Don’t know what to do!!

[reefer2021]

Long story short... my snails are dying off rapidly and my starfish are on the sand with their legs curled up (2 chocolate chip & 2 sand sifters). My 2 brittle stars seem to be fine. I’m not sure what else I can do!? I had a bacterial bloom occur about a week ago after I added a blue spotted goby to my 40 gallon. I currently have a pair of clowns, yellow damsel, 6 line wrasse and my goby. My levels are ph 8.0, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, however my nitrate was at 20ppm. It was like 40ppm a couple of days ago but I have been doing about a 30% water change everyday for the last 3 days to try to bring it down. Another problem that occurred was that I ordered a refractometer (as I was using a instant ocean hydrometer before) and came to find that my salinity was NOT 1.025 like my hydrometer was reading, but was actually bearly reading 1.002!! So, over the last couple of days I have slowly been increasing. Last night I got it to 1.015. I’m going to do a water change again tonight and hopefully get it to 1.020. SO with everything going on I am not quite sure what else I should be doing. Also forgot to mention that my pink Condy was also dead this morning!!!!! So frustrated. My fish are thriving and my invertebrates are dying. Probably assuming it’s mostly to do with the salinity increasing?? ‍

 

[reefer2021]

I also have 7 peppermint shrimp, but they’re doing fine too.

 

[sfin52]

Bump

 

[tamanning]

Long story short... my snails are dying off rapidly and my starfish are on the sand with their legs curled up (2 chocolate chip & 2 sand sifters). My 2 brittle stars seem to be fine. I’m not sure what else I can do!? I had a bacterial bloom occur about a week ago after I added a blue spotted goby to my 40 gallon. I currently have a pair of clowns, yellow damsel, 6 line wrasse and my goby. My levels are ph 8.0, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, however my nitrate was at 20ppm. It was like 40ppm a couple of days ago but I have been doing about a 30% water change everyday for the last 3 days to try to bring it down. Another problem that occurred was that I ordered a refractometer (as I was using a instant ocean hydrometer before) and came to find that my salinity was NOT 1.025 like my hydrometer was reading, but was actually bearly reading 1.002!! So, over the last couple of days I have slowly been increasing. Last night I got it to 1.015. I’m going to do a water change again tonight and hopefully get it to 1.020. SO with everything going on I am not quite sure what else I should be doing. Also forgot to mention that my pink Condy was also dead this morning!!!!! So frustrated. My fish are thriving and my invertebrates are dying. Probably assuming it’s mostly to do with the salinity increasing?? ‍

When you added the fish did did you dump the water from the lfs with it? if so they may have treated with copper.

 

[fishguy242]

hi,what size tank,doubt salinity raise ,nem toxin most likely , fresh rinsed carbon asap.

 

[TCoach]

Long story short... my snails are dying off rapidly and my starfish are on the sand with their legs curled up (2 chocolate chip & 2 sand sifters). My 2 brittle stars seem to be fine. I’m not sure what else I can do!? I had a bacterial bloom occur about a week ago after I added a blue spotted goby to my 40 gallon. I currently have a pair of clowns, yellow damsel, 6 line wrasse and my goby. My levels are ph 8.0, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, however my nitrate was at 20ppm. It was like 40ppm a couple of days ago but I have been doing about a 30% water change everyday for the last 3 days to try to bring it down. Another problem that occurred was that I ordered a refractometer (as I was using a instant ocean hydrometer before) and came to find that my salinity was NOT 1.025 like my hydrometer was reading, but was actually bearly reading 1.002!! So, over the last couple of days I have slowly been increasing. Last night I got it to 1.015. I’m going to do a water change again tonight and hopefully get it to 1.020. SO with everything going on I am not quite sure what else I should be doing. Also forgot to mention that my pink Condy was also dead this morning!!!!! So frustrated. My fish are thriving and my invertebrates are dying. Probably assuming it’s mostly to do with the salinity increasing?? ‍

Just to double check, you calibrated your refractometer, right? They can be off even brand new!

 

[reefer2021]

Just to double check, you calibrated your refractometer, right? They can be off even brand new!

