Oxydator

[CoralClasher]

I’ve had this Oxydator for a few years but haven’t filled it in a year. Last night I decided to get it running again. When I finally got it open because of encrusted corals I noticed it was full and the plastic was black. I rinsed it out and filled it with 12% hydrogen peroxide. It was smoking a little. I put it in the tank and a lot of bubbles were coming out and didn’t look right so I pulled it after 5 minutes. I woke up this morning to a cloudy tank and a fishy smell. What should I do?

 

[CoralClasher]

Here is a video from yesterday.

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

beautiful tank, hopefully someone can chime in soon. bump!

 

[BanjoBandito]

Sounds like an overdose of peroxide....I would do water changes and add aeration to help dissipate the peroxide. Lots of people on here go crazy with the H202, not many have that many issues as peroxide breaks down pretty fast and doesn't do anything beyond breaking down organics and making oxygen. It can really mess with your bacterial culture within the tank though. It nukes indiscriminately. The cloudy stuffs most likely are "dead crap" nuked by the H202, and the smell could be along the same...dead or dissolved organics. Just a guess. Good luck.

 

[CoralClasher]

Yeah I put a wooden air stone with outside air right underneath the return pump. I will start making new water.

 

[CoralClasher]

So I’m making more RODI water now. I do have 15 gallons of RO that I use for drinking. Would in this case be better to use it or wait?

 

[BanjoBandito]

So I’m making more RODI water now. I do have 15 gallons of RO that I use for drinking. Would in this case be better to use it or wait?

Sorry, I'm just admiring how awful my sand bed looks....I'm sure you are past this, but if it's "RODI WATER" and the same as what you use to make salt it's fine.

 

[CoralClasher]

Sorry, I'm just admiring how awful my sand bed looks....I'm sure you are past this, but if it's "RODI WATER" and the same as what you use to make salt it's fine.

Yeah I decided to use the RO water. Things are looking a little better. I just got back from the LFS and all they had was Dr. Tim’s so I got One and Only bacteria. I’m having second thoughts on using right away with this bacteria bloom still going on. What’s your thoughts?

 

[BanjoBandito]

Yeah I decided to use the RO water. Things are looking a little better. I just got back from the LFS and all they had was Dr. Tim’s so I got One and Only bacteria. I’m having second thoughts on using right away with this bacteria bloom still going on. What’s your thoughts?

Oh god, I just listened to the Dr. Tim's episode of reef bum and he talks all about usage....I wish I could remember when....either night or day, but always go SLOW, if you do decide to add I wouldn't add more than 25% of a dose and kinda ease into it. If you think you are having a "bloom" I would forgo the bottled bac for now and wait for clarity. If you have an ammonia test laying around that's really going to tell you if you should or shouldn't be using it.

 

[Aspect]

I would do an ammonia test and go grab some Seachem Amguard ASAP just in case, if there is ammonia in the tank it will not take long to do a lot of damage to your fish.

 

[Aspect]

Unless something is decaying in there that you're unaware of, it looks like a bacterial die off to me.

 

[CoralClasher]

Oh god, I just listened to the Dr. Tim's episode of reef bum and he talks all about usage....I wish I could remember when....either night or day, but always go SLOW, if you do decide to add I wouldn't add more than 25% of a dose and kinda ease into it. If you think you are having a "bloom" I would forgo the bottled bac for now and wait for clarity. If you have an ammonia test laying around that's really going to tell you if you should or shouldn't be using it.

Yeah I’ll wait for morning. All my fish are accounted for and look totally normal. I have twenty more gallons warming up. I can see the candy cane isn’t going to make it.

 

[CoralClasher]

Water column has mostly cleared up. Birds nest and candy cane are still very upset.

 

[CoralClasher]

 

[CoralClasher]

Oops wrong video

 

[CoralClasher]

Okay it’s been almost two weeks and I thought I would try this Oxydator again. This time I filled it half way with 12% hydrogen peroxide and topped with RODI. Every zoa closed up. What’s going on? Is the GSP covering the Oxydator a bad idea?

 

[slojim]

I suspect, but don't know for sure, that you had a lot of build up in the chamber. 12% peroxide is attacking it and decomposing much more quickly than it would with the catalyst pellet alone - as a result, instead of pushing out a mix of water, oxygen, and peroxide, you're pushing out a lot of peroxide into the tank. I would clean that reservoir internally - maybe with vinegar or citric acid, then with peroxide, then I would try it again with weaker 3% peroxide.