Tank Is Crashing Please Help!!
- Thread starter Ditchplains2
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Ditchplains2
Reefkeeper/Waterman
Mike good point! I didn't look at it that way, uh duh! lol
Sometimes I'm a knucklehead when I'm stressed out over this stuff.
I am running carbon everywhere, in containers with holes, in my phosban reactor, I've switched it out already so far, also running it in perforated ziplock bags in direct flow in my sump. Its starting to clear a tiny bit. I'm monitoring the ph is staying stable at 8.03 all day so far. Corals dont seem as stresed but everything is sliming up in defense to the poor water chemistry and toxins. I'm going to buy a true food grad mixing container today online. I hope this will help me in the future, I know I made a really poor choice on choosing that old container, I didn't think of the consequences, I just figured the dead decaying starfish was worse then a little rain water. Who knew it was filled with a chemical reagent of some sorts. Ugh! Hard lesson to learn, 250 bucks down the drain right now, hopefully all corals wont bite the bullet and will survive. I just can't believe I was so careless here, I have taken many painstaking steps in creating my reef and one error is costing me big time, well lesson learned I guess. I just hate the cost at which I learned it. I'm going to be extra vigilant in watching my water parameters from here on out, I took a lot of care on the initial water makeup, and the first change, but got careless with my maintenance. I'm not normally like that, I do my due diligence and get things done right, but not today. Thanks again everyone, any suggestions or advice/comments welcome. I appreciate it all!
cheers
David
Sometimes I'm a knucklehead when I'm stressed out over this stuff.
I am running carbon everywhere, in containers with holes, in my phosban reactor, I've switched it out already so far, also running it in perforated ziplock bags in direct flow in my sump. Its starting to clear a tiny bit. I'm monitoring the ph is staying stable at 8.03 all day so far. Corals dont seem as stresed but everything is sliming up in defense to the poor water chemistry and toxins. I'm going to buy a true food grad mixing container today online. I hope this will help me in the future, I know I made a really poor choice on choosing that old container, I didn't think of the consequences, I just figured the dead decaying starfish was worse then a little rain water. Who knew it was filled with a chemical reagent of some sorts. Ugh! Hard lesson to learn, 250 bucks down the drain right now, hopefully all corals wont bite the bullet and will survive. I just can't believe I was so careless here, I have taken many painstaking steps in creating my reef and one error is costing me big time, well lesson learned I guess. I just hate the cost at which I learned it. I'm going to be extra vigilant in watching my water parameters from here on out, I took a lot of care on the initial water makeup, and the first change, but got careless with my maintenance. I'm not normally like that, I do my due diligence and get things done right, but not today. Thanks again everyone, any suggestions or advice/comments welcome. I appreciate it all!
cheers
David
Scooterman
Well-known member
AS long as your getting "0" out the Ro/Di unit you should be fine. I agree use lots of carbon, it does wonders alone with a few large wc's you may get a noticeable improvement. If you had high chlroamine you'd be going through your carbon block & then di resins faster I think, they do make a test kit for that which would help determine if your removing it enough, thefilterguys has one that is cheap.
Since the worst problems started more than a day after the water change with the questionable container, I really doubt it was poisoning from the container. That should have happened more quickly.
If I understand correctly, you were using the ORP probe to control ozone? If the ORP probe was gradually failing, you may have been gradually poisioning the tank with ozone. That could easily have caused the coral, etc. behavior you were seeing.
Sorry for your losses. Hope the water changes, carbon, etc will save many of the inhabitants.
If I understand correctly, you were using the ORP probe to control ozone? If the ORP probe was gradually failing, you may have been gradually poisioning the tank with ozone. That could easily have caused the coral, etc. behavior you were seeing.
Sorry for your losses. Hope the water changes, carbon, etc will save many of the inhabitants.
Ditchplains2
Reefkeeper/Waterman
Yea, I'm just hoping to get a good food grade container to do a new wc change in, I'm a little freaked right now to do one again.
Water is still very cloudy. sadly, carbon is working I know this cause the coral polyps seem to be trying to poke out, but nothing is doing as it should, all snails well 95% are dead, crabs are doing just dandy.
Dnjan, Yes perhaps if orp probe was way off I was poisiong my tank slowly. I was not controlling the ozone with the probe. I just had the ozone on a timer for 2 20 minutes periods a day one in am and one at night, but I counted onthe probe reading accurately, since it wasnt this could have been a problem. I don't know. I have a ssb and that was kicked up during the last WC as well, this could be the cloudyness, but I doubt it as it was rinsed very well to begin with.
