I did a water change about 2 weeks ago and noticed some weird bubbles showing up on the surface of my water. To me they looked like soap bubbles, but I kind of doubt that is what they are. I keep my water in brute trash cans in the laundry room, but the lids are always on so I don't think it is very likely that I contaminated my tank with soap. However I had to do something so I cleaned my containers and performed 3 20% water changes over the first week and went through three or four boxes of activated carbon to play it safe.
This week I noticed my tang was no longer eating and to me it looks like the carbon has caused HLLE. I removed all the carbon and I did another 20% water change to help get some carbon out a few days ago, but my tang still isn't eating and the bubbles have returned. I've got some brown slime in my refugium, but my ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite look good.
Today I decided to test my phosphates and they are at 5ppm. That might explain the algae but would it also be causing the disease in my tang or the bubbles? I bought a media reactor and I am now running GFO to try and get phosphate down quicker between water changes. Will GFO cause HLLE too? What else can I do besides water changes?
This week I noticed my tang was no longer eating and to me it looks like the carbon has caused HLLE. I removed all the carbon and I did another 20% water change to help get some carbon out a few days ago, but my tang still isn't eating and the bubbles have returned. I've got some brown slime in my refugium, but my ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite look good.
Today I decided to test my phosphates and they are at 5ppm. That might explain the algae but would it also be causing the disease in my tang or the bubbles? I bought a media reactor and I am now running GFO to try and get phosphate down quicker between water changes. Will GFO cause HLLE too? What else can I do besides water changes?
