Chemistry Issues After PowerHead Malfunction

[mshonk]

So a few months back I started having some coral receed. Found out it a power head's housing cracked and the magnet was leaching into the tank. Before this I had a multitank system with about 130g total volume. Everything was growing well and I upgraded to a 180g with a 40g sump. I would say my volume is about 190g. Everything started growing better. I used to dose no3 to keep it around 8ppm and po4 was never an issue.Growth and color were great for the first 4 months in the new tank. Dosing pumps dialed in with steady consumption, of DIY solutions I have been mixing the same for 4 years, then this occurred.

What I know for certain:
- no longer dose no3.
- po4 is usually around .15ppm and no3 15ppm (hanna)
- dkh at 9 and working on lowering it closer to 7 (salifert)
- calcium was high but I am walking it down to about 420ppm currently at 440ppm (salifert)
- mg 1400ppm (salifert)
- upgraded my skimmer
- removed the filter socks
- When I found out about the pump I removed it and I made a 30% WC followed by a 50% change the following day,
- I run carbon in a combination of BRS ROX, bituminous, pure-it and now with po4 being higher some gfo. always have
- for the past 2 months since this occurred I have been routinely doing 10% WCs each week
- I have a chiller and an inkbird so temp sits at roughly 77°F
- salinity at 1.026 ave a 10g res with ATO
- flow is roughtly the same the pump was replaced
- Dialed my lights back top of the reef sees approx 500 par and the bottom center 150-180ish
- birdsnest, pink stylo, and montiporas affected the most and a handful of acros with burnt tips or complete loss
- salt is red sea (not pro)

I still seem to struggle to get my demand dialed in correctly ,which is irritating since I had everything thriving. What I mean is my dosing pump volume vs the consistancy of my test results. I feel they are getting better, but want to have some other's input. I did ICP tests about a week and a half ago on the tank and my RODI. The tests say the tank has a chlorine issue and some warnings on trace metals where the rodi has no chlorine. the tank icp will be attach to this post the following will have the rodi.

Am I on the right track and being impatient or is there something else I am missing.
Thanks in advance

 

[mshonk]

RODI

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The chloride is unrelated to the powerhead and reflects the salt mix or the use of lots of chloride-containing additives without added sulfate.

I’m not seeing an obvious icp issue.

Is the manganese number ppm or ppb? Can’t read it.

 

[mshonk]

ppb

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Then I don’t see anything notable.

 

[Dan_P]

So a few months back I started having some coral receed. Found out it a power head's housing cracked and the magnet was leaching into the tank. Before this I had a multitank system with about 130g total volume. Everything was growing well and I upgraded to a 180g with a 40g sump. I would say my volume is about 190g. Everything started growing better. I used to dose no3 to keep it around 8ppm and po4 was never an issue.Growth and color were great for the first 4 months in the new tank. Dosing pumps dialed in with steady consumption, of DIY solutions I have been mixing the same for 4 years, then this occurred.

What I know for certain:
- no longer dose no3.
- po4 is usually around .15ppm and no3 15ppm (hanna)
- dkh at 9 and working on lowering it closer to 7 (salifert)
- calcium was high but I am walking it down to about 420ppm currently at 440ppm (salifert)
- mg 1400ppm (salifert)
- upgraded my skimmer
- removed the filter socks
- When I found out about the pump I removed it and I made a 30% WC followed by a 50% change the following day,
- I run carbon in a combination of BRS ROX, bituminous, pure-it and now with po4 being higher some gfo. always have
- for the past 2 months since this occurred I have been routinely doing 10% WCs each week
- I have a chiller and an inkbird so temp sits at roughly 77°F
- salinity at 1.026 ave a 10g res with ATO
- flow is roughtly the same the pump was replaced
- Dialed my lights back top of the reef sees approx 500 par and the bottom center 150-180ish
- birdsnest, pink stylo, and montiporas affected the most and a handful of acros with burnt tips or complete loss
- salt is red sea (not pro)

I still seem to struggle to get my demand dialed in correctly ,which is irritating since I had everything thriving. What I mean is my dosing pump volume vs the consistancy of my test results. I feel they are getting better, but want to have some other's input. I did ICP tests about a week and a half ago on the tank and my RODI. The tests say the tank has a chlorine issue and some warnings on trace metals where the rodi has no chlorine. the tank icp will be attach to this post the following will have the rodi.

Am I on the right track and being impatient or is there something else I am missing.
Thanks in advance

Trying to understand the sequence of events

4 years with old system…moved everything, sand, rock, water, organisms to new tank…4 months in new system everything OK…coral flesh starts to recede at 4+ months…crack in pump housing found 6+ months…month 8+ today’s post.

 

[mshonk]

4 years with old system…moved everything, sand, rock, water, organisms to new tank…4 months in new system everything OK…coral flesh starts to recede at 4+ months…crack in pump housing found 6+ months…month 8+ today’s post.

Close. I do my best to articulate what is going on in my head. I appreciate the direct apporach.

4 years with old system, NO SAND from the old system 165lbs new sand (20 being live sand), ORIGINAL Rock plus 75 lbs of fully cured rock (about 130lbs) with the rock being shaken and blown off before adding to the new system., Mainly NEW water mabybe 20g of old, organisms to new tank…4 months in new system everything FLOURISHING…coral WITHDRAWN around 4 months. when the coral started behaving adversly I started the battery of tests and assesments. then flesh starts to recede at 4+ months… Noticed increased nitrates over 30ppm which I assumed was from the coral dieback but no changes in husbandry. crack in pump housing found 4.5-5 months. large water changes and carbon combo. …month 7+ today’s post.

 

[mshonk]

Then I don’t see anything notable.

Thank you I am trying to make sure there isn't an oversight and I just need to give it time.

