Please help my tank is crashing

[dogluv]

Hello everyone,
Let me start by saying that I have been an active visitor to this site and this forum now for many years. However, this is my first post and need for help.
I have a 95 Gallon wave tank and here are my Stats-
Nitrate- Less than 12.5mg/l
Nitrite- undetectable
Phosphate- undetectable
Calcium-420 mg/l ppm
Ammonia- undetectable
GH- 300 ppm
copper- undetectable
Salinity- 1.022
PH- 8.2
Temp- 80
This tank has been up and running for a little over a year. I recently moved into my new house and did move the tank. The move went very smooth and all corals and fish survived and were doing great for about 6 weeks before the problems began. My frogspawns began to spew their insides and one by one they began to disappear. Next my hammer coral, then my hydnophora, and now my leathers are on thier way out as well. As soon as the frogspawns began to go I started doing 15 to 20 gallon water changes. 1 water change in the morning the next at night. I use a RO/DI unit to filter my water, BUT when I first moved in I didn't have the unit hooked up and used regular tap water to top off the tank. I did however test the tap water later and found nothing abnormal with its water quality and makeup. I don't know what is going on with my tank. All of my fish and inverts are doing great but my corals are going one by one.
I was hoping that someone out there may have an idea and be able to help.
I have started dipping my remaining corals in Lugol's solution and I am setting up a hospital tank for the corals right now, any help would be appreciated

 

[dennis210]

Hey you moved, tank too, upset the apple cart! So call a friend and find a temp home to house your corals. Good luck

 

[grumpygils]

Originally Posted by Dogluv
Hello everyone,
Let me start by saying that I have benn an active visitor to this site and this forum now for many years. Howevery this is my first post and need for help.
I have a 95 Gallon wave tank and here are my Stats-
Nitrate- Less than 12.5mg/l
Nitrite- undetectable
Phosphate- undetectable
Calcium-420 mg/l ppm
Ammonia- undetectable
GH- 300 ppm
copper- undetectable
Salinity- 1.022
PH- 8.2
Temp- 80
This tank has been up and running for a little over a year. I reciently moved into my new house and did move the tank. The move went very smooth and all corals and fish survived and were doing great for about 6 weeks before the problems began. My frogspawns began to spew their insides and one by one they began to dissapear. Next my hammer coral, then my hydnophora, and now my leathers are on thier way out as well. As soon as the frogspawns began to go I started doing 15 to 20 gallon water changes. 1 water change in the morning the next at night. I use a RO/DI unit to filter my water, BUT when I first moved in I didn't have the unit hooked up and used regular tap water to top off the tank. I did howevery test the tap water later and found nothing abnormal with its water quality and makeup. I don't know what is going on with my tank. All of my fish and inverts are doing great but my corals are going one by one.
I was hopeing that someone out there may have an idea and be able to help.
I have started dipping my remaining corals in Lugol's solution and I am setting up a hospital tank for the corals right now, any help would be appreciated
Did you test for Chlorine from the top off water? What is the alk? Old bulbs?
Mc

 

[maxalmon]

When you moved did you just move the tank from A to B and transported everything and restarted the tank?

 

[dogluv]

I only moved the tank from point A to point B. All corals got moved into a 100 gallon pond with filtration already set up at new house. Corals sat in there for 1 week while tank sat and settled, then transfered corals to tank over the next week. Tank was running for 6 weeks after that and all corals were open and looking great.
The bulbs are about 8 months old and most of the corals got put in the same area they were at before the move.
I have not tested yet for chlorine and Alk is at 8 dkH

 

[maxalmon]

1.022 is a little low, maybe slowly raise it to 1.025.
When you transported the LR, did you keep them submerged in water while moving or move them dry?
What about the sandbed, did you move that as well? If so did you rinse it before putting into the new tank and how did you rinse it, either with freshmade SW or did you rinse with FW?
Whats you pH and what test kits are you using?
It almost sounds like your tank went thru a cycle or a mini cycle

 

[1journeyman]

Welcome to the forums.
Based on everything being ok for 6 weeks after the move I don't think it's a cycling issue. I'm much more suspicious of a heavy metal contaminent in the tap water.
How are you checking salinity? Have you had a lfs double check your readings? How are your inverts such as snails doing?

