HELP!!!

[fishmaster78]

I just did a 5 gallon water change on my 40gal hex last night to awaken to see my torch coral and frogspawn dying as well as my montipora starting to bleach from the outside in..... i did a test today and noticed all water parameters are in line except that i went from sp 1.028 to 1.024....would this be the cause of this happening? Also i noticed during the water change that my bubble coral stung both my frogspawn and my torch? Any ideas on how to revive them before they are completely lost?

 

[snakeblitz33]

Going from a high to a low salinity shouldn't have hurt that much. A SG of 1.028 though is quite a bit on the high side to run an aquarium in the first place.
1. Check if there is any current running through your aquarium with a voltmeter.
2. Check your alkalinity and pH. and post the results.
3. list your equipment
4. What is your temp?
We'll get some ideas once we know a little more about your system.

 

[fishmaster78]

Snake thank you for coming to help out.
1. i don't have a voltmeter so i can't answer that question
2. pH is 7.8-8.0 (just went to lfs to buy some buffer) don't have alkalinity test
3. aquaclear 70 (just changed all filter inserts) 1 med size powerhead standard heater
4. 76.3
40 gal hex with one large piece of live rock 2 chromis, 1 clownfish, lots of zoas, ricordea, blue/green mushroom, bubble tip anemone, dying bubble coral, dying torch, dying frogspawn, dying monti

 

[snakeblitz33]

Did you switch salts at all?
pH buffers don't fix pH. In fact, all they do is increase alkalinity to stabilize pH. Tall aquariums without much water flow at the surface will run with lower pH values. By replacing all of your filtration media at the same time, it makes me think that you have lost half of your tanks biological filtration capacity. Check your ammonia levels and see if they are elevated at all.
You have corals, but you don't have a test kit for calcium or alkalinity?

 

[snakeblitz33]

By the way, that pH buffer that you probably paid ~$8 for, you could have bought for $0.75 at the grocery store... it's nothing more then sodium bicarbonate... baking soda. Heck, it will even say it on the bottle if you look at it...

 

[fishmaster78]

yeop i have corals and don't have those tests....but i went from this.....

to this....overnight....

 

[snakeblitz33]

Man, it's about my bed time. I'm going to have to put this thread off till in the morning.
All I can say is - get those test kits, test your water. Place your powerhead blowing across the surface of the water. Make sure no one else in your household fed your fish or has an agenda against you. Check your tank with a voltmeter to make sure your tank isn't getting electricuted and hopefully with a little luck you it will be ok for a little while longer.
Changing different brands of salts have been known to cause this. Also current going through a tank is dangerous and can show these types of symptoms. There's a few other things that can do it as well...
Good luck my friend, and I hope someone else will chime in and help you tonight.

 

[fishmaster78]

Thanks for the help snake....i do appreciate your input and i did indeed ask my woman, she did not feed them. I think maybe, with the water change, filter media change, and the stir up of one of the caves maybe threw off my cycle and this is my reprocussion. i'm slowly bringing my sg up to 1.025 and added some buffer so maybe this will stabalize my tank.

 

[al&burke]

Did you say that you changed everything in your AquaClear 70?

 

[snakeblitz33]

Yes, Al, That what I think he said.... I caught that too!!!
Next time to avoid causing a cycle, only replace HALF of your filtration media at a time. When you remove everything, you also remove the bacteria that is keeping you water cycled. That's why I said to check your ammonia level and post back...

 

[fishmaster78]

Yeah I got completely careless. I normally only do one stage at a time over a 3 week period but felt that since it had been so long and i was so lazy at the moment to just change all 3 stages at the same time...fml however everything seems to be doing okay except i lost 2 heads on my torch and my frogspawn is being to respond back. Can you tell me if my monti is dead? I'll attach a picture. If it is I need to remove it as my nitrates are still high after 2 water changes. I'm pretty sure i'm in the ending stage of the cycle.