My 300 gallon acrylic tank

[jnarowe]

any algal growth?

 

[steve the plumb]

I always do weekly water changes.The reason I didn't do them now was because the tank was pretty knew plus its such a large volume of water and there isn't that many fish when it comes to the size of the tank.I will start doing them again.I change my carbon every 2 to 3 weeks.The fish were bought from different places and I feed a variety of foods from frozen to flake to pellets.

 

[steve the plumb]

On the rock yes.Good algae to and some on the glass aswell.Keep in mind my lights are not strong.I didn't get all my lighting yet.The tangs are grazing off of the rocks.The blenny is also and the gobys are eating from the sand.

 

[michika]

I'm not saying there is something wrong with your food at all. I'm just wondering if you feed more then one kind, e.g. pellets, and flake, or frozen. I found my fish started to thrive when I began really mixing up their foods, and creating a variety.

It sounds to me like its one of three things: bad fish (e.g. cyanide caught), water parameters (e.g. bad testkit is giving you a mis-reading), or just really bad luck.

Does your LFS test water? You may want to bring in a sample next time you stop in.

Either way, do the water change, and replace your carbon. Your tank will be all much happier for it, and you'll have some peace of mind.

 

[steve the plumb]

I thought that maybe something was wrong with it but the other fish are eating it.Yes I do feed several types of food.I changed out my carbon about 3 weeks ago.I used to change it every 2 weeks in my old tank.I am running a Two little fishes reactor full of it.I will change it and do a water change.My water does look clean by the way and my filter sock get changed out every 2 to 3 days.I have 6 of them so I don't have to clean them all the time.I do use a little soap in the washing machine when cleaning them.I don't use much very little.I also use a bit of bleach but I do and extra rinse plus I wash them again without soap.I generally wash them about 3 times to make sure that there is not soap left over.I use very little soap and bleach like I said.I am paranoid when it comes to putting any chemicals in the tank.

 

[RBU1]

OK never use any type of soap......just use the bleach....

 

[steve the plumb]

Its been 2 months since I put rock and water in the tank I checked.The live rock was added on sept 30 some was added a bit before but from my pics all of the live rock was in the tank by the 30 th of September.Now I know maybe i did rush.My first fish was added oct 11 the trigger and then I added my other trigger a few days later.They are fine and in my sump.They don't seem to mind it there.

 

[steve the plumb]

I used a bit of soap once.I won't use it again.I hardly put any bleach but I figure you do need a bit to clean the socks.I do a hot water rinse then the next wash is cold water.Then usually I will do a third wash.I don't think I need to but just in case.Its not like a am a noob at this but when a fish dies I fell like it.Maybe I should have waited longer before adding fish just to be safe.I will stop myself from buying any more.Its an addiction but a waste when a fish dies for nothing.It upsets me so I will hold off on the fish buying.

 

[jnarowe]

It's the soap dude. You cannot use soap. In fact IMO, you should run the washer empty through a full cycle with no soap before putting the socks in. What I do is this pre-washing of the machine, then I run the socks through with bleach on hot with extra rinse. Then I run them 2 more times through complete cycles including extra rinses, with just hot water.

I have no doubt it was the soap.

 

[steve the plumb]

I only used the soap once and I used very little.I always have the extra rinse cycle on.Next time I will use bleach only.I will rinse them 3 times.Why would some fish die and not all of them?I did some tests
Nitrate (salifert) 2 or 5 ppm its hard to read
Nitrate (A pharm) zero
Nitrate (fast test) 10 ppm they had nothing lower on the chart so I assume that was the color and the reading.I trust the A Pharm the most to be honest with you.I had Nitrates in my old tank and salifert always gave me a much higher reading.

Salinity .25
DKH 9
Mag 1230 ppm
PH 8.2-8.3 depends witch monitor you look at both were calibrated at the same time
ORP 353
Nitrite 0 ppm no change in color
Ammonia its either 0 or 2 ppm it kind of hard to tell
PO4 I think its zero I used the Hanna meter now it says to convert PO3-/4 ion to P2 O5 multiply by 1.49
To convert PO3-?4 ion to Phosphate you multiply by 0.33.
My result was 0.24 so if you multiply by 0.33 you get 0.0792 so I am below one (math wasn't my thing)

I also changed my filter sock I did a 30 gallon water change plus I changed out my carbon.Once I get my skimmer and lights I will get some chetto and a light for my fudge.

 

[steve the plumb]

Silicone in my sump.I did notice some debris around it and in someplace's its changed color a bit.Now I used GE kitchen and bath clear.I have always used this brand without a problem.I do notice some green or yellow in certain spots I wonder if the silicone is leaching.Like I said I have always used this brand and never had a problem.

 

[michika]

Your parameters all look fine.

GE kitchen and bath? Is this (http://www.geadvancedmaterials.com/...ProductDetail/gesiliconeiikitchenandbath.html) the product? If so it has an anti-fungicide, and it can be causing the discoloration, and it can kill your fish.

 

[steve the plumb]

Yes thats it but I have always used this silicone with no problems.I also leave the lights on in the garage since the trigger fish are in the sump.It seem that i have some yellow green near the silicone where the light hits it.Its not everywhere.Now do I remove the silicone?I don't know I would have to tear the sump apart.Its strange because I have always used that brand with no problems.

 

[michika]

Do you have a picture of the discoloration? It could have a simpler explanation, it could very well just be algae.

In the future I would recommend changing to the GE windows and doors, the one without an anti-fungal.

 

[steve the plumb]

I could take a pic.I think it may be algea because before I had the fish in the sump I didn't leave my garage lights open.I have 6 florescent bulbs in there.I had no discoloration or algae forming.Now if it is that will it stop or do I tear it down.The fish that live are still ok.I won't buy anymore fish thats for sure.I feel like an idiot.I will take some pics and post them.

 

[steve the plumb]

 

[steve the plumb]

 

[steve the plumb]

 

[steve the plumb]

 

[steve the plumb]

Now if it is the silicone I think I am pretty much screwed.I would have to remove it from my sump I would imagine.If I leave it and don't buy anymore fish what might happen will it continue to leech?I would have to remove all of it.I did use some for my bulkheads as well.I can't strip the entire tank down.I didn't use that much for the bulkheads.I am so screwed.Everything about this tank has been such a nightmare.I feel like packing it up.