dasstheboss Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 Hello All, My tank was fine the first few months it was set-up but recently I've been getting RTN on my acroporas and some of the softies in the other tank won't expand completely. I doubt it's something within the system since nothing has been added and no fish are missing. Are any of you dealing with WQ issues from the storm? My RO/DI unit should take it out but my tank is doing worse since changing water it seems. I'm dumbfounded as to what can be causing it. I don't have test kits for Nitrogen or Phosphate and won't be able to get them until the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer82 Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 None here. I just made up new top off water over the weekend and used about 5 gallons so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke33 Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 So far so good on my end and we have been getting hammered with floods where I'm at. So your tank is just a few months old? I would check on the phos with a hanna checker. What is your filtration method? I have had my tank up since Feb and just a few weeks ago is when phos stabilized and stopped rising. It generally takes a good 6mths to get your tank stable and another 6mths to consider it somewhat mature. Atleast that's how every new setup I've had has done. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWags911SC Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 When I started my first tank, I couldn't keep any acros alive, I had STN from the base up and tested my tank parameters religiously several days a week. I had optimal conditions according to the test kits, including no Phosphate issues. One thing I learned from my experiences was that acros can be tough to keep if you are just starting corals and I should have stayed with softies the first six months due to the water chemistry and stabilization issues Luke mentioned. Can you tell us anything about your lighting and tank parameters (alk, ca & mag, nitrate and phosphate levels), your flow (power heads, GPH, etc.) and what test kits you are using? Also, do you use an auto top off, or do you replace it manually? Changes in salinity with water changes, underlighting, swings in Alkalinity resulting from your recent water change...these are some of the usual suspects I could point you to I have been getting in the habit of testing the mixed saltwater I plan on using as my water changes to see if they are in line with the tank before I do my water changes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasstheboss Posted July 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 The tank is on auto top off. I have the Apex system so all the params are stable: 36 76 and 8.22 The lighting is reef breeders led system and filtration is an aquamaxx skimmer. I run phosban and now even my softies are acting up. All the corals are shriveled up and no polyp extension. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke33 Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 What about phosphates? I think a phosphate Hanna checker is one of the most important things in keeping a healthy tank. Are you using a refractometer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer82 Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Have you tested water change water after mixing? The apex isn't going to tell you anything important in regards to water quality. Alk is a pretty easy one that'd affect almost all corals if it's significantly off. Any potential cross contamination of the ato water source (pets, kids, air fresheners, etc?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasstheboss Posted July 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Chances are it's alkalinity but my test kit today didn't work correctly. I'll have to check it again when possible. I'm going to add some baking soda tonight to try and fix it. Also, I don't have a phosphate checker but will get one tomorrow. If it was a phosphate issue, what could be the source? I haven't changed anything. I use both a refractometer and apex to monitor salinity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roush2000 Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 I've noticed my ro memebranes di and such running there course faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer82 Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 I mean ya I suppose it could be but I would think PO4 would have to be pretty high to get softies to react negatively. Then again nothing is perfect science in this hobby. Why do you think the alk kit didn't read correctly? Are you close to anyone who happens to have anot her type of fest kit or a Hanna checker? I'm not sure I would add anything if you don't know what it is....that could just make it worse. I've had salinity creep pretty high with no Ill effects in smaller tanks....up to about .030 and didn't even realize it until I checked it. I'm not sure what side of town you're on but if you can bring me a few ounces of water I can do a whole battery of tests for you if you want. I just replaced a couple salifert ones with fresh kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasstheboss Posted July 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Actually, I just ordered the Hanna checker for Alk and PO4. Hopefully one of them is the culprit - I'll know by Friday. I've already lost about $200 worth of corals, don't want to lose the softies also. My ph, salinity, and temp have been stable for a long time. Mag at 1300 as well. The calcium and alkalinity must be culprit, or po4. If calcium gets too high, it should just precipitate out so no issues there. So really just po4 or alkalinity. For there to be that much po4 added in such a short period to cause my tank to crash, it must be something in the water or something big source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chopper320 Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Did you recently add the phosban? You could also have an issue if you dropped your po4 too fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasstheboss Posted July 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Yes it was added recently. I got it with the hopes it might fix the problem but it got worse. The weird part is there are some acros still alive but softies are shriveled up. Even the xenia is doing poorly. Actually, it's chemi pure elite, not phosban. I took it out to see if that fixes it tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke33 Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Let us know what the checkers show. Tips on using those checkers.....you must use the same test vial when you test, so put tank water in it, put it in the checker, then at step two you add the chemical, make sure you add it to the same test vial. If you don't your results will be all over the place. Second tip, the phos checker, step two you must hold the button down until it reads 3:00 then does the count down. If you just barely push it like the alk it will give you a quick false reading. And lastly you only have a short window to get the phos powder in the vial so when you do the test have it opened and ready to pour in the vial. Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasstheboss Posted July 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Thanks Luke. I added baking soda yesterday and this morning when I left for work, the Actinics were one and one lone GSP polyp was out. Weird thing is my birdsnest and other acros seem happy - unbleached but no PE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasstheboss Posted July 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 It's narrowed down to Alk or PO4. If it's PO4, I have no idea what the source would be. There must have been a massive leeching somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke33 Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Have you added any rock to the tank recently? Any new equipment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasstheboss Posted July 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 No, the only thing I added was Chemi-Pure elite which made things worse when I took it out. My algae is starting to break apart and clog my plumbing even. They're brittle and starting to look bleached out. By algae I mean caulerpa and red titan algae. Anyone know the cause of this? A few more days and I think my corals are goners. SPS are bleaching one colony per day and softies are all shriveled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke33 Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 Like mentioned above you could have pulled phosphates down super fast after adding the chemi pure. Could be what is wrong with your macro, tough to say. The main thing now is to get your parameters right and keeping them stable. What's been done has been done, can't do anything about it. It's the sucky part of the hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasstheboss Posted July 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 Just did large water changes today - 2x 5G changes. Will do daily water changes until I get things back to normal. At this point, I just want my softies alive. They're whole colonies as opposed to SPS frags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasstheboss Posted July 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 Got the test kits today and found the reason: my alkalinity was TOO HIGH. It was off the range of the Hanna meter (above 300ppm). My phoshate was 115ppb which is very good. I'm going to do a full water change and be careful dosing from now onwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer82 Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 If you can't test for it, don't add it usually rings true for reasons like this. Luckily the losses weren't more severe. I've been down that road several years ago when I first entered the hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke33 Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 Dang that's crazy high alk. When you pull it down you want to do it slowly to not shock the tank. Also 115 ppb isn't horrible but that is still higher than you want it if keeping sps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.