tank crashing......

OP
OP
Troylee

Troylee

all about the diy!!!!!
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
18,049
Reaction score
13,262
Location
Vegas baby!!!!
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Could be but I went slow I added 50ml a week until I got to 200ml then I lost a piece so I left it there for the last 2 months... I'm suppose to be running 1000ml according to the manufacturer... Really hard to say but I'm sure it's the pellets... My tank wasn't starving either because I have algae growth here and there so that wasn't the case either...
I know like Jeff mentioned 10 or 11 alk is not recommended in a ulns I have always dosed vodka or something lol... Normally I ran my dkh at 8 but it crept up o et the last couple weeks... I would say I have a low nutrient system but not a ulns fwiw..
 
OP
OP
Troylee

Troylee

all about the diy!!!!!
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
18,049
Reaction score
13,262
Location
Vegas baby!!!!
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just curious, why do people feel the need to run bio pellets or dose vodka?

I use the KISS method "Keep It Simple Stupid" on my tank and I have good growth and colors.

What type of Salt mix do you use Lee? Also have you changed your RO/DI filters lately? One of my local buddy's changed his filters a few years ago and he accidentally placed one of them in backwards and if I remember correctly he seen the same thing you are seeing.
I have a Kent hi-s unit and have tested it with 2 separate tds meters and they both read 2ppm not a huge issue I changed my filters about 3 months ago also... Including the membrane..
 
Last edited:

Acroholic

There is no substitute.
View Badges
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
827
Reaction score
10
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I use a cheato refugium, sulfur denitrator, GFO, filter socks, good protein skimmer, ozone, water changes, and judicious feeding to limit/export nutrients.
 
Last edited:

Paul_N

MOD
View Badges
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
3,964
Reaction score
64
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I just don't see the pellets being the issue. You talk about alk creeping up but that can't be the pellets or it would happen to everyone that uses them. I think you have other issues going on in your tank for alk to "creep up". Unfortunately since you took the pellets off line and started water changes, you will never know what the cause was. i have been running mine for 8 months and same results as running vodka for over 2.5 years. You need to be careful of making too many changes to your system in a small time frame. Situations such as yours have been happening long before pellets. my .02:wink:

***honestly if it is an issue with a certain brand of pellets even a flaw if you will, then people need to know. I use EcoBak pellets for the record and couldn't be happier.
 
Last edited:

Lowsingle

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 25, 2009
Messages
826
Reaction score
280
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm sorry to hear about your loss Lee, has anyone suggested why the bio-pellets are causing these problems? Is it a contamination issue in the bio-pellets, dosing issue, etc? I have been using pellets for quite some time (over 6 months) and I haven't had any problems with my SPS, but then again I don't have a lot of SPS in my tank and I use less than suggested. I had a similar problem with one of my tanks about 3 years ago, long before bio-pellets were around.....I never knew what caused the problem. Good luck, I hope you can figure this out......

Darren
 

arotbart

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 19, 2010
Messages
170
Reaction score
4
Location
Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
for what its worth

I don't see much of this mentioned, but here goes....You will not read or see this on the instructions of many pellets...but, I was told by a manufacturers rep that in order to use the pellets correctly, you NEED to dose some type of bacteria (MB7 or ZeoBak) along with the pellets. It is some type of catalyst for the pellets. I don't know what effect it would have if you did not dose bacteria (i.e., nothing or RTN/STN, or something else).

I dose Zeobak twice a week in my 180, and pretty much everything is healthy. I mean a loose a piece of SPS hear and there, but I attribute that to shipping stress or just a piece that is not hardy or not healthy to begin with. But I do believe that dosing the Zeobak is a must. I mean I run Carbon and GFO 24/7 and I change them religiously (Carbon every 2 weeks - GFO Monthly), and I have to believe that you are stripping out essentials when you run that stuff and you must replace them somehow (i.e. moderate dosing).
 
