Whoa holy cloudy water batman

[Pan]

Well, looks like my system went tits up....the electric blue hermit is still alive but, not much else....and the water smells now like uncured liverock smells, mind you that could be because everything died on it...or at least a lot died...

Should i just keep the liverock and everything in there and see if in the next few weeks it rights itself? Then if it doesn't, clean the liverock (not sure how i would do this) and use it in the new tank? with new substrate etc..?

[TheReefGeek]

I think you should drain all your water, take everything out, rinse out your sand thoroughly, fill back up with RO water and new salt (not the salt you have been using) and put everything back in. Then watch your levels, tank might cycle again, then when it is all good put your clowns back in, and start again slowly with adding livestock.

[Pan]

Originally Posted by TheReefGeek

I think you should drain all your water, take everything out, rinse out your sand thoroughly, fill back up with RO water and new salt (not the salt you have been using) and put everything back in. Then watch your levels, tank might cycle again, then when it is all good put your clowns back in, and start again slowly with adding livestock.

I used salt that neal gave me for mixing the new water so, it's not the salt.,..it had to be in the substrate....or in the cannister filter...but i cleaned it...
needles to say i am very confused

I don't have any ro water...i might have salt enough to do it..maybe...
think it will harm it until thursday or so...i have no time until then...have to be at work in half an hour...hmm...

if i can find a place to get 20 gallons or so of ro/distilled in the city i will look into it...i think i'm going to go with seachem salt next time here....i'm just worried i am doing this all for naught...and might be better off just using the liverock(if it's that anymore) in a new tank as Base rock...after it's cleaned...being on a student budget makes things difficult to try and hope things work out as opposed to knowing they will...if that makes sense. And since i am getting a new tank anyways....

the most expensive base rock i'll every buy i suppose
whats wierd is all the tests except alk test fine...even ph is about 8.3 but the alk tests so blue it's neon almost....light blue green is normal on my test kit...oh yeah will the liverock hurt anymore than it has just sitting there while i clean the substrate etc? Maybe give the tank a cleaning as well as the filter...can you clean them with bleach? making sure you rinse really well?

[howdy20012002]

Clowns are doing fine
just thought i would let u know..and spread some good news
Neal

[Pan]

Originally Posted by howdy20012002

Clowns are doing fine
just thought i would let u know..and spread some good news
Neal

Yay my little fishes made it

thanks once again neal....most grateful.

Now if I can only figure out how i am going to do my next setup....can't decide wether to wait for a tank i can drill or not....can you run a sump without a skimmer for awhile or is this nec? can you get a drilled tank and then run some pipe and cap it off untill you can get a sump? just run it regular? or do you need i would guess you would need to cycle the tank with the sump....hmm...so many questions. I think my liverock is pretty much toast....at least mostly...member that nice fanworm? he is all out of the rock and toast...i'm gonna try one more time tonight and rinse all the substrate and do a water change....hopefully this might help....dunno...

[TheReefGeek]

You can drill the tank and add the sump later easily, you just cap the bulkheads. Definately go with a drilled tank if you can.

I would also get the tank drilled for a closed loop, do some searches on closed loops.

You don't need the sump to cycle the tank. But yes, you can run the sump without a skimmer for a while.

When planning your sump, dont put too much flow through it, use the closed loop for the majority of your water flow.

[Pan]

well the water has mostly cleared up...liverock is proably toast though...since i'm sure everything live on it died....so i have a tank full of maybe live most likely base rock....sheesh...fish only for awhile ? Sure were a lot of dead bristle worms though.....i mean a lot. Plus the emerald crab died stuck in a wierd pose....i feel sorry for the little guys dammit. I'm thinking the water was contaminated from an emperor biowheel...i noticed when i put it on to run in some test water ...white crap came out of it....and the motor got hot...and stopped and started...i wonder if it leaked something....or the bacteria died because the wheel stops moving now and then...stopped for about 15 minutes i'd say....then started then stopped....then started then died....sheesh....

would a bunch of dead bacteria turn the wonder alkaline and white?

bloody thing is less then 3 months old...and i can't find my reciept....wonder if big als has a record of purchases?

[TheReefGeek]

I can't see how a dieing pump would make white stuff in your water. I would bring it back to Big Als and see what they say.

Have you mixed up new saltwater that is not from your old stock? I would get the rock in there, you will be amazed at what will grow back in a couple months, dont worry!

[Pan]

Originally Posted by TheReefGeek

I can't see how a dieing pump would make white stuff in your water. I would bring it back to Big Als and see what they say.

Have you mixed up new saltwater that is not from your old stock? I would get the rock in there, you will be amazed at what will grow back in a couple months, dont worry!

yep rock is in there and hopefully cycling...i think there should be sufficient decay on it to cycle the tank without extra ammonia source being added...i guess i could pee in the tank for good luck

I don't think it was the salt now...as i cleaned the substrate...as well as you can clean 30 lbs of already wet aragonite....took me about 3 hours...and i did not put the biowheel on this time....water did exactly what it did the first time i ever cycled a tank...tstayed cloudy for about a day...or less then cleared up...not totally yet, but defn a lot better than last time...i just have to check the alkalinity later on tonight...hopefully it is ok...if not...then either the tank or the substrate is contaminated or the canister i guess...because alkalinity tested okay when i mixed the salt up....hmm...

anyone know where i can get a stand for a 75-80 gallon tank? (standard)
I've got a few options and i want to thoroughly think them through before deciding....couple different size options avail to me from 45 - 120
think 120 is way to much for an apartment...although an 80 with a 20 sump...well....55 seems right but there are a couple fish i would like that need a bigger tank. So much to decide...since the company i was having make my tank gave me my deposit back....i'm happier


When i get the new tank, gonna have to buy some base rock from ya reefgeek

[mr_alberta]

Is your apartment wood frame construction or concrete? I have ~130G of water in my wood frame construction apartment as we speak...so far so good *knock on wood*