Mass Coral Death - Page 4

ScubaGirl · #31 07-05-2013, 02:56 AM

My test kits are Nutrafins and Elos. Moving towards all Elos if I can.

ScubaGirl · #32 07-05-2013, 02:57 AM

Campbell River, BC. Pristine water here for the most part. No flooding.

gregzz4 · #33 07-05-2013, 03:49 AM

Elos kits are great for alk, ca and mag

You can pay a bit less and use Seachem for ammo, nitrites/nitrates and copper. Their phosphate kit is useless, to me anyway

I'm switching to Salifert for everything as J&L appears to be dropping the Elos line

Myka · #34 07-05-2013, 03:59 AM

You need to use an ammonia binder to get ammonia back to zero. Prime or AmQuel do this by converting toxic ammonia to non-toxic ammonia. When you use these products many ammonia test kits will give you false readings. The API ammonia test kits are cheap, reliable, and are compatible with ammonia detoxifiers. SeaChem offers an "Ammonia Alert" tag that sticks to the inside of the tank. Although I find these badges to be terribly inaccurate as far as the readings go, I do find they will accurately let you know there is ammonia present by changing color. Dose as much AmQuel or Prime as you need to in order to get ammonia to zero. Follow the directions on the bottle for a good dose size, and re-dose as many times as you need to.

I am also skeptical about your use of tap water. You never know what is going into your tank. What is ok for drinking water definitely isn't always ok for a reef tank. Since waterchanges aren't helping, and almost seem to be making things worse it makes me wonder if the water isn't the culprit. It's an unknown for sure.

Another thought is the kalk treatment for the Aiptasia. How much kalk paste would you add to the tank each time you treated? How often would you treat? I'm wondering if you caused a pH spike which led to a "rock slide".

If you're testing pH with a drop test kit, then the reading is almost as good as useless since these test kits are not very accurate, or at least not very reliably accurate. Imo, the best thing to do with pH is to either a) don't test it at all, or b) test it with a calibrated digital pH meter. Did you double check specific gravity as Steve suggested? Just take a sample of your water into your LFS and get them to check it with a refractometer, not a hydrometer. Which refractometer do you have? What do you use to calibrate it?

Did you say that you turned off the powerheads because they could be a source (of something?)? Don't turn the powerheads off! The corals need water flow.

Also, as a side note...live rock doesn't "wear out". There are many, many tanks out there with 10 or 20 year old live rock that are still going strong.

ScubaGirl · #35 07-05-2013, 05:17 AM

Yes, I use drop tests for pH. I will get a digital reader, no problem. The thing is, my pH is a bit low, not high. Is my light cycle long enough without a lighted sump? 11 hours white, 12 hours blue.

I'm not sure the water is the problem -- maybe more that I'm not identifying the actual source of the problem.

I realized tonight that I had not retested my levels of usage with this new brand of salt. I was dosing based on the old brands levels. Also, I test AFTER the water change usually, not before, so the water would seem to be pretty good each time. Then I dose with the same pattern. Tonight, instead of changing the water, I prepped some for tomorrow night and spent time thoroughly testing and cleaned out the filter canister again. Sucked up some skanky water from the bottom of my skimmer canister too. I put in an ammonia filter in the canister tonight too, so now I'm running that, the nitrate filter medium and carbon. I will try to get some of the liquid stuff too. I want to start having on this stuff on hand.

Right now I program my phone to alert me when to dose what. Maybe it's time to invest in some sort of dosing control system. Our next tank will be drilled for sure -- if we can survive this issue and be stable for a year. Hubby promised.

Powerheads have always been on, just the "filter sleeves" on the inside have been removed.

gregzz4 · #36 07-05-2013, 05:32 AM

If I read your post correctly, you test after a water change
I prefer, and recommend, you test your paramaters before a WC

Personally, I like to know what's been used and other stuff before a WC so I know what is going on and what I may need to do to keep the Big 3 stable
Earlier in my venture, I also tested a day after a WC to see what was up

Testing after a WC doesn't give you enough info as it's just what you've changed now, not what's been going on in between the changes

Maybe others have different opinions, but, when I'm adding New Salt Water with readings of 10-11 Alk, 450 Ca and 1400-1450 Mag to my system, it makes a difference to me how much and how often I do WCs

Changing 15% bi-weekly is very different for me than when I do 10% weekly
This is because of my NSW content

Hope this makes sense, I'm tired and off to bed

ScubaGirl · #37 07-05-2013, 02:11 PM

So, my approach now will be:

a good ro/di
digital pH meter
copper test kit
ammonia binder

Anything else pressing?

I'll test again tonight when I get home. I have water prepped and will be 24 hour old by then so will do another smaller water change. Probably 20% at most.

Thank you again for your help! Everyone looks alive this morning so it's already a better day than yesterday.

naesco · #38 07-07-2013, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScubaGirl

So, my approach now will be:

a good ro/di
digital pH meter
copper test kit
ammonia binder

Anything else pressing?

I'll test again tonight when I get home. I have water prepped and will be 24 hour old by then so will do another smaller water change. Probably 20% at most.

Thank you again for your help! Everyone looks alive this morning so it's already a better day than yesterday.

Does your test show zero nitrite and ammonia? How are your fish?

ScubaGirl · #39 07-07-2013, 04:47 AM

No they aren't but I have filter mediums in for both and dosing with binders now too. I have Nitrate Destroyer and just picked up Prime yesterday.

Trigger died Thursday morning. The rest are all doing fine, so it appears. Trigger looked fine the night before was up trying to get algae out of my hand, was eating, etc. I have the QT out and ready to go, water made up, etc. just in case.

I didn't test today but will again tomorrow. Everything appears to be perking up. Clam still looks fine internally and none of the snails are hanging out near it and the wrasses are leaving it alone.

I might be on the upward slope again. Hoping...Thanks again!

naesco · #40 07-07-2013, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScubaGirl

No they aren't but I have filter mediums in for both and dosing with binders now too. I have Nitrate Destroyer and just picked up Prime yesterday.

Trigger died Thursday morning. The rest are all doing fine, so it appears. Trigger looked fine the night before was up trying to get algae out of my hand, was eating, etc. I have the QT out and ready to go, water made up, etc. just in case.

I didn't test today but will again tomorrow. Everything appears to be perking up. Clam still looks fine internally and none of the snails are hanging out near it and the wrasses are leaving it alone.

I might be on the upward slope again. Hoping...Thanks again!

Get some Stability too. Test every 4 hours and if tests show ammonia and nitrite is going up add more