Dirtying Up a Tank

[Anthony Scholfield]

Am i crazy but it seems to me that there is a contamination problem. The OP mentioned fish dying, inverts dying and after 6months it looks ridiculously clean. Maybe copper leaching in somewhere, chlorine, ect. After 6 months of water and bacteria there will be some sort of growth.

The last two systems i set up where dry rock with bacteria and ammonia dosing doing a 4month cycle. After a month into the 2nd of just running water and bacteria with ammonia the rocks started to show color.

I believe there is more going on than needing to "dirty" the tank up.

 

[Cetus]

Am i crazy but it seems to me that there is a contamination problem. The OP mentioned fish dying, inverts dying and after 6months it looks ridiculously clean. Maybe copper leaching in somewhere, chlorine, ect. After 6 months of water and bacteria there will be some sort of growth.

The last two systems i set up where dry rock with bacteria and ammonia dosing doing a 4month cycle. After a month into the 2nd of just running water and bacteria with ammonia the rocks started to show color.

I believe there is more going on than needing to "dirty" the tank up.

Yes that's my concern. I sent a test to TRITON Labs just today and I'm hoping I get to the bottom of this. I am concerned about how I'd deal with a heavy metal issue then. Are there ways to troubleshoot what's going on in particular?

 

[Anthony Scholfield]

Yes that's my concern. I sent a test to TRITON Labs just today and I'm hoping I get to the bottom of this. I am concerned about how I'd deal with a heavy metal issue then. Are there ways to troubleshoot what's going on in particular?

The ICP test will be helpful in figuring out if there is contamination. In the mean time you could check equipment and see if there is damage or rust. Consider if any cleaning was done in the same room as the tank or aresols had been sprayed.

I know some people use cuprisorb to help suck up metal contamination in there systems.

What do you use for top off water?

 

[Cetus]

The ICP test will be helpful in figuring out if there is contamination. In the mean time you could check equipment and see if there is damage or rust. Consider if any cleaning was done in the same room as the tank or aresols had been sprayed.

I know some people use cuprisorb to help suck up metal contamination in there systems.

What do you use for top off water?

Hm...
It really depends on the results but let's go forward with this assuming it's a metal issue. Perhaps it's the RO/DI water? I get it from an LFS. My question is how am I going to troubleshoot the exact cause of the problem if I do find out I have heavy metal contaminants or chlorine?

 

[Anthony Scholfield]

It isnt likely that it is coming from the LFS. They are likely using the same water and not having problems. If it is a metal issue, it may be your equipment. Check it all over for damage, rust, ect. Consider what goes in the tank, is near the tank, cleaning products being used in the same area, ect. Get out your thinking cap. Hopefully the ICP test will reveal more.

When is the last time you checked ALL your parameters? Can you share them? What do you bring saltwater and top off water home in from the LFS? How is your flow? from the picture it doesnt look like you have any power heads. It could be a lack of oxygen thing as others have mentioned.

 

[Cetus]

It isnt likely that it is coming from the LFS. They are likely using the same water and not having problems. If it is a metal issue, it may be your equipment. Check it all over for damage, rust, ect. Consider what goes in the tank, is near the tank, cleaning products being used in the same area, ect. Get out your thinking cap. Hopefully the ICP test will reveal more.

When is the last time you checked ALL your parameters? Can you share them? What do you bring saltwater and top off water home in from the LFS? How is your flow? from the picture it doesnt look like you have any power heads. It could be a lack of oxygen thing as others have mentioned.

As far as equipment there are only really three devices inside the aquarium that I can think of. I have two EHAIM Jagers hooked up to an inkbird controller. And this answers the powerhead question but yes I do have one. An Mp40 Vortech Powerhead I believe. And lastly the return pump which is a Sicce Syncra I believe... 7.0? It was rated for the tank so somewhere around that area. I only bring RO/DI water from the LFS and mix the saltwater myself. I use Instant Ocean.

Parameters I checked the day after the blenny died and I got the usual: 8.2 pH, 20 nitrate, and 1.026 salinity. This was checked with the Red Sea Reefer test kit and a hanna refractometer. Refractometer was recalibrated just after and I got a reading of 1.023 salinity, mind you, this was after I poured some distilled water in.

Cleaning products make me wonder though. The tank has a glass lid over it which I may remove for better oxygenation but it's mostly sealed up with maybe a few cracks here and there. I'll def check my equipment to be sure. Any obvious signs I should look for?

 

[DeniseAndy]

The glass lid will be a problem for oxidization if you do not have another method (protein skimmer or airstone). I too was worried about something else in there which is why I asked about the water source. Let's see what the Triton test shows you.

 

[Miami Reef]

Following! Tanks should NOT look that clean at 6 months. And invert death is more likely that something is chemically amiss rather than something like ich which only targets fish.

 

[Critteraholic]

Another thought...are you burning candles or using plug in diffusers in that room? That will do it, too.