Really, I don't have a clear answer I'm just in shock, I don't know whats the cause but I'm listening to everyone's advice and hoping some of these methods will help cease the carnage right now. I'm happy to say my fish are all doing ok, I dont know if reproductively they were harmed, but so far they seem healthy and normal. So crabs and fish ok, mushroom polyps going back to normal, zoos still closed, and sps slightly very slightly improved with carbon. Water still looks like a light shade of milk water. Alk is fine as is ph which is what I expected to be out of whack, and seeing precipitation, but thats not the problem.
I will do a big WC tonight, right now I have to head out with wife and baby, its 60 here, and shes pissed Im indoors like a loon on a nice Jan day.
I will check back later and report.
cheers
David
Water is still very cloudy. sadly, carbon is working I know this cause the coral polyps seem to be trying to poke out, but nothing is doing as it should, all snails well 95% are dead, crabs are doing just dandy.
Dnjan, Yes perhaps if orp probe was way off I was poisiong my tank slowly. I was not controlling the ozone with the probe. I just had the ozone on a timer for 2 20 minutes periods a day one in am and one at night, but I counted onthe probe reading accurately, since it wasnt this could have been a problem. I don't know. I have a ssb and that was kicked up during the last WC as well, this could be the cloudyness, but I doubt it as it was rinsed very well to begin with.
Really, I don't have a clear answer I'm just in shock, I don't know whats the cause but I'm listening to everyone's advice and hoping some of these methods will help cease the carnage right now. I'm happy to say my fish are all doing ok, I dont know if reproductively they were harmed, but so far they seem healthy and normal. So crabs and fish ok, mushroom polyps going back to normal, zoos still closed, and sps slightly very slightly improved with carbon. Water still looks like a light shade of milk water. Alk is fine as is ph which is what I expected to be out of whack, and seeing precipitation, but thats not the problem.
I will do a big WC tonight, right now I have to head out with wife and baby, its 60 here, and shes pissed Im indoors like a loon on a nice Jan day.
I will check back later and report.
cheers
David
Ditchplains2
Reefkeeper/Waterman
Omfg!!!
Please somebody anybody tell me wtf this is~~~!!!
Ok I left for the day with my wif and child to my folks, running carbon in the tank both bags, and phosreactor filled with it and the tank started to clear up I come home and its MUTHA F*^(^ING MILK COLORED WORSE THEN BEFORE.
PLEASE I AM SOO LOST FOR WORDS, ITS SCARY/
FISH STILL ALIVE, CORALS ARE DYING ONE AT A TIME HERE.
THE ENTIRE AQUARIUM IS MILK
WHILE I WAS OUT I BOUGH INSTANT OCEAN SALT, MORE CARBON, ETC... TO DO A HUGE WATER CHANGE, NOW IM WONDERING TO JUST QT EVERYTHING IN A SEPERATE CONTAINER AND DISSAMBLE TANK AND JUNK IT, CAUSE WHATEVER THIS IS ITS GETTING WORSE NOT BETTER.
COULD THIS BE BACTERIAL BLOOM???
ANY SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!
IM LOOSING MY DAMN MIND RIGHT NOW UGH THIS IS NUTS!!
DAVID
Please somebody anybody tell me wtf this is~~~!!!
Ok I left for the day with my wif and child to my folks, running carbon in the tank both bags, and phosreactor filled with it and the tank started to clear up I come home and its MUTHA F*^(^ING MILK COLORED WORSE THEN BEFORE.
PLEASE I AM SOO LOST FOR WORDS, ITS SCARY/
FISH STILL ALIVE, CORALS ARE DYING ONE AT A TIME HERE.
THE ENTIRE AQUARIUM IS MILK
WHILE I WAS OUT I BOUGH INSTANT OCEAN SALT, MORE CARBON, ETC... TO DO A HUGE WATER CHANGE, NOW IM WONDERING TO JUST QT EVERYTHING IN A SEPERATE CONTAINER AND DISSAMBLE TANK AND JUNK IT, CAUSE WHATEVER THIS IS ITS GETTING WORSE NOT BETTER.
COULD THIS BE BACTERIAL BLOOM???
ANY SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!
IM LOOSING MY DAMN MIND RIGHT NOW UGH THIS IS NUTS!!
DAVID
Ditchplains2
Reefkeeper/Waterman
please please any suggestions guys, why would it get worse not better???
Ditchplains2
Reefkeeper/Waterman
Ron no water is made up yet, my only option is to use another rubbermaid container thats storing some clothes.
Any ideas what this could be ???
Im totally freaked out beyond words, I've never seen anything like this in all my years in this hobby, never had such a random and bizzare event happen that I cant seem to change or fix with any amount of water changes, carbon or skimming. ugh its scary!
David
Any ideas what this could be ???
Im totally freaked out beyond words, I've never seen anything like this in all my years in this hobby, never had such a random and bizzare event happen that I cant seem to change or fix with any amount of water changes, carbon or skimming. ugh its scary!
