Tank Crashing?
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Topic: Tank Crashing?
Posted By: Snowsrfr
Subject: Tank Crashing?
Date Posted: March 31 2009 at 12:42pm
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I get this sinking feeling that my tank is crashing. Not sure if a "crash" is a quick thing, or a slow thing, but my is suddenly on a downhill slide and going fast. Over the last couple months I've been battling cyano and diatoms. Nothing too major, and was controlled with bi-weekly water changes and blasting of the rocks with a turkey baster. Lately though, the cyano has got much worse, covering most rock areas and I'm seeing the imergence of hair algae. Hair algae at this point is not terrible, but I know how it can quickly get out of hand. About a week or so ago I decided to boost my meager clean up crew by adding 20 astrea and 20 margatia snails. (Already had a handful of each, handful of hermit crabs and a couple turbos). Sadly, these snails have been dying at a rate of about 3-5 a day, so I'm back down to a handful of each again. I knew I was in trouble when this weekend my turquoise stag frag RTN'd within minutes of my scheduled water change. Then on Sunday my ORA Borealis and Bali tri-color RTN'd too. Only SPS that are surviving are my plating and encrusting monti's. All zoas are closed up, acans too, as well as my large pipe organ colony and my toadstool leather is shriveled up. My coco worm seems to be unaffected as it's out and seems as happy as it did before.
System:
29 Gallon Biocube W/ 150W MH (Fan on timer to keep temp in check)
2 Koralia 2's
Maxi-jet 1200 (return)
Biocube skimmer and heater in chamber one
Filter pad/Chemi-pure/Carbon/LR in chamber two
Return pump in chamber 3
~30-35 lbs LR
~2" Utah oolitic sand bed
Livestock:
1 Black and white saddleback clown
1 Skunk cleaner shrimp
Parameters (as of last night 30 March 09)
Alk 9.6
Ca 360 (working on raising both a smidge, Ca more than Alk)
SG 1.030 (done with refractometer, have no idea how this got high, as I test all mix SW before doing my water change, so I'm working on bringing this down slowly to 1.025'ish)
PO4 0
NO3 10 (gonna do another water change to try and bring this down too)
Temp 78
pH (will test tongiht, forgot to check when doing other tests)
That's about all I can think of for now as to what I'm experiencing and what I've tested for. Any insight or assistance would be greatly appreciated.
------------- "A fish tank is not a pet. It's a TV that you gotta feed." - John Caparulo |
Replies:
Posted By: tazman1982
Date Posted: March 31 2009 at 12:50pm
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SG... are you adding saltwater as a top off? do a small water change with fresh water, but do it slower. like 1 gal at a time.
Is the Refractomoter calibrated? ------------- 75 Reef 55 Reef |
Posted By: Snowsrfr
Date Posted: March 31 2009 at 12:54pm
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No, I use RO/DI that's 0ppm. I started doing 1 gallong changes last night of fresh for SW. Refractometer is calibrated with the solution I bought for it, not RO. ------------- "A fish tank is not a pet. It's a TV that you gotta feed." - John Caparulo |
Posted By: Snowsrfr
Date Posted: April 01 2009 at 8:47am
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I've done a couple fresh water changes (1 gallon at a time), and I've got the SG down to 1.028. Zoas are starting to open a little, but not much change in anything else. Fingers crossed. ------------- "A fish tank is not a pet. It's a TV that you gotta feed." - John Caparulo |
Posted By: Kynneke
Date Posted: April 01 2009 at 9:16am
| If you need a temporary holding tank for anything let me know, I have room in my 110 I could keep things for you. |
Posted By: tazman1982
Date Posted: April 01 2009 at 10:37am
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I think that was probably your biggest problem was the salt was to high, some corals will aclimate to that but it takes time, it is best to keep it down in the "normal" range.
I hope everything works out. ------------- 75 Reef 55 Reef |
Posted By: Snowsrfr
Date Posted: April 02 2009 at 12:58pm
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Thanks for the help guys. And the offer for keeping corals.
I've slowly lowered the SG back to 1.025 and stuff is starting to look better. Zoas are opening, leather is back up straight (no polyps yet). Fingers crossed that everything else comes back around. ------------- "A fish tank is not a pet. It's a TV that you gotta feed." - John Caparulo |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: April 03 2009 at 3:00am
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I disagree. The salinity was not the problem, unless it was raised too quickly with an oversaturated salty water change. FYI, as you lower the salinity the Alk and Ca will drop even further. Those readings are already too low for what SPS require to thrive. I would quickly add Ca (CaCl dissolved to saturation in RO water) to raise it above 400 and over two days raise the Alk to 12 with Baking Soda solution. Hair algae can have a toxic effect on coral, especially SPS, as can Cyano. The tank definitely should have more than a "handful" of snails. There should be several handfuls of Astrea, Cerith and Margarita snails. The tank may not have enough flow and if there is no macroalgae, adding that can help keep nusiance algae from growing. Immediately discard the Chemipure and don't use it again. It most always causes problems. I would not be surprised if within a week you can add snails and they will survive, with no problems. If more algae control help is needed, please call me. I don't get on the MB much anymore. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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