You can view photos for most of these days in my blog http://fmellish.shackspace.com/aquarium/
I need help restoring balance to a tank which has undergone many mechanical and chemical changes this month.
My symptoms and their history.
June 1st
---------
Ever since about the beginning of June I have been fighting cyano algae. I would stir my sand up to break it up and turkey baste it off of corals. I realize now its not like normal algae that you can just dislodge and it dies. Unless you get it out of the tank it just settles and starts colonizing whereever it lands.
June 6th
---------
My 1/4 HP chiller arrives and I install it. The signifigance of this event is that it is when I changed my pump configuration. I tried several pump configs before settling on a final config using my Eheim 1262 as my chiller pump, my 1260 as my return pump, (no change there), and a Mag 7 for my skimmer. Now the important thing to note is that my skimmer was running on the 1262, (with a ball valve half closed), prior to switching it out for a Mag7 so I could run the 1262 on the chiller. However, even prior to the 1262 running my skimmer, this same Mag 7, (stored in garage), was the original skimmer pump. I replaced it with the 1262 because the Mag made too much noise, however the 1262 with the valve to throttle never gave me the skimmer output that the Mag 7 did. So after a few months in the middle of running the 1262 with minimal skimmate I was kind of excited to go back to the pump that the system was born with in my system, the Mag 7. I dusted it off and cleaned it and put it back in the sump.
Its much quieter than I remember now.
So in conclusion, on this day I added a pump to my config to run my skimmer and took the skimmer pump and moved it to the chiller.
June 16th
---------
By Friday June 16th (SCMAS Meeting), my water was nice and cool and my corals and fish were thriving, but cYano had spread throughout my tank and it was even starting to cover my macro algae. see my 6/12 update in my blog. ALthough my skimmer had
re-broken in with its new, (former), Mag 7 and I had skimmate.
The night of June 16th I added a bag of PhosAr to my filter sock, (125 grams to treat 125 gallons). I rinsed it well but it still turned the sock red. I ordered a bunch of Boyd industried Chemi-Pure since Robert Fenner said it was good carbon.
June 17th
---------
Saturday June 17th at the advice of the experts at the club meeting I decided to remove my cyano. I spent 4 hours with my arm in my tank sucking out sand. I yanked a ton of sand and I had no spots of red anywhere in my tank anymore. This day was no doubt stressful on my fish as I was in the tank all day. I even moved some corals around.
June 19th
---------
On June 19th I removed the PhosAr from my filter sock. The bag felt like a sack of mashed mush.
I decided to test my params and my Hardness, (alkalinity) was low, 5.6dKH and my Ca was at 380. I decide to start dosing. I go to the LFS after work and purchase ESV B-Ionic. I begin dosing this night to raise my Alk and Ca.
I dosed 35 ml of part one and two, Alk and Ca. and retested. My Alk was now 7.0/2.51 meq/L and my Ca 395.
This same night I notice a bizarre film on my water's surface.
June 20th
---------
On June 20th I added 5 bags of ChemiPure to my filter sock.
This same night I also notice my Xenia and Gorgonias are dead. Both the Xenia's flesh and the Gorgonias flesh fell of of there rock/body. It was weird. The Xenia got bizarre lesions on their stalks like white acid burns.
June 21st
---------
Maybe putting the carbon in my filter sock wasn't such a good idea. I notice my filter sock is black and my skimmer which was producing skimmate is no longer producing liquid skimmate but thick black tar. My filter sock and skimmer pump are in the same chamber. The skimmate was so black I thought there was carbon in my skimmer.
So I move the carbon into the return chamber and I clean my skimmer and change my filter sock. The skimmer has not produced any skimmate since.
The surface film persists, day 3 for the film. Nothing breaks it up.
I try to reposition my return nozzles to make more water movement on the surface. Even with a turbulent surface the film remains.
June 26th
---------
Here we are at the end of a very busy month for my tank. This month saw pump changes, cyano outbreaks, trials of new media, etc. etc.
So my skimmer is not producing skimmate. I have not had any skimmate since mid month before adding the carbon.
My cyano is under control but still present. I siphon out a few pounds of sand a week. My filter sock, even though no where near my carbon still turns black every week. ANd my skimmer bubbles are still black.
So I've got a black skimmer, black sock, surface film, mild cyano, dead corals, (just the Xenia and Gorgonia).
The good news is that I have been doing 13% water changes every week and testing params and dosing daily.
So did the carbon cause the film? Or did the PhosAr cause the film? Or did my dosing cause the film? Why is my skimmer not producing skimmate but the neck full of black bubbles, and why is my filter sock black every week before I change it?
Why did my corals die? Was it the sudden increase in Alkalinity?
My param log is attached below. My params are now just where I want them.