David
very hard to say...I agree with the others...get the livestock out as soon as you can...if you don't have enough containers, maybe some fellow reefers in your area could help out? Maybe even call a few LFS and see if they have some tank space you could borrow for a few days.....
MikeS
MikeS
Ditchplains2
Reefkeeper/Waterman
Sadly, I think the tank maybe permanently contaminated it just seems soo FING bizarre to me, I am going to use this rubbermaid container. I can't take off from work, I can't stay up til the am doing this sh**!, so basically I'm going to close off the old tank, dump the live rock, sand, everything and try to scrub, boil and use cleaning agents to scrub the tank to salvage it, I have no idea what this is, or what caused it, but I'm sure its very very toxic whatever it is! I don't have any ideas as of the moment, I'm just praying that the tank isn't permanently destroyed and all my components with it from some unknown toxin.
God this is just awful!
David
God this is just awful!
David
that's a good idea.. try to find a fellow reefer near you that could help out..see if someone has an extra tank laying around.....if not,10g are only like $15....i would just focus on getting all the livestock out and then try to find the problem in the display
Ditchplains2
Reefkeeper/Waterman
QT TANK is getting setup with some new salt, scrubbed heater and cleaned my one TUNZE so we shall see, next is to collect the remaining corals and fish, then to drain dump live rock, sand and water and clean aquairum, Ugh what a disaster.
Advice be very careful with mixing containers and contaminents!
Currently in hell!
David
I also contacted a supplier for some Live Rock as this was recycled and recured old Live Rock I cooked for 3 months.
Advice be very careful with mixing containers and contaminents!
Currently in hell!
David
I also contacted a supplier for some Live Rock as this was recycled and recured old Live Rock I cooked for 3 months.
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Don't rush on getting rid of the live rock or sand or draining the main tank, since you don't know exactly what the problem is yet....just get the livestock safe for now until you can figure out what is going on in the tank...with the livestock removed you'll have some more time to diagnose the problem...it may very well be something simple that won't have a long term impact on the rock or the sand....
MikeS
MikeS
Ditchplains2
Reefkeeper/Waterman
Mike I understand what your saying and it's a very valid point, but the smelly stinking aquarium is not something the wife or I want to put up with a newborn in a small apartment, so its got to go. I think starting over will help in that it will be a fresh start and with new cured rock, I might get more floral and fauna. Unless someone here can figure out a reason this tank is crashing so badly, cause I am beyond stumped, I have read atricles, asked for advice and nothing is comming up to explain this, so Im going to start over. I feel horrible but I want it to be sure I am rid of this dillemma I really work way too much to be dealing with this for the next week or two. Sounds lame, but got to cut off a rotting limb sometime so the body can survive.
cheers
David
cheers
David
Scooterman
Well-known member
David, I notice one thing you never really broke down your tank to us, imagine we're here on line guessing at what you know, what you got & really have no clues to your complete system, even with fine details it is difficult to diagnose, other than being right there, tell us what we need to know.
IMO It makes completely no sense to replace a tank just because of a smell or cloudiness, which It wouldn't cause in the first place. Put a few PVC parts in your Qt for hiding spaces & remove the livestock.
Something must be dyeing & causing your tanks problems but why is another question you really really need to know.
Oh & as I mentioned earlier, I hope you have your ORP off right now, don't need to add to the problems!
IMO It makes completely no sense to replace a tank just because of a smell or cloudiness, which It wouldn't cause in the first place. Put a few PVC parts in your Qt for hiding spaces & remove the livestock.
Something must be dyeing & causing your tanks problems but why is another question you really really need to know.
Oh & as I mentioned earlier, I hope you have your ORP off right now, don't need to add to the problems!
Ditchplains2
Reefkeeper/Waterman
Scooterman, good point Im working from a knowledge base you dont have. So let me elaborate. I am 100% theres nothing dying in the aquairum.
MY tank is a 30X30X17 shallow cube Starphire.
Sump is roughly 30gl, arcylic I built, with buble trap and center return with 15 g refugium.
Two Tunze protein skimmers, 9010 and 9015 working in tandom.
Tank has a ssb aproxx one inch.
Inhabitants were
1 dead linkia ( removed and did water change which started this whole problem)
1 flame angel
1 clown tang
2 mated pair Osc & Perc mix
25 Trochus snails
15 astrea
15 blue hermits
1 marshall island blue
1 zebra hawaii hermit
1GBTA 6 inch
corals
roscoe
mike paletta
yellow gorgoian
indigo stag,
teal stag
green stag
red stag
samonesis red
table acro beautiful neon green red polyps
oregon tort
this is live stock
flora in fuge
cheato huge amount half of fuge( gre like weed since I got it)
Mangroves 3 growing and branching with leaves.
So hopefully that explains it more. Nothing is dying that I have not removed from the aquairum. I have Qt in a rubbermaid ( new one) with a tunze pump and some pvc pipes, with fish, and corals and remaining livestock under my refugium lights ( home depot clip ons) temporarily.
