Bigsampson
New Member
My weekend crash
I had been out of reef tanks for quite a while, decided that I had time and resources to play again. Was really getting into the groove, had some very nice growth, even on sps which was not even possible back when I was in the hobby. I don't post allot, prefer to read, search and learn.
My tanks, yes plural, consist of a 90 gal w a 40 gal sump connected to a 30 gallon deep blue frag tank w a 20 gallon sump. Probably have between 160 and 170 gallons in the system. Have bio pellet, gfo, carbon reactors and Reef octo xp2000. The tanks have been running for about six months. Lots of cheato and calerpa in fuges w tons of pods in both fuges. Also one heater in each fuge. Do 20 gallon water changes every week. On the frag tank have a nice key lighting led system. Lights on the main tank are a bit on the weak side probably, a 4 bulb t5 fixture w a strip of leds for more white. All water comes from lfs, both salt and fresh rodi for top off. Same for ATO. Parameters have been extremely stable since cycle,
Ph 8.0-8.2
Alk 4.0-4.5 dk
Amm 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .0-.1
Ca 400-500
Mg 125
Salt 1.025
I've been dosing 2 part every other day and rodi with baking soda daily due to the low alk. No amount seemed to get alk above 6.
Left for weekend trip, when I got back, first thing I noticed was a heavy brown crud on the glass. Tank normally runs very clean. Weekly glass cleanings keeps it clean.
Upon cleaning the glass, noticed the destruction.
Parameters were all about the same as above except that the ph was 8.8 and alk was a crazy 9.0. Everything else was pretty much normal. Skimmer did collect about 3 times the amount of very dark and nasy skimmate than it would for four days.
I immediately did a 65 gallon water change, will do at least 40 more tomorrow. Also put a half pound of carbon in a sack in the sump. Pumped up flow through all reactors. Pushed skimmer to run wet.
What died.
All peppermint shrimp
Cleaner shrimp
Powder brown tang
Black comb tooth Blenny
Banana wrasse
One cardinal
All sps is either totally white or almost. Don't expect any to live.
Condi nem
3 rock nems
Rbt nem
What appears to be ok
2 Carmel clowns
Starry Blenny
1 cardinal
1 yellow tang
Mandarin
Native fl pipefish
Corals are all closed up, probably 10 diff species of zoa, several polyps, two real nice chalices (one seems better, it was in frag tank under key light system.). Toxic green shrooms actually seem happy, everything else from green polyps to hammers and plate corals seem to be dissolving before my eyes. All snails are on the edge, may or may not make it. I suspect all inverts are dead.
Even areas of coraline look faded and reduced.
Very frustrating. Weird part is they even the calurpa appears to be faded in some areas, bleached and unhealthy.
Are all my pods dead in my fuge? Do I need to restock to keep the mandarin fed?
Any ideas?
Last edited by Superduke; Today at 05:06 PM.
I had been out of reef tanks for quite a while, decided that I had time and resources to play again. Was really getting into the groove, had some very nice growth, even on sps which was not even possible back when I was in the hobby. I don't post allot, prefer to read, search and learn.
My tanks, yes plural, consist of a 90 gal w a 40 gal sump connected to a 30 gallon deep blue frag tank w a 20 gallon sump. Probably have between 160 and 170 gallons in the system. Have bio pellet, gfo, carbon reactors and Reef octo xp2000. The tanks have been running for about six months. Lots of cheato and calerpa in fuges w tons of pods in both fuges. Also one heater in each fuge. Do 20 gallon water changes every week. On the frag tank have a nice key lighting led system. Lights on the main tank are a bit on the weak side probably, a 4 bulb t5 fixture w a strip of leds for more white. All water comes from lfs, both salt and fresh rodi for top off. Same for ATO. Parameters have been extremely stable since cycle,
Ph 8.0-8.2
Alk 4.0-4.5 dk
Amm 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .0-.1
Ca 400-500
Mg 125
Salt 1.025
I've been dosing 2 part every other day and rodi with baking soda daily due to the low alk. No amount seemed to get alk above 6.
Left for weekend trip, when I got back, first thing I noticed was a heavy brown crud on the glass. Tank normally runs very clean. Weekly glass cleanings keeps it clean.
Upon cleaning the glass, noticed the destruction.
Parameters were all about the same as above except that the ph was 8.8 and alk was a crazy 9.0. Everything else was pretty much normal. Skimmer did collect about 3 times the amount of very dark and nasy skimmate than it would for four days.
I immediately did a 65 gallon water change, will do at least 40 more tomorrow. Also put a half pound of carbon in a sack in the sump. Pumped up flow through all reactors. Pushed skimmer to run wet.
What died.
All peppermint shrimp
Cleaner shrimp
Powder brown tang
Black comb tooth Blenny
Banana wrasse
One cardinal
All sps is either totally white or almost. Don't expect any to live.
Condi nem
3 rock nems
Rbt nem
What appears to be ok
2 Carmel clowns
Starry Blenny
1 cardinal
1 yellow tang
Mandarin
Native fl pipefish
Corals are all closed up, probably 10 diff species of zoa, several polyps, two real nice chalices (one seems better, it was in frag tank under key light system.). Toxic green shrooms actually seem happy, everything else from green polyps to hammers and plate corals seem to be dissolving before my eyes. All snails are on the edge, may or may not make it. I suspect all inverts are dead.
Even areas of coraline look faded and reduced.
Very frustrating. Weird part is they even the calurpa appears to be faded in some areas, bleached and unhealthy.
Are all my pods dead in my fuge? Do I need to restock to keep the mandarin fed?
Any ideas?
Last edited by Superduke; Today at 05:06 PM.
