Tank Help

[silveradobobby]

I'm having a problem that has me stumped with my Reef Tank I've been doing tanks over 15 years now and helped run a tank maintance company in DFW for 5 years and never had an issue like this. What I got is a 75G Reef tank going for over 5 years now with all kinds of corals SPS and Softies. The past 2 weeks everything coral in the tank is closed up and some of my SPS are losing color starting today but all the fish are great. Did a water change a week to see if it help they open up for a few hours after the water change and then close back up! MY paras are Salt 1.025, Niti 0, Nita 0, Phos 0, Sil 0, Cal 400, PH 8.23, Amm 0. I dose the usually Mag, Cal, Strou, Coral Vite, Trace Ele, Iron, Tech I. And feed assortment of Phyoto every other day. Water looks clear no alge blooms or alge at all. The skimmer was working overtime for a week now One full cup every day, but has slowed day to a cup every 3 days. What could be wrong? Only thing is Alk is through the roof 19dkH but a water change will fix that always, its because of a buffer I used last night. But I havent changed a thing or added a thing to the tank in months!

 

[chappy]

wow thats a high dkh
but not to start the broken record thinngy... but stray voltage ?
i have a vlot meter thing if you need it

 

[chappy]

@chappy wrote:

wow that was weird

 

[silveradobobby]

No stay voltage. I have a meter I'm a Licensed Electrician. I thought that too but doesnt effect SPS that much!

 

[bimmerzs]

Strange question but what type of return pump do you have. What is your tank's temperature, is your heater on/off and how are you measuring salinity?? The iodine level could be too high as well. Have you added any spray type airfreshener anywhere in the house recently. I would recommend several large waterchanges (>25%) spaced over the next few day's, stop dosing anything to the tank and run carbon or polyfilter to see if your corals respond. Maybe something is somehow leaching/getting in the water.

Cheers,

 

[silveradobobby]

I run a sendora 900, My temp is 78-79 year around and has always been. Never had a heater dont need one tank heats up no matter day or night. I measure sal with a floating meter and a swing type also. No changes in the house either dont spray stuff in air. The tank has its own room. Been doing large water changes but no change at all.

 

[Jeff]

Did something die behind the rocks or maybe a coral poison war going on?

 

[bimmerzs]

@silveradobobby wrote:

Not familiar with that brand pump, my question was along the lines of what happened with older style rio pumps. They were oil filled and would overheat and leak oil into tanks etc.....perhaps inspect your pump for damage. Did you verify your temp, if using a digital thermometer they have been know to suddenly start reading incorrectly (lower than actual). How many gallons are you changing out, do you run a dsb, was it disturbed? Any macroalgae that could have gone sexual, sea apples or the like that could have died., how are the invert's, all still alive, pod's still alive?? I would still run carbon or polyfilter to help if something did find it's way into the tank.......just trying to help.


Cheers,

 

[silveradobobby]

My external pump is not oil filled but u would see that in the water easy. Yes I run a dsb but nothing disturbed it, my micro alage is the same as usual. All my inverts are doing well, the only thing that has not been effected are the fish inverts and mushrooms! Water temp is watched by a controller display also display on the chiller and also a special food inspector temp reader just to make sure everything else is in spec.

 

[silveradobobby]

Dang I might have found the problem but not sure. about 2 weeks ago my external pump cracked the nipple coming out of the pump on a Sunday night the only thing I had was a brass nipple and coupling. Might be possible that the brass is leaching copper into the tank because brass is zinc and copper!! Dang my stupid mistake might have killed my tank!

 

[chappy]

i would get a poly filter in asap
i am going through burleson on tues if you want i will bring you a one
will pm you my cell number

 

[Jeff]

@silveradobobby wrote:

Oh heck yea! That would do it wouldn't it. Sorry.

 

[silveradobobby]

Well changed the fittings out today and added a poly filter so will see what happens in the next few day. Looks like I going to loose my green millis and pink xenia. Hopefully no more!!

 

[bimmerzs]

@silveradobobby wrote:

Sorry to hear this bro, keep up the large wc's and pull the macro and phosban media....anything that could absorb copper, run lot's of poly and lots of carbon. I would be tempted to pull the corals out into a QT tank or some other contaminate free container.

Cheers,

 

[silveradobobby]

As is today the tank is doing alot better everything is opening up, but I did loose all my xenia about 25 branches and 2 green millis! But everything else is good. The poly filter is starting to turn blue today so it was copper!

 

[Rick]

I certainly would continue to do regular water changes at least weekly till you see the corals all return to normal and stable.

 

[sunfun]

Ouch. Sorry to hear about your tank. Hope everything returns to normal soon.