Corals dying off? Now fish acting weird.

[k4ndyk1ng]

It may not be that some levels are low, there could be a big ph swing or the levels are changing too fast

[Nano tanker Nick]

It may not be that some levels are low, there could be a big ph swing or the levels are changing too fast

And there is nothing I can do about the ph swing right? I would prefer not to chase it with buffers and what not.

[k4ndyk1ng]

And there is nothing I can do about the ph swing right? I would prefer not to chase it with buffers and what not.

this is the reason people run fuge lights at night. The fuge makes o2 and so does the coral's algae in the day, the higher the o2 the lower the co2 and the higher the ph. other than that i dont know what you can do about the day night swing

 

also is there deodorant, disinfectant or something like that sprayed in the room?

[Nano tanker Nick]

this is the reason people run fuge lights at night. The fuge makes o2 and so does the coral's algae in the day, the higher the o2 the lower the co2 and the higher the ph. other than that i dont know what you can do about the day night swing

 

also is there deodorant, disinfectant or something like that sprayed in the room?

Not that i'm aware of. I just got a red sea nitrate kit and it's saying it's higher than the API test. so Nitrates could be my problem. I just did another water change and plan to do another one tonight when I get off of work.

[k4ndyk1ng]

Not that i'm aware of. I just got a red sea nitrate kit and it's saying it's higher than the API test. so Nitrates could be my problem. I just did another water change and plan to do another one tonight when I get off of work.

what are the nitrates?

[Nano tanker Nick]

what are the nitrates?

They were reading between 20 and 40 on the red sea test kit. Which is really high.

[k4ndyk1ng]

Is there a pocket of detritus somewhere?

 

Anything on deodorant ?

[Reef Miser]

heater malfunction? Stray voltage or cooking the fish? Whats your temp at?

 

I had stray voltage from a broken heater that slowly killed corals in my tank. Some were more impacted than others. xenia was one that died from what i remember. The heater only would leak voltage when it is cycling on, so it could be that when you checked for stray voltage, the heater wasn't running. Just a thought. The symptoms just sound so familiar I thought it was worth a second look.

[Nano tanker Nick]

Is there a pocket of detritus somewhere?

 

Anything on deodorant ?

I went through yesterday and scrubbed all the silicone took apart all the pumps, cleaned the walls in the tank and the sump and nothing. Then did a 5 gallon waterchange after, then did another 5 gallon waterchange today and tested nitrates again and they are still sky high. Reading about 20-40 on API test and about 40-50 on red sea test kit. No spay deodorant is used.

 

I had stray voltage from a broken heater that slowly killed corals in my tank. Some were more impacted than others. xenia was one that died from what i remember. The heater only would leak voltage when it is cycling on, so it could be that when you checked for stray voltage, the heater wasn't running. Just a thought. The symptoms just sound so familiar I thought it was worth a second look.

Maybe. The tank stays at 78 degrees now. I have never noticed a drop or swing in temperature. I'll change out heaters and see. The only thing thats in the tank is a small mat of gsp and about 20 polyps of zoas. What is causing soo many nitrates?

[k4ndyk1ng]

Do you have any filter floss? Or anything like sponges filter socks?

[Nano tanker Nick]

Do you have any filter floss? Or anything like sponges filter socks?

I did have a filter sock. I changed out every 3 days or so and got rid of that. There is one strip of sponge in the sump inbetween the last two baffles to catch micro bubble. but it also gets cleaned fairly regularly and never has anything but cat hair on it. I don't feed anything in the tank so It's weird that they just keep rising even after waterchanges.

[k4ndyk1ng]

I did have a filter sock. I changed out every 3 days or so and got rid of that. There is one strip of sponge in the sump inbetween the last two baffles to catch micro bubble. but it also gets cleaned fairly regularly and never has anything but cat hair on it. I don't feed anything in the tank so It's weird that they just keep rising even after waterchanges.

How much is fairly regularly? And what water do you clean it in?

[Nano tanker Nick]

How much is fairly regularly? And what water do you clean it in?

Every 3 days to once a week. and I use the tap water sprayer to clean everything I can off of it then rinse it in water I took from a waterchange then get all the water I can out of it by swinging it around ferociously.

