Help corals are dying.
- Thread starter thang45
- Start date
thang45
Member
1. Tank size
- 90gal, with 2 x 250W HQI light
2. Tank inhabitants
- Total 15 fishes. Blue tang, yellow tang, 4 anthias, 3 blennies, 2 clowns and lots crabs and snails.
3. Water parameters
- Cal =450
- Alk = 9.8
- Mag = 1350
- pH = 8.3
- nitrate = 25ppm
4. What corals or fish have died
- 6 to 10 snails died.
Two 4-5” clams did not response or close when I touch them
- Most corals are closed for about 3-4 days now.
5. Filtration
- 35 gal sump, with MSX200 skimmer and refugium with cheato.
6. Age of the tank
- 1 yr old tank
- 90gal, with 2 x 250W HQI light
2. Tank inhabitants
- Total 15 fishes. Blue tang, yellow tang, 4 anthias, 3 blennies, 2 clowns and lots crabs and snails.
3. Water parameters
- Cal =450
- Alk = 9.8
- Mag = 1350
- pH = 8.3
- nitrate = 25ppm
4. What corals or fish have died
- 6 to 10 snails died.
Two 4-5” clams did not response or close when I touch them
- Most corals are closed for about 3-4 days now.
5. Filtration
- 35 gal sump, with MSX200 skimmer and refugium with cheato.
6. Age of the tank
- 1 yr old tank
cherylann
Member
Your parameters look good, could you include salinity. I googled brass fittings for marine tanks and it was not good, so you should probably do the same. Another problem may be stray voltage since this is a sudden new problem. I know that I am providing more questions than answers and by the look of your set up you are not a newbie. I am sure someone will chime in with help. A picture is always good too.
thang45
Member
Originally Posted by cherylann
http:///forum/post/3161664
Your parameters look good, could you include salinity. I googled brass fittings for marine tanks and it was not good, so you should probably do the same. Another problem may be stray voltage since this is a sudden new problem. I know that I am providing more questions than answers and by the look of your set up you are not a newbie. I am sure someone will chime in with help. A picture is always good too.
My salinity is 1.025. I have removed the brass fitting.
How can I detect stray voltage?
http:///forum/post/3161664
Your parameters look good, could you include salinity. I googled brass fittings for marine tanks and it was not good, so you should probably do the same. Another problem may be stray voltage since this is a sudden new problem. I know that I am providing more questions than answers and by the look of your set up you are not a newbie. I am sure someone will chime in with help. A picture is always good too.
My salinity is 1.025. I have removed the brass fitting.
How can I detect stray voltage?
cherylann
Member
If you do a search for stray voltage, on SWM, and you will find many people that have had this problem, you can buy voltage meter at home depot. I still am leaning towards the brass fixture. Copper is bad thing for marine tanks. Yes you can use carbon and other filtration to try and rid your tank of copper, but once copper has entered your system it may be a chronic problem with that particular tank as it is infiltrates the LR, the silcone and at times has made a marine tank toxic to marine invertebrates. But I doubt thats the case. I am sure you will get alot more info. Good luck.
fishhunter
Member
You want NO COPPER PERIOD in a reef tank! NONE!!! Brass is just copper and zink alloy! That is your problem, and now that it's in your system it's going to be tuff to get it out. It really dosn't take long for copper to build up.
thang45
Member
Originally Posted by fishhunter
http:///forum/post/3161916
You want NO COPPER PERIOD in a reef tank! NONE!!! Brass is just copper and zink alloy! That is your problem, and now that it's in your system it's going to be tuff to get it out. It really dosn't take long for copper to build up.
So that means that all of my corals, clams, snails, crabs will eventually die? Can I take them out and put them into another tank, or I’m too late?
http:///forum/post/3161916
You want NO COPPER PERIOD in a reef tank! NONE!!! Brass is just copper and zink alloy! That is your problem, and now that it's in your system it's going to be tuff to get it out. It really dosn't take long for copper to build up.
So that means that all of my corals, clams, snails, crabs will eventually die? Can I take them out and put them into another tank, or I’m too late?
fishhunter
Member
Originally Posted by thang45
http:///forum/post/3162082
So that means that all of my corals, clams, snails, crabs will eventually die? Can I take them out and put them into another tank, or I’m too late?
the first thing I would do is get rid of that valve! you can put them in another tank but make sure not to get water from the other tank in there.
http:///forum/post/3162082
So that means that all of my corals, clams, snails, crabs will eventually die? Can I take them out and put them into another tank, or I’m too late?
the first thing I would do is get rid of that valve! you can put them in another tank but make sure not to get water from the other tank in there.
thang45
Member
I got rid of the valve as soon as I found out that it is bad for the tank.
I did 20% WC today. 2 clams and lots of snail have died so far. Some snails are still alive. I just hope that whatever it is that got into the tank was minimal. I added poly filter and tied it around my mag-drive, if there are any traces of metal the filter will turn brown to black.
BTW, I use API copper test kit and found no trace of copper. I wonder how reliable he API test kits are?
I did 20% WC today. 2 clams and lots of snail have died so far. Some snails are still alive. I just hope that whatever it is that got into the tank was minimal. I added poly filter and tied it around my mag-drive, if there are any traces of metal the filter will turn brown to black.
BTW, I use API copper test kit and found no trace of copper. I wonder how reliable he API test kits are?