Nitrite is toxic.

So sorry to hear this! :cry:

Found the PROBLEM!!!
 

I went to AA today and Dan and Nicky were a huge help.

Test results were

Salinity 1.024
PH 7.6 / 7.8
KH 11
Calcium 440
Am 0.0
Nitrite .5
Nitrate 15

O2 wait for it







0 ZERO Zilch Nada Nothing

So dissolved oxygen was 0 mg/L? Am I reading that correct?

how the heck can disolved O2 be 0? Should so something, I mean a little water is allways in contact with the air, even with pumps off

Putting tank water into a container, travelling with it for a time, then testing it later on is absolutely not an accurate measurement of your tank's dissolved oxygen level. You have to take your tank water out, and test it within a few minutes of removing it from the tank in order to get an accurate test as shaking the water a bit will increase the dissolved oxygen content, and letting it sit will lower the dissolved oxygen content, even in a sealed container. Don't consider that test your be all end all, it has very little bearing. I am surprised the employees at AA didn't know that or failed to express it to you. It's kind of silly they would even test customer's O2 levels from the store since their readings would never be accurate.

Just a little surprised That after all the water changes you did after the crash, that your O2 levels would still be so low...

I agree with Myka, and that is probably why your test sample read 0 for O2 at the store after all the water changes.

But after thinking about it last night I agree that the cause of the crash was oxygen starvation

Alfredhouse is gone
 

Actually Dan and Nicky suggested the O2 could be depleted. She purchased a test kit, went home,tested the water.....VOILA !!!!

O2 = 0.00

Opened the lid ( tank has glass lids)
Added a couple of airstones and powerhead
Moved the Korallias towards the surface

Within 1 hours O2 started to climb. The corals are looking better but PH is still low 7.6 but is expected to climb up.

Husband currently in her carport building sump, not allowed in the house until done:biggrin:

She also purchased a CPR overflow since tank is not drilled.

Glass lids ?????!!!!!????!!!!
 

I (and I'm sure others as well ) didn't know that there are glass lids on this tank, The lids as well as no surface skimming due to the canister filter is why there is no oxygen exchange at the water surface..... THE Glass lids have to go !
The PH will rise as the O2 levels go up and the CO2 levels go down ( CO2 drives PH down, same principle as a calcium reactor)

The plot thickens...!! :eek:

Wow...ya if I'm the jury, the jury is in, and the guilty part is oxygen starvation for sure! The glass lids wouldn't be a problem if you ran a skimmer, but from what I understand you don't have a skimmer, right? Then the powerheads not giving any surface agitation...poor combination.

pH is low because of elevated levels of CO2 in the water due to not being able to off-gas, and not enough O2 being injected into the tank. Simply adding an airstone will often increase pH. For more information on this subject read the pH heading in my guide on reef chemistry in my signature.

Alfredshouse is gone
 

Yah, i have really learned alot in the past two days. I no longer have lids and and my sump is being built as we speak. I am really grateful to everyone that tried to help, especially Belezuth, who spent hours helping me change water and do repeat testing. And another thank you to AA who spent alot of time troubleshooting and determining to cause. Thank you all again. Right now my tanks are being aerated and closely monitored, they have white board marker test results all over them.:biggrin:

You can put your lids back on once you get a skimmer. I have had lids on some of my tanks (with skimmers) with no troubles. Help keep evaporation down as you already know. Now that you have an O2 kit, you can always test just to make sure! ;)

Expensive lesson to learn, but you can scratch that one off the list on newbie mistakes now. :D

an absolute tragedy, but I learned a ton just by tagging along. I am truly sorry for your losses but thanks for sharing it with us.

I also am very sorry for the losses you have ocurred but I want to thank you for sharing it with us so that we all can learn a little more about this hobby.

Really sorry for your losses. Much more gained by the rest of us tagging along on this thread. I have learned a great deal from this incident.

Good luck with getting back up....I hope the rest of your tanks inhabitants make it.

Brad

Alfredshouse is on the mend.
 

SG 1.024
PH 7.8
NO2 0
NO3 20
O2 5+

This is from opening the lids, adding two bubble wands, pointing the koralia 4 toward the surface and other koralia lower, still have the FX5 going, and sump will be finished thursday. I expect the parameters to just get better now. I will test my tanks for O2 levels from now on and never make this mistake again! Just other mistakes!!! I have to have a sense of humor after all this.:redface::redface::redface::redface::redface: :biggrin::redface::redface::redface:

Your poor hubby stuck in the carport till Thursday :( hehe. Sorry for your losses. But always a learning experience for ourselves and others.

You don't need the bubble wands. They'll only cause unwanted salt creep.

Ahem - not wanting to blow my own horn but I think I mentioned a CO2 buildup a few pages ago :lol:

Just glad to hear you've tracked it down

O2 depletion is correct Black Phantom
 

You were absolutely correct in you trouble shooting. Thank you !!!!!!!! Your help is much appreciated. I am only using bubble wands for now until the O2 level corrects its self. It does seem to help. Any other thoughts are appreciated!!!!!

LOL - I guess that comes from 28 years in the fire service and dealing with toxic atmospheres. Makes me think on different lines.
Hopefully things are improving.