.
Nitrate /phosphate is zero
<Mmm; stop here: You know that all bio-mineralizing life requires "some" NO3 and HPO4? W/o these basic chemical nutrients all your "corals" will be very stressed/starved>
and the water is within reef parameters. The tank has 3 sections. Left is Zoas, center is 100 plus heads of hammers/frogspawn, and the right is 18" green leather and 4" green toadstool.
<Yeeikes....>
Everything was fine with Zoas multiplying, hammers sprouts tiny babies but within the past 5 days, some of the hammer heads just died leaving stalk white skeletons.
<The "losers"... to either the Alcyoniids or Zoanthids>
I bought a 60 gallon so this weekend I can put the finger/toadstool in it.
I hook up the FX6 filter (400 GPH) with carbon to address chemical warfare since Monday. I think the reasons on the demise of the hammers are :
1. Chemical release from leather/toadstool.
<Possibly>
2. Media reactor strips all nitrate/phosphate which hammers do need to grow.
<Definitely a/some factor>
So my plan is:
1. Move the toadstool/green finger to the 60 gallon.
<Okay>
2. Discontinue the FX6.
<All-right>
3. Discontinue the carbon and media reactor (all in one pellets).
<Sounds good>
The Zoas are thriving with new heads forming every week. I love to have a garden of hammers and while some people grow these like weeds, I can't keep them alive. Before dying, they thrive then die next day. Is my diagnosis and plan of action correct? Thank you Mr. Fenner. Dai
<I do agree with your plan; is what I would do, try at this point. IF no improvement, I would move the Euphyllias elsewhere. DO PLEASE READ AND HEED my acclimation protocol for introducing any/all NEW Cnidarians... by mixing water to/fro twixt the main-display and isolation/quarantine system. HERE:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/CorlCompArt.htm 
Bob Fenner>
<<Note: next time mention triple-dosing iodide-ate>>
Re: Please help
Thank you Mr. Fenner. So you are saying maybe it is the Zoas that are affecting the hammers as well ?
<Might/could well be; yes>
In that case should I move the hammers to the 60 and leave the toadstool/finger in the main tank?
<Yes; a better plan... Plus I'd triple dose all (both systems) with iodide-ate... every three days, three times>
Or just leave them in the main tank for now? I bought the 60 for the leathers specifically. Is it OK to run the 4" carbon reactor?
<Can't say from here. I would NOT use such on a newish system period>
On another topic. I think the" all in one pellets" give people the false sense of security.
<Oh yeah; the/a "western ethic"... trained to be good consumers... "Buying" something... but sans understanding, often false notion/s>
The dealer touts as " zero nitrate and zero phosphate" so people go crazy thinking they don't have to do water for a year. But while this is true, it is hurting corals because it is stripping of the essential nutrients that corals need.
<Yes... even other media/sources tout that the world's reefs are "nutrient free" when in good shape. NOT the case. They are nutrient concentrated; with the life there scavenging most all available. NEVER zero nutrients in the water>
If you have to rely on these 'miracles" to get nitrate/PO4 to be zero then that person needs to evaluate his technique of husbandry.
<Very well stated>
Thank you and I look forward to your guidance. Dai
<And I to your further sharing. BobF>
Re: Please help     5/27/16
Ok, so this is the plan. Move the hammers to the 60. How much of new water to old water ratio be?
<About half>
If the old water is not good (chemical warfare, no nutrients) then may be start with 100% fresh water?
<Not I>
You talk about triple dose 2 tanks but I am not familiar with the medication. You mean every three days, I dose the tank 3 times a day and for how long? Is this the iodine coral dip?
<See WWM re. B>
Thanks! Dai

Help My Corals Are Dying and I don't know why    1/10/16
HELP! My Corals are Dying.... an informative advert.
If you are like me, every morning you wake up and the first thing you do is go over to your tank and feed your fish. Everything in your tank looks fine, until one day you notice one of your corals is dead! You think, what the heck happened?
Yesterday everyone looked healthy.
Here are some quick tips on how to find answers:
1) Test your water! Your tank maybe eating up more nutrients than you think.
Test all water parameters and make sure your tank has the correct amount of supplements needed for your tank type.
2) Add Supplements! When a doctor advises we need take supplements to raise the vitamin levels in our bodies, we follow their advice and start taking vitamin supplements.
Corals are no different. The supplements we add allow corals to grow, thrive, and remain healthy.
3) Monitor your tank during the night. Parasites and other harmful creepy crawlies tend to come out a night to feed. A simple red light will allow you to see what  is going on in your tank without disturbing your tank's day and night
cycle.
