Ideas please

[killerkukoo]

Hello. i recently upgraded my 72 to a 180. the move did not go well. i had a nice stocked 72. We reused the gravel in the new tank. We believe we had sulphur gas pockets or did not rinse well enough. The end result is we lost every piece we had. over 130 pieces. This was around oct 10th( cant remember exact days, just know it lined up with hunting season) We ran carbon and let things settle for a while. The problem we have now is we still can not keep things alive. simple things. I have leathers that are alive but will not show any pe. Zoas close up and never open again. we went through a stage of brown film algae. this seem to have settled down alot. the tests i can and have run are as follows
Cal -420
alk-13
amonia -0
ph 8.2
I can test mag if i need to.
I run lights a short amount of time, whites for 4 hrs blues for 8. I have one green sps that is living and growing. but everything else wont open. sometimes the leathers will peak a little pe out but then nothing for days.
Im really hoping for some ideas or directions.

the fist did not live through the transfer. in the middle of november we added some fish then a couple weeks later added a few more. Right now we have 2 tangs, 2 clowns, a leapord wrasse, and fire fish(both survived the move)

 

[Elementalj]

Hello. i recently upgraded my 72 to a 180. the move did not go well. i had a nice stocked 72. We reused the gravel in the new tank. We believe we had sulphur gas pockets or did not rinse well enough. The end result is we lost every piece we had. over 130 pieces. This was around oct 10th( cant remember exact days, just know it lined up with hunting season) We ran carbon and let things settle for a while. The problem we have now is we still can not keep things alive. simple things. I have leathers that are alive but will not show any pe. Zoas close up and never open again. we went through a stage of brown film algae. this seem to have settled down alot. the tests i can and have run are as follows
Cal -420
alk-13
amonia -0
ph 8.2
I can test mag if i need to.
I run lights a short amount of time, whites for 4 hrs blues for 8. I have one green sps that is living and growing. but everything else wont open. sometimes the leathers will peak a little pe out but then nothing for days.
Im really hoping for some ideas or directions.

the fist did not live through the transfer. in the middle of november we added some fish then a couple weeks later added a few more. Right now we have 2 tangs, 2 clowns, a leapord wrasse, and fire fish(both survived the move)

The alkalinity is super high to me. What salt are you using? And is the high alkalinity matching up with what was in the old system?

I wouldn't have reused the sand unless it had been rinsed in sea water for an extended period of time. There's always something organic left behind, so I never reuse and instantly stock. I'm thinking you probably re-cycled or ticked a coral off and they released something that nuked everything.

Could you get some water ready for a WC and test its parameters for us? I'd like to see those results, unless you're using reef crystals, then I already know the answer. [emoji6]

 

[Diesel]

ALK is a bit on the high side but not high enough that it can kill corals.
Take a test on Po4 and No4.
How often do you change the water?
Did you test you new water on issues?
What salt are you using?
Threaten the house with insecticide?
I'm asking as it can be anything as of now.
A triton test will tell you a lot as well.

 

[killerkukoo]

The alkalinity is super high to me. What salt are you using? And is the high alkalinity matching up with what was in the old system?

I wouldn't have reused the sand unless it had been rinsed in sea water for an extended period of time. There's always something organic left behind, so I never reuse and instantly stock. I'm thinking you probably re-cycled or ticked a coral off and they released something that nuked everything.

Could you get some water ready for a WC and test its parameters for us? I'd like to see those results, unless you're using reef crystals, then I already know the answer. [emoji6]

yes im using reef crystals. i have bounced between those and rscp. honestly i never tested alk in my old tank. in fact i rarely tested anything because that tank just ran so well!

 

[killerkukoo]

ALK is a bit on the high side but not high enough that it can kill corals.
Take a test on Po4 and No4.
How often do you change the water?
Did you test you new water on issues?
What salt are you using?
Threaten the house with insecticide?
I'm asking as it can be anything as of now.
A triton test will tell you a lot as well.

what is a triton test? im using sailfert tests right now. no insecticides. i used to change water once a week. right now its been 3 weeks since there is virtually nothing in the tank. I will have to pick up some tests for po4 and no4. i havent tested new water. i guess i figured it would be ok lol. ill do that saturday. i plan on a change then. i change 20 gallons. the only other difference between tanks is i use a brute can for the change, before i used a 5g bucket. the brute cans were new when i started using them

 

[Elementalj]

ALK is a bit on the high side but not high enough that it can kill corals.
Take a test on Po4 and No4.
How often do you change the water?
Did you test you new water on issues?
What salt are you using?
Threaten the house with insecticide?
I'm asking as it can be anything as of now.
A triton test will tell you a lot as well.

