Have not changed water in very long time. Please help!

[DWick180]

I have not changed the water in my 29 gallon tank in almost 6 months. i have recently had an outbreak of aptasia and purchased some peppermint shrimp. Within a few hours, 2/3 had died. I purchased them from a store that i always go to and trust, so my assumption is that it is because my water has very high nitrates. IfI do a 90%water change, will this allow me to get more shrimp, and take my aquarium back to normal? Please help me and tell me what I should do!

I currently have 2 clown fish, 2 damsels, 1 cleaner shrimp, and one anemone.

THANKS!!!

 

[mcarroll]

Hard to say. A 90% water change is pretty intense. 20-30% every day would be my compromise.

Can you post a pic of the tank and maybe some test results?

-Matt

 

[NanaReefer]

I agree with Matt. I'd even go as far as 20% every 3rd day unit 100% of water volume has been changed.

 

[Keithcorals]

Peppermint shrimp die easy from stress of being moved.

What are your nitrates at ?

 

[vic67]

I also think that 20% should be the max for any one WC. Anymore might be too much of a shock to what's in your system.

 

[footballdude2k3]

Do you ever test your parameters?

 

[3Twinklets]

20 to 25% water change at a time. Peppermint shrimp may or may not work. LARGE Bhergia Nudibranches will definately work. Don't waste money on the small ones. Good luck!!

 

[Reefer-JC]

Doing a 90% water change would probably start your tank to cycle again.

 

[Reefing Madness]

I wouldn't do anything until I tested the water, you need to find out where your at with the numbers.

 

[Dalmatia]

I agree with madness

 

[retiredsailor]

How did you aclimate?

 

[alohadood]

It doesn't matter how he acclimated. He needs to do a water change. I still cannot figure out why all you new comers don't listen to people who have been doing g this for time. Bottom line is 10% a week. Or 20% every two weeks. That is reefing 101. A skimmer and filter socks and a "new and incredible device" like a "turf scrubber" which have been around d forever.... does not mean you don't have to change your water... just change your water on a schedule. Period. I have been reef I g for 22 years hell o lyrics about 15 of which have been reefing cause we had **** corals back then. Regardless. I have had very very little issues ever. Because I keep a regular maintenance schedule.

At this point your tank is done. You will not get a recovery with a drastic water challenge ge. You will need a 30% change every other day for the next three weeks. Eitherway your parameters are going to swing like mad and you will probably end up with another cycle due to the water quality that is no doubt killing bacteria in the tank.

6 Months...? Why is this the new cool thing in reef I g for people to go the longest they can until a water change. Or a catastrophic crash...? The only thing that suffers here are tank inhabitants...

 

[Unknown]

It doesn't matter how he acclimated. He needs to do a water change. I still cannot figure out why all you new comers don't listen to people who have been doing g this for time. Bottom line is 10% a week. Or 20% every two weeks. That is reefing 101. A skimmer and filter socks and a "new and incredible device" like a "turf scrubber" which have been around d forever.... does not mean you don't have to change your water... just change your water on a schedule. Period. I have been reef I g for 22 years hell o lyrics about 15 of which have been reefing cause we had **** corals back then. Regardless. I have had very very little issues ever. Because I keep a regular maintenance schedule.

At this point your tank is done. You will not get a recovery with a drastic water challenge ge. You will need a 30% change every other day for the next three weeks. Eitherway your parameters are going to swing like mad and you will probably end up with another cycle due to the water quality that is no doubt killing bacteria in the tank.

6 Months...? Why is this the new cool thing in reef I g for people to go the longest they can until a water change. Or a catastrophic crash...? The only thing that suffers here are tank inhabitants...

I honestly do not think that he meant to go that long without a water change. Regardless, he is here for help, ranting about his mistake is not going to change it.


I agree with Madness, check your levels first and then proceed as necessary. 50% water change wouldn't be out of the question, 90% is a bit much IMO.

 

[DWick180]

I honestly do not think that he meant to go that long without a water change. Regardless, he is here for help, ranting about his mistake is not going to change it.


I agree with Madness, check your levels first and then proceed as necessary. 50% water change wouldn't be out of the question, 90% is a bit much IMO.

I in no way meant to go that long without a water change, and never plan on going that long again. A lot of things have happened recently that took me away from a lot of things, and really aim to get involved in something I enjoy again, like maintaining my tank.

