Tank Crashing... HELP!!!

[chem368]

So here is the background, I have a 150 gal DT and a 20 gal sump, everything has been up and running for nearly 2 years. The bio-load on the tank is fairly light with only 2 zoa colonies, 2 shroom rocks, a galaxia, a plate, a chalice, a colony of candy canes and a big birds nest. Fish are as follows, Yellow tang, blue hippo tang, 2 clowns hosting a nem. lawnmower blenny, and a royal gamma.

Everything had been running fine and I was having a tough time with my pH and some green hair algae. I started dosing marine algae fix and it did a great job clearing up the algae and started dosing some kalk in to top off water. Things looked good and I went out of town for 4 days and when I came home my zoas were closed up, birds nets was completely bleached and dead and 80% on the candy canes were dead/dieing.

I immediately did a 30% water change and it looked like it was helping everything else, 4 days later I did another 30% water change and was hopeful that I had lost all that I will but I woke up this morning to find a dead yellow tang and my clown fish acting strangely. I don't know what else to do short of putting all my fish in QT and tearing down the tank.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

My water parameters are listed below (just checked today).
Water - 1.027
pH - 8.0
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Calcium - 350 mg/L
Magnesium - 975 mg/L
Alkalinity 2.75 meq/L

I have also checked for stray voltage and current and have found nothing.

I am lost here, I can only think that I screwed something up by dosing kalk, but nothing is registering and I thought the water changes would help.

[Alex T.]

Sorry to hear of your losses.

I've used the AlgaeFix before with no issues as well.

I'd be more inclined to point to one of two things....

1. Did a light timer stick while you were away? Did you recently change photoperiod?
2. Did any little "helpers" clean near the tank with chemicals, spray something in the air or drop something like metal into the tank or sump? Check your sump for screws, coins, etc.

It's amazing what can happen when we're away.

Again, sorry.

[Sk8r]

Kalk won't hurt...at least I've o/d'ed it multiple times with corals and never had anything but happy corals and a milky tank. I've known personally 5 other o/d's with no damage.
What I do see amiss are your parameters: take a look at mine, in my sig, and you'll see where you're off, including your salinity, which is a problem.

You need to get all specimens into qt immediately: this will both protect them, and reduce the bioload on a tank already in trouble.

I have seen a number of people recommending Algaefix, and all of them swear it does no harm. BUT your water mineral content has crashed. I do not know whether it has to do with the AlgaeFix or not, but if it were my tank, yes, I'd immediately get all survivors out, (your fish store may be able to board them or lend you a used tank) or just get the cheapest possible tank from Petsmart, thin glass ok, and set it anywhere you can. Get a lot of buckets from Lowes paint department (white polystyrene 5 g buckets) or get a couple of big 32 gallon Rubbermaid Brute trashcans for salt water mixing---you can also use them for a tank for your specimens as a cheap alternative to a qt---start salt going, before you drain that tank; and then drain it totally, discard the water, and you will need some primitive carbon/floss airdriven filtration for your specimens and a pump to mix the salt water, taking it from one to the next by turns (to avoid buying a dozen pumps). Drain the system of water down to just what water you can't conveniently get out of the sand, throw a flat garbage bag onto the sand and rock (protects it from kickup and clouding as you rewater it) , and immediately re-water it with the fresh salt water you've mixed. it's a little rough, but it shouldn't cycle. Be sure of your chemical balance and then get your survivors back in. That's what I'd do. If you can buy water from your lfs, that might be easier than trying to create that much, and it would let you do the whole job in a few hours.

[TheNomadRhodes]

I've heard this story before I dread leaving my tank in the hands of some body else, have you check your temp? is there any chance the power went out? make sure your heaters are working right is there any weird smells coming from your water is there any weird colors in your sand bed has your coralline changed colors?
If you left your tank and now every thing is going to all hell and gone ask your Neighbors if any weird happenings have gone on..
Just having your power go out 5 or 10 can start a crash.

[chem368]

Thanks sk8r, I do have a tank to use for QT and am currently getting it setup. One question I have is that I do not have a sponge or something to use to seed my filter on the tank. How big an issue is this, I don't want to kill more live stock by my QT cycling. Can I just use some big pieces of LR in the QT to help since I don't plan to be medicating the water with any thing?

I usually keep my water at 1.025, but just found that my refractometer was off a couple points and have corrected it, but did find my water at 1.027 today which I know is high. Will the slightly low mag and calcium cause this type of die off? Or do you think it is primarily due to the salt level?

[chem368]

I've heard this story before I dread leaving my tank in the hands of some body else, have you check your temp? is there any chance the power went out? make sure your heaters are working right is there any weird smells coming from your water is there any weird colors in your sand bed has your coralline changed colors?
If you left your tank and now every thing is going to all hell and gone ask your Neighbors if any weird happenings have gone on..
Just having your power go out 5 or 10 can start a crash.

