Water parameters problems

[jc130b]

Okay here we go>> History Tank was started in Feb 2005 and cycled for about 8 weeks all water pararmeters were perfect!! Introduced all fish about 2 weeks later.
1- Coral angle
2- Neon gobies (one died in Oct 2005)
2- Clowns
1- Yellow wrasse
1- Yellow tang
I had a prizme skimmer and a canister filter (which I cleaned once a week) about August me nitrates started going to 80 with water changes I got nitrates down to 20. Late August I bought a used refuge and early Sept I added cheato and my nitrates went to 80 again. I removed the canister filter and prizem skimmer and added a seaclone skimmer. In Dec I vacuumed (blew off rocks) every inch of CC that I could get to without removing rocks and I did this for a week everyday with a 5-10 gal water change. I got my nitrates down to 20 and that is where they stayed. In the mean time I also started my canister filter back up with nitrate sponge in it. Late Dec I added
1- Kenya tree
2 different types- xania
1- purple mushroom
1- pylop
1-red seaweed to fuge.
2-cleaner shimp
misc snails and hermit crabs
To date I have all the live stock listed, I have about 4' DSB in fuge (lots of pods, use to have some brisstle worms but I don't see them anymore) and cheato. I have the canister filter running with nitrate sponge in it. I have charcol in fuge. I get very very little waste from skimmer.

Problem I have a little bit of red slim in fuge (for about 4 weeks now) and it is now starting to show up in main tank. My water parameters are all screwed up, and I vacuum CC about once a week with a 5 gallon water change. I use ro/di water and it has been tested and is good.
Water parameters are:
Saltily-1.025
Calcium-600+
Alkalinity-2.29
Phosphate-1.0
PH-7.4-7.8 (had a hard time reading stripe)
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-20-40 (varies)
I'm using Salifert test kits and Oceanic salt (which if I can make to a store I'm going to buy I/O salt). I feed about 5 times a week and they eat Mysis shrimp up in about 1.5 minutes. Once a week I give them brine shimp and formula 2 and seaweed selects ( I don't think I'm feeding to much the way they eat the food so fast, but I could be wrong).
Sorry so long any help would be appricated.
Thanks, Jayme

 

[Krish]

WOW!(LOL) CC was my problem a while back. I ended up removing it and starting over. Bill (daytonaconnecti) just removed his recently as he had a problem as well with it. That could be part of the problem also, the oceanic salt, I've heard isn't the best. I've always only used IO. Have you ever tested the water that you use for nitrates? I know you say it is ro/di water, but is it really giving you ro/di? May be worth checking out. One last thing that came to mind was when you introduced the fish, was it all one time? If so, that is quite a load for a tank just starting out unless it is really huge. What size is the tank and also how much lbs of LR are you using. Do you still have the seaclone skimmer? If so, I'd maybe look into getting another type. I've never heard anything good at all about them since being in the hobby. Just a few thoughts I had. I hope they will help. Best of luckh

 

[mmkeeper]

The first thing I see is that your Ca and Alk are way out of balance.

 

[jc130b]

It is a 55 gal, and between the fuge and tank I have about 70lbs of live rock. The fish were introduced over about 3 weeks and have been in the tank since March/April 2005. I'm still using the seaclone skimmer but it is not really picking up anthing.

The Ca, Alk, phos, nitrate, and PH are all out of balance and I don't know how to get them back in or which one to start with.

I have tested the water I use coming out of the RO/DI and it shows no nitrates. even after mixing the salt it all tests good.

 

[jc130b]

One more item too add to my list is my tank looks like it is snowing. small white stuff floating around the tank.

 

[mmkeeper]

Have you tested the parameters of the water you use when you change your water?

 

[mmkeeper]

What additives are you using? Do you have a Ca reactor? The snow storm is from your alk and ca being out of balance.

 

[daytonaconnecti]

sounds like the tank was stocked to quickly, to much bio load at once....

 

[jc130b]

I tested the water that I use for water changes and it is all good except for ca is high which I think that is beceause of the oceanic salt mix I'm using.

The only additives I'm using is plankton and nitrate sponge in canister filter.

 

[mmkeeper]

To get rid of the snow storm either increase your alk by adding a buffer or lower your ca.

 

[Reefreak]

mmkeeper is correct if you buffer your alk to about 3.5 to 4.00 "over a period of days" it will force the calcium down, rais your ph a bit and clear the haze up, what you are seeing is the calcium precipitating from your water. However, you may continue to have this issue with the Oceanic salt. I have a bucket of it and will sometimes add a cup of it to a 35 gallon mix of IO to boost calcium levels.

Best of luck keep us posted

 

[Reefreak]

phos and nitrate will come down with some larger water changes and cutting back on organics "like fish food" maybe feed lightly every other day to get it under control.
I hate to brand bash but a salt mix that is more balanced would really help like IO

 

[jc130b]

I'm going to buy some IO salt and I will feed a little less.
So it is ok to mix salt brands without too many ill affects?
Thanks for all the help

 

[Rock-N-Ruin]

I wish I had a high calcium problem, you could always add some more corals!!!!! I gotta go blow around $400.00 on a Ca. Reactor setup. I use IO and am afraid to mix Oceanic..

 

[NaH2O]

I haven't tried mixing salt brands. I used Oceanic, but found the excessive calcium and magnesium levels too difficult to deal with. The alk was always rock bottom, so I ditched it and went to IO. I have read of people mixing the two, but I'm not sure at what ratio is best.

You can try and isolate the nitrate problem. Test various locations in your tank for nitrates, and see if any are higher than the water column. Test from inside the rock, the substrate, the fuge, overflow box, sump, etc. Do the same for the phosphate test. Also, you said the premixed water is 0 nitrates, what about phosphates? Just rule that out. Crushed coral can be problematic with nitrates, as it traps detritus. Are you having any other algae problems (besides the cyano)?

 

[mfinn]

I'm still using the seaclone skimmer but it is not really picking up anthing.

There is one problem. The reason it's not pulling skimate out of your tank is they are a poorly designed skimmer. On your next upgrade I would suggest to get a better skimmer. Won't do anything for the chemical imbalances, but will help with the nitrate problem

 

[Reefreak]

*********QUOTE*********​

I haven't tried mixing salt brands. I used Oceanic, but found the excessive calcium and magnesium levels too difficult to deal with. The alk was always rock bottom, so I ditched it and went to IO. I have read of people mixing the two, but I'm not sure at what ratio is best

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Hey guys how do you do quotes on here?


I have been mixing IO and Oceanic for a year or so and have had good results. When mixing the rubbermaid for water changes I use 10 parts IO and 4 parts Oceanic "different salt batches may change this a bit" My current balance of freshly mixed water is Calcium 480 Alk 3.20

IO by itself is calcium 375 Alk 3.85. Oceanic is off the charts on calcium based on Salifert and about 2.55 on Alk "depending on the batch its not very stable"
This works as a good starting point for me and gives me the balance I'm looking for, and its easy.

 

[mojoreef]

Just change salts from Oceanic. The mag and cal are ridiculas and not worth the problems. Thier is also an issue with cyano and oceanic, thier have been a ton of reefers that have had cyano issue when they use this product, me included. Once they changed away from that salt the cyano went away. Probibl some high level of nitrogen chelated and then is released by bacteria once in the tank.
Once you switch salts just water change yourself back to normal parameters.


Mike

 

[jc130b]

Thanks so much everyone, I will go today and get IO salt and do some water changes.