biocube recycling??? Need help...

[nitewindes]

I have a 1 1/2 year old 14 gal biocube. It has always run with low PH (7.8) and lowish salinity. My few zoanthids and mushrooms and xenias have done well.

I had modified a section of the back to increase my water flow. Only problem is that some of the water bypassed the filter cartridge. So, now when I stirred up the sand or blew off detritus it would go all the way to my pump.

I am trying to learn more and heard someone say they cleaned out the back area of their chambers and found lots of detritus.:reading: So I decided that might be a good idea with my situation.

So, I sucked out with my Turkey baster and found really crappy black stuff. I was proud of myself until my tank started to tank a DIVE!

At first I did a water change and checked my salinity. Decided maybe the low salinity was causing the problem. So I bumped it up to 1.023. Then tried to bring up the PH to at least 8.0. Well, now nothing is happy! And green algae started to go crazy! Now my corals are bleaching and my fish is not good. :mad2:

So I did two water changes and used my normal amount of salt and didn't add my PH buffer in order to try to stabilize things.

Now my water is cloudy and all my corals look SAD! I just ordered a UV sterilizer and added some copepods. I am trying anything I can to help stabilize my tank.

Am I at the "just stop and wait" point? Or is there something else I am not thinking of??:deadhorse1:

THANKS everyone for ANY ideas you might have!

 

[OrQidz]

I'm not an expert, but maybe things got stirred up in the back and caused an ammonia spike? Have you checked for ammonia and nitrite? I'm inclined stop and wait in these situations, unless you know what the problem is. Otherwise you might make it worse. I agree with water changes though, that's a good thing for a lot of problems.

 

[nitewindes]

You are right. When in doubt, back to basics... I checked all my water parameters...
Ammonia is the culprit at 4.0. So ran to the store for more RO/DI water. Did a 15% water change and will do one in the morning and tomorrow night again. Hopefully this will help cut the ammonia.
I don't know if my KH test is accurate, but it said that was >290???? PH, Nitrate and Nitrite were all fine.

 

[jbannick18]

I would of added Prime to the tank to try and take away the toxicity of the ammonia. After then I would throw in some MB7 after your WC. I would never worry about adding a PH buffer to your water, the PH is going to naturally swing unless you run a fuge on a reverse light cycle or dose Kalk in your ato.

 

[nitewindes]

Turns out it is my ammonia. 4.0 OUCH! So I have done 15% water changes twice per day for two days. I just got the SeaChem Prime and added that with the last water change. I can't find anything dead in the tank..

Still have the green algae laying on everything.. I am continuing to change my filter material every day and I have fresh carbon in my filter... Hoping this works soon.

@Jbannick18.... what is MB7?

 

[nitewindes]

STILL ammonia is high! I added SeaChem Prime at almost the max dose when the minimum dose didn't work. I blew everything off the rocks I could and then did a 18% water change with SeaChem Prime in the new water at the recommended dose.
STILL ammonia is at 2.0.... :-(((((((
What else can I do?? Still blowing the crap off and water changing twice per day.. Any ideas??