[entire reef issue] Losing a looong battle, about to give up. (black paint algae, everthing dying)

[Mastiffsrule]

Any chance you can get poly filter? It turns colors if it detects certain things in the water.

Don’t give up, you still have some guys depending on you.

 

[MOAIAP]

Triton ICP test is done in Germany.

I live in argentina, and customs here is crap

 

[MOAIAP]

Any chance you can get poly filter? It turns colors if it detects certain things in the water.

Don’t give up, you still have some guys depending on you.

I googled for that, I used something similar... it's what looks like a cloth bag/pad, that's supposedly weaved with a compound that traps heavy metals and turns colors to tell you what it caught (like, it would turn green as it caught copper). It detected/caught nothing.

This is the product: https://www.amazon.com/Two-Little-Fishies-MetaSorb-Treatments/dp/B00N45H8TY

 

[jsker]

This might give you some good information on testing. Link. I would suggest looking test lab near you or send a test to triton.

This would give a definitive answer of what is going on with your system

 

[WVNed]

So you have done this for a while.
Got a new tank and everything dies
and then you say this

"I really have no idea what to try anymore... I even thought the silicone used in the tank could be an issue, but from what I've read, everything would have died in the first couple weeks if it was that..."

Could you explain? Could the tank be made with mold resistant silicone?

 

[wesman42]

Definitely an ICP if you can get it done. ATI is in Germany. This could well provide you with the key to resolving your issues.

Why would a water sample have trouble clearing customs, especially in Argentina? I'm really interested in why this might be lol.

 

[MOAIAP]

So you have done this for a while.
Got a new tank and everything dies
and then you say this

"I really have no idea what to try anymore... I even thought the silicone used in the tank could be an issue, but from what I've read, everything would have died in the first couple weeks if it was that..."

Could you explain? Could the tank be made with mold resistant silicone?

No... the tank was made by a very reputable tank factory. Basically all stores buy from them.

I did add the sump divisions myself, I am sure I used a silicone that specifically said it was for aquariums, but after all this trial and error (and more than a year later), I've started to doubt myself.

I read on mold resistant silicone, but all the experiences point at fish dying and/or pretty quick decay of the tank.... my case is a long decay of over a year and counting.

 

[MOAIAP]

Why would a water sample have trouble clearing customs, especially in Argentina? I'm really interested in why this might be lol.

Argentina is very weird with customs... lots of things are blocked for no reason other than trying to block OTHER things for dubious reasons.

I could try to arrange for one of the companies that provide the service to send the container to argentina... and could try to send the sample back and see if it goes through... but I doubt it will be that easy.

I will call fedex or dhl tomorrow and ask them about it. Wish I could just email some water

 

[Japtastic]

Good luck fella, I really feel like an ICP is going to help. There must be a way! I’d email/Twitter/facebook Triton and ATI and ask them if they know if they have any customers in Argentina. I imagine the biggest fear for both sides of customs is that they think you are sending liquid drugs but it’s fairly obvious from the packaging and address that it’s a water sample going to an official lab.

Good luck, I’m positive there is a way for you to get an ICP.

Have you checked absolutely everything 100% with a fine tooth comb and taken apart all equipment to inspect for rust?

Checked through the sand bed and rocks and everything throughly 100% for a random screw, bolt or worse that may fallen in or even worse inside a rock during your move?

I had high zinc levels that were causing me issues that an ICP test flagged up. Still not 100% sure where it came from but now suspecting the RODI booster pump. I ran Seachem Cuprasorb and Poly filters and that got rid of it but neither the Poly filter or Cuprasorb changed colour.

 

[Hermie]

It's possible that at the beginning, there was some die off with your corals for one reason, and then a cascade happened as the tank was destabilized w/ various treatments, and while in that unstable environment, the plague black algae (my words) slowly took over and that it's proving almost impossible to get rid of... As more treatments are tried, the tank becomes more unstable and unsuitable for the corals. I wish we knew what that black stuff was, I have not seen it identified in the thread yet. Perhaps you can look at it under a cheap microscope?

I'm not trying to prove anyone wrong here, in no way am I saying "don't get an ICP test." Just, if you have to take out the black algae rock, it's not giving up, maybe think of it as restabilizing your tank. You could try putting some of the black algae rock in a small QT tank and trying different treatments (chemical etc, maybe cyanobacteria treatments) without destabilizing the main tank.
Either way, I assume the issue is that you want corals to stop dying and the black algae to go away, is that right? Would you be satisfied keeping the black algae if the corals stop dying?

Just trying to help here.

 

[CindyKz]

I don't know anything about the black algae but I noticed you didn't post parameters, specifically nitrate. You mentioned "controlling" it. Is it possible that you stripped it too low too fast and now corals and macroalgae are starving?

