Tank crashed
- Thread starter antkri
- Start date
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
a tank crash is such a general term it is hard to answer the question. Generally there is no need to completely start over and any water fit for human consumption can be used in tanks. Use of tap water was probably not the reason the tank crashed.
could you provide some more specifics. Like how you set it up and what happened?
could you provide some more specifics. Like how you set it up and what happened?
shanev
Member
There is alot of varied opionions on tap water. IMO only RO or RO/DI should be used. You do not know what is in tap water.
If you have heavy metals in your tap water and you do water changes with this water it can lead up to toxic levels.
And Bob you cant just assume its safe for Human Consumption.
If you have heavy metals in your tap water and you do water changes with this water it can lead up to toxic levels.
And Bob you cant just assume its safe for Human Consumption.
antkri
Member
To make an extremely long and sad story short...I have had the tank for about 9 months it had been running great...Did a water change cause nitrates were extremely high...Went to *****(the fish killers) to get filters and some AmQuel, to take the chlorine out of the water, they talked me into buying AmQuel Plus and new product that is susposed to be better and help with Chlorine, Chloramines, Trates, Trites and Ammon. ...
Well as far as me and the LFS can figure it was a bad batch and did not de-chlorinate that water and all the fish died a painful terrible death along with the mushrooms, beautiful starfishes, snails and crabs
The only thing that seems to still be hanging in there is the polyps.
So after 3 days of listening to my children cry (cause dorie and Nemo) are dead! I am trying to figure out how to fix it. Without extensive costs or labor.
That is why as a safety measure I am going to get R/O water. I have that much figured out.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Well as far as me and the LFS can figure it was a bad batch and did not de-chlorinate that water and all the fish died a painful terrible death along with the mushrooms, beautiful starfishes, snails and crabs
The only thing that seems to still be hanging in there is the polyps.
So after 3 days of listening to my children cry (cause dorie and Nemo) are dead! I am trying to figure out how to fix it. Without extensive costs or labor.
That is why as a safety measure I am going to get R/O water. I have that much figured out.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
bang guy
Moderator
Can you describe how you mixed the saltwater for your water change? Include how long you let it set, how much water was used, how it was mixed, etc.
Bob, I strongly disagree that any water fit for human consumption is OK for your reef tank. This is very very misleading & dangerous and that's not just an opinion. Please abstain from dangerous advice like this in the future.
Bob, I strongly disagree that any water fit for human consumption is OK for your reef tank. This is very very misleading & dangerous and that's not just an opinion. Please abstain from dangerous advice like this in the future.
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
Antkri: Oh no and I feel your loss.
Tanks do much better the less I interfer with them. Your experience is the reason. You had a relatively minor problem and attempted to correct it. Tanks are systems with many natural means of correcting things as high nitrAtes without my interference.
Your experience is the exact reason I do not do water changes. Further it is the reason I do not use any water conditioner and use straight tap water. I have used untreated tap water from half a dozen cites in the US since the late 70's for both salt and freshwater tanks. I have never stressed a fish in any way. One salt tank ran for 6 years by only replacing the water that evaporates with straight tap water.
Also could have been your test kit was reading too high. At any rate, the real method of controlling nitrates is with plant life. Water changes in addition to the problems you experienced here will never bring nitrates down to 0.0. Even with nitrate free input water, the best that can happen is nitrates will rise between water changes and then drop after the water change. And that will happen at extremely high levels. Plant life will continously consume nitrates and plants may grow until nitrates and phosphates are near 0.0. The only things to prevent that is if the livestock is eating the plant life.
Ro/DI water will not prevent nitrates from your fish and corals from returning.
But with that said all is not lost. You still have a running tank with at least some polyps. I recommend you add all the plant life you can get your hands on. Or even setup a refugium. Stop the water changes and just replace the water that evaporates with tap water. Let it run for a month or so and your system should be ready for fish again.
Again sorry for you loss. and your experience is not uncommon in the industry.
Tanks do much better the less I interfer with them. Your experience is the reason. You had a relatively minor problem and attempted to correct it. Tanks are systems with many natural means of correcting things as high nitrAtes without my interference.
Your experience is the exact reason I do not do water changes. Further it is the reason I do not use any water conditioner and use straight tap water. I have used untreated tap water from half a dozen cites in the US since the late 70's for both salt and freshwater tanks. I have never stressed a fish in any way. One salt tank ran for 6 years by only replacing the water that evaporates with straight tap water.
Also could have been your test kit was reading too high. At any rate, the real method of controlling nitrates is with plant life. Water changes in addition to the problems you experienced here will never bring nitrates down to 0.0. Even with nitrate free input water, the best that can happen is nitrates will rise between water changes and then drop after the water change. And that will happen at extremely high levels. Plant life will continously consume nitrates and plants may grow until nitrates and phosphates are near 0.0. The only things to prevent that is if the livestock is eating the plant life.
Ro/DI water will not prevent nitrates from your fish and corals from returning.
But with that said all is not lost. You still have a running tank with at least some polyps. I recommend you add all the plant life you can get your hands on. Or even setup a refugium. Stop the water changes and just replace the water that evaporates with tap water. Let it run for a month or so and your system should be ready for fish again.
Again sorry for you loss. and your experience is not uncommon in the industry.
antkri
Member
Well I just heard from Kordon the makers of AmQuel Plus , the product I used to take the Chlorine out and guess WHAT....
That lot # had been recalled why uyou ask cause it does such a great job in reducing EVERYTHING (trate, trites, ammonia, chlorine and chloramines) but it also is reducing the OXYGEN levels....Yes I said Oxygen levels...
Thanks for all your advice
That lot # had been recalled why uyou ask cause it does such a great job in reducing EVERYTHING (trate, trites, ammonia, chlorine and chloramines) but it also is reducing the OXYGEN levels....Yes I said Oxygen levels...
Thanks for all your advice
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
Originally posted by antkri
Well I just heard from Kordon the makers of AmQuel Plus , the product I used to take the Chlorine out and guess WHAT....
That lot # had been recalled why uyou ask cause it does such a great job in reducing EVERYTHING (trate, trites, ammonia, chlorine and chloramines) but it also is reducing the OXYGEN levels....Yes I said Oxygen levels...
Thanks for all your advice
Woopsies. and again sorry. I still say let it run and add plants. It will recover and the plants will remofe the amquel.
BWT will be in omaha this weekend.
1journeyman
Active Member
Sorry for your loss, but good job in following up and warning us about the bad batch of amquel!
Tap water scares me.. Some cities add florine, chlorine etc... Not to mention heavy metal traces from plumbing (copper etc..). I know it is in very small amounts, but in a closed system, those trace amounts add up.
Tap water scares me.. Some cities add florine, chlorine etc... Not to mention heavy metal traces from plumbing (copper etc..). I know it is in very small amounts, but in a closed system, those trace amounts add up.