major loss

[Doug]

I guess as Mike has already posted, here is a good reference for future new aquarists to be aware of. Hope Mike does not mind, but I know he has limited posting time, training those army guys.

We think what happened was not the high alk. but the rapid increase in buffering the tank. The alk went from about 3dkh to 16 dkh in a week. I myself did that with a buffer about 12 years ago, but lost ni fish, just a few corals.

Mike tank has been fighting hair algae and he is trying to increase coralline growth. The reactor was pumping out buffer & calcium at the same time to much chemical buffer was added. If this increase is to rapid it stresses the tanks inhabitants. For anyone unaware of the reactors ability to increase alkalinity and the reaction from buffers, this mistake is easy for someone to make.

As Mike said, he had a very small, but healthy captive raised hippo. These are already an icky fish and easily stressed. We think this is what started it. It was removed, {but I guess to late}, and is currently doing well in my hospital tank. In hind sight, , I guess some of the others should have been removed. Perhaps the achilles, as they are also very icky. I might add this was a very healthy, pig achilles, that had lots of room and food in the 280 gal tank.

Myself and another aquarist had experimented with Quick Cure, {which is an ick medicine}, when we fought flatworms. Most corals, except sps and all crawlies handled it well. So thinking this may be the best treatment for his already in trouble stock, Mike treated the tank. I am not sure if to much was added or it was just the icks progression, but they just kept going downhill.

The message to others would be to make changes very slowly and be very careful what and in what amount something is added to a reef tank. What may work for something else. like fresh water, does not necc. apply to reefs. And sometimes the instructions mean dick, when it comes to reefs.