Coral problem.

[happyhourhero]

Have you put water from purchases at lfs in your tank. Sometimes people put water in the bag with fish and such in their tank and some lfs run copper so this can be an issue. Just throwing that out there

 

[kennedpa]

This sounds like a headache of complication. If I were you I would furan-2 the tank a couple times and run carbon post treatment, then I would remove everything, get new sand, put the rock in (never let it go dry), and add biospira or some culture of bacteria (without ammonia in it - warning, RedSead reef mature is spiked with cycling agents), and let it settle back in again. Somewhere along the line your tank acquire a LFSTD along with bad water (which it looks like you should be okay now with the new unit).

FWIW my friend.

 

[TinaMarie026]

Have you put water from purchases at lfs in your tank. Sometimes people put water in the bag with fish and such in their tank and some lfs run copper so this can be an issue. Just throwing that out there

Yes, I usually put that water into my tank. I think that should stop.

 

[TinaMarie026]

This sounds like a headache of complication. If I were you I would furan-2 the tank a couple times and run carbon post treatment, then I would remove everything, get new sand, put the rock in (never let it go dry), and add biospira or some culture of bacteria (without ammonia in it - warning, RedSead reef mature is spiked with cycling agents), and let it settle back in again. Somewhere along the line your tank acquire a LFSTD along with bad water (which it looks like you should be okay now with the new unit).

FWIW my friend.

Also part of my plan. I bought new sand Friday. What is furan-2?

 

[kennedpa]

Broad spectrum antibiotic.

 

[kennedpa]

If your tanks contaminated. Changing one thing at a time instead of a fresh start will continuously cross contaminate itself.

 

[TinaMarie026]

I will be taking almost everything out in order to try to find the cause soon. If I don't find anything I will hope I was being contaminated by bad RO.

My refractometer came today. I didn't have distilled water to calibrate it, but assuming it was close when I got it, my salt was 1.023. Measured with my hydrometer, it was 1.024.

 

[wilecyote007]

Hi Tina.
Welcome to Reef2Reef. So sad to hear about your losses. Thats awful. The first thing that comes to mind is copper.
Was there an addition to the tank during that time? Live rock?

Let me introduce some friends of mine. #reefsquad

Hey salty, i saw this comment and got me wondering. I am a novice. Doing it for about 4 months now. Had a clown in my 75 gal about 6 weeks now. And added a cuc and one zoa frag recently. The lfs i purchased the cuc and frag had fish tanks that said "rock not for sale...contains copper." Should i be worried? Thank you bud.

I am new to the group and am I'm looking for help with a problem that developed in my tank. Im not sure if this is the right place to ask this.
I have had my tank for about 5 years (30 gal.)and had little problem with my fish or corals until about 8 months ago. I had about 20 annnomies and a few corals, and all died in a few days including my snails and a shrimp. I believe it went a bit toxic without doing enough water changes. I then did a 50%water change and lost all my fish but one.
Since then I have done many more water changes and cleaned my substrate live rock (by rinsing in RO water) and filter also. I now have about 8 fish and all are thriving. I have had my water checked many times and everything seems to be well within parameter's.
I have tried to reintroduce a dozen corals over the last 4 months, a shrimp and snails. All are still dying in a day.
Any idea on what I should do or check?
Tina

I have very limited space as its in our kitchen cabinets. I have a canister filter, a UV unit, a small power head, an orbit marine pro LED light and last added a nano protein skimmer just before my problem. Also added a AquaEuroUSA chiller also just before my problem. This is in another room because of space problems and I have the water pumped to it. (About 20') but keeping the water between 78 & 80.
I added a tube worm and it died in a few days. Then I noticed I had a dead turbo snail and when i took it out, it was extremely rotten. Then all hell brook loos in my tank.
Have not been able to get anything to live since except my fish.

 

[reefwiser]

Copper will bond to the rocks during treatment. An LFS would not have copper in their invert tanks as it would kill the animals. No need to worry it's good that they put the sign up as they most likely get questions about buying the rocks.

 

[Bradley Crocker]

Also part of my plan. I bought new sand Friday. What is furan-2?

If you're changing the sand, you should try to get the fish out first. There might be a bunch of toxins in the sand that could wipe everything out. You'll want to use just a piece of tubing, no gravel vac on the end. You'll get more suction that way.

I was looking at changing mine a while back and came across this video. There's tons out there, but she does a good job at explaining it.

 

[Bradley Crocker]

Yes, I usually put that water into my tank. I think that should stop.

Almost all lfs in my area have fish only tanks and invert tanks. The reason they do this is because they medicate the fish, with things like antibiotics and copper.

I'd say this is the most likely source of the copper Triton found.

 

[happyhourhero]

Almost all lfs in my area have fish only tanks and invert tanks. The reason they do this is because they medicate the fish, with things like antibiotics and copper.

I'd say this is the most likely source of the copper Triton found.

I agree and likely the root of all of this.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Hey salty, i saw this comment and got me wondering. I am a novice. Doing it for about 4 months now. Had a clown in my 75 gal about 6 weeks now. And added a cuc and one zoa frag recently. The lfs i purchased the cuc and frag had fish tanks that said "rock not for sale...contains copper." Should i be worried? Thank you bud.

Copper will bond to the rocks during treatment. An LFS would not have copper in their invert tanks as it would kill the animals. No need to worry it's good that they put the sign up as they most likely get questions about buying the rocks.

This.

A reason we don't put lfs water in our tanks.
And A fish from copper is not a problem going in the tank with inverts.

