HELP! Reef is Crashing

[DRThompson]

dont use amquel.....I have a polyfilter if you cant find one.

 

[Crackem]

SO my Alk is good and so is my Calcium. Got the carbon elite in there now. Things are still looking bad. Zoas are all closed up. Chalice is almost dead. Candy Cane corals are receding hardcore. Going to do another large water change tomorrow and just cross my fingers.

What does my alk and calcium look good mean? What about magnesium? If you want help post as many parameters as you can and which brand test kits your using. Maybe your kits are old. Also repost this in chemistry forum for more opinions. To test for stray voltage you need a voltmeter costs 20-30$ and its very easy to use. My guess is this is an Alk spike either high or low. What are you dosing if anything?

 

[ReeferBill]

Something caused the ammonia to spike.. I would add some Fritzyme 9 to every water change to get your biological filter boosted back up fast. If you cannot find that get some other brand of enzymes to kick start your biological bacteria...

 

[samaytt]

Well stray voltage would have wiped your invert population first. How are you testing the temp and can you absolutely confirm the temp numbers are right? Also, why not a 100% water change? Poly pad is a great idea like suggested above.

 

[Biggar]

Bring a sample of your water to local reef buddy. Testing kits can be wrong as others have said.

When you do a water change, what are you using to check salinity?

 

[mpfeiffer1]

Have you checked our ammonia and nitrates. If they is any ammonia and/or nitrates are above 15 that is why things are dying. The ammonium creates nitrites and then nitrates skyrocket. Also large water changes take out good bacteria. I would dose bacteria for sure. My opinion - it cannot hurt. My even look into Prime but I personally have not used it. Others swear by it.

 

[acabgd]

Double post

 

[acabgd]

Large water changes do not "take out bacteria", as bacteria mostly populates live rock and (somewhat) sand. The quantity of free floating bacteria in the water is negligible.