[k4ndyk1ng]

This could MAYBE be it, or a detritus pocket

 

Try turning the mo10 up too

[Nano tanker Nick]

This could MAYBE be it, or a detritus pocket

 

Try turning the mo10 up too

It's on 75% reefcrest mode. I'll throw It on 100% and see if it fixes anything. Thanks for your help.

[k4ndyk1ng]

It's on 75% reefcrest mode. I'll throw It on 100% and see if it fixes anything. Thanks for your help.

I mean you have tried everything, do you have algae problems?

 

My pico has 0 nitrates because I leave the light on 18 hours lol

[Nano tanker Nick]

I mean you have tried everything, do you have algae problems?

 

My pico has 0 nitrates because I leave the light on 18 hours lol

Damn 18 hours lol. I Just get a little film on the sand and on the glass but it just kinda blows away from the sand and I scrape the glass like once a week,

[Tamberav]

I would do like a 15g waterchange. That's exactly what I do when my nitrates creep up on me after some bad husbandry. Sometimes I have to do two 15g a few days apart to catch up.

 

Which red sea test kit is it? The high range or the one that does low and you do high range by adding RODI water?

[Nano tanker Nick]

I would do like a 15g waterchange. That's exactly what I do when my nitrates creep up on me after some bad husbandry. Sometimes I have to do two 15g a few days apart to catch up.

 

Which red sea test kit is it? The high range or the one that does low and you do high range by adding RODI water?

It is the high range one. I have done a 5 gallon waterchange 4 times this week. I'm going to mix up some more saltwater now and test it before I put it in the tank to see if it's something else. I'll try a 15 gallon now.

[markalot]

Did we ask about your water source? RO/DI?

 

If the zoas are open they should recover IMO, and at 7KH I'm going to guess you crashed Alk and pissed everything off.

 

Chuck the API kits and get something decent, like Salifert. I don't believe the nitrate test unless you are extremely over stocked with fish.

[Mr. Microscope]

I would check for stray voltage or perhaps your refractometer is not properly calibrated.

Has anything improved since the crash?

[ChickenoftheC]

have you tested the water your using for water changes or if your using ro for tds and if it has any elevated levels in it already?

[Tamberav]

It is the high range one. I have done a 5 gallon waterchange 4 times this week. I'm going to mix up some more saltwater now and test it before I put it in the tank to see if it's something else. I'll try a 15 gallon now.

 

ahh for some reason I thought you tested the water already. Definitely do so just so we can rule it out if nothing else.

[Nano tanker Nick]

Did we ask about your water source? RO/DI?

 

If the zoas are open they should recover IMO, and at 7KH I'm going to guess you crashed Alk and pissed everything off.

 

Chuck the API kits and get something decent, like Salifert. I don't believe the nitrate test unless you are extremely over stocked with fish.

I had been using ro/di from the local reef store, I have the red sea test kits.

 

I would check for stray voltage or perhaps your refractometer is not properly calibrated. Has anything improved since the crash?

I have checked for stray voltage, and found nothing. I calibrate my refractometer before I use it with the calibration fluid that comes with it. The gsp is doing great, good polyp extension and very green tips. The zoas have all started to open back up and some of the color in the middle has come back.

 

have you tested the water your using for water changes or if your using ro for tds and if it has any elevated levels in it already?

I bought a RO/di from bulk reef suply and it is saying 001 tds for incoming and 000 tds for output water.

 

ahh for some reason I thought you tested the water already. Definitely do so just so we can rule it out if nothing else.

I tested the ro/di i mixed with salt and it has 0 nitrates in it. I just did a 15 gallon waterchange and tested the water again and it is saying still over 40 nitrates on the red sea test kit. Maybe I have a bad batch of the test kits?

[markalot]

I have checked for stray voltage, and found nothing. I calibrate my refractometer before I use it with the calibration fluid that comes with it. The gsp is doing great, good polyp extension and very green tips. The zoas have all started to open back up and some of the color in the middle has come back.

 

I bought a RO/di from bulk reef suply and it is saying 001 tds for incoming and 000 tds for output water.

 

 

 

Yea, bad kit or not doing it correctly. That has the wheel of color on it, right? I'm guessing you are near 0 nitrates. You have good polyp extension and everything is opening so whatever happened is over IMO and you are on the right track. I would ramp up the light a little or try and rent a PAR meter so you know what you're working with.