I had my water tested, and my tank is not doing so hot. I'm embarrassed to post that the results are as follows:

ph 7.6
salinity 1.033
ammonia .25
Trite .25
Trate 20
KH/Alkalinity 4
phosphate 3

Obviously, every one of those numbers are out of whack. I need to get my tank back to normal!
I did a 20% water change 2 days ago, then added some Bio-Spira to add bacteria to my tank to push it through the mini cycle that it is going through. I added phosguard to eliminate the phosphate, and added 2 tsp of buffer as well.

I plan on doing another 20% water change in 2 days, mixing some R/O in instead of it all being saltwater in order to get the salinity to decrease.

Any comments or suggestions on how to get my tank back to where it needs to be would be appreciated.

 

[Keithcorals]

Considering what you have in your tank and the size of it I would do at least 3 50% water changes over a couple weeks. That will replace 87.5% of your water and get most of the parameters back to where they should be. The other option although people will protest is move the salinity back to where it should be (1.025-1.026) over a few days and then do one 90% water change. It will take a VERY long time to get back to good with 20% a week(around 3 months)and your critters will continue to suffer over that time.

 

[3Twinklets]

It doesn't matter how he acclimated. He needs to do a water change. I still cannot figure out why all you new comers don't listen to people who have been doing g this for time. Bottom line is 10% a week. Or 20% every two weeks. That is reefing 101. A skimmer and filter socks and a "new and incredible device" like a "turf scrubber" which have been around d forever.... does not mean you don't have to change your water... just change your water on a schedule. Period. I have been reef I g for 22 years hell o lyrics about 15 of which have been reefing cause we had **** corals back then. Regardless. I have had very very little issues ever. Because I keep a regular maintenance schedule.

At this point your tank is done. You will not get a recovery with a drastic water challenge ge. You will need a 30% change every other day for the next three weeks. Eitherway your parameters are going to swing like mad and you will probably end up with another cycle due to the water quality that is no doubt killing bacteria in the tank.

6 Months...? Why is this the new cool thing in reef I g for people to go the longest they can until a water change. Or a catastrophic crash...? The only thing that suffers here are tank inhabitants...

This attitude is not helpful in the least. We do not do things that way here on R2R.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

It doesn't matter how he acclimated. He needs to do a water change. I still cannot figure out why all you new comers don't listen to people who have been doing g this for time. Bottom line is 10% a week. Or 20% every two weeks. That is reefing 101. A skimmer and filter socks and a "new and incredible device" like a "turf scrubber" which have been around d forever.... does not mean you don't have to change your water... just change your water on a schedule. Period. I have been reef I g for 22 years hell o lyrics about 15 of which have been reefing cause we had **** corals back then. Regardless. I have had very very little issues ever. Because I keep a regular maintenance schedule.

At this point your tank is done. You will not get a recovery with a drastic water challenge ge. You will need a 30% change every other day for the next three weeks. Eitherway your parameters are going to swing like mad and you will probably end up with another cycle due to the water quality that is no doubt killing bacteria in the tank.

6 Months...? Why is this the new cool thing in reef I g for people to go the longest they can until a water change. Or a catastrophic crash...? The only thing that suffers here are tank inhabitants...

Actually...you're incorrect in this statement. there are quite a few advanced reefers that do NOT do water changes...and haven't in years. I am not saying that I personally advocate this, but to say that there is no way to keep a reef tank without changing water every 1-2 weeks is a misstatement. It's important that each of us realize that there are multiple ways to keep a reef tank and even the most "fundamental" methods (bioballs? anyone?) may be challenged and proven to be optional or even obsolete. There are 1000+ ways to keep a reef tank...be careful about flaming someone because they don't follow yours.


To the OP, I agree with both of these guys:

Peppermint shrimp die easy from stress of being moved.

What are your nitrates at ?

I wouldn't do anything until I tested the water, you need to find out where your at with the numbers.

We need to know what's going on with your water at this moment in order to know what may or may not have caused your shrimp to die.

 

[alohadood]

The bio balls argument is invalid by your own outline in the sense that good husbandry and a regular schedule of cleaning will prevent bio balls from causing issues. The point is there needs to be a solid understanding of the foundation of reefing. Which for any ANY newel reefer needs to be water changes. You cannot tell me or any one that (As side from a chemist or marine biologist) a new reefer truly understands reef chemistry. The relation of Ca++ to the calcium carbonate up take in the tank. Or the relation of magnesiu. And how it interacts in the same way. Let along even begin to try and explain what alkalinity hardness is actually measuring. We need to make it clear that new refers need to change water. And that dosing crap like Ca++ and other perpetual water motions are not taught right out. A new reefer does NJ to need a calcium reactor. They need to have good practices. That is my point. And across the board you see hundreds of posts of the similar nature. Oh I forgot to change water for the last 2 years... but everything was fine until the entire tank was demolished and needless life was lost...

