Alwase test water befor a water change!!!!

[mech-a-nic]

I have been buying RO/DI water and salt water for top-offs and changes at the LPS partly because I haven't got a RO/DI unit yet and the fact it is easy not to have to mix the salt and wait 48 hours....ever read the destructions on the salt bag?

Well did a 10 G change on my 46 G tank went to Chang a some in a 12 nano...the Xenia were swelling and corals were not looking good... taste the water.....

No salt

it was fresh water, I helped fill the jugs from the salt tank.... O %#@! now what i just did a 20% fresh swap and its 10:30 PM everyones closed..... Well I had a several part bags of salt ...hold you breath i put some salt directly into the tank

i know that was not good but i had to do something. started mixing up 5 G buckets of salt fast with Tap water and buffer. did about 6 buckets 1 at a time. Most everything lived

even the Blue Linckia Starfish and Long Spine Urchin. that shocked me the most. well 1 hammer coral frag didn't make it. but the rest were OK after a few days. the next day i got more water from my regular LPS. and did a 45% change and topped off till i got it OK again.

Just a word of advice to rookies or old pros. If you didn't mix it ....check it!!
O ya the LPS I called that next AM the check there tank and it was fresh. They apologized and gave me a new coral

and thanked me for letting them know.

 

[xdfireguy]

Between gas and the value of my time, it makes more sense to mix my own. Now hearing things like this, I'm glad I do it myself!

 

[pjlovesbaskets]

YIKES! That sucks. My trusted new friend who professional installs tanks says that they also claim it is R/O water and it really isn't! He said it is more common than you would think.

 

[mech-a-nic]

ya from now on im at my main LPS only, hes a little more (+20 cent a gallon) but he has a nice RO/DI set up there is no tap water exect the toilet, hell even the bathroom sink is on the filter

In his store everything goes through the filters. If you ever use the restroom there its full of filters and pcv pipes lol. that and the side wall to the bathroom was 2 holding tanks stacked on top of each other

he finliy put up a peice of drywall latly

 

[alexmir]

Im glad that most everything lived.

But i would not be surprised if the blue linkia did not make it. How many days ago did this happen? That much of a salinity change (taking 1/4 of the water out and adding fresh) would probably kill the linkia, but it will die slowly, probably not instantly. Also, if it doesnt die from the salinity change it will die from lack of food, they need huge VERY established tanks to live, and sometimes those aren't even enough.

 

[mech-a-nic]

well about abot 3 weeks so far and all is well. the tank set up is 2 years old i moved it 6 months ago broke it down and reset up. He just craws all over the roks and glass.

 

[pimpnfish]

painful read.
good luck!

 

[philip_r5]

Man I would have been very pissed.
Im wondering however. If they had it set up as a Ro tank how did it get fresh water into it? Wouldn't the water have to go thru the filter in the first place? .... Just a tought.

 

[sepulatian]

Never take anything or granted, like the ability of your LFS to sell you the right thing. It isn't hard to mix your own saltwater at all. Have you been aerating that bottled saltwater? I hope so. It will have no oxygen in it from a bottle. You have to aerate it for at least 24 hours anyway, why not mix your own? ALWAYS, always, test water, whether you mix it yourself or not, to be sure it is correct before you add it.

 

[mech-a-nic]

Well i need a ro/di unit befor I can make my own

Got one on my list of things i need. The airing water befor i add i never thought of

It gets some i slowly pour it in wetting it bubble as it goes in the bubbles clear in a few mins