Miller535
Valuable Member
ICP would be a must. But I would also buy a RODI, you can buy units with booster pumps that hook up to your kitchen sink. IMO do NOT EVER trust your water to another. Buy the unit, KNOW your water.
My Tank Feels like it's Going Downhill
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Dylan McKenzie Holloway
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That's exactly what I am talking about.
ICP test for sure. Betting on trace of copper. Had this happen years ago tank was going great all of sudden things stopped growing and then they started dieing. Then I remembered I got in a hurry adding a fish from store and after acclimating just dumped water and fish in tank. Fish had been in treatment tank when bought at store.
I also meant to ask, if it turns out to be the sand. What would you recommend doing in removing it?
I've heard removing sand and adding new sand can restart the whole cycle.
I'm also worried how that would work with burrowing fish like the goby and pistol shrimp. All new to me, so I'm not entirely sure how to go about it.
Miller535
Valuable Member
It will not restart the cycle. Your rock houses plenty of bacteria to keep the tank cycled. You can even reuse a lot of the water. Tank out your livestock, then as much water as you'd like to save, THEN remove the sand, all water left after touching the sand needs to go down the drain. I have personally done this. And tank never skipped a beat.
PRock
Active Member
If you buy live sand you might have a bit of a spike, but I agree with Miller, not going to have a full cycle. But if you're feeling paranoid, buy dry sand, dump it in a bucket of new salt water (not water that's from the tank because we suspect it) and dump in some bottled bacteria ( with a power head if you have it, but it doesn't need it). Let that sit for 24h before you do the sand exchange and you'll probably be golden because you'll be replacing sand that's colonized with bacteria with sand that's seeded with bacteria.
Anybody have recommendations on which ICP test to use?
I've seen Triton and ATI, saw this one, which is a little more affordable, but not sure on if it's any good.
www.marinedepot.com
I've seen Triton and ATI, saw this one, which is a little more affordable, but not sure on if it's any good.
Aquarium Test Kits
Bulk Reef Supply - Saltwater Aquarium Supplies for Reef Tanks
www.marinedepot.com
When things start looking awry, I dose water conditioner before I do anything else. Thus far, I dont have reason to believe metals or chlorine / chloramines have been an issue, but it's a cheap, safe, easy step to take that can help substantially if your source water is contaminated.
Lighting changes can be hit and miss, but changing your flow patterns, whether up or down, more or less random, always seems to help.
Running a couple of 30% water changes in a week using water you made with your own RODI is an easy way to reduce the list of possible issues you're dealing with. I hate doing water changes.
Frankly WCs are a terrible means of nutrient export or maintenance for "the big three" elements. Buying an RODI and a bucket of salt will cost you a lot less in the long run than buying test kits and supplements for minor trace elements. We had acros thriving and montis looking crummy recently. We did a couple of big WCs and now the tequila sunrise that we thought was a goner for sure is coloring up. Potassium deficiency seems like the most likely explanation for montis struggling in an environment where acros are happy. It would have been $50+ to test and dose for that one component that still might not have fixed the problem. A 50 gallon per day RODI unit can be had for around $80. When you replenish trace elements with water changes, you dont need to test for them as rigorously (if at all).
Lighting changes can be hit and miss, but changing your flow patterns, whether up or down, more or less random, always seems to help.
Running a couple of 30% water changes in a week using water you made with your own RODI is an easy way to reduce the list of possible issues you're dealing with. I hate doing water changes.
Frankly WCs are a terrible means of nutrient export or maintenance for "the big three" elements. Buying an RODI and a bucket of salt will cost you a lot less in the long run than buying test kits and supplements for minor trace elements. We had acros thriving and montis looking crummy recently. We did a couple of big WCs and now the tequila sunrise that we thought was a goner for sure is coloring up. Potassium deficiency seems like the most likely explanation for montis struggling in an environment where acros are happy. It would have been $50+ to test and dose for that one component that still might not have fixed the problem. A 50 gallon per day RODI unit can be had for around $80. When you replenish trace elements with water changes, you dont need to test for them as rigorously (if at all).
A couple of additional thoughts while I take my lunch break...
Your parameters look good. You didnt post a pH reading, and nitrate tests in particular tend to suck.