OP
OP
Troylee

Troylee

all about the diy!!!!!
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
18,049
Reaction score
13,262
Location
Vegas baby!!!!
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I do actually.... My daily dosing regimen consist of...
Coral amino
mb7
Cal
Alk
mag
Strotium
Potassium
A drop a day of iodine...
None of this has changed and I have Always dosed it...
 
OP
OP
Troylee

Troylee

all about the diy!!!!!
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
18,049
Reaction score
13,262
Location
Vegas baby!!!!
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Atb pellets....But after talking on the phonewith dan and 2 venors shooting me a pm with same results it's the pellets in general... One vendor told me he used wm ecobak...
 
OP
OP
Troylee

Troylee

all about the diy!!!!!
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
18,049
Reaction score
13,262
Location
Vegas baby!!!!
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ya know I can't bash them for sure but I'm about 90percent it's
Them in my case... 3 vendors had the same story and I have read this on a few forums... So take it fwiw..
 

nicks387

Premium member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 20, 2008
Messages
1,372
Reaction score
22
Location
MA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I asked because I had the same thing going on and I adjusted everything in the tank to be as close to perfect as I could, bought all new test kits, did everything slowly, raised ph, started dosing kalk in a reactor to keep ph up and got a hanna checker to test my phosphates. Everything is perfect and better then my tank has ever been. It has slowed down but I still have a small amount of slow, slow, stn on three acros. If it continues or I see one more start to stn then I will be 100% certain it is the pellets as I have scrutinized every other possibility. I am not taking them off yet because it has slowed down and i need to be 100% certain. If it goes on to another coral, then I will be certain and stop the pellets. I will update the thread in a few days. Good luck.
 

PR_Reefers

Reefer 4 Life!
View Badges
Joined
Jun 24, 2010
Messages
749
Reaction score
10
Location
Puerto Rico
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Whooa!! this story scares me!!!:squigglemouth: First let me say I feel sorry for what you're going!! ...I've been running the WM original(rounded pellets) for about 8 mo. now.. and I have been dazzled with their performance in my tank!! I know people that have been dissapointed with the results and remove them but never that they would KILL your corals!!!!:beat_brick:... in a way. That's a big factor imo!!! Anyways two things I have noticed... with them to get good results are daily dosing and good flow! I have seen that if they are not moving they will easily clump and once I opened to remove one of these clumps due to low flow and it smelled like DEATH.. or decaying.. lol... don't know if you considered this but fyi.
Do you dose trace elements? how often do you do water changes?
I've lost about 3 sps colonies since I added them but I've always attributed them to spikes in kh & ca reactor problems, but besides that i've noticed that I have seen improvement in coloration and growth in my tank!!!
I would like to look further into this matter, it definitely concerns me... and I appreciate you updating us with your conclusions and exhort all of you reefers with any more info on this subject to contribute! i believe this is a serious matter....:canny:
 

Reef UP

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2011
Messages
1,934
Reaction score
100
Location
Idaho
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No ?'s asked just ripped my pellets off not risking it thanks troy!
Also if you want to pay shipping I'll send you some nice sps when things get turned around I know how it is to crash! And I've had others do the same for me!
Back to just full blown vod for me as well!
 

spspirate

Tidepool Explorer
View Badges
Joined
Dec 25, 2009
Messages
9,555
Reaction score
2,278
Location
Richmond, Va
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Lee this is horrible I feel your pain...have you took a multimeter and tested the water for stray voltage? Maybe something is leaking. Not enough where you would feel it but enough to stress out a coral to the point of bleaching.
 
OP
OP
Troylee

Troylee

all about the diy!!!!!
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
18,049
Reaction score
13,262
Location
Vegas baby!!!!
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
That I haven't done.... Good point there but highly doubtable since I have numerous cuts on my hands and they were in the tank for 5hrs yesterday scrubbing and cleaning walls and rocks... I'll check that tomorrow I have to bring my meter home from work...;)
 
Back
Top