 

[Danj]

To echo the last post, what parameters have you tested, and what were the values?

Also, what additives are you dosing to the tank? e.g. basic calcium/alk/mag maintenance

 

[MOAIAP]

This might give you some good information on testing. Link. I would suggest looking test lab near you or send a test to triton.

This would give a definitive answer of what is going on with your system

Sorry for the delay, I checked with customs and they told me the chance of something liquid passing through is minimal (it would be a fluke on their part). They are too worried about drugs or something, but the customs person didn't want to explain further.

I checked with 2 local laboratories, in both cases they are using a different kind of testing machine (atomic absorption), and both rejected my request because the salinity in the water would interfere with the results.

Living in the 3rd world sucks for stuff like this

 

[MOAIAP]

Good luck, I’m positive there is a way for you to get an ICP.

Sorry for the delay, I checked with customs and they told me the chance of something liquid passing through is minimal (it would be a fluke on their part). They are too worried about drugs or something, but the customs person didn't want to explain further.

I checked with 2 local laboratories, in both cases they are using a different kind of testing machine (atomic absorption), and both rejected my request because the salinity in the water would interfere with the results.

Living in the 3rd world sucks for stuff like this

I checked the pumps, and my tank has no sand in the botton (and the LFS guys removed every rock, siphoned the bottom when they scrubbed the rocks to clean them).

Could it be some invisible rust? Like... inside the epoxy-sealed body?

 

[MOAIAP]

I don't know anything about the black algae but I noticed you didn't post parameters, specifically nitrate. You mentioned "controlling" it. Is it possible that you stripped it too low too fast and now corals and macroalgae are starving?

When we realized there was a problems nitrates where above 50 (the max a our tests measures), after a few water changes (not huge ones) it started dropping, so it should have been around 50-55. We lowered it slowly via water changes, and a few weeks ago the LFS guys did a nearly 100% water change.

Despite that, the nitrates as of today are at around 25....

Does that tell you something?

 

[MOAIAP]

To echo the last post, what parameters have you tested, and what were the values?

Also, what additives are you dosing to the tank? e.g. basic calcium/alk/mag maintenance

We measure Mg, Ca, Kh, Nitrates, Nitrites, I think.
The values where all in the normal ranges, except nitrates that where high, I don't have the values on hand (I'm at work).

We did not add much, we mostly manage with water changes with good salt. In any case, even the easy stuff is dying, so it's not like its a slight deficit of some obscure element that's causing it.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Ive seen the results from those triton lab tests.... u have to b a scientist to read em anyways. LOL
just sayin.

I don't like the LFS guy doing the 100%wc... that's like a last resort ditch effort. Like, idk F it. Lets try this.
Sounds like ur algae is actually just dark red velvet algae. Id have to do google work to get u the info or scientific name ect.

IMO ur tank cycled when u moved. Things died. U got a roller coaster effect going. More stuff dying. Feeding it...
Id just let the tank settle down a little. This has been going on for a whole year? Fish are ok...?
Give it time and do the water changes if needed... U will b back into coral one day soon I think.

What all are you putting in the tank? What filtration do u use?
-d

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

whats ur salt lvl?

 

[MOAIAP]

Ive seen the results from those triton lab tests.... u have to b a scientist to read em anyways. LOL
just sayin.

I don't like the LFS guy doing the 100%wc... that's like a last resort ditch effort. Like, idk F it. Lets try this.
Sounds like ur algae is actually just dark red velvet algae. Id have to do google work to get u the info or scientific name ect.

IMO ur tank cycled when u moved. Things died. U got a roller coaster effect going. More stuff dying. Feeding it...
Id just let the tank settle down a little. This has been going on for a whole year? Fish are ok...?
Give it time and do the water changes if needed... U will b back into coral one day soon I think.

What all are you putting in the tank? What filtration do u use?
-d

It WAS kind of a last effort, the previous visit they did a 20-30%WC and scrubbed clean all the rocks, also re-arranged them as separated from the glass bottom as possible. Pic of that time: https://i.imgur.com/XU7q8pI.jpg

We have a BM NAC 6 skimmer.
We feed with ocean nutrition formula 2 (i think... it's the orange flakes)
We've been adding Aquaforest pro bio-F to help with nitrates.
We also added magnesium flakes as it was getting low at some point.

We used both redsea coral pro salt, and now are using aquaforest probio reef salt.

I definitely thought of the rollercoaster effect... specially after a couple big sarcophytons rotted inside (applied carbon too at the time), but it seems to not be stopping...

 

[MOAIAP]

whats ur salt lvl?

We prepare water at 1024-1025 density. The tank is at those levels too, with RO automatic top-off.