PhosAR experience

[Fmellish]

I have no "direct link" evidence, just my observations.

As you may or may not know I've been battling cyano over the last week or two.

After last Friday's SCMAS meeting I took some steps to combat the cyano:

1) Suck out the cyano instead of just turkey basting it off the rocks
2) Run my fuge light longer to promote macro algae growth in fuge
3) Turn off lights in tank for a day and then reduced photoperiod of 4 hours a day after than until cyano is under control.
4) Reduce feedings to one small feeding per day
5) Added PhosAR product received at meeting to eliminate phosphates.

Well I think #5 might be causing my problems.

Since adding the PhosAR I have lost both of my gorgonias, almost all of my Xenia, and I have a nasty film on my tank's water surface.

THe gorgonias died over night, all the polyps and flesh had fallen off of them. I have some nice sticks now. My Xenia has developed penny sized lesions on all of the stalks. These are white scab like lesions that look like calcified scars. I don't expect any of my Xenia to last the night since it has shriveled up and is tearing away from its base on the rock. I have several large colonies of Xenia and they all are showing this problem. And then there's the scum on the surface of the water. I have plenty of surface movement but this film will not go away.

And I still have the cyano problem. I spent all last Saturday with a siphon removing it from the tank, and then left the tank lightness for 24 hours just to cement the deal, but it grew back as soon as I turned the lights back on.

I did add a bag of carbon to my tank during this period, but I doubt it is the cause of my burned corals and dead corals.

And ideas? Advice?

Thanks
JOsh

 

[Fmellish]

Keep in mind I have never lost a coral before, so the deaths of my Gorgonias and Xenia are not good signs. These were vibrant flourishing 6 month old colonies before I added the phophate removal product.

 

[Fmellish]

Another thing I've always wondered. My tank is 24" deep and I have short arms. To reach my sandbed my armpits are in the water. Sometimes I'll notice my deodorant dissolving in the water. This is nothing new, but I've always wondered if in small amounts, used deodorant is bad for reef water.

Josh

 

[Fmellish]

And to answer the question I know you're all asking.

Yes, gorgonia skeleton smells like black licorice.

 

[Fmellish]

I just tried stirring my surface water to break up the film and the water turned sudsy with lots of bubbles.

 

[818]

Josh shouldnt the overflow break up that film?

Thats weird...

 

[Fmellish]

THat's what I"ve been thinking the last 3 days.

While 900 GPH flows over the weir into the overflow box, the slime layer stays on top and resists getting sucked in.

I think I'm going to try and turky baste off the top layer.

 

[Mchava]

here is a verry big question I have for you actualy more like two. Did you rinse the phosAr before using it, and how much did you use? I know for a fact the when you use any phosphate removing media you need to rinse it out, even Rowaphos. Also when you use to much of the media it will remove phosphate realy fast and sometimes the drastic change in yor waters chemistry can and will lead to corals death. I hope you only use verry little PhosAr and not the whole thing. I think the best plan of acrtion would be to do some water changes and run a filter sock or filter pad to remove any left over scum.

 

[BMitch]

Have you tried to position your Tunze toward the surface to agitate the film? Or get another powerhead for that purpose. That way, the film layer should break up so it goes into your overflow box and down to the sump/skimmer.

 

[Fmellish]

Great questions.

Mchava, I did rinse it well, however even after 5 minutes of rinsing, water was still coming out with iron dust on it, so I rinsed as much as I could and then added. I added 120 grams since it's 1 gram per gallon of water. This is what the man who gave it to us recommended.

BMitch
I have my Tunze close to the surface as close as I can get it, and I do have tons of surface movement.

JOsh

 

[bennyinca]

Josh, I think deodorant cannot be good for a reef tank, but whether it is the cause for your corals to die is a difficult question, since that is something you have always done. But if there is something bad in the deodorant that leechs into the water, the thing you need is carbon. Skimmer will take out mainly organic mater, not toxic metals and stuff.

How are you using PhosAr? phosban reactor / media bag?
Like Mario said Even though it was mentioned in the meeting that this media does not need to be rinsed since they are a pellet form, I would not take that chance. I would discard the first few gallons of water that pass thru the media. I do this when I use rowaphos, and the first few gallons are bloody red colored.
Also it was mentioned that this product can bring a 1ppm PO4 level down to 0 in a very short time. To SPS that would certainly mean death, I don't know about softies and LPS. Since they claim this to be very strong, I would use very little. For instance, I only use 2 tablespoons of rowaphos in the reactor, and it lasts for about a month or more.

 

[818]

Josh you can try what I did. I have a 900gph overflow, so what I did was point my powerhead up as if shooting out the water not to the point where it makes a waterfall. It should help to do what Bmitch stated.

Dont have it close to surface and it not creating any ripples, point that sucker up!

 

[818]

Check out the powerhead on the right of my tank. Its pointed up. I can now see the reflection of some of my sps.

 

[Fmellish]

THanks guys

I used the media in a media bag in my filter sock. So it was getting pounded with water. I rinsed it pretty darn good, but the sock still turned orange. Interesting note, the stuff sizzled when I rinsed it. Like rice crispies.

My SPS are looking great, it's just my gorgonias and Xenia that are toast. Weird burns on them.

Maybe it was just the stress of me having my arm in the tank for 6 hours straight, siphoning out all the cyano, (which is back BTW).

This hobby just sucks sometimes. I try to do everything right.

This is the last time I put a product in my tank that has only been out of the lab for 8 days.

Josh

 

[Fmellish]

That;s cool Sam, thanks. I can see exactly what you mean.

Unfortunately I don't think the mount for my Tunze stream pump suppost any kind of angle.

i'll see what I can do.

Josh

 

[Fmellish]

I took some pics, let me load them onto my PC and update my blog.

 

[818]

If you used some type of liquid gel deoderant Im pretty sure the Xenia hated it. Softies get irritated twice as fast and close, open faster than SPS's polyps.

Damn the Cyano is still there??!!!! wow sometimes I take the lazy way out..wait no thats all the time and Ive never seen cyano in my 110g.

Are you running PC for supplemental lighting? I need to take a quick look at ur site. Something is definatley wrong.

Sam

 

[bennyinca]

Josh, PhosAr is new, and I have not tried it myself. It sounds like a good product to me. I was just saying that I'd use very little amounts of it to begin with. I also use about half of the recommended dosage on the rowaphos.

IMO, since your SPS doing well, that is a good sign that PhosAr is not the cause of this. Phosphate media can easily kill SPS if not used right, or too much.

I think the deodorant in the water may have something to do with what you are seeing. For instance, "SpeedStick's active ingredient: <b>Aluminum</b> Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex Glycine Complex. Other Ingredients: Water, Cyclomethicone, SD Alcohol 40, Tripropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone Copolyol, Fragrance"

Here is an article from Randy about Al toxicity, there are some pics in it.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2003/chem.htm

 

[Fmellish]

Thanks guys, I just uploaded some pics. Look at the film!

http://fmellish.shackspace.com/aquarium/

 

[BMitch]

After viewing your new pics from tonight, it sure appears that there is no surface agitation. Can you adjust one of your return outlets to flow toward the surface?