What is the definition of a tank crash?

Wayne · #1 03-04-2011, 02:12 AM

I think I might be on the verge of a tank crash. SPS is dying, leathers have been shedding skins for weeks, zoas closed up, clam only half open.

Fish are fine, levels for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate are zero. Magnesium was around 1360, calcium around 400, PH 8.0-8.2, phospates are high at 0.5, KH at 10.

I have been doing small water changes everyday for the last 3 days, without disrupting the display tank with some visual improvment in the LPS. Am I on the verge of a crash and how do you prevent...

P.S. This happened a month ago aswell and the cause that I believed was the GFO and Carbon I was running in a reactor. I have since thrown all that mixture away and put a little carbon in. After seeing the problem again the first thing I unplugged was the reactor.

Aquattro · #2 03-04-2011, 02:17 AM

I would do a large water change right away. Something in there isn't right, and doing small changes won't be enough to dilute whatever it is.

Wayne · #3 03-04-2011, 02:19 AM

I have about 60G of water in my tank and sump how much should I replace?

Aquattro · #4 03-04-2011, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne

I have about 60G of water in my tank and sump how much should I replace?

I'd do 30g and see how that goes.

Wayne · #5 03-04-2011, 02:25 AM

Sounds good be back in 5

Wayne · #6 03-04-2011, 02:53 AM

OK OK a little more than 5

WOW thats a big water change!

Aquattro · #7 03-04-2011, 02:55 AM

Just something to think about, I'd probably do that much as a regular water change

I change 50g every other week, which is about 25%. I'd do more, but my bin is only 50g. I change about 75% in my biocube every two weeks.

Wayne · #8 03-04-2011, 03:02 AM

Something to look forward to when I go bigger eh!

I think I will increase my amount changed from now on. My levels are always constant, and my lighting is all new with a 250w metal halide and 135w of PC and I have never really had a lot of LPS or leather growth...

Wayne · #9 03-04-2011, 11:42 PM

Day after big water change no signs or improvment, I will do another large water change. Is there something that I am missing in this equation? Also I am noticing a brown algea creeping on my closed up zoas...

#10 03-05-2011, 12:30 AM

Just a thought, but if you have a new metal halide and you were running a less intense light you may have shocked your coral.

When we went from the PC light to our new metal halide things were not happy at first. we set the halide about 18 inches off the surface to start on only 4 hours a day. the corals closed up for almost a week then gradually started coming out and looking better.

we have since moved out halides down and are on for 6 hours of halide but it took a while for the corals to adjust.

I dont know if this is causing you issues but you may want to think about the timing of your issues in the tank.