Sure enough, every single one of them. I had turned the pumps off to do some feeding and neglected to turn them back on. 

Time to start over, but what do I need to do first? I'm still watching the coral to see how they fair, there are a good amount of crabs and snails that made it and it looks like my cucumber is ok. 

What steps should I take?

Remove the dead.

Adam

We may be able to help you improve your system so that the next time the pumps are off, like during a power outage, fish will survive. If this sounds good, please tell us about your system and post a pic of the tank and a pic of the sump. What size tank is it and what has been the issue with Nitrates?

Aloha,

Mark  

P.S.

All reef aquariums must use AC. Period. Forget every other media, except the occasional PO4 removal media and forget skimming. Skimming us useful but incomplete. AC is the one thing that is absolutely necessary for removing certain organic molecules that are naturally dissolved in the water from all the animals, both the living ones and the dead ones.

Adam

Aloha,

Mark  

Is 'Lignite Carbon' equivalent to AC?

 I still have not made it over to see your tank even though you invited me. Could you layout how you run your tank for us that are not in the know. Being new I thought carbon was required if you wanted to remove organic toxins. I would be interested in knowing how your tank is set up so that you don't use it.

Lignite Carbon?

It may have less impurities, but the difference between AC made from Lignite Coal and Bituminous coal may not be significant. Compare this to the use of purified water. Some people think that using water that has passed over De-ionizing resine(DI) is better than water straight from the Reverse Osmosis(RO) membrane. The actual difference in impurities is not significant for reef aquarium purposes where so many reef animals actually feed on those impurities. A hobbyist may use tap water completely successfully where the city tap water is sufficiently free of deleterious compounds. These kinds of things are usually a matter of personal preference as much as economic efficiency.

AC in a Reactor?

AC should not be tumbled in a reactor. The resulting AC dust can create issues for reef animals. Water passing over/through a media bag of AC placed in a good flow area or near a pumps intake screen is entirely sufficient for removing the toxins. The same procedure works perfectly fine for Activated Alumina, which in my opinion, is a better, faster way to remove Phosphate and Silica.

Aloha,

Mark  

808-345-1049

well about anything works.  For me, I do run a massive skimmer all day and all night.  I love and use high wave flow.  And I use a ton of coral to filter my tank.  I'm a big fan of water changes, and I like to about 50% or more when I do a water change.  I have a basic rubbermaid sump, with sand in it and that's it.  I'm just in Centerville, come on over any time... bring a camera.

Sps- certainly sensitive to nutrients, but most people don't worry about toxins with them.  In fact at every single show in the world people put sps right by soft corals in frag tanks without any worry of them fighting each other.  They do keep that water nutrient free!

And when I do run carbon I always use it in my filter sock or even better in a reactor.  I love reactors.  I have probably three of them sitting in my garage for the day I decide to run carbon for something.  I'd keep that carbon tumbling if I were using it.

Adam