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View Full Version : I think my tank is crashing NEED HELP!


weedage66
09/05/2006, 10:15 PM
I really need some help with this. Let me explain. I have had a 12 eclipse with a 10gal sump for about a year now. I had a maroon clown blue damsel and horseface bleeny in it with a sebae anemone colt corals, star polops and a type of xenia. They were doing awesome! but the tank was too small and they where outgrowning it real fast, so I upgraded to a 55Gal with a 20gal sump. I built the sump custom with all the bells and wistels. Macro alage, protein skimmer, UV lamp, melves fudge light, and live sand. all this is being run by a Rio 2100+. It have two outlets into the tank and a overflow box to the sump. in the main take I have 80lbs of crushed coral and 40lbs of live sand. also about 20lbs or so of live rock.(still need more) I let the tank cycle for about 2 months before I moved my fish and corals over. (making sure my levels were all good before I moved them) here is what they read right now

Salinity 1.024
PH 8.3 - 8.1
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
alk 200-300
Temp 81-82

Everything seems good until today. my Colt coral is all closed up, and wont open. my xenia also is closed. the Anemone looks great, nice and dark, and open all the fish look great but I just dont get why my colt and xenia are doing so bad. what can it be? Im at a loss of what to do. I am running kalk drip also FYI. And now I think my clown has ICK on him. I dont want it to go downhill, I have worked so hard to get my (dream tank setup going) I dont know what else to do. any suggestions?

Regards,
Eric

affan
09/05/2006, 10:18 PM
What kit are you using for Alkalinity testing?

weedage66
09/05/2006, 10:19 PM
I have use two kits. one was by jungle. and the other Red sea. it reads in the normal 1.7-2.8

affan
09/05/2006, 10:36 PM
Have you changed lights, and what's your calcium at? If everything seems within permissable ranges then don't fret much. Give yourself a little more time and observe the corals' behaviour, there's plenty of time to panic later. If the other inhabitants are acting normal then I wouldn't worry too much. As for the Ich, if you could, QT the clown and treat him.

xtm
09/05/2006, 10:40 PM
check your tank for stray voltage. Also knowing Rio from past experiences, check it if it's "leaking" a tar-like substance.

weedage66
09/05/2006, 10:41 PM
Lights are new a 260Watt Odeysea PC's calcium is at 360 or so. A little low I think, My old 12 gal will be my QT tank. do you recommend copper to treat the clown?

weedage66
09/05/2006, 10:42 PM
Stray voltage? like if the water is being shocked? how do I do that? I dont see anything from the RIO it is brand new.
Regards

JownsenJesus
09/05/2006, 10:43 PM
If the lights are an upgrade and new, then the corals could just be shocked from the light. Give it a couple of days they should adjust.

weedage66
09/05/2006, 10:45 PM
Hmm.. they defently are an upgrade.. had two 36watts PC now 260Watts

affan
09/05/2006, 11:09 PM
You've found the culprit. Give the corals a couple of days to adjust to your new lights.

Sk8r
09/05/2006, 11:10 PM
The intense lighting is probably stressing them a bit, like going from polar regions to the tropics on a jet...reduce your photo period a bit, like about half, and increase it gradually over a couple of weeks. Watch out for bleaching and burning.

affan
09/05/2006, 11:11 PM
Ooohhhhh and where's my manners :lol:


[welcome]

affan
09/05/2006, 11:13 PM
ah, and you want your Ca, ideally, to be somewhere between 400 and 450 ppm. If you're using IO for salt, a good two-part additive such as B-Ionic or C Balance will help.

weedage66
09/05/2006, 11:14 PM
Thanks guys! I will definately change my light period. you guys rock!

WinkeyWoneye
09/06/2006, 03:59 AM
I am far from a expert but 2 things that caught my attention are .. There is no ammonia test in your tank parameters..Do you test for ammonia? Also I've always thought reef tanks should stay in the 75-79 degree temperature range. I keep my tank around 77 and if the temp raises up much past 79 you can visibly see distressed specimens. Although it seems you've figured out the problem already those were things that made me wonder.
Light shock defintely does a number on corals and mushrooms. I went thru the same thing 3 months ago when I upgraded to MH lighting. Everything in my tank took a week or 2 to get used to the new lighting, and looked like crap during this period. Even my flower/rock anemone took some time to get used to the lighting. Everything is looking better than ever now though.

To test for stray voltage...stand in a puddle of water and put your hand in the tank...if you feel a slight tingle or burning sensation almost feeling like saltwater in a wound..its stray voltage. LOL j/k. Although thats how I found my stray voltage problem that I traced to my Ebo-Jager heater. Bubbles from my fuge return where making water get into the top of the heater. I have since raised the heater a bit to prevent this and invested in a titanium grounding probe. I had some xenia crash the week previous to finding the voltage and I assume that was most likely my cause. Ever since the grounding probe, Xenia is happy as ever. The heater will be replaced with a fully submersible when I get around to it. Hope this helps, Good luck to ya.

weedage66
09/08/2006, 03:29 PM
Sorry about the ammonia test.. I do test for that, and it is at 0. I will move my temp down to see if that helps the colts. Everything else in the tank seems to be doing much better with the shorter light period. Thanks!