Vibrant experiment

[ReeferNoob77]

sorry your fish died hope it wasn't the vibrant I ordered mine a couple days ago. I have been using H2O2 but the cyano doesn't want to go away.

My skim mate almost always has a sulfur smell to it never really thought anything about it just empty the thing once a week.

 

[ahiggins]

I

sorry your fish died hope it wasn't the vibrant I ordered mine a couple days ago. I have been using H2O2 but the cyano doesn't want to go away.

My skim mate almost always has a sulfur smell to it never really thought anything about it just empty the thing once a week.

its either the lack of oxygen or the rapidly dying algae is creating too much ammonia. That's the going theory anyway.
My skimmate smells like plastic in the other tanks but I have to check the 40 when I'm done running around town.

 

[ahiggins]

It smells like a fish store...if that makes sense. I can smell waste but it's not "knock you off your feet" smelly.
My other tanks I can't ever smell the skimmate though

 

[ahiggins]

Random observation tonight:
While doing a water changed, noticed all algae blows off crate/rocks whereas it wouldn't before dosing. Even hair algae, just blows right off with a turkey baster.
Next up:
Buying a sheet of acrylic to drill instead of egg crate.
Also, I am not showing ammonia anymore so that's good. I'm thinking that because it was a new tank, it's biological filtration could not handle all the algae die off. Spiked ammonia. Killed fish.

 

[blazedmasta]

When dosing once a week is anyone having issues with keeping micro algae in a refugium? Like cheato.

 

[Supurderek]

When dosing once a week is anyone having issues with keeping micro algae in a refugium? Like cheato.

This has been answered many times in the main thread. Yes it will effect the growth and may even start to kill chaetomorpha.

 

[ahiggins]

Update on 1/1/16:

1) did not dose this week. I have stopped all dosing permanently. Both ammonia and nitrite are at 0. Still have a lone hermit, turbo, and a couple astreae.
2) corals look 10 times better than week 2.
Other than the two fish, I lost three zoa frags.
I'm counting this as a failure, unfortunately.

 

[BlueCursor]

I would think dying algae would be more of a CO2 release than ammonia. I could easily be wrong. Where you tracking pH at the time? I don't believe you were running the skimmer when they died. A skimmer helps free Co2 from the water, unless your house has high CO2.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Dang. Sorry about the fish. thats an odd one.

 

[Brew12]

Random observation tonight:
While doing a water changed, noticed all algae blows off crate/rocks whereas it wouldn't before dosing. Even hair algae, just blows right off with a turkey baster.
Next up:
Buying a sheet of acrylic to drill instead of egg crate.
Also, I am not showing ammonia anymore so that's good. I'm thinking that because it was a new tank, it's biological filtration could not handle all the algae die off. Spiked ammonia. Killed fish.

I'm sorry you are having problems.

I think you are right about the ammonia issues. Not only does the decaying algae create ammonia but algae can also consume ammonia. If you had significant algae in a new tank it may have been consuming your ammonia and keeping your nitrifying bacteria count low. That could create a double whammy when it comes to ammonia.

I too have stopped dosing Vibrant but for other issues. If I start using it again (which I am considering) there is no way I will use it x2 per week. IF I use it again, it will be at once every 2 weeks. It just causes too many changes too quickly when used 2 times a week imo.

 

[ahiggins]

I would think dying algae would be more of a CO2 release than ammonia. I could easily be wrong. Where you tracking pH at the time? I don't believe you were running the skimmer when they died. A skimmer helps free Co2 from the water, unless your house has high CO2.

I did not run the skimmer for the first 2 days. The rest of the time it was on.
My "original" thinking was maybe a lack of O2 but the snails and crab were fine, it was just the fish. So I moreso think it was ammonia.

I'm sorry you are having problems.

I think you are right about the ammonia issues. Not only does the decaying algae create ammonia but algae can also consume ammonia. If you had significant algae in a new tank it may have been consuming your ammonia and keeping your nitrifying bacteria count low. That could create a double whammy when it comes to ammonia.

I too have stopped dosing Vibrant but for other issues. If I start using it again (which I am considering) there is no way I will use it x2 per week. IF I use it again, it will be at once every 2 weeks. It just causes too many changes too quickly when used 2 times a week imo.

Totally agree with dosages BUT I will never use it again. I didnt have that much algae and I had about 20# live rock. I cant believe it couldnt handle that. I even did x2 water change amount. Normally 5gal a week and I upped it to 10 in anticipation of die off.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I had about 20# live rock. I cant believe it couldnt handle that.

same here.

 

[Brew12]

Totally agree with dosages BUT I will never use it again. I didnt have that much algae and I had about 20# live rock. I cant believe it couldnt handle that. I even did x2 water change amount. Normally 5gal a week and I upped it to 10 in anticipation of die off.

Can't say I blame you. There is so much going on in our slices of the ocean that are impossible to see or test for. Every time we introduce another variable, such as Vibrant, it makes it almost impossible to understand and track all of the changes.
Personally, I think my next major move will be an algae scrubber. I like the concept much more than adding chemicals to control algae.

 

[ahiggins]

Can't say I blame you. There is so much going on in our slices of the ocean that are impossible to see or test for. Every time we introduce another variable, such as Vibrant, it makes it almost impossible to understand and track all of the changes.
Personally, I think my next major move will be an algae scrubber. I like the concept much more than adding chemicals to control algae.

I would love to try something like that but Im so pressed for space in my teensie apartment haha

 

[ahiggins]

OH and to top it all off....during cleaning the nem tank last week, my beloved mystery wrasse jumped out of the tank and died. I cant win for losing

 

[Brew12]

I would love to try something like that but Im so pressed for space in my teensie apartment haha

Have you seen the ones made by Santa Monica? Talking about space efficient!!!
http://www.santa-monica.cc/

 

[Brew12]

OH and to top it all off....during cleaning the nem tank last week, my beloved mystery wrasse jumped out of the tank and died. I cant win for losing

Oh man, you really are having a rough stretch!

 

[ahiggins]

Have you seen the ones made by Santa Monica? Talking about space efficient!!!
http://www.santa-monica.cc/

No I havent but what you save in space...you spend in actual cash hahaha

 

[Brew12]

No I havent but what you save in space...you spend in actual cash hahaha

That is a fact. I'm still doing some homework on scrubbers at this point. I'm thinking about taking a media bag, stretching it out over some egg crate, and floating it on my sump to maximize the light it gets. Wondering how well that will work since it would be around 12" under a grow light.

 

[ahiggins]

That is a fact. I'm still doing some homework on scrubbers at this point. I'm thinking about taking a media bag, stretching it out over some egg crate, and floating it on my sump to maximize the light it gets. Wondering how well that will work since it would be around 12" under a grow light.

thats actually a great DIY idea, I wouldnt think a foot would be detrimental enough to even mention. sure, maybe 2" may be best, but any direct light will do the trick