 

[LAX Noob Reef]

Is your light strong enough for your tank? If it's low output it won't promo any algae growth.
Dose some Fritz bio 9, it works
Add some Zoa / LPS, it'll help.
Add few bottle / bags of pods / Amipods

 

[tehmadreefer]

Another thought...are you burning candles or using plug in diffusers in that room? That will do it, too.

Not it won’t. I burn yankee candles almost daily about 15ft from my tank. This has been debunked numerous times….

 

[tehmadreefer]

Problem is 100% not enough rock which in turn, shows current conditions lack zero biodiversity as bacteria have nothing to grow and populate on. Plain and simple.

 

[Miami Reef]

I can’t believe people are saying the problem is no rock. Yes, I agree that rock has biodiversity etc but look at the glass and rocks…they looks like it was just setup TODAY!

I believe there is something: chlorine. Chemical. Something that is sterilizing life from the tank.

Unless OP never added a drop of food to tank. Any tank with feedings and nutrients will have algae. This shows warning signs.

 

[tehmadreefer]

I can’t believe people are saying the problem is no rock. Yes, I agree that rock has biodiversity etc but look at the glass and rocks…they looks like it was just setup TODAY!

I believe there is something: chlorine. Chemical. Something that is sterilizing life from the tank.

Unless OP never added a drop of food to tank. Any tank with feedings and nutrients will have algae. This shows warning signs.

Chlorine breaks down and gasses off very quickly by light, it doesn’t justay in the tank. Besides it would have to be a substantial amount, not just a trace amount.

 

[Miami Reef]

Chlorine breaks down and gasses off very quickly by light, it doesn’t justay in the tank. Besides it would have to be a substantial amount, not just a trace amount.

I wonder what phosphates and nitrates he has in that tank.

 

[Anthony Scholfield]

So just to re state a few key things it seems like people are missing……

Fish missing or dead
Inverts dead
6month tank looks like it was set up yesterday with according to OP 20ppm nitrate. It’s been cycled yet still seemingly no life.

Why is everyone telling OP to add more life when it isn’t sustaining life as it is.

Get a 10 gal tank. Add fresh saltwater, some bacteria, dose some ammonia or add a lil food, add a lil circulation and things will grow. Even with ambient light, algae will begin to grow. Even without rock, things will grow.

It likely isn’t chlorine but some sort of contamination. My guess is metals of some sort or cleaning products. ICP will hopefully reveal more.

 

[Miami Reef]

So just to re state a few key things it seems like people are missing……

Fish missing or dead
Inverts dead
6month tank looks like it was set up yesterday with according to OP 20ppm nitrate. It’s been cycled yet still seemingly no life.

Why is everyone telling OP to add more life when it isn’t sustaining life as it is.

Get a 10 gal tank. Add fresh saltwater, some bacteria, dose some ammonia or add a lil food, add a lil circulation and things will grow. Even with ambient light, algae will begin to grow. Even without rock, things will grow.

It likely isn’t chlorine but some sort of contamination. My guess is metals of some sort or cleaning products. ICP will hopefully reveal more.

^ this!

 

[BradUK]

The rational for not using live rock is that we don't want pests, but if you plan on introducing any corals you will wind up with pests anyways. Lots of people wind up with aiptasia, bubble algae, scary looking worms and all kinds of stuff right off the frag plug. If you start with live rock you get the benefit of diversity, from bacteria and micro fauna all the way up to some coral species and inverts, plus aiptasia, bubble algae and scary, scary worms, but much easier to deal with considering the absence of corals. Adding several small fish would help, also.

You can also run your skimmer to help with oxygenation and maintaining a stable ph while leaving the cup off so the skim mate drains back into the sump.

This.

I've always setup tanks with real live rock, I've had every hitchhiker you could imagine and the biodiversity has been incredible and the tank thrived. You have to do the obligatory husbandry for the unwanted additions but imo it's worth it.

Our new 425 is going to be ULNS and was started with CaribSea rock. The difference in tank maturity and the problems posed by it being so sterile have caused their own headaches. I'm not sure if I'd do it again this way.

 

[Apollo7235]

Hey there,

I had/have this exact issue with my tank and it is 5ish months old. Sent in an ICP test and found it is contaminated with heavy metals, the worst of which being copper, all from an unknown source. I also started my tank with 100% dry rock and sand and I suspect the source is the rock or sand.

I would send in an ICP to see what you may really have going on in your water. I use ATI because they test for the broadest spectrum of parameter and contaminants, and they also test your RODI water.

My journey with my nightmare tank can be found here:

About to Quit

TLDR (07/04/21): After a full spectrum of troubleshooting, I sent in an ATI ICP test. Results can be found in post #366, but the short story is I have heavy metal contamination (copper, aluminum, tin, zinc, and manganese if I remember correctly) in my water stemming from an unknown source. I...

www.reef2reef.com

I sincerely hope you don’t end up with the same issues I have and hopefully your tank gets up and moving soon.

Best of luck!

 

[terraincognita]

I’d recommend doing an ICP test.

what’s your water source?