ca2or
Valuable Member
So for the past 3 weeks I have been fighting a battle in my tank and I don't seem to be getting anywhere. It all pretty much happened when I got the canopy for the tank and right around there. I will try to provide as much information as possible here in hopes of getting some direction. So I apologize in advance if I ramble or emphasize on irrelevant facts.
According to last water test 1 week ago at Upscales which is an LFS.
Salinity 1.022
Temp 78
Nitrites 0
Amonia was very low...not 0...but not of concern either
Phosphates 0
PH 8.0
Calcium 500
Alk "it's good" quote from Upscales (LFS) guy.
Nitrates were very high, but I believe I know why and have removed that from the system.
Nitrate issue,
I have used canister filters on my tank since my 36 and hadn't had nitrate issues, I always credited that to removal of the foam pad they have in them to prevent debri collection, when I put the 72 up I used my 304 but forgot to remove the pad. Since I noticed the Nitrate spike I have removed the canister from the system so it is no longer in the equation.
Salinity issue,
My refracto seems to be off kilter, which is why I took my water to Upscales (a local fish store) in the first place. I had taken my water to World of Wet Pets another LFS and they said that I had no nitrates and my salt was 1.020 so I added salt and my refracto was reading 1.025. So I took water to a buddies one night and he tested it at 1.020 also. I went home and set my refracto to read my water at 1.020 then did a water change with some potently mixed 5 gallons. A day later I tested my water and it read 1.025 I asked a different buddy to come over with his refracto and it also read 1.025 so I assumed my water was good salt wise. However today I tested it again and it is reading 1.018.DOH! Will be taking water to Upscales again tomorrow.
Anyway since last Monday I have done a 20g, 15g, 10g, water changes to my tank to reduce the nitrates and pick up my salinity to acceptable messures.
All of this was instigated by the loss of 90% of my SPS 3 weeks ago. All acro's minus the tricolor, my milli, both birdsnest frags, my sunset monti, and the ORA Blue Chalice. My initial concern was from the loss of the ORA blue. Then I noticed my Duncan's haven't been opening nor was my hammer, I also had lost my torch in all of this. Zoa's seem to be fine
Around this time I had made several changes to my system. I was running an SPS 15k DE HQI MH, which I had run for 10 to 12 hours a day for about a year, Calvin brought over a used Pheonix 14k which was ran for 6 hours a day for 2 years. I was\am considering the Pheonix for my bulb replacement coming up in about a week. I also removed my 3/4 inch flow accelerator and Korellia 4 and replaced it with 2 Korellia 3's and I split my return. Also added the canopy and initially found my salinity to be low.
I initially thought that the hammer and duncan's were upset due to the increase in flow so I have moved them around a bit. My hammer, after the most recent move, has been very happy, but my duncan's are still showing stress.
Then I thought it was my salinity and nitrates, so I have removed the canister, about a week ago, added Purigen and Carbon, and also done the 20g, 15g, and 10g water changes....and I am not seeing any result. Duncan's are still very upset. They aren't dying, I am not loosing heads, but they dang sure aren't opening. I am assuming that my nitrates are still a tad high but should be coming down. According to my last refracto encounter my water is at 1.018. I will be taking water down tomorrow to get tested and am expecting to pick up 20 to 30 gallons of water for another tank change to help resolve this issue. But I am not convinced that this is what is actually what is going on. I have also lost one fish during all of this.
What I am doing so far about this:
I am changing back to the SPS bulb tomorrow. I have also ordered Refugium mud, started with Purigen, increasing my LRR, removed canister filter, multiple water changes with no end it sight.
So here are the questions,
As noted I have lost a ton of SPS and a few LPS. But here is what confuses me....I have an acan that is doing great, I also have 2 other monti's that are also doing great. My hammer is doing great, xenia is dead, duncan's are ticked, zoa's are thiving. My toad stool and devils hand are doing fine....what do you think can be going on?
What else should I do?
Could changing from a SPS 15k ran for 12 hours for 1 year to a Pheonix 14k ran for 6 hours for 2 years do this?
Fatality list to date:
1-3inch Milli, was bought as brown out
1-small sunset monti from Frank
1-ORA Blue Chalice was 3 inches grew to 4 in a month from Davy Jones Locker
1-Huma Huma trigger
1-Blue polyp Birdsnest
1-Green polyp Birdsnest
1-Pink birdsnest
What is showing stress:
Duncan's....both frags...again Duncan's do NOT appear to be dying, I have no recession of flesh, nor head loss.
What is fine or thiving:
Zoa's, zoa's, zoa's
also devils hand
tood stool
fuzzy mushrooms
sponge
pagoda
1 purple tang
3 clownfish
1 pink tail trigger
1 blue throat trigger
1 lawnmower blenny
4 neon gobies
1 melanarus wrasse
all snails, crabs, starfish, and the cucumber are fine
No sign of stress on cucumber, sand sifting starfish, serpant starfish, snails, hermits, or emeralds. All other fish are fine as well.