I apologize for my previous tone. But I stand by my point that true practices need to be taught whilst building an understanding of what is actually going on in the system.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

The bio balls argument is invalid by your own outline in the sense that good husbandry and a regular schedule of cleaning will prevent bio balls from causing issues. The point is there needs to be a solid understanding of the foundation of reefing. Which for any ANY newel reefer needs to be water changes. You cannot tell me or any one that (As side from a chemist or marine biologist) a new reefer truly understands reef chemistry. The relation of Ca++ to the calcium carbonate up take in the tank. Or the relation of magnesiu. And how it interacts in the same way. Let along even begin to try and explain what alkalinity hardness is actually measuring. We need to make it clear that new refers need to change water. And that dosing crap like Ca++ and other perpetual water motions are not taught right out. A new reefer does NJ to need a calcium reactor. They need to have good practices. That is my point. And across the board you see hundreds of posts of the similar nature. Oh I forgot to change water for the last 2 years... but everything was fine until the entire tank was demolished and needless life was lost...

I apologize for my previous tone. But I stand by my point that true practices need to be taught whilst building an understanding of what is actually going on in the system.

Actually, I think you may have missed my point with the bioballs. My point was simply that at one point bioballs were considered mandatory, and today most reefers do not keep them (though there are plenty who still do and have beautiful reefs to show for it). Based on that fact, my point was simply that what we consider to be mandatory maintenance today is not necessarily the case (today skimmers are viewed as a MUST, yet there are some who are doing quite successful reef-keeping without them). So, the bioballs argument was not invalid...just misunderstood.

Ultimately, the point to my response to you was that we need to speak to each other with a tone of respect and realize that our way is not always the ONLY way. Here at REEF2REEF respect is something we value highly. Besides, people are for more likely to listen to the points we try to make when we treat them with respect anyway.

You may be right that water changes should be part of the maintenance routine of most new reefers (and even most of us that have been in the hobby for some time). It's certainly one of the simplest and most common methods for reef-keeping. I would encourage anyone to keep up with regular water changes unless there is an alternate strategy in place. However, at this point we need to focus on helping the OP to correct the issue he has currently, rather than chastising because we do or don't agree with the way he was keeping his tank.

In the spirit of not hijacking this thread, why don't you and I take any further comments to each other to PM.

Let's all get back to helping the OP with his tank.

 

[cdness]

First off, the shrimp are very sensitive to ammonia and based on your results I think you have the answer to the why did they die question...

Regarding the other parameters, you are correct, they are way off from the normal, but I see the place you had your water tested did not do a complete test. What are your calcium and magnesium at? Adding buffer will only affect the alkalinity and will not touch the other parameters needed. Look into Kalkwasser (Mrs Wages Pickeling Lime) or a DIY suppliments like what bulk reef supply sells so you can stay in balance. I am guessing the LFS sold you the buffer to fix your alk parameter...

When a tank starts into a mini-cycle after the initial setup cycle, there is a reason... You need to find this reason, but in the meantime to prevent further loss, you need to control the ammonia levels. You can help make it less toxic by using Prime. Another option is repeated 20% water changes to keep the number down. As the cycle progresses you will be able to lessen the changes or addition of Prime. Prime will not make the ammonia undetectable on tests though, so the water changes AND prime is the best solution.

Regarding the cycle, how much live rock do you have in the tank? Do you run a skimmer or other equipment? We need more info on the life support system to make any further recommendations...

Adding the Phosguard to combat the phosphate levels was a good move. Just don't reduce them too fast or you can shock the inhabitants.

Regarding the high salinity, you can lower salinity as fast as you want down to the target value. Raising salinity is when you need to do it slowly. However I need to ask, how was your water tested? Was it tested by you or the LFS? Was a refractometer or hydrometer used? The reason I ask this is salinity is the bare bones basic value we need to keep in check. You should be doing these tests with a well calibrated seawater refractometer. They are not expensive and will truly save you many headaches in the future.

I do agree there are numerous ways a reef tank can be run. I personally do not do more than monthly water changes (if I remember to do those) on my tank and maintain the parameters through dosing pumps and DIY suppliments. However any time I have ever run into an unknown, whether that be an odd algae growth, coral recession, or fish acting weird, the first thing I do is drag in my water change buckets and mix up some saltwater for a 25% water change... This doesn't happen very often, but it is the easiest way to bring things back into equilibrium in the tank.

I do feel your best course of action is repeated water changes until things look good again. Then figure out your maintenance schedule after and find the tank's sweet spot of equipment, dosing, biological filtration and water changes.