My fear was a power outage, but I have not heard of anything in my neighborhood. Temp of water fluctuates from 78-80 (maybe 82 on a hot day here in AZ.)

[The_Codfather]

I had a Crash a few weeks ago and i believe one of the culprits was a dead sponge.. something you can't test for.. after a few things started to die off my Ammonia went off the chart

[TripleT]

Polyfilter and/or Pura pads ASAP.

http://www.poly-bio-marine.com/polyfilter.png

http://cse.f3images.com/IMD/feeds/MN3311_50.jpg

[chem368]

Polyfilter and/or Pura pads ASAP.

http://www.poly-bio-marine.com/polyfilter.png

http://cse.f3images.com/IMD/feeds/MN3311_50.jpg

Should I just put these in my HOB filter? Do they need to be seeded first or can I just put them in my QT tank?

[The_Codfather]

Should I just put these in my HOB filter? Do they need to be seeded first or can I just put them in my QT tank?
Put them in filter

[TripleT]

Cut to size, put them wherever you can fit them.

Use them whenever you suspect water quality issues, or contamination, in addition to careful water changes.

[Sk8r]

I don't cycle a qt at all: I rely on straight mechanical removal of gunk: be willing to change the floss daily and the carbon every few days---hopefully it won't be that long that you'll even have to worry about that. The main thing to worry about is oxygenation and gas exchange, and a vigorous airpump driven plain filter will do that.

What I find so bizarre is that your chemistry has gone so far south...do you have a set of tests from before adding the AlgaeFix? A topoff accident with kalk can alter ph temporarily but only for 3-4 hours, IME, and nothing that even bothers anyone. The devastation of the alk/cal/mg balance is troubling.

[mikk1301]

from your results i see an imbalance at 1.027 sg kh ca and mag should be higher really around kh-8.7,ca-430,mg-1400. algae growth can lower kh and perpetuate the growth its a viscous circle,although none of this should have the end results of fish dying.do you run carbon?have you got a sufficient surface agitation to aid the aeration? are the other fish gasping at all?really sorry for your losses

[chem368]

In the past 6 mo. I have been struggling to keep the alk/cal/mg in balance and high enough, which is why I started to dose thinking it might help. I thought I knew what I was doing but maybe I was wrong and am learning a tough lesson here. :(

I do have good water flow and agitation in my main tank, and get aeration from my skimmer that runs 24/7. The water turns over ~15X per hour so I think I have good movement there.

One thing I was reading about and might be part of the problem is that over the years of cleaning my tank my DSB has gone from 6"-7" to close to 4"-5". I would think that I would see and increase in Nitrate/Nitrite but the algae may have been consuming it and masking the problem??

[mikk1301]

In the past 6 mo. I have been struggling to keep the alk/cal/mg in balance and high enough, which is why I started to dose thinking it might help. I thought I knew what I was doing but maybe I was wrong and am learning a tough lesson here. :(

I do have good water flow and agitation in my main tank, and get aeration from my skimmer that runs 24/7. The water turns over ~15X per hour so I think I have good movement there.

One thing I was reading about and might be part of the problem is that over the years of cleaning my tank my DSB has gone from 6"-7" to close to 4"-5". I would think that I would see and increase in Nitrate/Nitrite but the algae may have been consuming it and masking the problem??maybe but phosphates are worse for growing algae maybe these are being masked?you use a po4 remover at all?

[chem368]

maybe but phosphates are worse for growing algae maybe these are being masked?you use a po4 remover at all?

I have never used a po4 remover before. Should I? What do you recommend?

I have now got all surviving live stock transfered over to my QT I will cross my fingers and hope they survive the night.

To start setting up my tank again I want to make sure I get all the junk out of my tank. What is the best way to clean all the substrate and clean all the algae off my rocks?

oh, and my rocks are just in tank water in big bins with a PH. Is that sufficient? Do I need an air stone in there too?

[mikk1301]

I have never used a po4 remover before. Should I? What do you recommend?

I have now got all surviving live stock transfered over to my QT I will cross my fingers and hope they survive the night.

To start setting up my tank again I want to make sure I get all the junk out of my tank. What is the best way to clean all the substrate and clean all the algae off my rocks?

oh, and my rocks are just in tank water in big bins with a PH. Is that sufficient? Do I need an air stone in there too?
well as i am in the uk i am not really upto speed on which po4 removers are available to you but there is rowaphos,elimiphos reef scientific.the algae will recede without light and nutrients so i suggest skimming the live rock whilst running a po4 remover on the water but before you put the rock in the storage tank manual removal is advised.try to stop any light getting to the rock and regular water changes are essential.i know it sounds like a big pita but you will reap the rewards later.regards mikk