...more help please...

[daftboy]

So after that water change everything else is back to how it was 2 weeks ago...all my snails.. dead yet again.. I have 2 new corals floating right now and need to know if I can put them in...I just did a 10g water change in it so about 40% emergey water change... I used my tap this time not my filter..everytime I use this filter I seem to have this problem so I will no longer be doing that... either way my CA is at 500 ppm after 2 water changes... what should I do advice... should I do another change or just let it be.... please help .. my levels are as follows
28 Gallon tank
SG 1.024 Seachem Marinesalt
Temp 79
pH 8.3 ish (its between the colors of 8.2 - 8.4)
Nitrate 20
Nirate 0
Ammonia .25 or less
Ca 500
Kh 15 drops.. chart stops at 12 at 214

 

[daftboy]

Please help

 

[btldreef]

Test for copper......
Anyways, have you had an LFS double check your readings?
Anything more than a 30% water change can and usually is a shock to the system, especially in smaller tanks of 55G or less.
What corals do you want to add?

 

[daftboy]

Hot Pink Stylopora and a Wellsophyllia

 

[daftboy]

???

 

[btldreef]

I don't know. I wouldn't have even bought anymore corals until I figured out my water parameters. Have you ever tested for copper? If you're using tap water, you could very well have copper in it.

 

[daftboy]

i have tested there is no copper... I left my house last nght with no issues in the tank and stayed at my gf house... when I woke up I went to the store to get the corals.. as of last night the para. where fine. so when I had gotten back form the store this was at home waiting for me

 

[socalnano24]

I don't understand, you decided to use tap water instead of filtered ro water?
How old is your tank?

 

[daftboy]

i have used tap water since day one... its about a year old now... everytime I use this filter is when I have this issue... from now on I will use tap water till I get a real RO unit..

 

[nycbob]

what kind of filter is this? do u use a tds meter? try running some carbon or chemipure in the tank to get rid whatever junk u may hv in the water. u shouldnt add more livestocks until things settle down. the corals u listed arent exactly hardy.

 

[daftboy]

Well my Ca seems to be at 480 ppm now after 3 changes and my KH is 13 now .. I hope these are better for now... i really don't want to do another water change for some time so ill have to wait till tomm. I think.

 

[jimmyr1rider]

I dont understand how your CAL is close to 500 and your KH is close to 13 and was 15 without you dosing 2 part- I havent heard of any salt giving you those kind of levels without dosing something of some kind.
One thing- how old are your test kits, and what brand are you uisng? Your levels make no sense to me at least if you arent dosing.

 

[btldreef]

Okay, I had a similar issue.
How do you test your salt? Swing arm hydrometer? Floating hydrometer or refractometer? If refractometer, how did you calibrate it and how long ago?
I'm not a huge fan of the salt you're using, I don't happen to like it's actual composition. If you're having Ca and dKH issues, you should think about switching to Coralife which does not have a dKH buffer in it like much of the other salts on the market. Without the dKH buffer, you'll be aided in getting your dKH to a lower, more acceptable level. The Stylophora will probably die with a dKH that high and possibly your Wellso as well. Neither of these corals are hardy as mentioned before.
What are your tests reading w/ just straight tap water and no salt added yet?

 

[daftboy]

I should be switching shortly .. I will be changing to Brightwell Aquatics Neo Marine .. i have heard nothing but good about them..I use a refractometer..I use API test ket the KH and CA ones are about 5 months old the others are about a year.. i was going to switch to I think its called redsea or something like that

 

[btldreef]

Originally Posted by Daftboy
http:///forum/post/3245176
I should be switching shortly .. I will be changing to Brightwell Aquatics Neo Marine .. i have heard nothing but good about them..I use a refractometer..I use API test ket the KH and CA ones are about 5 months old the others are about a year.. i was going to switch to I think its called redsea or something like that
The API Ca test sucks. Bottom line. It's been proven to be inaccurate. If you want an accurate Ca reading, spend the extra money and get the Salifert kit. Red Sea PRO is okay, Red Sea sucks.
Are you testing for Mag? The three (dKH, Ca and Mag) all go hand in hand. I'm a true believer in once the test reaches 1 year, throw it out.
You really should test your tap water and see what's in it.
When was the last time the refractometer was calibrated?
What do you keep your temp at?
So the issue is that snails die in your tank? Do you have any other inverts? What's going on with the corals?