David
MY tank is a 30X30X17 shallow cube Starphire.
Sump is roughly 30gl, arcylic I built, with buble trap and center return with 15 g refugium.
Two Tunze protein skimmers, 9010 and 9015 working in tandom.
Tank has a ssb aproxx one inch.
Inhabitants were
1 dead linkia ( removed and did water change which started this whole problem)
1 flame angel
1 clown tang
2 mated pair Osc & Perc mix
25 Trochus snails
15 astrea
15 blue hermits
1 marshall island blue
1 zebra hawaii hermit
1GBTA 6 inch
corals
roscoe
mike paletta
yellow gorgoian
indigo stag,
teal stag
green stag
red stag
samonesis red
table acro beautiful neon green red polyps
oregon tort
this is live stock
flora in fuge
cheato huge amount half of fuge( gre like weed since I got it)
Mangroves 3 growing and branching with leaves.
So hopefully that explains it more. Nothing is dying that I have not removed from the aquairum. I have Qt in a rubbermaid ( new one) with a tunze pump and some pvc pipes, with fish, and corals and remaining livestock under my refugium lights ( home depot clip ons) temporarily.
David
Ive just reread this whole thread. Im still in the belief that your dead starfish sarted all of this. I still see no mention of a nitrate or nitrite test. Also do you test for Ca. and alk. regularly? Its a little late but you have a tank full of SPS. Do you dose for Ca. and alk? If so, how often do you test? You could have possibly had and extremely high alk starting this cascade effect.
IMO all of your smaller life forms are possibly dieing causing your water to get cloudy. If I were you Id stop by the local hardware store on the way home and buy a rubbermaid trash can (even 20gallons) for make up water and do huge WCs. 50% a day would be a good start. Huge WCs along with running carbon are what will save your tank. Dilution is the solution to toxins, ammonia, nitrates etc.
Now IM going to go on a rant. First Ill start off by saying Im also a father of a young child and have been pent up due to weather all winter as well. Second, My fish dont have names and after 20 years of doing this IMO they really arent pets like cats or dogs. If my tank were crashing and my wife was nagging me to do something fun I would tell her to go by herself or that we could go on a short trip because my expensive hobby was going to potentially cost us thousands of dollars if I ignored this problem all day. The fish (some would call pets, ie. Dory Nemo, etc...) are dieing and I would hope that she would have some compasion for them and understand. A trip to the hardware store and then to the LFS IMO are far more important than basking in the sun when It comes to my hobby and hard earned money. Emergencies like this are rare. Sunny days are not.
Maybe Im way off base of way out of line. If I have offended you I apologize. From what I have read is that you still dont have a new make up water bin and still havent tested for nitrates. And I see no mention of a large WC yesterday. Carbon alone wont do it.
Again, Huge water changes and carbon are your only friends right now.
IMO all of your smaller life forms are possibly dieing causing your water to get cloudy. If I were you Id stop by the local hardware store on the way home and buy a rubbermaid trash can (even 20gallons) for make up water and do huge WCs. 50% a day would be a good start. Huge WCs along with running carbon are what will save your tank. Dilution is the solution to toxins, ammonia, nitrates etc.
Now IM going to go on a rant. First Ill start off by saying Im also a father of a young child and have been pent up due to weather all winter as well. Second, My fish dont have names and after 20 years of doing this IMO they really arent pets like cats or dogs. If my tank were crashing and my wife was nagging me to do something fun I would tell her to go by herself or that we could go on a short trip because my expensive hobby was going to potentially cost us thousands of dollars if I ignored this problem all day. The fish (some would call pets, ie. Dory Nemo, etc...) are dieing and I would hope that she would have some compasion for them and understand. A trip to the hardware store and then to the LFS IMO are far more important than basking in the sun when It comes to my hobby and hard earned money. Emergencies like this are rare. Sunny days are not.
Maybe Im way off base of way out of line. If I have offended you I apologize. From what I have read is that you still dont have a new make up water bin and still havent tested for nitrates. And I see no mention of a large WC yesterday. Carbon alone wont do it.
Again, Huge water changes and carbon are your only friends right now.
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Scooterman
Well-known member
Did you loose a bunch of snails also but all that was removed, to me the tank clouded twice, that is strange. Can you isolate your fuge & just run it without your tank? Last you have a GBTA, how does that affect your tank inhabitants?
aquarookie
Pure Poison :)
Yeah, the milkiness makes me wonder if you are dosing calcium and the dosing got screwed up... I am glad you got a quarantine tank set up. If you need to, you could always find someone to babysit your fish and corals in their tank... If you were closer to Seattle, I would gladly do it for you but you are on the "other" side of the country... Is there a reef club closer to Long Island?
