STN base up?

[Wills612]

For the past 3 weeks, I have been experience a fairly mild case of STN from the base up on some Acros. PE and colors are normal. The only changes I have made was painting the wall adjacent to the tank. I used a zero VOC paint, turned the skimmer off, opened some windows and kicked on the whole house fan. ( I watched the tank temp, it was stable). I was under the impression if I used a low VOC paint I was golden. Am I barking up the wrong tree or what?

My tank is ULN, so yesterday I shut down the carbon and GFO reactors to see if that would help alleviate the issue . (GFO and carbon were changed a week prior to the first sign of STN, and with the normal amount) Anything else I should be doing, beside practicing my patience? Anyone else have STN relating to painting, using a low VOC paint? Would a poly-pad help?

Parameters

ALK - 7.9
CAL - 440 (Red Sea)
MAG - 1400

P04 - 0.01-0.02 (Hanna)

 

[Southreef]

Check out this thread. A lot of the problem solving most people would recommend is mentioned here. My opinion is that if you took precautions to ventilate the room and even went so far as to turn off your skimmer, the paint probably isn't the issue. Fresh GFO can strip the water very quickly and as we know, SPS don't like quick changes...

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2377752

 

[jgalen0025]

If you think that any of the fumes were dissolved into the tank water you should def be running carbon and protein skimmer because most of the paints use organic chemicals which can be gotten out via skimming and gac.

 

[jda]

Every time I used to get some RTN, it was because of water being stripped too clean with GFO, GAC, carbon, etc.

 

[Wills612]

Check out this thread. A lot of the problem solving most people would recommend is mentioned here. My opinion is that if you took precautions to ventilate the room and even went so far as to turn off your skimmer, the paint probably isn't the issue. Fresh GFO can strip the water very quickly and as we know, SPS don't like quick changes...

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2377752

I also have doubts that paint is the culprit. I have been following that thread, and started dosing FUEL a few weeks ago and also have a fish in QT with hopes to up my bioload.

If you think that any of the fumes were dissolved into the tank water you should def be running carbon and protein skimmer because most of the paints use organic chemicals which can be gotten out via skimming and gac.

I turned off the skimmer before the painting began, and turned back on later that day after the paint had dried a bit. Carbon was running the entire time. I just recently removed the carbon and GFO.

Every time I used to get some RTN, it was because of water being stripped too clean with GFO, GAC, carbon, etc.

Good to know. Hopefully with raising my nutrients a tad, I will see some recovery or at least get the STN to stop.

 

[Wills612]

Yesterday, did a 20% water change, dosed some lugos to the tank, and checked for stray voltage. I got a reading of 6.5 with the meter, which I think is ok. I've read its not uncommon to have a little stray voltage.

 

[trueblackpercula]

Yesterday, did a 20% water change, dosed some lugos to the tank, and checked for stray voltage. I got a reading of 6.5 with the meter, which I think is ok. I've read its not uncommon to have a little stray voltage.

You should have no stray voltage and please use GFCI on anything that has electricity next to water.

Also STN RTN are caused by a few things
Too much GFO is just one of them and Sps not feeding can be another.

Hope this helps

 

[Wills612]

You should have no stray voltage and please use GFCI on anything that has electricity next to water.

Also STN RTN are caused by a few things
Too much GFO is just one of them and Sps not feeding can be another.

Hope this helps

I have all equipment plugged into two dedicated GFCI outlets. Ill have to look more into this stray voltage thing.

 

[Southreef]

I'll be following along as I've been fighting STN on and off for 3 months now. Now you've got me thinking about stray voltage...

 

[Wills612]

I think the stray voltage I was detecting is nothing out of the norm. This is a decent read on the subject.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2182599

 

[stancfii]

I just had the entire interior of my house painted, no clue what kind of paint was used. I just threw the skimmer intake air hose out the window for the day (which I do often) and had no issues whatsoever.

 

[Wills612]

Update:

Update:

I decided to have my SG, KH, and Mag tested today by the LFS. KH and Mag were consistent with my tests, but SG was 1.030. I have been using Pinpoint 53ms calibration fluid with my ref., but thinking about it the fluid is super old and probable evaporated quite a bit. I made 3 batches of RHF DIY solution, and they were all consistent enough to feel comfortable with. After recalibrating to the DIY solution I checked RO/DI and it was close enough to zero for me to assume the solution correct. Im hoping this was causing the STN, or at least a major contributor.

If you use calibration solution, when do you know its gone South, or in this case North? Should I treat it as a consumable and replace after a certain amount time? If so, what is that time frame? I never leave the cap off for any longer then 1/2 a min., and store in a dry, room temp closet.

 

[alten78]

If you use calibration solution, when do you know its gone South, or in this case North? Should I treat it as a consumable and replace after a certain amount time? If so, what is that time frame? I never leave the cap off for any longer then 1/2 a min., and store in a dry, room temp closet.

I was wondering the same thing, at what point do you not trust the calibration solution.

 

[79chopperdr]

For the past 3 weeks, I have been experience a fairly mild case of STN from the base up on some Acros. PE and colors are normal.

My tank is ULN, so yesterday I shut down the carbon and GFO reactors to see if that would help alleviate the issue . (GFO and carbon were changed a week prior to the first sign of STN, and with the normal amount) Anything else I should be doing, beside practicing my patience?

Hey Will, I am having the exact same issue. I too did a GFO change prior to the STN. I changed my normal amount but I noticed my reactor return line was plugged when I pulled the reactor to reload it. I went with a little higher flow rate when I put it back in.

Good luck buddy, I'm going to ride it out on my end.

 

[Wills612]

Well base stn has reared it ugly head again. I'm starting to wonder if it's a seasonal thing (had the stn start early March last year). Alk has been stable 7.7-8.2, and have not used carbon or gfo for a couple months. No other routines have been changed in the past few months. Coincidence?

 

[jjoos99]

any updates on this issue? i too am experiencing this with just 2 of my corals and some decreased p/e.
jeff

 

[Icefire]

Are you sure you are ULN? you don't post NO3/PO4, do you test it?
How stable is your ALK?/Salinity?

 

[plyle02]

I would look deeply into S.G. at 1.030. That needs to come down to 1.025 to 1.
026 to be in range with most natural reefs. I would concentrate on bringing that down slowly, but what is to say the LFS refractometer is inline, they could be out of whack too. I use two for this very reason. Get this inline, then you can stabilize alk, ca, and mag. This would directly benefit sps. How are your fish and inverts behaving, any odd behavior? Rapid reduction of nutrients is also something that needs to be fully understood. I would use less than recommended, rinse better than the directions indicate, adjust to low flow through your rx, then slowly ramp up over several days. I would use this approach for GFO and GAC alike. Unfortunately the quest for perfect water is the demise of so many sps keepers. Spend your energy in observation, understanding these unique specimens, how the polyps extrude, the coloration, and growth rate. Use this as a compass to make slow adjustments, while making sure all the basics for sps are inline. Stability would be the main focus, get the parameters inline ASAP...