Thanks for any advice. I'd like to get the black carbon residue out of my system somehow and get my skimmer skimming again, and get that darn film off of my water surface. Even if I scoop it off the current surface a few hours later it comes back, so it just seems to be in the system. Maybe it is just the 2-part B-Ionic precipitating out of the water and normally I wouldn't notice except my skimmer isn't skimming right now so it stays?
-------------------------------
PARAM LOG BEGIN
-------------------------------
06/05/2006 8:15 PM
Temp: 83.5 F
Specific Gravity: 1.025
pH: 8.3
Carbonate Hardness: 5.6 dKH
Alkalinity: 2.00 meq/L
Calcium: 380 ppm
06/19/2006 7:30 PM
B-Ionic 2 part dose 35 ml
06/19/2006 8:15 PM
Temp: 79.9 F
Specific Gravity: 1.024
pH: 8.4
Carbonate Hardness: 7.0 dKH
Alkalinity: 2.51 meq/L
Calcium: 395 ppm
06/20/2006 12:35 PM
B-Ionic 2 part dose 20 ml
06/20/2006 6:34 PM
Temp: 78.6 F
Specific Gravity: 1.025
pH: 8.2
Carbonate Hardness: 7.2 dKH
Alkalinity: 2.56 meq/L
Calcium: 390 ppm
06/21/2006 5:35 PM
B-Ionic 2 part dose 525 ml (part 2 Ca only)
06/21/2006 9:10 PM
Temp: 79.7 F
Specific Gravity: 1.024
pH: 8.2
Carbonate Hardness: 7.0 dKH
Alkalinity: 2.51 meq/L
Calcium: 450 ppm
06/25/2006 12:50 PM
Temp: 79.5 F
Specific Gravity: 1.025
pH: 8.2
Carbonate Hardness: 7.2 dKH
Alkalinity: 2.57 meq/L
Calcium: 430 ppm
06/25/2006 1:45 PM
B-Ionic 2 part dose 40 ml (part 1 Alk only)
06/26/2006 6:30 PM
Temp: 79.3 F
Specific Gravity: 1.025
pH: 8.3
Carbonate Hardness: 7.4 dKH
Alkalinity: 2.63 meq/L
Calcium: 420 ppm
06/26/2006 6:45 PM
B-Ionic 2 part dose 40 ml (part 1 Alk only)
-------------------------------
PARAM LOG END
-------------------------------
Looking for ideas and advice at this point.
THanks
JOsh
I need help restoring balance to a tank which has undergone many mechanical and chemical changes this month.
My symptoms and their history.
June 1st
---------
Ever since about the beginning of June I have been fighting cyano algae. I would stir my sand up to break it up and turkey baste it off of corals. I realize now its not like normal algae that you can just dislodge and it dies. Unless you get it out of the tank it just settles and starts colonizing whereever it lands.
June 6th
---------
My 1/4 HP chiller arrives and I install it. The signifigance of this event is that it is when I changed my pump configuration. I tried several pump configs before settling on a final config using my Eheim 1262 as my chiller pump, my 1260 as my return pump, (no change there), and a Mag 7 for my skimmer. Now the important thing to note is that my skimmer was running on the 1262, (with a ball valve half closed), prior to switching it out for a Mag7 so I could run the 1262 on the chiller. However, even prior to the 1262 running my skimmer, this same Mag 7, (stored in garage), was the original skimmer pump. I replaced it with the 1262 because the Mag made too much noise, however the 1262 with the valve to throttle never gave me the skimmer output that the Mag 7 did. So after a few months in the middle of running the 1262 with minimal skimmate I was kind of excited to go back to the pump that the system was born with in my system, the Mag 7. I dusted it off and cleaned it and put it back in the sump.
Its much quieter than I remember now.
So in conclusion, on this day I added a pump to my config to run my skimmer and took the skimmer pump and moved it to the chiller.
June 16th
---------
By Friday June 16th (SCMAS Meeting), my water was nice and cool and my corals and fish were thriving, but cYano had spread throughout my tank and it was even starting to cover my macro algae. see my 6/12 update in my blog. ALthough my skimmer had
re-broken in with its new, (former), Mag 7 and I had skimmate.
The night of June 16th I added a bag of PhosAr to my filter sock, (125 grams to treat 125 gallons). I rinsed it well but it still turned the sock red. I ordered a bunch of Boyd industried Chemi-Pure since Robert Fenner said it was good carbon.
June 17th
---------
Saturday June 17th at the advice of the experts at the club meeting I decided to remove my cyano. I spent 4 hours with my arm in my tank sucking out sand. I yanked a ton of sand and I had no spots of red anywhere in my tank anymore. This day was no doubt stressful on my fish as I was in the tank all day. I even moved some corals around.