According to last water test 1 week ago at Upscales which is an LFS.
Salinity 1.022
Temp 78
Nitrites 0
Amonia was very low...not 0...but not of concern either
Phosphates 0
PH 8.0
Calcium 500
Alk "it's good" quote from Upscales (LFS) guy.
Nitrates were very high, but I believe I know why and have removed that from the system.
Nitrate issue,
I have used canister filters on my tank since my 36 and hadn't had nitrate issues, I always credited that to removal of the foam pad they have in them to prevent debri collection, when I put the 72 up I used my 304 but forgot to remove the pad. Since I noticed the Nitrate spike I have removed the canister from the system so it is no longer in the equation.
Salinity issue,
My refracto seems to be off kilter, which is why I took my water to Upscales (a local fish store) in the first place. I had taken my water to World of Wet Pets another LFS and they said that I had no nitrates and my salt was 1.020 so I added salt and my refracto was reading 1.025. So I took water to a buddies one night and he tested it at 1.020 also. I went home and set my refracto to read my water at 1.020 then did a water change with some potently mixed 5 gallons. A day later I tested my water and it read 1.025 I asked a different buddy to come over with his refracto and it also read 1.025 so I assumed my water was good salt wise. However today I tested it again and it is reading 1.018.DOH! Will be taking water to Upscales again tomorrow.
Anyway since last Monday I have done a 20g, 15g, 10g, water changes to my tank to reduce the nitrates and pick up my salinity to acceptable messures.
All of this was instigated by the loss of 90% of my SPS 3 weeks ago. All acro's minus the tricolor, my milli, both birdsnest frags, my sunset monti, and the ORA Blue Chalice. My initial concern was from the loss of the ORA blue. Then I noticed my Duncan's haven't been opening nor was my hammer, I also had lost my torch in all of this. Zoa's seem to be fine
Around this time I had made several changes to my system. I was running an SPS 15k DE HQI MH, which I had run for 10 to 12 hours a day for about a year, Calvin brought over a used Pheonix 14k which was ran for 6 hours a day for 2 years. I was\am considering the Pheonix for my bulb replacement coming up in about a week. I also removed my 3/4 inch flow accelerator and Korellia 4 and replaced it with 2 Korellia 3's and I split my return. Also added the canopy and initially found my salinity to be low.
I initially thought that the hammer and duncan's were upset due to the increase in flow so I have moved them around a bit. My hammer, after the most recent move, has been very happy, but my duncan's are still showing stress.
Then I thought it was my salinity and nitrates, so I have removed the canister, about a week ago, added Purigen and Carbon, and also done the 20g, 15g, and 10g water changes....and I am not seeing any result. Duncan's are still very upset. They aren't dying, I am not loosing heads, but they dang sure aren't opening. I am assuming that my nitrates are still a tad high but should be coming down. According to my last refracto encounter my water is at 1.018. I will be taking water down tomorrow to get tested and am expecting to pick up 20 to 30 gallons of water for another tank change to help resolve this issue. But I am not convinced that this is what is actually what is going on. I have also lost one fish during all of this.
What I am doing so far about this:
I am changing back to the SPS bulb tomorrow. I have also ordered Refugium mud, started with Purigen, increasing my LRR, removed canister filter, multiple water changes with no end it sight.
So here are the questions,
As noted I have lost a ton of SPS and a few LPS. But here is what confuses me....I have an acan that is doing great, I also have 2 other monti's that are also doing great. My hammer is doing great, xenia is dead, duncan's are ticked, zoa's are thiving. My toad stool and devils hand are doing fine....what do you think can be going on?
What else should I do?
Could changing from a SPS 15k ran for 12 hours for 1 year to a Pheonix 14k ran for 6 hours for 2 years do this?
Fatality list to date:
1-3inch Milli, was bought as brown out
1-small sunset monti from Frank
1-ORA Blue Chalice was 3 inches grew to 4 in a month from Davy Jones Locker
1-Huma Huma trigger
1-Blue polyp Birdsnest
1-Green polyp Birdsnest
1-Pink birdsnest
What is showing stress:
Duncan's....both frags...again Duncan's do NOT appear to be dying, I have no recession of flesh, nor head loss.
What is fine or thiving:
Zoa's, zoa's, zoa's
also devils hand
tood stool
fuzzy mushrooms
sponge
pagoda
1 purple tang
3 clownfish
1 pink tail trigger
1 blue throat trigger
1 lawnmower blenny
4 neon gobies
1 melanarus wrasse
all snails, crabs, starfish, and the cucumber are fine
No sign of stress on cucumber, sand sifting starfish, serpant starfish, snails, hermits, or emeralds. All other fish are fine as well.
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