Stumped ????????????

[dugg]

Ok, since the caulerpa crash i had last week, i am having an issue that has me stumped pretty good. After the first day, the water cleared up and all looked good. I did 1 10 gallon water change that night and added carbon, after removing all of the caulerpa. At that time i thought all was good, and no damage was done.

Since then, the water has clouded back up to twice what it was the first day. My PH has been running low, actually still seems to be going lower daily. No matter what i do, it stays low. I can add my 2 part calcium/alk system, and the PH comes right up, then within 10 minutes goes right back down. I have done 2 more 10 gallon changes since that time, and the PH comes up with the change, but drops right back down within minutes.

I have tested and calibrated my probe with both 10.01 solution, and 7.01 solution. I have even soaked the probe in white vinigar and cleaned it before calibrating it, to make sure it is perfect clean. My monitor isn't the problem this time for sure.

I have tested and re tested my water params, and they have remained steady.

SG = 1.026
Amonia = 0
NO2 = 0
NO3 = less than 10ppm
KH = 10
Cal = 420 ppm
PH = 8.0 high, to 7.5 low
temp 78* to 78.5* Warmest in the morning due to closing cabinet at night.

I have not added anything except fresh saltwater, and carbon, besides my normal 2 part cal/alk dosage, and limewater topoff. I am having to dose almost a gallon more limewater then i am losing to evaporation daily to reach the 8.0 PH. The lights coming on seem to have no effect, and the PH will remain at 7.5 to 7.6 if i don't drip the limewater. I am evaporating 1 1/2 gallons per day, and adding 2 1/2 gallons limewater topoff per day.

Nothing i do has made any difference in either the PH or the cloudiness issue, and i am at a loss.


I even tried moving my air pump outside to fresh air, and still no effect. All of the fish and coral seem fine. Everything is expanding and doing it's thing every day, but i am starting to wither and deflate and pull back from my skeleton lol.


ANYBODY??????????

 

[pwhitby]

i would do a complete water change doug.

Its definitely the water chemistry ...but as to what it really is, I have no idea.

sounds like the buffering capacity of the water is destroyed.

Paul.

 

[dugg]

Complete as in all at one time, or as in a series throughout the coarse of a day or two?

I have plenty of water on hand to do either.

Could it be something wrong with my RO/DI reserve water possibly?

I tested it, and the TDS is 0
The water in my holding tank has a PH of 7.1, i just tested it. Should i be adding Buffer to that when mixing, or should the salt mix have enough of everything? I am using reef crystals right now, but will have IO starting this friday.

 

[pwhitby]

the salt should be buffered.

If you can do a total change, i would do so. Remove corals and fish and store in old tank water while you do the change then reacclimate them.

Make sure you use water at least 24hrs old, same SG and temp to limit stress on all the creatures you dont remove.

Paul.

 

[dugg]

Also, i recieved a slight electrical tingle from my sump today, and got out a volt meter to find the problem. I have 38 volts with all pumps on. When i turn off my maxi jets, it drops to 14 volts. I have a titianium ground probe in route. Any idea if this could be effecting the water chemistry?

 

[captbunzo]

Not likely. And I would suggest an alternative to removing the corals and doing a total water change all at once. I would probably do about a 200% water change. Change about 1/3 of the total water volume out every couple days. Since you are changing so much, make sure to prepare the water carefully - temperature match, let it sit with an air bubbler overnight. I'd skip buffering the water change water, though.

I believe this will be as effective as the total water change all at once approach, but with less trauma to your livestock.

(just my opinion)

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

The only theoretical thing that I can think of is you are experiencing a bacterial bloom. The bacteria is taking up what little nutrients are in the system and multiplying like crazy, in turn, they use up copious amounts of oxygen and drops your pH. I could be COMPLETELY wrong....but then again...

 

[pwhitby]

not within 10 minutes travis.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

That part must have skipped my mind in my reply. It's too early But yes, bacterial bloom is definitely ruled out if it clouded back up in 10 minutes.

 

[jjmcat]

HI dugg I have a question for you.THe problem you are having is in what tank?Is the tank with the man made rock or a different one.Also have you treated the take recently for anything else?

 

[dugg]

Yes is is in my cement tank, and i think i may have it figured out. After Paul's suggestion last night i got to wondering about how the water could have lost it's ability to buffer. I took my sump completely apart to search for foriegn objects, and guess what i found HHMMMMM. One of my two legged frags has tossed in something blue and gooy. It was down in the rocks right by the return intake. I have no idea what it was, but it wasn't anything that belonged there lol. I removed the blob of neon blue goo, and changed another 10 gallons of water. This morning i woke to a PH of 8.1 and is now at 8.3 2 hours after lights on. The water is clearing up pretty good today, so i will run plenty of carbon, and do a few more changes, and hope for the best. I also had a cup full of white vinigar sitting by the sump for cleaning my pump impellers around the same time as this all happened, that i can't remember if i poured out or if maybe the frag poured it in the sump. Today i am focusing on a lock for my cabinet to keep out unwanted frags.

I'm just glad i didn't go chemical crazy, after reading the link in the other PH problem post last night. There is a section there about vinigar being in the system and what to do for it. So far what i have done is what it says to do for that.

Anyone want a slightly damaged 1 year old boy?????

 

[pwhitby]

they dont ship well Dugg, so ill pass on the frag.

Im glad you got it figured.

Paul.

 

[dugg]

OH, i will hand deliver him. Guaranteed live delivery. Hey, maybe Gary could use one hhhmmmmm. Isn't he the one who's wife has been on him for a frag tank???

I knew it was something really out of the ordinary going on, just couldn't figure out what. One of my kids dropped a crayon in my first reef tank nearly 20 years ago and killed everything, so i am calling this one a victory lol. Nothing died, I just need a few extra hours of sleep now is all.

 

[captbunzo]

Congrats on the fix, dugg. I'd still suggest some bigger then normal water changes over the next couple weeks are a good idea.

Did you ever find out what the goo actually was?

 

[jjmcat]

The reason why i asked is ive got a 19 pound piece of cement rock in my tank.It has been in there for almost 2 years and now grows neon green cyano.Just wondered if it was leaching somthing into the system.

 

[dugg]

Nope, i have no idea what it was, just a blue melty lump of goo. Could be anything a one year old could find in a crevis lol. He dropped it in where it fell behind and under the LR and it was just sitting there slowly melting on the sand.

JJmcat, i know a guy that has had one of these cement tanks set up for years with no issues like that. Mine is made with pure portland cement, the rock you have may be something different.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

If you used Crushed Oyster Shell, there is a chance that you could be releasing Phosphates at an incredibly slow rate back into the tank.

 

[jjmcat]

[
JJmcat, i know a guy that has had one of these cement tanks set up for years with no issues like that. Mine is made with pure portland cement, the rock you have may be something different. [/B][/QUOTE]

I use type 3 portland

 

[dugg]

All is still going good today. The PH was 8.0 this morning. It went up to 8.3 yesterday, and stayed steady all day. The water is crystal clear now. I think that the air pump being outside now is making a difference also. I have never had it stay in the 8 range over night before.