help

[stevestank]

I need a little advice here. I constructed my sump/fuge and started it last weekend. I noticed many of my softies have shriveled up or started melting away a little. I checked my water parameters. Everything seems OK. KH was 7.5 (little low). SG was 1.022 (wheras it had been at 1.025). I added a little more salt last night. I'm wondering if some of the glues or glass cleaner I used on the sump tank solved into the salt water after I wiped it clean and rinsed it with a wet paper towel? I added about 17 gallons of fresh RO Salt water to my system. I also noticed slime algae. What should I do? I also added a soccer ball size chunk of Chaeto to my fuge. Should I do a big water change?

Steve

 

[fade2black]

What are you checking your SG with? A refractometer of one of those float things? What are your other water parameters? pH of new water you added the same as tank water? What did you clean the sump with? glass or acrylic?

 

[MJAnderson]

SG was 1.025 before adding the new water and 1.022 after? I think the SG change could be the culprit if that wasn't a measurement issue.

 

[carman9941]

boy it could be a number of things, could you give a little more info.
temp and water perims. as for right now I would add some carbon, in case it is a chem reaction
how are the fish?
and inverts? ex: snails and others
did you add any new rock?

 

[stevestank]

I think going from 1.025, to 1.022, and then last night back to 1.025 again is pretty stressful... I should know better. The water I use is RO water I make with Kent Osmoprep and Kent salt. I never check the PH of my mixture before I add water... just the s.g. I suppose I should check the temp too... I cleaned the sump with my eyeglass cleaner I had handy and then rinsed it and wiped it off with a paper towel. I think the s.g. change might be to blame. I also took my Eheim off my system. The surface area in that substate was yanked from my tank and all the nitrifying bacteria with it. My nitrates are only 10. However, from Friday night of last week until I tested yesterday... my tank may have gone through a mini cycle. I figure if softies are shriveling up and melting... they are releasing amonia. Hmm?

 

[stevestank]

help

My fish and inverts are fine. I have a few shrimp, a bunch of snails, crabs, etc.... The devils hand coral looks like it's melting away. My mushrooms are shrinking down and shriveling. Here's another scenario... I have a fan which is on a timer which coincides with the Metal Halide light timers. This works well and keeps my tank around 78 degrees. Now... I put a light fixture with one of those big screw in florescent light bulbs on a timer over my new sump to grow some Chaeto... That timer comes on at 11:30 pm and goes off at 10am. My sump is pretty much enclosed. I wonder if that bulb creates enough heat (while my fan is cycled off at night) to spike the temperature before the fan kicks on? I suppose I'll get up at 5am to check it.

Steve