What is going on with my tank!?

ReefJunkie · #1 07-30-2007, 04:52 PM

I have been going through a cyano outbreak for the last few weeks.
About a week ago, after a couple good water changes, it seemed to be going away. Then one morning it was back in full force

After that, I noticed there was no hermits around and untill now I've only seen one hermit and he was chowing on a dead hermit. But I also have 10 snails that are all still alive. At this point I gave in to the cyano and got some red slime control and dosed it yesterday. This morning I got up to find my cleaner shrimp dead and my water pink. My params---> PH-7.8 (been using marine buffer to get ph up) Salt-1.025 NO2-0 NO3-0 NH3-.3 KH-130.
I am currenty doing another 5 gal water change (29 gal tank) and just added new carbon.
Any help is much appreciated

Paul

prodogg02 · #2 07-30-2007, 05:23 PM

do you have a uv filter,i had that same problem was told to stay away from that red slime control the kent brand anyway.my lfs lent me his uv and it was all gone i 2 days.

michika · #3 07-30-2007, 05:25 PM

From what you've said there is something happening with your water.

How old are your test kits?
Sounds like there is phosphates, or possilbly amonia or high nitrates in your system. Are you using a refractometer, or hydrometer to measure your salinity?

Keep going with the water changes. Ensure there is good ciruclation and oxygenation.

skylord · #4 07-30-2007, 05:38 PM

Water changes could be part of the problem.....are you using RO/DI?

Scott

ReefJunkie · #5 07-30-2007, 06:16 PM

No I dont have a uv filter...my test kits for nitrate and ammonia are fairly new and my nitrite and hardness kits are a couple years old ... I am using a hydrometer...... I am using RO/DI water only.
Thanks for the replies
Paul

michika · #6 07-30-2007, 06:51 PM

Since most of your test kits are fairly new I'm going to assume that nothing is wrong with your test kits and your values are all correct.

Has your hydrometer been calibrated recently?

Are you seeing any improvements with water changes? Did you have the hermits and shrimp for a long time before this happened?

ReefJunkie · #7 07-30-2007, 07:04 PM

Yes I have had some of the hermits and shrimp for at least 6 months but I had a few blues that were only about 2 months and still pretty small... I have checked my hydrometer with another hydrometer and they are the same.

untamed · #8 07-30-2007, 10:32 PM

Are you running any kind of protein skimmer? I had a cyano problem myself a few years ago, and tried ALL kinds of things (including red slyme remover, reduced feeding, phosphate removers, carbon, massive water changes).

Nothing worked until I upgraded my skimmer. At that point, the cyano disappeared in 24 hours. My system as about 25 gallons, and I was trying to run a prism Pro skimmer. A Euro Reef rated for 80-100 gallons solved my problem.

michika · #9 07-30-2007, 11:50 PM

With everything you've said I can only think that it may be associated with something in the water, e.g. a chemical accidentally getting sprayed over the tank etc. but other then that I'm totally out of ideas

ReefJunkie · #10 07-31-2007, 12:23 AM

No I dont have a skimmer its just the biocube setup almost stock (LR instead of bio-balls).

Its just my wife and I at home and we are very carefull around our tanks.

Things are improving, the water is clear now and the corals are looking better but still not opening and the cyano is almost all gone. One snail looks questionable. I guess we'll wait and see now.