Obsessive Compulsion + Lack of Sleep = 500$ Worth of Live Stock - Page 4

michika · #31 03-31-2008, 04:24 AM

Exactly how old is this tank?

I wouldn't add anything to your tank until you get your water chemistry in line.
You should be showing 0ppm for ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. Your rock should provide enough natural filtration to bring those levels down. You can also do water changes to speed the process along.

Your calcium is quite high, are you dosing anything for Calcium? You may want to consider stopping. Your dKH or alktalinity is also high, 250ppm translates to 14 dKH which is quite up there. You might want to check out this article for more info on chemistry and the relation between Calcium and Alkalinity.

aussiefishy · #32 03-31-2008, 04:49 AM

just wondering if you have check your pH, or alkalinity.

first, i do not think the reason for your losses came from change of salt, skimmer not running or air pump not running.

the most probable cause would be poison, such as from excess use of impure chemicals, like dechorinator, or the elavated Mg might kills invertibraes or other micro-organisms that created a NH3 spike.

Can you give us a brief description of the fishes that were dead? like signs of physical trauma, or certain notable conditions?

you mentioned O2 depletion, did you check this with a reliable test kit?

recommended improvement might be regular testing of water parameters, keep log of these data and create a record of different happenings for your tank. From my experience, i did solved a lot of my tank's problems by checking these valuable logs that i kept over the years.

hope it helps.

michika · #33 03-31-2008, 04:54 AM

FYI: KH or dKH = alkalinity

aussiefishy · #34 03-31-2008, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdnicolas

Ok just finshed the tests. My Calcium level seems really high for some reason.
If I remember correctly it is a side affect of the magnesium treatment.
I've obviously missed something else rotting the tank. Probably the one shrimp that I couldn't find and assumed dead. Should I do another water change? Man this is all too discouraging at this point in time

Salinity 1.024
PH 8.4
Nitrite 0.1 ppm
Nitrate 5 ppm
Ammonia 0.3 ppm
Phosphate 0
Calcium 680 ppm ??
KH 250 ppm

KH=250/18.9 = 13.22dKh

1 other question, do you dose any other kind of chemicals regularly? you seem to have such high levels of Ca and dKh at the same time, it is very abnormal, ususally when you hava an elevated level in either Ca or dKh, the other will be greatly depressed.

also, as mentioned by others before, you have NH3 in your tank, that is not abnormal give the fact the most of your livestock were dead after you do testing.

How much pH flutuations do you have between lights on/off?

untamed · #35 03-31-2008, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdnicolas

Wow interesting insight I think we might have something here. I usually make my water reaplacement the day before but when I changed it last night I made the batch of water and put it in right away. I think I was pretty careful though b/c I mixed the water for a good 5 minutes and started out with slightly warmer water (to catalize the mixing) before cooling it down to 78 and into the tank. I've never checked if the aquaplus has to be refrigerated. Maybe it went bad!?!?

I think you have your answer right there. If you have been mixing new SW the day before, that gives the water time to "breath off" the Chlorine. You might check to see if your area uses Chloramine, which is even stronger and more toxic (I think).

Anyway...the Chlorine remover you've been using may not have been working as you think for some time. Or, it might have been removing some CL and 24hrs was doing the rest for you. When you didn't provide that time to vent the Chlorine in the new SW, that poisoned the tank.

Of course, we all know that if you kill enough things quickly, you cause a chain reaction of death.

rdnicolas · #36 03-31-2008, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by untamed

I think you have your answer right there. If you have been mixing new SW the day before, that gives the water time to "breath off" the Chlorine. You might check to see if your area uses Chloramine, which is even stronger and more toxic (I think).

Anyway...the Chlorine remover you've been using may not have been working as you think for some time. Or, it might have been removing some CL and 24hrs was doing the rest for you. When you didn't provide that time to vent the Chlorine in the new SW, that poisoned the tank.

Of course, we all know that if you kill enough things quickly, you cause a chain reaction of death.

I think this is what happened then. Probably combination of chlorine and lack of oxygen. Ill probably do another water change but I'll wait until tomorrow for the water to settle in this time.

rdnicolas · #37 03-31-2008, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michika

Exactly how old is this tank?

I wouldn't add anything to your tank until you get your water chemistry in line.
You should be showing 0ppm for ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. Your rock should provide enough natural filtration to bring those levels down. You can also do water changes to speed the process along.

Your calcium is quite high, are you dosing anything for Calcium? You may want to consider stopping. Your dKH or alktalinity is also high, 250ppm translates to 14 dKH which is quite up there. You might want to check out this article for more info on chemistry and the relation between Calcium and Alkalinity.

Thanks for the link!
At this point I'm cosidering tearing the tank down and cooking the live rock. before I tried the Tech M cure, I tried using a method a LFS suggested. They sold me a bottle of aragonite and they told me to dump it all in the water to make the water ultra murky. the aragonite was supposed to cover the algae and reduce photosynthysis. I was to reduce the light levels at the same time. After trying that and it didn't work I did a water change and then slowly started to dose Tech M. I won't tell the store that told me to do that but I'm now boycotting them b/c they cost me a couple cheap bt anemones AI sold me for under 20 bucks I think. I'm actually more ****ed of at myself for listening to them

rdnicolas · #38 03-31-2008, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussiefishy

KH=250/18.9 = 13.22dKh

1 other question, do you dose any other kind of chemicals regularly? you seem to have such high levels of Ca and dKh at the same time, it is very abnormal, ususally when you hava an elevated level in either Ca or dKh, the other will be greatly depressed.

also, as mentioned by others before, you have NH3 in your tank, that is not abnormal give the fact the most of your livestock were dead after you do testing.

How much pH flutuations do you have between lights on/off?

I've never actually tested my ph in that way before. It normally sits around 8.3 to 8.4 and I
I use Kent ph buffer up twice a week (usually drops to 8.1) when I check the ph and its low, I normally use one squirt of cycle every week thats about it. now I'm wondering if dying bryopsis caused an ammonia spike.... but then again the fish still died after the water change...

untamed · #39 03-31-2008, 03:56 PM

You seem to add a lot of "stuff" to the tank. I would recommend that you back off and simplify your approach when you restart.

rdnicolas · #40 03-31-2008, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by untamed

You seem to add a lot of "stuff" to the tank. I would recommend that you back off and simplify your approach when you restart.

Yep finally decided I'm going to "cook" the existing rocks and maybe buy a new batch of new liverock for the meantime. I'll need help from fellow reefers to temporaily take my remaining livestock until I get reset. Any one willing to lend a hand? I figure I'll need a surrogate home for at least 4-6 weeks. If anyone is able to come tonight that will be preferred. Please PM me.

Thanks

Reggie