But a sudden alk change? Coming from say 7-8 to 13 wouldn't be detrimental? I was thinking there could have been ammonia spikes and he wouldn't have been aware.
But yeah, send off to triton and you'll know what's exactly in the tank. [emoji15]

 

[Elementalj]

Hey, here they are. http://www.triton-lab.de

 

[killerkukoo]

Hey, here they are. http://www.triton-lab.de

I never knew this existed...
now im scared. it was a used tank. i dont think copper since my crabs and my cleaner shrimp live.
im going to do this and see lol. how long to hear back?

 

[killerkukoo]

But a sudden alk change? Coming from say 7-8 to 13 wouldn't be detrimental? I was thinking there could have been ammonia spikes and he wouldn't have been aware.
But yeah, send off to triton and you'll know what's exactly in the tank. [emoji15]

this thought has crossed my mind also about the alk. i dont really know what the other tank ran. thats horrible i know. but after the first good tests came in i put stuff in it grew and thrived and so i never worried about it

 

[Elementalj]

this thought has crossed my mind also about the alk. i dont really know what the other tank ran. thats horrible i know. but after the first good tests came in i put stuff in it grew and thrived and so i never worried about it

Gotta keep track of things bro. I usually test alkalinity every other day now. It was every day for the first three months till I started figuring in what I was losing. It'll be ok, the triton test is surely the last resort if we can't fix this.

First off, find a notebook and mark the date and time, log your results. It takes a total of ten minutes to test the big three once you get in the groove. Then, test at the same time, or as close as you can for the next few weeks.

Do a water change regularly of water that's been tested, so that you start to understand what you're putting in.

Want to post a picture of the tank? Show me what's going on so maybe we can help further. Another thing, we are always here even if it's just for venting and support. [emoji6]

 

[killerkukoo]

Gotta keep track of things bro. I usually test alkalinity every other day now. It was every day for the first three months till I started figuring in what I was losing. It'll be ok, the triton test is surely the last resort if we can't fix this.

First off, find a notebook and mark the date and time, log your results. It takes a total of ten minutes to test the big three once you get in the groove. Then, test at the same time, or as close as you can for the next few weeks.

Do a water change regularly of water that's been tested, so that you start to understand what you're putting in.

Want to post a picture of the tank? Show me what's going on so maybe we can help further. Another thing, we are always here even if it's just for venting and support. [emoji6]

i do understand the need for testing. i can get a pic later. not much going on in that thing besides fish lol. i went to triton website. where do i order the test kit from so i can send it in to them? i have a pretty good group of guys around here that helps when i need, but holidays and stuff. honestly this is very different for me. i have done 3 or 4 tanks and they all just worked well. my theory is the constant water change can pretty much overide most issue given time and until now its worked. one of my big worries is maybe something with the tank it self. even if the reused gravel was the culprit shouldnt it have lost is sulphur gas by now? talking with the wife we think we had water back in and set up by oct 15. thats a little more than 2 months.

 

[skim]

So basically you started a new tank. You don't explain much about the move so it is hard to tell, but I would have to say it boiled down to not enough Bacteria after washing and general stress causing Nitrite and Ammonia spikes and then it just snow balls as things start to die.

 

[Elementalj]

So basically you started a new tank. You don't explain much about the move so it is hard to tell, but I would have to say it boiled down to not enough Bacteria after washing and general stress causing Nitrite and Ammonia spikes and then it just snow balls as things start to die.

That's the direction I was headed in. Just didn't want to condescend. The beauty of a marine system as when you figure out major things everything else seems to fall into line.

J

 

[skim]

Well at least you hope things fall into line. I myself always seems as you think you have figured out something major something small kicks you in the butt.

 

[bump3rb33tl3]

Triton tests take 7-10 days for results is my understanding.

 

[killerkukoo]

yes basically i started a new tank. thats probably my whole issue. ive never had so much issues starting a new tank though. thanks everyone for all the ideas :)

 

[Elementalj]

Well at least you hope things fall into line. I myself always seems as you think you have figured out something major something small kicks you in the butt.

That's the interesting part! [emoji6]