Salinity questions
- Thread starter Akoshman
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Alright, so the salinity is corrected and sitting at 1.026. measure the other levels last night
ph - 8.1
phosphate - 0.25
calcium - 480
Ammonia - my test wasn't working, it was just cloudy white, I tried with two different test kits, and both had the same result
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
Carbonate - 180
Magnesium - 1500
fixing the salinity didn't seem to help as another coral is going to the bad place. a head that was green yesterday is white today. I do not know the species of all the corals. I didn't expect it to be magically fixed the next day, but I didn't expect more loss. We did do a 30% water change last Thursday.
any ideas what could be going on? how to correct it?
I am attaching pictures of our tank and the lights we have
for a visual.
ph - 8.1
phosphate - 0.25
calcium - 480
Ammonia - my test wasn't working, it was just cloudy white, I tried with two different test kits, and both had the same result
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
Carbonate - 180
Magnesium - 1500
fixing the salinity didn't seem to help as another coral is going to the bad place. a head that was green yesterday is white today. I do not know the species of all the corals. I didn't expect it to be magically fixed the next day, but I didn't expect more loss. We did do a 30% water change last Thursday.
any ideas what could be going on? how to correct it?
I am attaching pictures of our tank and the lights we have
W1ngz
Failed Padawan
Everything has had a rough ride the last while with a drop and increase in salinity. Corals do not react well to these kinds of sudden and large changes. Some losses aren't that surprising.
All you can do is wait, and the very best thing you could do right now is to just stop changing things. Aside from daily parameter tests to observe how things are, don't touch it. From the look of those photos, this is going to take several weeks to see improvement. Anything that is already brown, is likely to not recover at all.
All you can do is wait, and the very best thing you could do right now is to just stop changing things. Aside from daily parameter tests to observe how things are, don't touch it. From the look of those photos, this is going to take several weeks to see improvement. Anything that is already brown, is likely to not recover at all.
Fiesty
Active Member
I feel, and believe others will chime in here, the best investment you can possibly make right now in order to be successful in this hobby is an RODI unit! I know its an expense and may seem complicated if u havent used before, but they are actually simple to set up and use. And its going to be even more expensive to purchase one down the road after you have struggled and lost more coral, buy and try more chemicals, and the frustration.
When i first got in this hobby i had a reef tank and just used well water with some success Not even sure u could pirchase an rodi unit then like u can today. Fought algea and other problems but did have some successes. And lost a lot as well Now use RODI water and way easier to be successful. My unit came from airwaterice.com but yh ou can get one easily from places such as bulk reef supply.
JumboShrimp
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The two most frightening words for a reefer to hear?? “Tap water.” 
Fiesty
Active Member
And wanted to add one thing. When your souce water has contaminates in it (from using tap water) those contaminants dont evaporate. Just like the salt. So as u top off your tank water and water evaporates and then u top off again with more tap water u will continually get a buildup of these contaminants in an ever increasing concentration. I would guess this may have a lot to do with your corals not doing well. Even with your 30% water change u took some out but then added more back with new tap water and then will continue to get worse down the road as evaporationand top off continues. You really should source some rodi water, or better yet purchase a unit asap and do some large water changes. I hope this helps save your corals!
Fiesty
Active Member
Amazon. For you, your wife and kids, AND your fish. (Lol) Best wishes!
For this price, I'd reccomend going with a unit with a DI cartridge as well. And one made more for saltwater aquarium use with the clear cartridge holders and color changing di resin. Also one u could easily upgrade in the future. Any one would be btter than tap water though.
BeejReef
2500 Club Member
Even if you have magical tap water that actually is just fine, no one is ever going to be able to give you reliable advise on what a problem or solution may be because that's such a huge variable.
It's not a constant either. The quality and contaminants in municipal water changes throughout the year. They treat it differently during different seasons and around different weather events.
It's not a constant either. The quality and contaminants in municipal water changes throughout the year. They treat it differently during different seasons and around different weather events.
JumboShrimp
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I actually agree with @Fiesty if you can spring for a dedicated fish-water RODI unit. I got the unit above as much for our family’s drinking water— it’s in the kitchen at the sink, with the 3 gallon tank underneath the cabinet— because I have mainly a FOWLR tank, which is probably much more forgiving than a full-on reef tank. So for what I needed, it’s a good product, with easily available Amazon refills.
Fiesty
Active Member
Maybe if u post up here where u live, a fellow reef2reefer nearby can help u out with some pure water for a water change, a used rodi unit for a good price, or maybe even a loaner? I know i just recently sold an extra ro unit for $40 to a local new reefer that was having the same problems and buying water from petsmart for like $12 a gallon to save his tank.
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The one in the sand looks like a Monti maybe, can't really tell but try blowing off the algae with a turkey baster and see if there's any color left, unless that's not algae and it's actually brown. The frogspawn looks like it might make it. Trumpet still has some tissue left so that's good. Not sure what the stick looking one is, maybe an acro? I think that ones gone.
Time will tell, usually if you see skeleton it's gone
Time will tell, usually if you see skeleton it's gone
Fiesty
Active Member
I dont feel all the coral are brown and goners at this point. The ones at left look to still have some color and potential. The ones on the right look pretty far gone IMHO. At this point id just leave them and focus on getting your water right and see how things end up. Then go forward from there.
Saltwaterjeff
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First welcome to the hobby and money pit. ;-) FYI do you have a top on your tank? The goby even small as he seems can jump out as well as other members of the fish community. Since you are already doing a 90 gallon I would suggest getting a RO DI unit unless you love algae. How are things now? Survivors?
