JWGarber
07/16/2013, 04:23 AM
Ok so I had about 32 gallons of fresh sw mixed up and noticed right after I finished adding salt that there were what looked like soap bubbles in the mix.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pUqNXpkQESk/UeUWcvGKd3I/AAAAAAAAAZQ/G1NyGE3m2Ro/w905-h509-no/IMAG0193
The bubbles looked just like in that photo. So I thought to myself there is no way I got soap into the can but than later it dawned on me I had used a bowl that was sitting in the cabinet to measure and dump salt with. I then upon dumping the last bowl dipped the entire bowl into the barrel to get all the salt off.
I am thinking I might have accidentally gotten some residue of soap either laundry detergent from bottom of the bowl OR dish washing liquid into the 32g can
I have already used this water in a WC because I simply thought nothing bad of the bubbles I figured something with the large amount of salt and the powerhead were just making bubbles.
Well now the top of my tank water does what you see in the photo above. Bubbles like that on the surface of the water. Mainly on the right hand side of the tank.
I have also cleaned the RO/DI storage/mixing can out and its lid to be sure it was clean of any soap residue or possible contaminants and I noticed tonight while filling with RO/DI that bubbles still exist... I have a hole cut in the lid of the can and I hang the RO/DI nozzle into the can and it drips into it. I am thinking these bubbles I am seeing now are simply air bubbles from water dripping into the can. They are big wide air bubbles and spread way farther apart than what you see in the above photo. Also just to be double sure I am going to test this RO/DI water for ammonia, phosphate, nitrIte & nitrAte before using it.
The invertebrates I have are basically a bunch of Nerites, Nessarius, Turbos, Ceriths and Hermits. I have some chaeto floating in the HOB and seems to be growing just fine. I don't have any fish at all in this tank.
Nobody seems to act weird or strange in any way so I am not sure if anything is being harmed here. I can stick a algae disc in the sand and they will eat just fine.
I do know however from some CUC die-off that I have ammonia and nitrItes spiking. I had a lot of Turbo Snails that did not make it. Due to some issues with delivery they sat in the hot sun for 2 hrs after drop-off. So out of all the crew delivered that day I have only lost turbo snails and only about 4-5 of them. The other CUC members were quick to devour them as well.
So aside from the parameters spiking a bit ammonia 0.25-0.50, nitrItes 0.50 - 1.0 and nitrAtes at around 10 - 20ppm and these bubbles on the surface. Everything seems to be active and healthy.
i know those levels are not the normal preferred levels but all I can do is WC's and watch em. As long as I see active and eating CUC members I can't help but to think they are doing just fine. When the lights go out boy does this tank come alive. The ceriths come out and are everywhere during the night. I work over night from home a lot and I watch them come out, climb all over and slowly drop off back to the sand bed and vanish LOL.
I also have cyano still building on the rock and sand. The tank hit a stage where I had just nitrAtes reading and diatoms with some hair algae and cyano at the end of cycle. So I added the CUC.
I tried to increase water flow to areas of cyano on the sand bed and I always net the infected sand out of the tank. The issue is I cannot leave my pumps on so high because the sand that has been shifted and cleaned by the CUC blows everywhere. I get dunes around the tank. So I lowered the vortechs down to like 45% and I still get dunes and little sand tornados dancing around in spots.
So any advice on the bubbles, cyano and parameters spiking? I thought another water change but I just did this near 50% change two days back. Would doing another 50% be advisable? or perhaps 25%, wait two days and do another 25%?
Please any answer to this would be appreciated and also any further advice or tips is appreciated as well.
Thanks
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pUqNXpkQESk/UeUWcvGKd3I/AAAAAAAAAZQ/G1NyGE3m2Ro/w905-h509-no/IMAG0193
The bubbles looked just like in that photo. So I thought to myself there is no way I got soap into the can but than later it dawned on me I had used a bowl that was sitting in the cabinet to measure and dump salt with. I then upon dumping the last bowl dipped the entire bowl into the barrel to get all the salt off.
I am thinking I might have accidentally gotten some residue of soap either laundry detergent from bottom of the bowl OR dish washing liquid into the 32g can
I have already used this water in a WC because I simply thought nothing bad of the bubbles I figured something with the large amount of salt and the powerhead were just making bubbles.
Well now the top of my tank water does what you see in the photo above. Bubbles like that on the surface of the water. Mainly on the right hand side of the tank.
I have also cleaned the RO/DI storage/mixing can out and its lid to be sure it was clean of any soap residue or possible contaminants and I noticed tonight while filling with RO/DI that bubbles still exist... I have a hole cut in the lid of the can and I hang the RO/DI nozzle into the can and it drips into it. I am thinking these bubbles I am seeing now are simply air bubbles from water dripping into the can. They are big wide air bubbles and spread way farther apart than what you see in the above photo. Also just to be double sure I am going to test this RO/DI water for ammonia, phosphate, nitrIte & nitrAte before using it.
The invertebrates I have are basically a bunch of Nerites, Nessarius, Turbos, Ceriths and Hermits. I have some chaeto floating in the HOB and seems to be growing just fine. I don't have any fish at all in this tank.
Nobody seems to act weird or strange in any way so I am not sure if anything is being harmed here. I can stick a algae disc in the sand and they will eat just fine.
I do know however from some CUC die-off that I have ammonia and nitrItes spiking. I had a lot of Turbo Snails that did not make it. Due to some issues with delivery they sat in the hot sun for 2 hrs after drop-off. So out of all the crew delivered that day I have only lost turbo snails and only about 4-5 of them. The other CUC members were quick to devour them as well.
So aside from the parameters spiking a bit ammonia 0.25-0.50, nitrItes 0.50 - 1.0 and nitrAtes at around 10 - 20ppm and these bubbles on the surface. Everything seems to be active and healthy.
i know those levels are not the normal preferred levels but all I can do is WC's and watch em. As long as I see active and eating CUC members I can't help but to think they are doing just fine. When the lights go out boy does this tank come alive. The ceriths come out and are everywhere during the night. I work over night from home a lot and I watch them come out, climb all over and slowly drop off back to the sand bed and vanish LOL.
I also have cyano still building on the rock and sand. The tank hit a stage where I had just nitrAtes reading and diatoms with some hair algae and cyano at the end of cycle. So I added the CUC.
I tried to increase water flow to areas of cyano on the sand bed and I always net the infected sand out of the tank. The issue is I cannot leave my pumps on so high because the sand that has been shifted and cleaned by the CUC blows everywhere. I get dunes around the tank. So I lowered the vortechs down to like 45% and I still get dunes and little sand tornados dancing around in spots.
So any advice on the bubbles, cyano and parameters spiking? I thought another water change but I just did this near 50% change two days back. Would doing another 50% be advisable? or perhaps 25%, wait two days and do another 25%?
Please any answer to this would be appreciated and also any further advice or tips is appreciated as well.
Thanks