New tank, snails have died and corals not doing great.

[Astroreefer]

I also added some more SPS and LPS, heres the current tank stock:

Torch Coral
Xenia
GSP
Montipora
Turquoise Staghorn Acropora
Pink Seriatapora
Duncan
Zoanthids
Caliendrum

I know I have some of the "harder" SPS and this'll be this first time I have Acropora, but we'll see how it goes.











The Duncan has had a head split since the last update and even seems to have grown since last





I also just wanted to add that Alkalinity has been dropping alot quicker in the past few days, it dropped 1 dkh in 2 days and then another 1.5 dkh after another 2 days, but Calcium is staying rock solid at 440ppm. I'm trying to keep Alkalinity at 11 and am already having to dose 2 part to keep up.

 

[Astroreefer]

Damn.


Checking on my tank just now and I instantly noticed that my Torch wasn't as extended as it usually is and just seems a bit dull. After checking everything else I checked the temp to find it's down at 18°C! I have two 50w heaters and I checked them both and neither is powered on. Turns out that the extension lead they're both plugged into blown it's fuse. It was a 3A, and the heaters are the only thing plugged into It, that means these two heaters must have pulled ~700w to blow it?


Anyway, I fear for the health of the corals and I'm not sure how to go about raising the temp. Should I let the heaters heat the water as quickly as they can, or turn go slower?

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[tklb]

If you used dry rock, you will likely have a lot of Ammonia and Phosphate over the next several months as the things that died in the rock when it was taken out of the water break down.

I got 100 Lbs of dry rock from BRS, and put in in a barrel with salt water, a heater and a pump out in the garage, and you would not believe how nasty the water got. Was changing the water every week, and within 2 days it would smell terrible and have a thick skim on top. Ammonia and phosphate through the roof for weeks. It takes a long time for everything in the rocks to break down.

Just be carefull and keep an eye on it.

 

[2smokes]

Damn.


Checking on my tank just now and I instantly noticed that my Torch wasn't as extended as it usually is and just seems a bit dull. After checking everything else I checked the temp to find it's down at 18°C! I have two 50w heaters and I checked them both and neither is powered on. Turns out that the extension lead they're both plugged into blown it's fuse. It was a 3A, and the heaters are the only thing plugged into It, that means these two heaters must have pulled ~700w to blow it?


Anyway, I fear for the health of the corals and I'm not sure how to go about raising the temp. Should I let the heaters heat the water as quickly as they can, or turn go slower?

Sent from my LG-H955 using Tapatalk

Raise the temp slow during a whoole day .

 

[Astroreefer]

Thanks, I don't really have a choice anyway since its taken all this time for the heaters to bring the temp only up to 21.0°C so far. The torch is extending some more and the other corals don't seem phased, so hopefully it'll be disaster averted

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[jlmawp]

If this is an Ammonia problem, then I think the major source would be from the sand I used to seed the tank, the sand was kept submerged in tank water whislt being transported over and never got exposed to air to try and prevent die off. I was using all dry rock before the problem and only used LR after the problems developed. The rock I used was described as Natural Limestone Ocean Rock, I have attached a photo of the rock I purchased. I used 10Kg of this in this tank. I will buy a test kit in the morning and will report the results here. I do hope it is an ammonia issue since that will be an easier issue to fix than if it is the rockwork causing the problems.

You yourself said when you removed the snails from the tank, they perked up right away. Imagine that.

 

[Astroreefer]

Still can't be sure if this was due to Ammonia or something leaching from the foam, the tank recovered after carbon was put in. I imagine it was a combination of Ammonia and leached chemicals that was to blame, but I am still unsure where the Ammonia originated from, did the seeded sand die off and cause the spike, or was the rock contaminated with a large amount of organic matter, I guess I'll never know.

Might as well as do a quick update:

All the corals have settled in and I am seeing some growth on my Monitpora and Caliendrum. Alkalinity has finally stabilised dosing 7ml of Alkalinity per day.

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