Looking for some help solving the mystery. My tank and equipment were in storage for 6 years. I set up my 180 gal. tank at the end of last year. All was starting well and then we began losing fish. We're using RO water and salt crystals, used live sand to start the bio-filter, using a wet/dry filter with bio balls, a good protein skimmer and two sterilizers. I've done water changes monthly. I am also running an Apex Fusion system and LED lights.
The water parameters are all good. The water tests great at the local fish store. When tested specifically for copper the results are extremely low (within an acceptable level) and I have an amonia monitor that is showing no amonia. BUT, I started using a Poly Filter and it consistently turns blue, indicating copper salts. I cannot determine the source of the copper salts - or what else might be the problem. The tank looks great but I am down to 4 fish, two of the original damsels, a yellow coris wrasse and a cinnamon clown. Any clean up crew I add dies within a day and a half (snails within a couple hours). New fish either die immediately or about a month later.
Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be? Can Poly Filters turn blue as a reaction to something besides copper salts?
The tank has corner spillways, plumbled in PVC which converts to PEX pipe to run to my filter room where it converts back to PVC. I used no brass fittings, it's all nylon fittings and external screw clamps.
We had a leak in one of the spillways around the PVC pipes but since the tank has a cabinet built around it, we sealed the leak with some Flexseal. Later we covered the Flexseal with silicone in case that was the problem. But we've seen no improvement.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
The water parameters are all good. The water tests great at the local fish store. When tested specifically for copper the results are extremely low (within an acceptable level) and I have an amonia monitor that is showing no amonia. BUT, I started using a Poly Filter and it consistently turns blue, indicating copper salts. I cannot determine the source of the copper salts - or what else might be the problem. The tank looks great but I am down to 4 fish, two of the original damsels, a yellow coris wrasse and a cinnamon clown. Any clean up crew I add dies within a day and a half (snails within a couple hours). New fish either die immediately or about a month later.
Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be? Can Poly Filters turn blue as a reaction to something besides copper salts?
The tank has corner spillways, plumbled in PVC which converts to PEX pipe to run to my filter room where it converts back to PVC. I used no brass fittings, it's all nylon fittings and external screw clamps.
We had a leak in one of the spillways around the PVC pipes but since the tank has a cabinet built around it, we sealed the leak with some Flexseal. Later we covered the Flexseal with silicone in case that was the problem. But we've seen no improvement.
Any ideas would be appreciated.