I get I reacted and the damage is done. I go on vaca in two weeks and would like some semblance of consistancy. I have had my share of oopsies in the past. Like my dosing pipes coming out of the alk solution and the dkh dropping to 4.7. Not a single issue with the drop or bringing it up. I know that a dip is better than a spike so my approach has always favored that outcome. I will have a week where my alk and cal are consistant since the pump issue and then next week they start to increase. My testing method has always been test daily til the results match, then skip a day til the results match, and so this until I am at weekly tests and the pumps are dialed in.

 

[Dan_P]

Close. I do my best to articulate what is going on in my head. I appreciate the direct apporach.

4 years with old system, NO SAND from the old system 165lbs new sand (20 being live sand), ORIGINAL Rock plus 75 lbs of fully cured rock (about 130lbs) with the rock being shaken and blown off before adding to the new system., Mainly NEW water mabybe 20g of old, organisms to new tank…4 months in new system everything FLOURISHING…coral WITHDRAWN around 4 months. when the coral started behaving adversly I started the battery of tests and assesments. then flesh starts to recede at 4+ months… Noticed increased nitrates over 30ppm which I assumed was from the coral dieback but no changes in husbandry. crack in pump housing found 4.5-5 months. large water changes and carbon combo. …month 7+ today’s post.

Thanks for the clarification. That was many changes being done to an established system, almost like starting from scratch but with what I assume were large specimens. It is odd that things went south after four months rather than 4 days or 4 weeks. The cracked pump housing, unless it electrified the water, might be a side show. This is a tough problem to sort out.

 

[mshonk]

That was many changes being done to an established system

Agreed I was nervous as heck, but I dotted my i's and crossed my t's and did a great job on the swap. I created a frankentank and was offered a free 180g and a free 40g for a sump, so I could remove some pumps with how I designed the plumbing and I would occasionally get an overflow when the power would go out in the franken system so the new tank was a much welcomed relief. I figured the addition of 75lbs of cured rock would help displace the BB lost from the surface areas in the old system. I willed the new system and with almost all new water and had it running with cured live rock and a chunk of shrimp for a week to detect any ammonia spikes, none. I thoroughly rinsed the sand before adding it. Matched all params I could test for between the current and new systems and then added everything in one swoop. I throttled back my dosing to about 3/4 of what it was, dialed my lights back and fed lightly. Like I said it was doing better than ever and now I am well where I am at. I lost two millie colonies, a birdsnest, the size of a small canteloupe and so much more. the tank still looks nice and isn't a complete loss but it was quite discouraging. Very few pieces moved over were frags, most were small to medium colonies. I look at my vihn acro and pearlberry happy as a clam great color. my WD acro lil burnt tips, my solar flare not so good, tricolor great, I have some ponape birdsnest hanging in, has polyp extension but barely any flesh and the same goes for most of my montis. I have no algae real algae issues. I checked my alk and cal last night. 8.8dkh and 440ppm. Higher than I'd like but consistent. So that is what I will strive for consistency. I will look over everything again and keep on keeping on.

 

[Dan_P]

Agreed I was nervous as heck, but I dotted my i's and crossed my t's and did a great job on the swap. I created a frankentank and was offered a free 180g and a free 40g for a sump, so I could remove some pumps with how I designed the plumbing and I would occasionally get an overflow when the power would go out in the franken system so the new tank was a much welcomed relief. I figured the addition of 75lbs of cured rock would help displace the BB lost from the surface areas in the old system. I willed the new system and with almost all new water and had it running with cured live rock and a chunk of shrimp for a week to detect any ammonia spikes, none. I thoroughly rinsed the sand before adding it. Matched all params I could test for between the current and new systems and then added everything in one swoop. I throttled back my dosing to about 3/4 of what it was, dialed my lights back and fed lightly. Like I said it was doing better than ever and now I am well where I am at. I lost two millie colonies, a birdsnest, the size of a small canteloupe and so much more. the tank still looks nice and isn't a complete loss but it was quite discouraging. Very few pieces moved over were frags, most were small to medium colonies. I look at my vihn acro and pearlberry happy as a clam great color. my WD acro lil burnt tips, my solar flare not so good, tricolor great, I have some ponape birdsnest hanging in, has polyp extension but barely any flesh and the same goes for most of my montis. I have no algae real algae issues. I checked my alk and cal last night. 8.8dkh and 440ppm. Higher than I'd like but consistent. So that is what I will strive for consistency. I will look over everything again and keep on keeping on.

Here’s wishing you the best of luck!

 

[mshonk]

Here’s wishing you the best of luck!

Much appreciated

 

[mshonk]

just an update I think i have my culprit for fluxuations. I 3d printed my dosing pipes/tubes that went in the alk and calcium dosing containers. Fairly certain they have been drawing air to some degree (bubbles in lines plus i rinsed and blew through them while blocking the other end and air was escaping). Replaced them with acrylic tubes bumped my mag up to 1425ppm, dropped my alk to 7.2dkh, and calcium to 415ppm. I have recovery and regrowth on montis that I thought were gone and on another positive note I never realized I lived 10 minutes away from the manufacturer that produces qik joe so now I have 50 lbs bags of calcium chloride and magnesium chloride to mix with and I think my total was only about $40 total for both.

 

[Snoopy 67]

Nice to hear.
My last ICP came back with Cobalt too.
I found a some small coated magnets were failing.
I think we either have to start using ceramic magnets or add them to our maintenance regimen.

 

[mshonk]

Nice to hear.
My last ICP came back with Cobalt too.
I found a some small coated magnets were failing.
I think we either have to start using ceramic magnets or add them to our maintenance regimen.

My maintenance regimen now includes monthly powerhead and pump checks and cleaning bimonthly. Before it was once every 3 months.