Need advice !! Ready to give up

[James M]

So long story short my ATO failed about 2 weeks ago and ever since that everything is going downhill. Im getting ready give up. Inhabitants are bi-color blenny and skunk cleaner shrimp( shrimp was not affecting BTA). 1 fish in a 20 gallon
Parameters are: (lfs tested for me)
Temp: 77-78
Salinity : 1.026
Ph: 8.0
Ammonia : 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrates: 0.25
phos: 0.2
cal: 370
It first started with losing my gsp, urchin and favia. Shortly after my frog spawn died and 2 nights ago my BTA and snails went missing. The hammer seems to be upset but zoas and softies are doing good. Ive been doing regular water changes every 2 weeks like ive been doing since I started this hobby. I haven't changed a single thing since the incident with the ATO because everything was streesed. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Do you know what your alkalinity is at? I see calcium is at 370, if its low chances are alkalinity is as well.
This is all done with RO/DI correct?

 

[James M]

Do you know what your alkalinity is at? I see calcium is at 370, if its low chances are alkalinity is as well.
This is all done with RO/DI correct?

That is the only parameters I know and use treated tap water.

 

[Crabs McJones]

That is the only parameters I know and use treated tap water.

That might be the issue. "Treated" tap water generally means it's been de-chlorinated. But it still contains heavy metals and other nutrients including ammonia and nitrate. If inverts are turning up missing I'm thinking copper might be on the rise as corals and inverts cannot tolerate copper. If you go to your city's website you can usually bring up a water quality report and see what's all in it. Check it out and see what the heavy metals content is.

 

[James M]

That might be the issue. "Treated" tap water generally means it's been de-chlorinated. But it still contains heavy metals and other nutrients including ammonia and nitrate. If inverts are turning up missing I'm thinking copper might be on the rise as corals and inverts cannot tolerate copper. If you go to your city's website you can usually bring up a water quality report and see what's all in it. Check it out and see what the heavy metals content is.

but I've been using tap water since since I started the hobby and my snails never had a problem in the 10 gallon that was set up for a year. I will get back with my city water results.

 

[Crabs McJones]

but I've been using tap water since since I started the hobby and my snails never had a problem in the 10 gallon that was set up for a year. I will get back with my city water results.

Just a suggestion. I could be totally wrong gotta start the diagnosis somewhere

 

[James M]

Just a suggestion. I could be totally wrong gotta start the diagnosis somewhere

I appreciate your help! I don't know what specifically im looking for so I provided the link: https://covinaca.gov/sites/default/...ic_works/page/461/2017_ccr_-_covina_water.pdf

 

[wesman42]

Copper is at 1.3mg/L

 

[James M]

Copper is at 1.3mg/L

Wouldn't my inverts/coral be dying since day 1 ?

 

[wesman42]

Wouldn't my inverts/coral be dying since day 1 ?

Not necessarily. If you run carbon it could be removed. Also, rocks and substrate absorb it. So when your ATO malfunctioned and dumped water (assuming this is what happened)...when you went to correct it, you could very well have put in enough copper to make it lethal for certain things.

 

[James M]

Not necessarily. If you run carbon it could be removed. Also, rocks and substrate absorb it. So when your ATO malfunctioned and dumped water (assuming this is what happened)...when you went to correct it, you could very well have put in enough copper to make it lethal for certain things.

The ATO failed so no water was being toped off. I dont run carbon and only run it when I get some from time to time.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

So long story short my ATO failed about 2 weeks ago and ever since that everything is going downhill. Im getting ready give up. Inhabitants are bi-color blenny and skunk cleaner shrimp( shrimp was not affecting BTA). 1 fish in a 20 gallon
Parameters are: (lfs tested for me)
Temp: 77-78
Salinity : 1.026
Ph: 8.0
Ammonia : 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrates: 0.25
phos: 0.2
cal: 370
It first started with losing my gsp, urchin and favia. Shortly after my frog spawn died and 2 nights ago my BTA and snails went missing. The hammer seems to be upset but zoas and softies are doing good. Ive been doing regular water changes every 2 weeks like ive been doing since I started this hobby. I haven't changed a single thing since the incident with the ATO because everything was streesed. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

So your ATO failed & no fresh top off water was being added. So the only effect of this would be a rise in salinity. Is this what you are suggesting is the cause of the problem?

 

[James M]

So your ATO failed & no fresh top off water was being added. So the only effect of this would be a rise in salinity. Is this what you are suggesting is the cause of the problem?

I mentioned it because I think it has to do with my problem, Im trying to figure out why my tank has been going downhill ever since the ATO failure.

 

[ZaneTer]

Something that is being overlooked. You are TOPPING off your water with tap water containing copper. This means that it ACCUMULATES in your tank. Copper doesn’t evaporate off.

RODI units are fairly cheap and are genuinely a better alternative to tap water.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I mentioned it because I think it has to do with my problem, Im trying to figure out why my tank has been going downhill even since the ATO failure.

Ok, so the ATO failure may have nothing to do with your losses ?

 

[ZaneTer]

Corals and inverts could have just been living right on the edge and a broken ATO could have been all that was needed to push them off.

 

[James M]

So t

Ok, so the ATO failure may have nothing to do with your losses ?

They ATO caused loses and im trying to figure out if my tank is still being affected.

 

[James M]

Just wanted to say the tank was doing excellent! before the ATO faliure.

 

[James M]

Corals and inverts could have just been living right on the edge and a broken ATO could have been all that was needed to push them off.

So my corals were surviving for a year on the edge ?

 

[ZaneTer]

I’m not pointing fingers but you would be amazed by how long a coral can hold on. How long did you have the GSP? In a year it should have overgrown most things in a small tank.

I am guessing it is a small tank because otherwise you could have gone quite a few days with no ATO top off and things would have been fine.