Current setup
-30 gallon tank
-10 gallon sump
-Reef octopus HOB classic 1000 protein skimmer hanging on the side of 10 gallon sump
-Refugium in sump with chaeto in it
-290 gph pump
-CPR CS90 overflow box
-Power head for water movement
-Current USA Orbit Marine Aquarium LED Light
-Aquatic Life RO Buddie Three Stage Reverse Osmosis, 100-Gallon to make water
-Instant Ocean Reef Crystal Sea Salt Marine Mix
-Around 25 pounds of live rock
-CaribSea Dry Aragonite Special Grade Reef Sand 15 lb
-Salinity 1.024
-Ammonia 0 ppm
-Nitrite 0 ppm
-Nitrate between 5 and 10 ppm
I have had a 30 gallon salt water tank for about 6 years now. So here is the story, I set up
the tank like 6 years ago starting with 25 Ibs of live rock and crushed shells as the sand bed.
I had a hang on the back filter, power head for water movement and a heater and I think that is it.
I didn't take too good care of it and didn't research too much about setting a salt water tank up.
About 4 months ago I bought a Reef octopus HOB protein skimmer. About 1 month ago I bought a townhouse
and had to move all of my setup over to the new house. First I got rid of the crushed shells and saved the rocks.
I transferred the live rock in a 5 gallon bucket filled with water to save all the bacteria on them.
I bought some caribsea dry aragnite special grade reef sand 15 Ib and put that on the bottom for my sand bed.
Next I set the rocks up inside the tank with no water in it yet. I made 5 gallons of water with the RO buddie before hand.
Next I added the 5 gallons of water (so some of the rocks were out of the water for a few min as I added the new water) and
Then I had to make more water which takes like 3 hours to make 5 gallons with the RO buddie. While I made water for the next few days
some of the rocks were out of the water, so parts of the rocks were out of water for a few days. I'm sure the good bacteria died on
some of the rocks. About 3 weeks later I made a sump pump with 3 chambers, one with protein skimmer next refugium, next return pump.
I made the return line and line that goes to sump out of PVC pipe. I used Oatey primer and clear cement. So about a week later I tested the water
and everything seemed to be good. Ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate between 5 and 10 ppm. I did notice the water seem just a little cloudy.
Also I forgot to mention that I have around 7 snails and 3 hermit crabs. The snails and hermit crabs have been in the tank at my old house
and went through the new change to the new house. A few days ago I bought two cheap green chromis fish to make sure I didn't waste too much money
if the fish died and test the new setup. So yesterday both fish died. And slowly for the last few weeks the snails seem to be keeling over and dying too.
I always find snails on their backs like they fell off a rock or the side of the tank. Also I forgot to mention that when I first got the LED lighting I left it on for 15 hours which is too long.
So with all that said the water parameters are staying, no sign of anything
besides low nitrates. My question is could there be something else in the water that is killing things? Such as the pvc cement and primer I put on the pvc pipe? I am not sure
why things are dyeing. Maybe I need to let it cycle longer. If you got this far, thanks for reading. Thanks in advance for your replies..
-30 gallon tank
-10 gallon sump
-Reef octopus HOB classic 1000 protein skimmer hanging on the side of 10 gallon sump
-Refugium in sump with chaeto in it
-290 gph pump
-CPR CS90 overflow box
-Power head for water movement
-Current USA Orbit Marine Aquarium LED Light
-Aquatic Life RO Buddie Three Stage Reverse Osmosis, 100-Gallon to make water
-Instant Ocean Reef Crystal Sea Salt Marine Mix
-Around 25 pounds of live rock
-CaribSea Dry Aragonite Special Grade Reef Sand 15 lb
-Salinity 1.024
-Ammonia 0 ppm
-Nitrite 0 ppm
-Nitrate between 5 and 10 ppm
I have had a 30 gallon salt water tank for about 6 years now. So here is the story, I set up
the tank like 6 years ago starting with 25 Ibs of live rock and crushed shells as the sand bed.
I had a hang on the back filter, power head for water movement and a heater and I think that is it.
I didn't take too good care of it and didn't research too much about setting a salt water tank up.
About 4 months ago I bought a Reef octopus HOB protein skimmer. About 1 month ago I bought a townhouse
and had to move all of my setup over to the new house. First I got rid of the crushed shells and saved the rocks.
I transferred the live rock in a 5 gallon bucket filled with water to save all the bacteria on them.
I bought some caribsea dry aragnite special grade reef sand 15 Ib and put that on the bottom for my sand bed.
Next I set the rocks up inside the tank with no water in it yet. I made 5 gallons of water with the RO buddie before hand.
Next I added the 5 gallons of water (so some of the rocks were out of the water for a few min as I added the new water) and
Then I had to make more water which takes like 3 hours to make 5 gallons with the RO buddie. While I made water for the next few days
some of the rocks were out of the water, so parts of the rocks were out of water for a few days. I'm sure the good bacteria died on
some of the rocks. About 3 weeks later I made a sump pump with 3 chambers, one with protein skimmer next refugium, next return pump.
I made the return line and line that goes to sump out of PVC pipe. I used Oatey primer and clear cement. So about a week later I tested the water
and everything seemed to be good. Ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate between 5 and 10 ppm. I did notice the water seem just a little cloudy.
Also I forgot to mention that I have around 7 snails and 3 hermit crabs. The snails and hermit crabs have been in the tank at my old house
and went through the new change to the new house. A few days ago I bought two cheap green chromis fish to make sure I didn't waste too much money
if the fish died and test the new setup. So yesterday both fish died. And slowly for the last few weeks the snails seem to be keeling over and dying too.
I always find snails on their backs like they fell off a rock or the side of the tank. Also I forgot to mention that when I first got the LED lighting I left it on for 15 hours which is too long.
So with all that said the water parameters are staying, no sign of anything
besides low nitrates. My question is could there be something else in the water that is killing things? Such as the pvc cement and primer I put on the pvc pipe? I am not sure
why things are dyeing. Maybe I need to let it cycle longer. If you got this far, thanks for reading. Thanks in advance for your replies..