 

[Bradley Crocker]

Her is my polyfilter after about 3 to 4 weeks. Not white any longer.

I know this is a little beyond helpful at this point, but doesn't poly-filter turn blue or green when it's absorbing copper or heavy metal? This looks greenish blue to me (or maybe blueish green), right? Are you still running the poly-filter material? I'd be curious to see if the new one is a similar color by now. If so, it'd be a good sign that something is getting removed at least.

What's the plan? New sand, better water, better acclimation practices? New rocks too? After these items, some large water changes, and some serious water tests, I think the color of the poly-filter would be a good indicator of the system's possible readiness for inverts. Definitely continue to test your water though, even after you're sure things are OK.

Now that you're a veteran of the forum, don't be afraid to ask for advice on anything. We're all here to help. You're starting from scratch essentially, so now would be an ideal time to start your own tank thread if you wanted to.

 

[TinaMarie026]

I know this is a little beyond helpful at this point, but doesn't poly-filter turn blue or green when it's absorbing copper or heavy metal? This looks greenish blue to me (or maybe blueish green), right? Are you still running the poly-filter material? I'd be curious to see if the new one is a similar color by now. If so, it'd be a good sign that something is getting removed at least.

What's the plan? New sand, better water, better acclimation practices? New rocks too? After these items, some large water changes, and some serious water tests, I think the color of the poly-filter would be a good indicator of the system's possible readiness for inverts. Definitely continue to test your water though, even after you're sure things are OK.

Now that you're a veteran of the forum, don't be afraid to ask for advice on anything. We're all here to help. You're starting from scratch essentially, so now would be an ideal time to start your own tank thread if you wanted to.

Still using the poly filter, and haven't looked at it for a few weeks now. I was going to change the sand, but not the live rock. I was going to check each piece with my metal detector this weekend. I will be checking my equipment at the same time.
I almost have my RODI ready for operation. I think that will help a lot.
I am worried about doing too much at once and harming my fish. Do you think they will be OK with a large makeover? I don't want a new tank syndrome, but I will be close.
I do appreciate everyone's help and advice. I've learned a lot and still have a long way to go.

 

[Bradley Crocker]

Anytime you remove something that the different beneficial bacterias call home you risk causing a "mini cycle." This will happen when you change your sand, it even happens to a small extent when you change the media in your filter. If you changed the rocks and the sand at the same time, it would definitely cause the tank to cycle again.

I believe the bigger concern would be not doing it all at once. If you only replace the sand, then the copper and other metals bonded to the rock would just end up contaminating the new sand. You'd be right back where you are now.

@saltyfilmfolks, @reefwiser or anyone else with more knowledge and experience in fish only medications and their removal may have more insight on how to approach this.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Anytime you remove something that the different beneficial bacterias call home you risk causing a "mini cycle." This will happen when you change your sand, it even happens to a small extent when you change the media in your filter. If you changed the rocks and the sand at the same time, it would definitely cause the tank to cycle again.

I believe the bigger concern would be not doing it all at once. If you only replace the sand, then the copper and other metals bonded to the rock would just end up contaminating the new sand. You'd be right back where you are now.

@saltyfilmfolks, @reefwiser or anyone else with more knowledge and experience in fish only medications and their removal may have more insight on how to approach this.

You booth think it's copper then?

Copper can supposedly be pulled but....
we know there's a problem already.

A quiz fwiw in thinking of the cycle it can't star and stop and have Minis. One it starts it's there till it dies. Striding sand adds toxins and nutrints causing all kinds of trouble. A rebuild would mean you would have to restart the tank and start the cycle.
Easily done in a bucket for a few weeks.
Then transfer on a couple of week ends.

 

[Bradley Crocker]

You booth think it's copper then?

Copper can supposedly be pulled but....
we know there's a problem already.

A quiz fwiw in thinking of the cycle it can't star and stop and have Minis. One it starts it's there till it dies. Striding sand adds toxins and nutrints causing all kinds of trouble. A rebuild would mean you would have to restart the tank and start the cycle.
Easily done in a bucket for a few weeks.
Then transfer on a couple of week ends.

I think the copper is the biggest factor in all her inverts dying, so yes. I know copper is absolutely for fish use only, but I don't know much else about how it, or it's removal. Everything I've read and seen involving copper in an established FOWLR or reef system has ended with a complete system teardown.

As for the other metals that showed up in the triton test, I am highly suspicious of her source water, and or the dreaded bag water. If neither of these two, then faulty equipment comes to mind next.

I think she's got a good handle on remedying these problems, but I'd hate to see her tear the system apart looking for bad equipment, set up her own ro/di system, and replace all the sand just to have the rock contaminate everything all over again.

If I were in her position, I'd be devastated to watch another animal mysteriously perish after doing all this.

 

[kennedpa]

Keep the fish in clean water and start from scratch.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I think the copper is the biggest factor in all her inverts dying, so yes. I know copper is absolutely for fish use only, but I don't know much else about how it, or it's removal. Everything I've read and seen involving copper in an established FOWLR or reef system has ended with a complete system teardown.

As for the other metals that showed up in the triton test, I am highly suspicious of her source water, and or the dreaded bag water. If neither of these two, then faulty equipment comes to mind next.

I think she's got a good handle on remedying these problems, but I'd hate to see her tear the system apart looking for bad equipment, set up her own ro/di system, and replace all the sand just to have the rock contaminate everything all over again.

If I were in her position, I'd be devastated to watch another animal mysteriously perish after doing all this.

Was there a copper test done?