 

[wattsupdoc]

You say they went into an already set up pond. What kind of pond is that? What was it previously used for. What is it made of? I suspect possible exposure from the pond leaching. Also, city water usually has more than just chlorine in it. Most municipalities also add fluoride. I cant say it would be detrimental, but would suspect so. Especially when you realize it accumulates in the water column. Do you run any carbon? I would be running it very aggressively. That really my knee jerk reaction whenever things start going wrong. Carbon and water changes. Move them to the HT, use only freshly made, matched RO/SW and run some carbon in it.

 

[hefner413]

Originally Posted by wattsupdoc
You say they went into an already set up pond. What kind of pond is that? What was it previously used for. What is it made of? I suspect possible exposure from the pond leaching. Also, city water usually has more than just chlorine in it. Most municipalities also add fluoride. I cant say it would be detrimental, but would suspect so. Especially when you realize it accumulates in the water column. Do you run any carbon? I would be running it very aggressively. That really my knee jerk reaction whenever things start going wrong. Carbon and water changes. Move them to the HT, use only freshly made, matched RO/SW and run some carbon in it.
yeah, I would agree with doc on the carbon - can't hurt. I would even add another cannister with carbon to help out.

 

[dogluv]

O.K.
The pond is actually a horse container made of plastic used for them to drink out of. I have been using this container to make up my water for the past few years now. The only thing that I did to it was drill the side to install a bulk head to turn the whole thing into an overflow system for the move. I said set up pond only because it had been up and running two weeks before the move in the new house. I used 50% of the water to fill it from my tank, and the other 50% was new water run thru the RO/DI ( it was lots and lots of buckets of water in and out of each house, What a Pain!!!!!)
I run lots and lots of carbon, I use Chemi-pure and usually three containers worth in my sump (all glass model 3) I also have my protein skimmer ( Coralife super skimmer 220 gallon model), pre-filter pad, and heaters in sump.
All of my inverts are doing great, urchins, starfish, hermits, snails, cucumbers, ect. All fish are doing great as well.
The only thing that I may have done that could have caused something that was out of the ordinary was cutting my finger leather. It had growen so large that it took over two rocks. When I put it in the tank I kept fighting with getting it to all stay in one place. I would epoxy both rocks in one place and the urchin would come along and move one. So I cut the leather into two with a new razor and in one cut had two leathers. They so far are doing o.k. but will not fully open.

 

[hefner413]

well, there's your answer! I don't figure horse spit is probably good for coral. Man! using your coral tank for horse trough! ....just kidding.... I have no idea what's going on with your tank.. anybody else?

 

[dogluv]

I know this sounds stupid or dumb to some people but isn't the internet and chat forums great? already in less than one day I have gotten more ideas and thoughts as far as what could have gone wrong in my tank. When I go to the lfs in and around town all they do is look at me with that blank stare. As soon as I suggest an idea they just jump on the band wagon and start to agree.
Thanks to all so far that have responded with your own thoughts or suggestions. The problem is not solved yet but some ideas are beginning to swim around.

 

[wattsupdoc]

Originally Posted by Dogluv
I know this sounds stupid or dumb to some people but isn't the internet and chat forums great? already in less than one day I have gotten more ideas and thoughts as far as what could have gone wrong in my tank. When I go to the lfs in and around town all they do is look at me with that blank stare. As soon as I suggest an idea they just jump on the band wagon and start to agree.
Thanks to all so far that have responded with your own thoughts or suggestions. The problem is not solved yet but some ideas are beginning to swim around.
This is one of the reasons this site is sooooo addictive.

I personally dont think cutting tyhe leather is the proble. I do however suspect the tap water top offs.