I'd get a salifert nitrate test kit sooner than later if your kit only uses liquid reagents. The typical nitrate reagents have a tendency to crystallize in the bottle and suggest nitrate concentrations are much lower than they really are.
PH is of debatable importance. If your pH is less than 8, it may be worth addressing by plumbing your skimmers air intake outside / to a CO2 scrubber / even just out of the sump.
A good few of your corals look like they could possibly be getting a little too much light, especially some of the softies. I've noticed some of the few soft corals we have will respond to lighting changes over a fairly long period of time. If the lights get too bright, often the corals will take a handful of days to really respond to that change. Likewise, it can take a little time after dimming the lights for our softies to spring back.
Toxins, diseases, and pests are frequently to blame when a tank with good parameters starts struggling. Iodine dips are a relatively cheap, safe measure while you wait for your ICP results.
Your parameters look good. You didnt post a pH reading, and nitrate tests in particular tend to suck.
I'd get a salifert nitrate test kit sooner than later if your kit only uses liquid reagents. The typical nitrate reagents have a tendency to crystallize in the bottle and suggest nitrate concentrations are much lower than they really are.
PH is of debatable importance. If your pH is less than 8, it may be worth addressing by plumbing your skimmers air intake outside / to a CO2 scrubber / even just out of the sump.
A good few of your corals look like they could possibly be getting a little too much light, especially some of the softies. I've noticed some of the few soft corals we have will respond to lighting changes over a fairly long period of time. If the lights get too bright, often the corals will take a handful of days to really respond to that change. Likewise, it can take a little time after dimming the lights for our softies to spring back.
Toxins, diseases, and pests are frequently to blame when a tank with good parameters starts struggling. Iodine dips are a relatively cheap, safe measure while you wait for your ICP results.
It sounds like you have a lot of good leads to work on, but I just want to make a comment or two.
For a first tank at at 7 months of age, your system looks nice. It’s not fair to compare your tank to the handful of tanks that make all of us envious. The people with those systems have usually been in the hobby for years and have started several systems before they created the one that you see.
I’m starting my third system and I’ve been in the hobby since 2006. My first one looked much like yours and in my second system, I finally figured out SPS corals and I was well on my way to a decent looking system. The one I’m working on now, I fully expect to eventually grow into a system that gets lots of compliments in a few years.
Stick with it and continue to read and learn as much as you can.
An RO/DI system will work well with the purchase of a booster pump for an additional $100-$150. Using RO/DI water and mixing my own saltwater made a night and day difference for me.
For a first tank at at 7 months of age, your system looks nice. It’s not fair to compare your tank to the handful of tanks that make all of us envious. The people with those systems have usually been in the hobby for years and have started several systems before they created the one that you see.
I’m starting my third system and I’ve been in the hobby since 2006. My first one looked much like yours and in my second system, I finally figured out SPS corals and I was well on my way to a decent looking system. The one I’m working on now, I fully expect to eventually grow into a system that gets lots of compliments in a few years.
Stick with it and continue to read and learn as much as you can.
An RO/DI system will work well with the purchase of a booster pump for an additional $100-$150. Using RO/DI water and mixing my own saltwater made a night and day difference for me.
I'm ordering an RODI system and an ICP test, just so I'm crossing everything off.
pH was 8.1 when I checked that night, but I've heard mixed things on accuracy of pH tests.
I want to upgrade to Red Sea Nitrate Pro, heard that was a really good test for nitrates. This API nitrate test is really hit or miss and horrible on picking up low end numbers. Everything else was tested with either Salifert or Hanna's.
Api's nitrate test gives loads of incorrect, low readings. You need to bang bottle 2 against your palm / a hard surface repeatedly. I read 0 probably a dozen times before I started really beating on that reagent bottle and found out our nitrates were at 80ppm...
I use api tap water conditioner. I dont know which one is the "best," but they all purport to mitigate the harmful effects of chlorine / heavy metals.
June Tegtmeier
New Member
You have been giving some amazing advice and well beyond my limited knowledge as I am a newbie myself. I noticed you mentioned a bicolor blenny in your stock list, oddly enough I had a similar experience a few months back. With the treasure trove of knowledge from my LFS we figured out it was that cute little blenny that was the culprit! Shortly after they suggested it might be him I caught him red handed.
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