June 19th
---------
On June 19th I removed the PhosAr from my filter sock. The bag felt like a sack of mashed mush.
I decided to test my params and my Hardness, (alkalinity) was low, 5.6dKH and my Ca was at 380. I decide to start dosing. I go to the LFS after work and purchase ESV B-Ionic. I begin dosing this night to raise my Alk and Ca.
I dosed 35 ml of part one and two, Alk and Ca. and retested. My Alk was now 7.0/2.51 meq/L and my Ca 395.
This same night I notice a bizarre film on my water's surface.
June 20th
---------
On June 20th I added 5 bags of ChemiPure to my filter sock.
This same night I also notice my Xenia and Gorgonias are dead. Both the Xenia's flesh and the Gorgonias flesh fell of of there rock/body. It was weird. The Xenia got bizarre lesions on their stalks like white acid burns.
June 21st
---------
Maybe putting the carbon in my filter sock wasn't such a good idea. I notice my filter sock is black and my skimmer which was producing skimmate is no longer producing liquid skimmate but thick black tar. My filter sock and skimmer pump are in the same chamber. The skimmate was so black I thought there was carbon in my skimmer.
So I move the carbon into the return chamber and I clean my skimmer and change my filter sock. The skimmer has not produced any skimmate since.
The surface film persists, day 3 for the film. Nothing breaks it up.
I try to reposition my return nozzles to make more water movement on the surface. Even with a turbulent surface the film remains.
June 26th
---------
Here we are at the end of a very busy month for my tank. This month saw pump changes, cyano outbreaks, trials of new media, etc. etc.
So my skimmer is not producing skimmate. I have not had any skimmate since mid month before adding the carbon.
My cyano is under control but still present. I siphon out a few pounds of sand a week. My filter sock, even though no where near my carbon still turns black every week. ANd my skimmer bubbles are still black.
So I've got a black skimmer, black sock, surface film, mild cyano, dead corals, (just the Xenia and Gorgonia).
The good news is that I have been doing 13% water changes every week and testing params and dosing daily.
So did the carbon cause the film? Or did the PhosAr cause the film? Or did my dosing cause the film? Why is my skimmer not producing skimmate but the neck full of black bubbles, and why is my filter sock black every week before I change it?
Why did my corals die? Was it the sudden increase in Alkalinity?
My param log is attached below. My params are now just where I want them.
Thanks for any advice. I'd like to get the black carbon residue out of my system somehow and get my skimmer skimming again, and get that darn film off of my water surface. Even if I scoop it off the current surface a few hours later it comes back, so it just seems to be in the system. Maybe it is just the 2-part B-Ionic precipitating out of the water and normally I wouldn't notice except my skimmer isn't skimming right now so it stays?
-------------------------------
PARAM LOG BEGIN
-------------------------------
06/05/2006 8:15 PM
Temp: 83.5 F
Specific Gravity: 1.025
pH: 8.3
Carbonate Hardness: 5.6 dKH
Alkalinity: 2.00 meq/L
Calcium: 380 ppm
06/19/2006 7:30 PM
B-Ionic 2 part dose 35 ml
06/19/2006 8:15 PM
Temp: 79.9 F
Specific Gravity: 1.024
pH: 8.4
Carbonate Hardness: 7.0 dKH
Alkalinity: 2.51 meq/L
Calcium: 395 ppm
06/20/2006 12:35 PM
B-Ionic 2 part dose 20 ml
06/20/2006 6:34 PM
Temp: 78.6 F
Specific Gravity: 1.025
pH: 8.2
Carbonate Hardness: 7.2 dKH
Alkalinity: 2.56 meq/L
Calcium: 390 ppm
06/21/2006 5:35 PM
B-Ionic 2 part dose 525 ml (part 2 Ca only)
06/21/2006 9:10 PM
Temp: 79.7 F
Specific Gravity: 1.024
pH: 8.2
Carbonate Hardness: 7.0 dKH
Alkalinity: 2.51 meq/L
Calcium: 450 ppm
06/25/2006 12:50 PM
Temp: 79.5 F
Specific Gravity: 1.025
pH: 8.2
Carbonate Hardness: 7.2 dKH
Alkalinity: 2.57 meq/L
Calcium: 430 ppm
06/25/2006 1:45 PM
B-Ionic 2 part dose 40 ml (part 1 Alk only)
06/26/2006 6:30 PM
Temp: 79.3 F
Specific Gravity: 1.025
pH: 8.3
Carbonate Hardness: 7.4 dKH
Alkalinity: 2.63 meq/L
Calcium: 420 ppm
06/26/2006 6:45 PM
B-Ionic 2 part dose 40 ml (part 1 Alk only)
-------------------------------
PARAM LOG END
-------------------------------
Looking for ideas and advice at this point.
THanks
JOsh
