Losing my Tank - and My Mind

[bradleym]

Hey all, I am having a serious downturn in tank health and could use some advice. About 2 weeks ago, my tank turned from looking like this:

To looking like this:

After a few days I noticed I had a small mag cleaner leaking a lot of rust, so that may be the cause, so I removed it, but that was over a week ago. I have tried upping my alk (from 7 to 9) checking for voltage (found some but unplugging the devices didn't help) and I've been doing 15% water changes every other day the whole time.

First my sand, then my rocks and glass, now even my water surface is covered with this brown, slimy/hairy stuff. I know it has a name, but I can't recall right now... My SPS and softies seem ok (not happy but ok) but my LPS and my nems are all on the brink of death. Ugh...

Aside from my alk starting kinda low, my tank parameters checked out ok (NO3 - 0, PO4 - .05, pH - 8.0, Cal - 370). I even had them test for copper, no signs. Any ideas of what to do?

 

[Pife]

I would run a polypad to remove the heavy metal more than likely left by the mag cleaner

 

[kegogut]

Have you tried running carbon? What kind of light are you running? Maybe the bulbs are old and need to be changed?

 

[Mr D smack]

Gfo and big water changes. The polypad pife mentioned also. Magnets are killers, thats what smoked my 120

Keep us posted

 

[smoothdog]

Sorry to see this, those nems are awesome. As others have said, carbon, polypad, water changes, anything to export/remove the contaminants from the magnet.

 

[TanksDad13]

Yikes. Good luck!

 

[EDJFA]

For those of us unfamiliar with rusting magnet cleaners, can someone explain why rust leaking into a tank would cause a bloom of whatever it is that has attacked his tank.

 

[bradleym]

For those of us unfamiliar with rusting magnet cleaners, can someone explain why rust leaking into a tank would cause a bloom of whatever it is that has attacked his tank.

If I understand the concept, iron oxide is used by algae, macroalgae, and bacteria in some fashion, so an abundance causes all things of that type to grow like crazy. This alone is not particularly bad, however the magnets contain many other types of metal as well, and several of them are poisonous to reef invertebrates.

 

[mpgrant77]

By no means take this a truth, but if I am not mistaken basically this is what happens. Once a metal begins to corrode or oxide in the tank it begins to break down and release heavy metal ions into the tank water. These metal ions begin to interrupt cellular processes in most living tank inhabitants. This begins to cause die off quicker on smaller life forms first. The stuff that is not noticeable to the eye like bacteria, micro fauna, and so on. This die off begins to release nitrates and phosphates into the water. Several kinds of algae are actually resistant to heavy metal ions or cations. These include cyano, diatoms, and some others. So while die off starts the algae like cyano, and diatoms begin to thrive on the nutrients released and bloom due to their resistance. I think. Maybe.

 

[South City]

Good advice has been offered to help get those heavy metals out of your tank water. I can't think of anything to add there.

For whatever it's worth, I take my glass cleaning magnet out of the tank and set it on the top in an out of the way spot every time when I'm done cleaning.

One less thing to worry about for only about 10 seconds worth of effort.

 

[bradleym]

Ok... 50g water change tonight and added a poly pad. Anybody know how long before they change color? Kinda curious to see what it reads...

 

[Pife]

Depends on how much of what is in your system. The higher the concentration the faster it will change I have read. Good luck. Has your macro algae started growing fast as well?

 

[Mr D smack]

When I had this happen the poly pad did not change color.

 

[fftfk]

I've never heard of this before. Sorry for your problems but thanks to alerting me to issues with leaving the magnet in the tank! Taking it out tonight

 

[Lunabud74]

Keep us updated. Fingers crossed the pad works!

 

[Nanook]

How is the tank doing, Bradley?

 

[bradleym]

How is the tank doing, Bradley?

Sorry, last night was a nightmare, didn't get home from work til 11pm. Today the tank seems MILDLY improved. The magnifica is opening a bit more towards the end of the day, and the brown growth seems to be stalling.

The water is starting to get cloudy now, but my guess is that's the next wave in blooms I will have to work through. My SPS are starting to bleach, so hopefully the tank is turning the corner and I don't lose them. Doing another water change tonight. The poly pad is already almost completely black, btw. Time to put in a new one I guess.

 

[bradleym]

The mag tonight... Better than it has been at least

 

[Pife]

I hope it keeps improving.

 

[DerNaschkatze]

It would be a shame if it didn't turn around. I saw your tank before and it was magnificent. The mag is stunning. Crossing my fingers!