You can always get a faucet adapter so you don't have to tap any pipes to install a RO unit.

That is how I ran my RODI when I was in an apartment. I used a 50g rubbermaid container to store the water so I didn't have to run the unit too often.

well i will look into, buty i think it is too late for my current tank....i just did another water change (tested the new water...all seemed ok) when the new water hit my galaxea it turned it white....so i don't know what the hell went wrong...if the system can recover hopefully i will be able to at least save the liverock....but it doesn't look good...clowns are hanging out in the corner gasping for aIR...I'M SCREWED!


Is there a way i can re-do my tank if this explodes on me...which it looks like it has, I AM SO ****ED right now, i just don't know what happened...should i keep the rock in some salt water then make up a new batch and wash the substrate off and re-cycle it...? even if just to keep the liverock going untill new tank....lots of money just went down the drain :(

When the new water hit your galaxea, the water turned white, or the galaxea? How do your other corals look?

What water tests have your run? Can you post your results?

This is serious, but I have no idea what the problem is right now I am afraid.

I would head down to the grocery store for a couple 5g of distilled water, buy a new bag of salt, mix it up, heat it & aerate it in anything (5g bucket, rubbermade, spare tank), and transfer your livestock over right away.

If possible, I would have two temporary containers, one for fish & inverts, the other for corals. Try to save what you can. You can also seperate your live rock into a 3rd container, but remember everything has to be heated, and have a powerhead in it at least.

I would also run carbon right away, and any future water changes use new salt, and non-tap water.

Where are you from?

If you are in Edmonton I can help you out tonight with some supplies, I have spare tanks, heaters, salt, and powerheads you could borrow.

The Galaxea turned white, it looks like a skeleton...mind you some got exposed when i drained the water...but only a tad for about 3 seconds...
Tests for water are as follows

Ph 8.3
Calcium 480 or so
nitrate 10
nitirite 0
ammmonia 0

i am confused as hell....

I wish i could runto get distilled right now, but i am on a fixed income for school....hell i can't buy more salt till next month... :( i have enought for 25-30 more gallons though..but thats it....

Me thinking i am defn going fish only with next tank...at least until i not so limited in funds...
tank was doing so well for 3.5 month xenia was beautiful, mushrooms were huge galaxea...was well galaxeaing...(whetever they do).....

damn damn damn damn damn

Exposing it for that time wouldn't hurt it.

Your calcium is really high, are you dosing calcium? What salt are you using?

Now I can tell you the white cloud is likely precipitated calcium. Water can only hold so much, then it turns into a solid, which would appear white which sounds like what you are describing.

But your Ph is in line, so that is good.

I would go get a different brand of salt right away, mix it heat it aerate it, and transfer your animals right away.

Where do you live? Lets try to keep these animals alive. Maybe a fellow reefer from your city (wherever that is!) can lend you some salt, and/or keep your animals alive for you in their sump/fuge.

I would have expected your Ph to be out of whack if it was precipitated calcium.

Anyone else have any ideas?

I live in edmonton...about 8 blocks from the university....so far the crabs
Electric blue and emerald seem okay....my urchin is doing it's urchin thing...the clowns are gasping like mad....

if anyone could help me out that would be great....umm...i don't have any buckets or anything to trasnfer livestock though...


i just did another alk and ph test alk is way high....ph is way low.....below 7.4 i would guess from the test
i have buffers but i've never needed to use them....only occasionally iodine and occasionally purple up....
so is this a precip..whater storm? water smells wierd...i can't place it. what do i do now?
i've done three alk and ph tests one showed okay...then the other two didn't....bloody hell..er heck....anyone want to come over and see a tank slowly dying and figure out what to do?

When this happened, was it the first use of this batch of salt? Or had you used it before without problems?

If you want to come pickup some stuff to help you out (5g tank, powerhead, heater, 5g pail of RODI water, and salt)

I will be home around 6:15pm tonight, leaving again at 8:30pm.

You could also call the LFS you got most of your stuff from, and see if they will take any of it for you.

I would say the tests saying your alk and Ph are off are correct! Sounds like a salt problem if you are not buffering with anything, what brand of salt are you using? There is a post here about bad Kent salt here, I haven't read it, but check it out.