Reef Crystals, Red Sea Pro Or bad GFO? Help!

[renato120]

Hey guys! Im sure this is not the first time you hear this but, I need to make sure its not the salt that is making my corals to look so bad. so I can huled that out.
Everything was fine when I was using RC salt.
I went to the store near my house to get salt, and they told me that RSP was much better salt.
So I went with it. Fisrt, and second week was fine, then my SPS'S starting to look bad, my leather coral closed up for almost three weeks I thought it was dead. Now all my zoos dont look to good.
Parameters:
Since I change the salt I had to lower my CA, ALK. My MAG went over 1600ppm.
So I had to stop dosing CA to see if I could lower the MAG.
I already lost Two SPS's, and my zoos are half open, and one big colony is 95% dead already.
I already checked everything.
Rodi: changed all the filters
New bulbs replaced
Nitrates very low 5ppm
Phosphate: API says 0, red sea 0.5
Filter socks changed twice a week.
CA 410
ALK 9.9
MAG 1500
Temp: between 78/80
Note:
I was talking with a guy about this another day, and He told me that could be my BRS GFO. He was sure this was my problem.
He asked me if I had recenttly changed my GFO. I told him yes.( is this a coincidence or what)
I actually changed the GFO the same day I got the salt. I told Him I had just got a new container in the mail.
He told me I was the third person that lost or will loose everything in the tank due to a contaminated GFO.
Now I dont know what to do. I have been asking everybody, Searching the web.
Should I go back to REEF CRYSTALS?
Could it be a bad batch of red sea pro salt?
Could it be the contaminated GFO?

I dont know if Im missing anything but feel free to ask.
Sorry for my half butt Inglish lol.

 

[143MPCo]

How did you change out from one salt to the other?

When changing salt brand it's recommend that you do it slowly over 1 month or 2 months, mixing the new salt with the old at a rate that consume little of the new salt at first....

I don't now how big your system is, so I will make a general depiction of the process...

Week 1: 1cup of new to 25cups of old
Week 2: 2cup of new to 24cups of old
week 3: 3cup of new to 22 cups of old

You get the idea, you want to go as slow as possible, and not just cut them over in one fell swoop.

 

[renato120]

How did you change out from one salt to the other?

10% water changes weekly.
I have a 60g with a 20g refugium.
I changed 10g weekly

 

[Aquaph8]

How much GFO are you using?

 

[renato120]

How much GFO are you using?

I was using 1 cup.
GFO changed once a month when I was using it.

 

[143MPCo]

Regarding GFO you might want to remove it (slowing) and watch your feed habits, I would skim as wet as you can without making the skimmer over-flow. Check your ALK levels as they will rise when GFO is removed and adjust accordingly.

 

[renato120]

How did you change out from one salt to the other?

When changing salt brand it's recommend that you do it slowly over 1 month or 2 months, mixing the new salt with the old at a rate that consume little of the new salt at first....

I don't now how big your system is, so I will make a general depiction of the process...

Week 1: 1cup of new to 25cups of old
Week 2: 2cup of new to 24cups of old
week 3: 3cup of new to 22 cups of old

You get the idea, you want to go as slow as possible, and not just cut them over in one fell swoop.

The reason I changed was because they didnt have the RC , and they talked me into the RSP. I was out of salt. I didnt have anything left to mix them with the new salt.

 

[renato120]

Regarding GFO you might want to remove it (slowing) and watch your feed habits, I would skim as wet as you can without making the skimmer over-flow. Check your ALK levels as they will rise when GFO is removed and adjust accordingly.

I skim a very black smelly water. Like almost black. Im checking parameters almost everyday. GFO is off for a week and a half.

 

[Exodus]

I'm hoping your Red Sea phosphates is a typo at .5 and should have been .05 right?

 

[renato120]

I'm hoping your Red Sea phosphates is a typo at .5 and should have been .05 right?

yes you are right .05
I have no algae in the tank at all. So I dont think it has anything to do with phosphates. I guess

 

[143MPCo]

obviously the change has created an instability, if this was my system I would go back to what I knew was working before I had the issues.

 

[renato120]

obviously the change has created an instability, if this was my system I would go back to what I knew was working before I had the issues.

I think if I go back now its going to make it worse.
Im already used half bucket on the RSP. I already thought about that.

 

[143MPCo]

I think if I go back now its going to make it worse.
Im already used half bucket on the RSP. I already thought about that.

Consider doing smaller water changes, cutting them in half or less and give your system a chance to adjust over a longer time.

 

[Aquaph8]

I'd start with double checking your alk on another test kit, tank problems (especially when SPS are concerned) are almost always related to Alk. IMO, a full cup of GFO is a lot for your tank, I use a cup on my 225. With already low phosphates and a fresh batch of GFO I can see your 9.9 alk reading being a problem. Can you describe how the SPS died? Was it from the base or the tips?

 

[Downbeach]

I have not heard of any problems with the BRS, or any other GFO for that matter, on any of the boards I visit. If you're using the regular GFO 1 cup is the recommended amount, if its the HC you should be using about 1/2 that amount. Did you rinse it thoroughly? Did you also recharge your GAC? If so, and you're using Kent, you might want to read this(although it's a little dated).

PS Although I really like the new Red Sea Pro kits for Ca, Mg and Alk, I found their PO4 kit wanting, and ultimatly bought a Hanna Phosphorus checker.

 

[renato120]

I'd start with double checking your alk on another test kit, tank problems (especially when SPS are concerned) are almost always related to Alk. IMO, a full cup of GFO is a lot for your tank, I use a cup on my 225. With already low phosphates and a fresh batch of GFO I can see your 9.9 alk reading being a problem. Can you describe how the SPS died? Was it from the base or the tips?

To make sure it was right I did buy an extra alk, mag, and calcium test kits. All read the same. For alk I have salifert and API. CA, MAG I use red sea test kits. BRS Calculater says one cup I believe. The SPS died from the tip down.

 

[renato120]

If you're using the regular GFO 1 cup is the recommended amount, if its the HC you should be using about 1/2 that amount. Did you also recharge your GAC? If so, and you're using Kent, you might want to read this(although it's a little dated).

Yes I use the regular GFO. What is GAC? I dont use anything from Kent.

 

[Downbeach]

Yes I use the regular GFO. What is GAC? I dont use anything from Kent.

Granular Activated Carbon...just a thought. Are you dosing any type of carbon source, i.e. vodka, vinegar, NOPOX, etc.?

 

[renato120]

Granular Activated Carbon...just a thought. Are you dosing any type of carbon source, i.e. vodka, vinegar, NOPOX, etc.?

Yes I use chemi pure Blue. Something is very weird. Most of zoos are bad and half of my acans collection are not the way they use too today.

 

[Aquaph8]

I understand that one cup is reccomended but overly stripping the water column with fresh GFO when it's already pretty low and running high Alk at the same time can cause problems. That's why they're dying from the tips. If it was just something like Alk swing it would normally be from the base. You don't have to be carbon dosing to drive your po4 too low.