4) Dip! If you notice parasites are enjoying the all you can eat coral buffet, dip your corals and rid the tank of those tissue eating pests.
<One approach. Bob Fenner>

Coral problems     7/28/15
Hello,
My name is Jon. I have been in the hobby <sic>along time but I have been having alot
<No such word>
of problems with some of my corals and I need your advice. Some of my Acropora are dying from the base up. Also a fair amount of my Zoas are not doing well. I have yet to see any pests on the Zoas when I check them. I do have alot of xenia in my one tank with the Acros. Not sure if that's a problem with that tank. These two tanks are both 75gallon. I run doser on both with bionic and no3po4x.
<These organisms need some/measurable NO3 and HPO4... SEE WWM re>
I use Salifert test kits for every parameter except ph and phosphate. Api for ph and Hanna checker for phosphate. The tank with Acropora has zero phosphate
<Starving>
with Hanna checker but I have Cyano growing
<.... what's your RedOx here?>
and Bryopsis plus the xenia is over growing that tank. Nitrates were 10pm last I checked. The other tank with lps and soft coral has .02 phosphate and 5ppm nitrates but has hair algae issue. Both are bare bottom.
I have about 75 to 90 lbs of live rock and a good amount of flow in the tank.
Calcium runs at 470ppm
<Too high... READ on WWM re this as well>
for both tanks and alkalinity at around 8 dKH for both tanks. Magnesium at 1300ppm
<Out of ration; problematic as well>
for both tanks. Ph is at about 8.1 for both tanks. Temp is around 78 and goes up 2 degrees when lights are on. I thank you for all your help in advance.
<Where to start? There are chances your situation is influenced by allelopathy; but the mis-use of the chemical filtrant may be more primary than this.... When you're done reading, write us back w/ more specific questions. Bob Fenner>
Re: Coral problems. Reef Tanks, Life, Everything!       7/29/15
Thank you for your help! Sorry if I jump all over with questions. I just am distraught over corals not doing well and want to be successful.
<No problem; I do understand >
Sorry for the long letter. Here goes. How much nitrate do Sps need? And Zoas?
<A few ppm>
What's a good level for phosphate for sps and Zoas?
<A few hundreds ppm>
Should I feed Zoas and sps?
<Definitely YES>
If so what should I feed?
<? Just read on WWM.... see the FAQs, articles....>
I have fauna Marin Zoa and Ricordea food? Is that good for Zoas?
<Not really.... most commercial prep.s are garbage. So much pollution. Make your own mashes... with supplements>
How do I feed that and how often? I also use oyster feast maybe once a week for both tanks. What should I feed sps and how? Broadcast or direct? How often?
<Again; all gone over and over. We have many thousands of people use the site daily.... no time for re-keying... see the 14k some pages>
My Acropora tank has two clownfish and a yellow Coris wrasse for pest control. I feed the fish once a day.
<See WWM re this as well. I'd feed more frequently>
The other tank has a pair of Banggai cardinal which don't come out.
What kind of fish do I get to control algae?
<STOP writing and start reading>
Whenever I get a tang they either nip my Zoas or my brain coral which then they stay closed.
Are Salifert calcium test kits good?
<They're okay... middle of the road for colorimetric assays... Accurate and precise enough for most aquarists use>
What should I get my calcium down to?
<No more than 400 ppm>
what's out of ration mean?
<Ratio... Ca:Mg s/b about 1:3>
What's RedOx and why is it important? How do I test it? How do I change it if need be?
<Aye ya... the reading>
Xenia does chemical warfare? How do I combat that? How do I get rid of xenia on big rocks?
What about the no3po4x? It's keeping my nitrates down. My Acropora tank has 10ppm nitrate and the Zoanthid, lps tank has 5ppm nitrate. Should I back off on that chemical or feed more. Some of my Acropora are receding from the base and Zoas don't look good except for a couple of colonies. Should I add iodide to benefit the Zoas? I have read some people had good growth by doing that. I do use Kent tech I once a week.
Lastly I put a light over my sump in each tank and put Caulerpa down there.
Will that help nitrates and phosphates so I don't need to use no3po4x? Should the refugium light be on 24 hours so Caulerpa doesn't go sexual or be on reverse daylight photoperiod? Thanks again!
<Enjoy the reading. Write back after you've done a bit more studying.... With specific questions. I do suggest you invest in a few good reef books (Fossa and Nilsen are my faves, but Delbeek and Sprung copies will work), and the time to study, understand what you're up to. Bob Fenner>