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Tank melt down


pantherguy30

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Well In about a week my tank went from this..322b2a9a-c3f9-e87a.jpg

 

To this...322b2a9a-c40a-fbea.jpg

 

Still scratching my head as to what went wrong. Other than possible kh swing. Several kits with different readings. I've tested and had lfs test everything except mag since they were out and I'm out.

 

Ph 8.2 API 6 pm

Ph 8.2 API lfs 3 pm

Calcium 450 API

Calcium 420 API lfs

Kh 10 Elos brand new next day?

Kh 7 Elos lfs earlier this week

Kh 9 Elos before taking sample to store

Phosphate 0 or un readable w/Elos

Nitrate 5 Salifert older kit

Nitrate 0 API

Temp 77-80

 

 

I replaced the media in my calcium reactor and placed a power head in at the same time, and this is what I'm left with. Within 24 hours a large monti colony went white. Each day I got to see flesh peeling off of every monti, milli, acro. And then my Lps where gaping their mouths and sinking into their skeletons.

 

I did 2-50% water changes 3 days apart. Same salt, same water source. But it hasn't stopped whatever's going on.

 

I've pulled whatever hasn't melted or was still alive that I really want to save, and placed in a friends tank for safe keeping ( thank you Matt).

Zoos seem un affected as do 1 blasto piece. My big carpet nem seems pist but hasn't released its foot or showed signs of coming apart. Mouth has gaped but it's still sticky and eating.

 

The power head was placed in direct contact with a couple corals. I know that's not a good thing to do. But I did it to a see if I could get some color on them that I heard they did when they received direct flow.

 

Either way I'm assuming I irritated corals (sps) by direct flow. Had a quick change of kh. And am assuming some poisoning by all the sps rtning out that quick.

 

My bulbs only a few months old and shows no sign of a crack in it. And I don't run a heater. Also ran a check with a multi meter and no stray voyage.

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That's horrible man! I wouldn't think your mag would be low since your Cal and alk are within range. I had a pretty big alk swing a couple weeks back with no I'll effects except my haddoni moving. Crazy how I get away with it and you loose your tank. Sometimes this hobby makes no sense. Any chance something fell in the tank? Piece of metal or anything like that? If my black magic milli ever grows. You'll be first on the list to get a frag.

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Sorry to hear about your crash Dave. It sounds like you got some kind of poison in your tank, perhaps too much of a metal ion (powerhead?). You have friends here, so when you decide to start up again let us know. I should have some frags to give you then. Mark

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I have tried to help David figure out what happened and we keep running into dead ends. The odds of metal in the tank is slim to none as all of the inverts are doing ok. Has anyone had a dsb go bad? I too will gladly donate to the rebuilding.

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I took a water sample down to Garretts shop today since I had to grab some salt. Everything is on par with the numbers I've had. Plus he did a copper check and that read 0. So I'm still looking for the answer on this?? I picked up some purigen and will see if that changes anything.

 

Thank you everyone for your offers! I'm sure at some point after we sell the house and move. I'll be ready to try again and will be taking you up on your offers:-) I think the tank was trying to help me with the move!! Lol

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I have tried to help David figure out what happened and we keep running into dead ends. The odds of metal in the tank is slim to none as all of the inverts are doing ok. Has anyone had a dsb go bad? I too will gladly donate to the rebuilding.

 

I have only seen DSB's go bad after they are severely disturbed and releasing sulfur. I think, like you, that there is little chance of metal contamination.

 

I usually look to Alk first as a solution but in this case I am not so sure. With the change of CA reactor media it kinda points this way. Then again, the swing is not too big assuming that it was not outrageously quick and the coral reaction was delayed (as sometimes happens).

 

You guys have been diligent about your testing and methodical in your assessment. There is just something missing. I'm puzzled and following along. Good luck!

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I have only seen DSB's go bad after they are severely disturbed and releasing sulfur. I think, like you, that there is little chance of metal contamination.

 

I usually look to Alk first as a solution but in this case I am not so sure. With the change of CA reactor media it kinda points this way. Then again, the swing is not too big assuming that it was not outrageously quick and the coral reaction was delayed (as sometimes happens).

 

You guys have been diligent about your testing and methodical in your assessment. There is just something missing. I'm puzzled and following along. Good luck!

 

I think you are on to something with the sulfur. He had a large power head fall and he said the tank distorted like adding fresh water to saltwater .

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  • 5 weeks later...

Got a lot frustrated the other night last week, and pulled all the rock and corals out to remove my sand bed. Figured it was the last thing left that could of either caused the crash. Or absorbed chemicals from the corals dying and would be most suspect of still causing issues with what little corals I had left. Well after a week my tank is back to life!!!:-) Glad cause I didn't want to have to replace all the rock as well!

 

Either way just wanted to pass along my news:-) Sucks I'll never know exactly what happened. Could have been way to many corals, recent large scale fragging, power head falling into sand bed and disturbing a large area of sand, causing it to die off????

 

Also if anyone has pointers on running a bare bottom mixed reef. I've got some rubble and a couple types of macro in the sump

now. Should I add sand to the sump to help break down nitrates? And another question. Which two part works best/liked for most people. I sold my calcium reactor, thinking I wouldn't need one for a year or two. But I'd like to add a FEW sps back:-)

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I use the BRS stuff... cheap and they have the dosing calculator on their site.... And I might know someone that is getting a group buy going for next week!! LOL

 

Glad things are looking better!

 

 

Lol, I saw that group buy:-) I'll hold out for the next, as I probably won't need it for a month or so.

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I haven't had any issues as of yet. Granted I really haven't been feeding anything either though. I've been consistent in the water changes once a week. So I'm sure it's gonna be quite some time before I start needing to dose 2 part. But I think I'm gonna grab a dosing pump and try and get everything as automated as possible to try and keep everything stable.

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Read threw you post and all I can say is odd! But you said you had a cucumber in the tank which in my time reef keeping has been the first thing to go from any swings even before shrimp, so judging your tank by that I would say it might be a bacteria or bug if it only wiped your milli and LPS out? All have to read a few tank threads on RC to see if any crashes on there match up with yours... Try using Ozone on a timer for only an hour a day at a low setting while your at work, I might have an extra one lying around.

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