inverts dying immediately

[kev.1979]

i did fill the tank the first time with tap water but i used phosguard for 8 days to get rid of the phosphates. no copper that i know of. i did a 15 gallon water change with r/o water 2 days ago. it's a 72 gallon tank.

 

[kynekke]

Originally Posted by zman1
Copper Level?
I happen to know from FUN experience that if there's measurable copper.. Inverts will die before they reach the bottom of the tank.

 

[jpc763]

Originally Posted by kev.1979
i did fill the tank the first time with tap water but i used phosguard for 8 days to get rid of the phosphates. no copper that i know of. i did a 15 gallon water change with r/o water 2 days ago. it's a 72 gallon tank.
Where did you get the tank? Was it new? How about the LR and substrate or any other equipment? Some people use chemical treatments in their tanks that is highly toxic to inverts. Just a thought.

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by kev.1979
i did fill the tank the first time with tap water but i used phosguard for 8 days to get rid of the phosphates. no copper that i know of. i did a 15 gallon water change with r/o water 2 days ago. it's a 72 gallon tank.

well, lets think...
tank filled with tap water
tap water is run through copper and brass pipe/fittings.
copper is soluable in water
copper is deadly to inverts
inverts are dying...
i'd suggest getting a copper test kit and stop using tap water.

 

[swalchemist]

Copper test, yes.
&
How much Phosguard are you using and exactly how did you use it. Sounds stupid but please answer in detail.
Phosguard is an Aluminum based product and can cause serious problems in a reef is overdosed, however I have only observed this in certain coral not crab, snails, etc.

 

[blackaero1]

What else is in your tank?? I had this problem when I first started out with my SW tank. Fish were fine, but inverts died almost immediately. I figured out that my problem was I was using some rocks that were leaching bad stuff for the inverts into the tank. Unfortunately I was new in the hobby and a kid at the LFS suggested I use a rock that looked a lot like flagstone from the home improvement center. I removed the rock, put some culpisorb in the filter and haven't had a problem with inverts since.

 

[kev.1979]

i used a cup of phosguard for 4 days two times while tank was cycling. i purchased tonga fusion and branch liverock from lfs out of their established tanks with inverts about 60 lbs.
1 maroon clown
1 coral beauty
1 yellow tail damsel
about 10 hermit crabs and most of them seem to be doing fine ?
just the snails, starfish, emerald crab die.
and the tank, filter, sand is all new
i'll test the copper tomorrow and get back with you.

 

[lesleybird]

Fish can take low salinity, a lot of inverts cannot. Also in saltwater you need to acclimate to salinity and ph by adding small amounts of water into the bag form the tank every 10 minutes for about an hour so the critters get used to the new salinity and ph. Then add the critters but not the water from the bag into the tank. Lesley

 

[kev.1979]

i forgot, i called the lfs and the said their salinity is also 1.023 and temp 78, ironically the same as mine.

 

[sinner's g]

well, duh, of course they all died, if you just floated them for an hour!
look the left, see Acclimation? There's a bright yellow starish shape with red FLASH. read that. follow that.

 

[travis99]

i would say it is a combo of the copper and the salinity. I keep mine at 1.026, fish can adapt better to high salinity than inverts can adapt to low salinity. I would bump it up a little and do about a couple large water changes with r/o water. Tap water is a killer.
Travis