 

[jimmyr1rider]

In my opinion daft- most people that spend on better test kits either get Saliferts or Elos I use Salifert, have never used Red Sea but I am also in 100% agreeance with BTLD- 1 year= garbage bag-AND replace with better than API.
Also do you know what daft is in British slang? lol

 

[btldreef]

I'm going to go all the way back to the beginning:
Originally Posted by Daftboy
http:///forum/post/3244812
So after that water change everything else is back to how it was 2 weeks ago...all my snails.. dead yet again.. I have 2 new corals floating right now and need to know if I can put them in...I just did a 10g water change in it so about 40% emergey water changeIf you have inverts of any kind dying in your tank, you should not have even thought about adding corals for at least a month of consistent water parameters, then go back to trying snails again, THEN coral. a 40% water change, especially of tap water is putting your tank in shock. 40% on a tank this size is completely overkill for something as small as snails dying. By doing that large of a water change because snails are dying, you're creating more problems for your inverts that may still be alive. The only time I recommend a water change of larger than 30% at one time is when something spills in the tank or nitrates/nitrites or ammonia appear at high levels.... I used my tap this time not my filter..everytime I use this filter I seem to have this problem so I will no longer be doing that... either way my CA is at 500 ppm after 2 water changes... what should I do advice... should I do another change or just let it be.... please help .. my levels are as follows
28 Gallon tank
SG 1.024 Seachem Marinesalt
Temp 79
pH 8.3 ish (its between the colors of 8.2 - 8.4)
Nitrate 20
Nirate 0
Ammonia .25 or less
Ca 500
Kh 15 drops.. chart stops at 12 at 214
You have an ammonia reading, this should be a light bulb that something is NOT okay in your tank.
Your using tap water, do you test it before you add salt to it? Do you then test this water again with salt before you put it in your tank? I test my RO water w/ and without salt before it goes in my tank, because, bottom line, you never know.
Do you put any kind of tap water conditioner in the water or are you just dumping straight tap water into your tank?
Do you heat the water to match your DT temperature before you add it to your tank?
Can you post a complete stock list and equipment list:
How much sand?
How much LR?
What's your CUC?
What fish?
What coral?
Power heads?
Pump?
Filtration?
Skimmer?
When was the last time you cleaned any of these things?

 

[btldreef]

I actually just read through your other post where you were having pH issues as well.
You need to change salt brands, you have a bad batch of salt and SeaChem is NOT a good brand of salt as one of the posters told you it was in that other thread. SeaChem is known to be inconsistent with batches and you'll never find a seasoned hobbyist with a serious tank setup using this salt.
Replace all older test kits with new ones immediately.
Have the LFS test EVERYTHING, salinity, pH, Ca, Mag, dKH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate.
I personally do not think your refractometer is calibrated correctly either.
Get a decent salt mix that is readily available (IO, Red Sea Coral Pro, Coralife, Tropic Marin) and start using it with your filtered water again.
If you're truly convinced that your filter is garbage. Buy bottled distilled water from the grocery store. Almost anything is better than using straight tap water, you live in Jersey, think about that!

 

[daftboy]

You have an ammonia reading, this should be a light bulb that something is NOT okay in your tank.
I assume it was because of the 30 + dead snails...there is no reading after the water change.
Your using tap water, do you test it before you add salt to it? Do you then test this water again with salt before you put it in your tank?
I test before and after ..before I usually have a low reading in the pH below 7.8 so I add Buffer.. seachem pH buffer.. i add about 1.25g into the 5 gallons
Do you put any kind of tap water conditioner in the water or are you just dumping straight tap water into your tank?
No I let it sit over night so the Chlorine will come out then I add it
Do you heat the water to match your DT temperature before you add it to your tank?
Yes, I have a heater in the 5g bucket set too 79 with a digital thermometer to tell me what the water is at.
How much sand?
not sure of pounds maybe about 2 inches
How much LR?
40 lbs or so maybe a little more
What's your CUC?
I had 10 Nas. 10 Ast. 2 mexican turbo 5 scalet crabs 3 blue leg hermits
What fish?
2 Osc. Clowns / 1 Purple firefish / 1 sixline wrasse/ 1 Purple psy. / Ultra Maxima Clam
What coral?
GSP / white pom pom xenia / 1 florida ric /8 green hairy mushrooms / birds of paradise sps / hot pink stylopora / Wellsophyllia / Aussie hammer / white bubble coral / purple sebae / AOG zoa's / Pink Tube Anemone
Power heads? a Korrla #1 and a Korrla Nano
Pump? Fluval 205
Filtration? Fluval 205
Skimmer? None
When was the last time you cleaned any of these things? I clean the filter every water change rinse out the floss and bio and prop. head. replace carbon once a month

 

[btldreef]

How long has this been an issue and how long have you had this tank up and running?
I would honestly change your salt immediately and try bottled filtered water, then go back to your filter to rule that out as the issue.
If you're cleaning the filter with every water change, this may be too much. I only clean out my sponges once a month unless there is an issue.
The water should have a low pH until you add salt.