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View Full Version : Emergency! I may have done something stupid


NCMBM
01/26/2009, 09:29 AM
I have been fighting with the macro in my refugium. It won't grow and is causing a nitrate problem in my tank. I recently changed my lighting system for the refugium and am having great result with that. My refugium/sump is a DIY and wasn't properly planned out but works. I didn't think about the bubble trap issue and have since added a baffle that forces the water to go under it. So, water enters thru a micron sock into the chamber that holds the skimmer, goes over a baffle into the refugium, goes under a baffle then over a baffle with a comb on top and enters the return chamber. Bubbles are not really an issue. I was having an issue with macro hanging up on the comb which brings us to the possible emergency.

I decided it would be good to put a layer of live rock rubble in the refugium at the base of the under baffle. That way the rock would keep the macro from going under and clogging up the comb or getting into the return chamber and carried into the main tank. Also seems to be a good additional filtering element. I did a water change at this time which allowed me to work in the refugium with no current. I turned the pumps back on after refilling the tank and all seemed well.

I had a pre-filter on the return pump to catch the macro that spilled over and decided to remove it since I feel that problem was now solved by the rubble rock. This is when the panic struck, much macro debris was pumped into the main tank. The tank got quite cloudy. And then the skimmer went crazy pumping bubbles, I mean crazy amount of bubbles. Quickly filling the collection cup and running over and out. Did I say crazy bubbles? Lots of bubbles.

Then it hits me, the bucket I used to rinse the rubble rock, what was it used for last? OMG, washing the car! Did I just introduce car wash into my reef? The rocks did not bubble when I was rinsing them. I rinsed them many times, draining the water between each rinse. The bucket was clean. It is certainly possible that some of the macro debris got caught in the skimmers injector head which would increase the pressure and create more bubbles, I use a AguaC Urchin Pro skimmer. I quickly added some Prime water conditioner, didn't know what else to do. All the fish and corals looked fine, none reacted as if anything was wrong.

This morning all looked well, corals were opening and fish were swimming about. Could the macro debris have caused the increase in bubbles? If soap is in the water what should I do? If I have done something so stupid and killed any of my critters......................

Thanks for any and all input

Ranchhand02
01/26/2009, 09:33 AM
I would do a water change. That would dilute the soap even further if any got in there.

RiverOtter
01/26/2009, 09:37 AM
Test your water, even if you have to go to the LFS to do so. While there pick up a new bucket just for the tank.

ReefingMadness
01/26/2009, 09:40 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14244343#post14244343 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ranchhand02
I would do a water change. That would dilute the soap even further if any got in there.

+1 on the water change. Make it as large as you can. Maybe 30-50%.
"Dilution is the solution to pollution".

Playa-1
01/26/2009, 10:37 AM
It's good that everything looks ok today, you likely had a little soap residue in the bucket. In the future if you want to do something like that, Start with a clean bucket a used salt bucket works good. I wouldn't mix my tank buckets with car wash buckets.

If it were me I would do a large water change and put some carbon online if it's not already in place. Then roll up a newspaper and hit yourself on the nose and in a stern deep voice say "NO" and repeat as necessary :D

thegrun
01/26/2009, 11:54 AM
Phosphates will be your biggest issue, they attach to plastics and are hard to completly remove. +1 on getting a new bucket and the water change!

ReefFreek917
01/26/2009, 01:09 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14244760#post14244760 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Playa-1
roll up a newspaper and hit yourself on the nose and in a stern deep voice say "NO" and repeat as necessary :D

+1!! :)

One key to his hobby: make sure the tools utilized for your reef are exclusive. I am talking monogamous buckets, scrubbers, hoses, etc......... You dont want your reef to throw a fit again for cheating now do you?;)

NCMBM
01/26/2009, 08:25 PM
Got home from work to find all well in the reef. Checked the bucket in question and no sign of soap. The sump had been running for 15 min or longer before the bubble eruption which would have been more than enough time for soap to have circulated thru. My return is 500gph to a 60gal cube with 120lbs of rock, maybe 45gal of actual water. The bubble explosion occurred immediately after I removed the pre-filter on the return pump which was covered in various stages of dying macro algae. It would appear that it was a protein overload or injector clog from the macro that caused the bubbles. I wasn't running a filter sock at the time, am now.

I have purchased 2 extra buckets and have carbon plus phos-lock running in the tank and will be doing a 15gal water change tonight just to be extra safe. Plus my nitrates, as usual, are almost 20ppm. One day I will win the war on NITRATES!!

Sk8r
01/26/2009, 08:43 PM
Re the nitrate: you may see it drop now that you have gotten filter media out of the loop. Sponges and filters are notorious for raising nitrate levels. I have no filters at all but my live rock and run at 0 nitrate. If I just put a sponge on the pump intake, I'll start to see a little.