Yes I did! I triple checked it because I literally couldn’t believe it

 

[sfin52]

Yes I did! I triple checked it because I literally couldn’t believe it

How did you calibrate it

 

[Philly Reefer]

You shouldn't be changing the water that fast. They got a shock of Salinity is my guess.
Try this

Target Salinity Calculator

Aquarium calculator; Create a water-change schedule that can be used to reach a target salinity.

www.hamzasreef.com

BTW, what do you use to calibrate your refractometer? Please don't use RODI water.
Use a solution. Buy 2 different solution brand to make sure both are correct.

 

[reefer2021]

How did you calibrate it

I used a calibration solution and followed the directions

 

[Timfish]

If you salinity really is 1.015 it is way to low for the inverts you have and while some reef microbes will toleratre the changees in salinity many will not. If your salinity is a lot higher thatn the 1.025 your hydrometer read you have the same issue of salinity being out of the tollerance range of your animals. Ideally if you can get some water from another established reef that will help as you are going to need the bacteria to resatblish a marine microbiome. You need to expect lots on nuisance hair algae also.

 

[Cell]

I'd probably stop with the water changes and just top off with saltwater until salinity is where I want it. A little more gradual transition can't hurt.

 

[fryman]

Am I reading this correctly and your s.g. *was* 1.002? ...and everything looked fine?

I mean fish will survive a fresh water dip for awhile but I would not expect anything else to live long with salinity that low, and I don't understand how you could even have salinity that low without realizing it. You would have to have been adding like a teaspoon of salt per 5 gal. during those water changes?

But anyways I think the safest way to raise salinity is adding saltwater instead of fresh water for topoff. This will very slowly raise salinity. If you really are now at 1.015 then this is the method I recommend. However I am worried you are not measuring salinity accurately and this is kinda critical. Maybe bring a water sample to your LFS for them to double-check.

It may be too late for your inverts, sadly they sound like they are on the way out.

 

[reefer2021]

Am I reading this correctly and your s.g. *was* 1.002? ...and everything looked fine?

I mean fish will survive a fresh water dip for awhile but I would not expect anything else to live long with salinity that low, and I don't understand how you could even have salinity that low without realizing it. You would have to have been adding like a teaspoon of salt per 5 gal. during those water changes?

But anyways I think the safest way to raise salinity is adding saltwater instead of fresh water for topoff. This will very slowly raise salinity. If you really are now at 1.015 then this is the method I recommend. However I am worried you are not measuring salinity accurately and this is kinda critical. Maybe bring a water sample to your LFS for them to double-check.

It may be too late for your inverts, sadly they sound like they are on the way out.

I use the instant ocean salt mix and was adding a half cup per gallon - as directed - and my salinity was reading that low which was why I was shocked!!! I triple checked the calibration on the refractometer (using a calibration solution).

 

[fryman]

I use the instant ocean salt mix and was adding a half cup per gallon - as directed - and my salinity was reading that low which was why I was shocked!!! I triple checked the calibration on the refractometer (using a calibration solution).

Yeah so... that just doesn't line up logically. If it were me I'd spend some time to figure out root cause. Otherwise it will eventually happen again.

Do you have an auto topoff? Also I really think you should bring a sample to the local fish store for an independent verification of your salinity.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I use the instant ocean salt mix and was adding a half cup per gallon - as directed - and my salinity was reading that low which was why I was shocked!!! I triple checked the calibration on the refractometer (using a calibration solution).

Sure the decimal didn't wander off there? I agree this just isn't possible at 1/2 cup per gallon...

 

[Dave1993]

How was your water 1.002 sounds wierd were u adding salt to the water like you do fish and chips little finger full?

 

[mdb_talon]

Agree with getting a test from LFS. Never had it happen, but it is at least possible your calibration solution is way off.

 

[ScottB]

Sorry you are losing inverts like this, but something seems amiss as others have said. That low level would seem to have killed of everything.

In any case, raising Sg has to go very slow. Sea Stars are particularly sensitive to salinity change. Hope everything pulls through; just go slow.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Yeah, your salinity wasn’t that low. No chance that your invert would survive even a day in that.
My guess is that something is up with your refractometer and you’ve ended up way to high.
Have someone else test the water before you do anything else.