IO Reef Crystals question

[rhorn67]

Hi all - So my acans have been slowly withdrawing over the past 4 weeks. I have been battling high nitrates (10-20) for about the same amount of time so I have assumed the acan issue was related.

I have been using IO reef crystals for the past year and the tank has done really well. My lfs uses the same salt so I purchase wc water from them and bump the salinity up to 1.025. I just found out today they have been out of IORC and have been using the regular salt for 4-5 weeks!

Question could the change in trace elements and vitamins potentially cause the acan issue or more likely the nutrients? Calc and all other numbers are good.

Thanks in advance

 

[Palyzoa]

What were your parameters before and after the salt switch? The timeline does seem to match up with the issues you are experiencing. Can you buy RO water and mix your salt water at home? This would allow you to know exactly what is going in your tank.

 

[Tahoe61]

Agreed make up your own water when possible. Unfortunately I do not trust anyone with the investment I have made in my tank.
I see the algae encroaching the corals from the nutrient issue and that can disturb LPS.
I have used both IO and RC but I mix my own.

 

[rhorn67]

Agree 100% better to mix my own. I have a good relationship with the shop and up until now know they have been using IORC. I live in an apartment so tough to setup a mix station. Is much easier to let them do the mixing and just add to get my required salinity. Having said that I am going to have to rethink that process for sure especially after this. I am a little ticked there was no mention they were using standard mix. Maybe they didn't think it was a big enough difference between the two but how about you let the customer decide.

I'm working on the nutrient issue. Installed a biopellet reactor a few weeks ago. I know this will take a few more weeks before the pellets have been colonized so not seeing any impact there yet. I cut down on feedings to every other day and am only feeding corals once a week rather than twice a week. I know the primary resolution is to figure out why the nutrients jumped on me.

So do you think the difference in salts could somehow be affecting the acans or more the nutrient issue?

 

[Palyzoa]

So do you think the difference in salts could somehow be affecting the acans or more the nutrient issue?

It's hard to tell which is causing the issue with your acans without more information about how and when nitrates spiked and other parameters logged. I would consider keeping a detailed log of your aquarium and any changes made to it like the addition of, fish/coral, dosing, salt mixes, weekly or monthly water tests. Log the good and bad so that when stuff like this happens you can look back and review your log. Sorry I don't have a straight forward answer for you but, IMO it's a combination of the 2. Hope this helps!

 

[Tahoe61]

I am inclined to think it was a water chemistry issue for these reasons.

1. That nitrate value would not even phase me and should not affect your lps that adversely, I do not consider 10-20 high values.
2. A switch in salt from IO to RC should not cause long term issues. People switch salts all the time, and I just switched from IO to Red Sea Pro with no issues at all.
3. In my experience issues with LPS is typically related to issues with alkalinity.

How large is the tank, do you have current values for Ca/alk, what method are you using to test, have you double checked the SG value against a different refractometer or hydrometer?

 

[rhorn67]

I use a Milwaukee digital. I just calibrated it as well as my Red Sea refractometer and both read 1.025. The below numbers with the exception of the nitrate have been consistent for the past 12 months. Been battling the diatoms for months even when nitrates were at at 0. My Diamond Goby took care of the sand so it never built up. I had to remove him from the tank so the sand got bad. I vacuum sand every wc which is once a week but in that time it covers the sand badly. This was the tank 2-3 months ago. You can see the acans were full and happy.

JBJ RL30
2 x MP10
Tunze 9001 skimmer
Hydra HD 26
AquaMaxx hang on reactor with biopellets - new
Topping off with kalk
purigen/chemi pure elite/filter floss in InTank rack
Weekly wc of 20% IO reef crystals
Feeding brine/mysis half cube a day. Have always soaked cube on towel to minimize the "extras" going into tank
Target feed corals a few times a week - have stopped since issues started

SG 1.025 Milwakee
78.0 RKL
PH 8.0-8.1 RKL
ammonia 0 API
nitrite 0 API
nitrate 20 API
Alk 10 Hanna - IORC has always ran around 10-10.5
calc 450-470 Hanna
Phosphorous 0.043 Hanna ultra low range
Mag 1400 API - IORC has always ran around 1400-1450
silicate 0 API


Clown
midas blenny
bangai cardinal
6 line wrasse
firefish
1 peppermint shrimp
2 astrea snails
3 hermits
2 fighting conch - new

 

[Tahoe61]

I had this tank!!!

What I would do is go buy some purified water and mix your own salt for 2 water changes and see if that makes a difference. I keep smaller tanks so I do not need water station.

 

[rhorn67]

I had this tank!!!

What I would do is go buy some purified water and mix your own salt for 2 water changes and see if that makes a difference. I keep smaller tanks so I do not need water station.

Agree. I will report back in a few weeks. Thanks for all of the help.

Ron