Garlic Gaurd

[jc130b]

If too much garlic gaurd is used in a tank will it kill everything?
I have a 8.5 fl oz bottle and son accidently put about 7.5 fl oz in the tank.

This tank has been set up for about 6 months and every time I put snails or hermit crabs in it they die. there is no living aminal in the tank now. In the sump I have a little bit of green alge and in the main tank there is a very little bit of red alge. Depending on the answer of the garlic gaurd I will post again and put all the info.

Tring to figure out why not will live in tank and the garlic gaurd is the only thing I can think of being a problem.
Thanks

 

[returnofsid]

Was this a used tank, that could have had copper medication in it, in the past? If so, the copper would remain, killing inverts, such as snails and hermit crabs. If that's a possibility, you may be able to remove the copper, using Cuprisorb or something similar.

 

[jc130b]

Yes it was a used tank, but I have tested for copper 3 different times and each time the test reads no copper.

 

[akunochi]

You have copper. How do I know...because I had it in my 180gal tank at one point. Here are some signs:

Tests read 0

Snails live for awhile then "melt"/die inside the shells. Easiest one to tell is a large mexican turbo. When you lift the shell up a black ooze will come out.

Some corals do well while others that should be easy met away over time. Zoas especially for no apparent reason.

My tank test 0ppm on copper, but I KNOW it was there because I introduced it through a brass gate valve. Stupid noob mistake. Now lets talk about how to save your tank....

First all the sand has got to go...immediatley.

Second get new rock or if you don't want to/can't afford it go to lowes and muriatic acid. Give your rocks a good soaking in that, rinse with RODI, soak in bleach, rinse in RODI, Boil in water, Rinse in Rodi. Repeat until rock is white as a newborns arse.

Next take the tank down scrub with white vinegar and RODI..rinse well. Hope it isn't in your silicone. If it is that will need replaced (but don't going doing that unless you have to.)

If the tank is Acrylic....congratulations you just bought a nice QT tank...but not for corals.

Next get some Media reactors (phosban 150 locally or get a nice one from Bulk reef supply) The BRS is a much higher quality unit and you can get the dual reactor.

Now go to wild side pets in Puyallup and purchase 1 or 2 containers of Cuprisorb. (This was the only local source I found in stock) Fill the media reactors and set it to barely tumble in the reactors. Run for a month or so. If it turns blue it is absorbing copper and needs replaced or cleansed based on directions.

After a month of running after it stops turning blue you can introduce some snails etc again and see if they live.

NOTE: Even though my snails continued to live after using the cuprisorb I still couldn't get real good growth in that tank.

If you have any questions hit me up and I'll help the best I can. I am in North Carolina until August but can assist if you are still having problems then. I live in Graham so not too far away.

Set everything back up

 

[the6goat6man6]

While the tank is empty, wouldn't it be wiser to cut out the silicone and rekaulk it? Insted of risking it leaching out of the seams?

 

[akunochi]

While the tank is empty, wouldn't it be wiser to cut out the silicone and rekaulk it? Insted of risking it leaching out of the seams?

Of course it would, but you have to consider the following:

1: Is the tank WORTH the hassle? Anything under 120 and I would just get another one off CL.

2: Do YOU have the skill?

3: Do YOU have the time?

4: If the question was no on any of the above....do YOU have the money to pay someone else?

The thing is that you are now talking about removing the trim, cutting the silicone (not just the bead, but all the way through) cleaning the glass edges, purchasing nice silicone, getting the spacer blocks, squaring the tank panes and reassembling.

Is it the right way to do it? Yep....are most people going to? nope.

 

[jc130b]

The tank is Acrylic. Is there anyway to test for copper to make 90% sure that is the problem? I have been wondering if copper is the problem.

 

[akunochi]

You would have to get a scientific level lab test done. I used a salifert test kit and it still registered ppm even though I knew there was copper in the system.

I'm not saying to give up. You could always run cuprisorb on you system, clean your rocks like above, and go BB for awhile and hope for the best. Just look at the associated cost based on your tank size and decide if it would be cheaper LONG TERM to just get another tank from CL or new.

Reactor 50-75 bucks
cuprisorb + a tub that fills one reactor
lost inverts ????
lost corals ????

Regardless of which way you go you must must must get new substrate and cleanse the rock or it will just leech copper into your new system.

 

[menace78]

I work for an environmental testing lab in Tukwila south of Seattle.
I was able to have my used tank and such tested, but I can't have it done for someone else without paying.
It is reasonable if you have excluded everything else and you want to know for sure.
ARI Labs (Analytical Resources Inc.) will do single samples for end user not just for industry.
If you are at the end of your rope or want the piece of mind with a used tank. it's well worth the cost and it's not as much as you might think.
Let me know and on monday I can see what the cost would be, but you would have to send a sample via mail unless you get over to Seattle often. lol
Might be a lab closer to you as well. wouldn't hurt to see what they would charge.

 

[jc130b]

I think I'm going to try and run some cuprisorb and see what happens. I'll post here if anything happens, I should have time on Monday to go wild side pets and get the cuprisorb. Thanks for all the help and info.

 

[jc130b]

OK I put cuprisorb in a high flow area in my sump 72 hours ago and it is the same color. It still looks brand new, does this mean I have no copper or do I need to leave it in longer.
Thanks

 

[akunochi]

It needs to be in a media reactor...and no it doesn't mean you have no copper it means that you don't have a lot of copper. You probably have trace amounts.