Tank Crashing HELP!

[huskysglare1]

Hi guys,

My tank has been going down the drain as of late. Recently, I made 3 adjustments to the tank before the crash. First, I removed my old sump and added a new sump. The old sump has a refugium with 5" of live sand. The new sump does not have a refugium or live sand.

In addition, i also replace my old 400w bulbs for new bulbs.

Finally, I added a bio-pellet reactor. At first, i added 1000 ML to the reactor, but then i realized it was to much and cut it down to 200 ML. However, cutting down on the bio-pellets did not help my problem as my corals continue to die via STN. I then removed the bio-pellet reactor all together, but the problem still persist.

A few of my corals started to lose their colors. They looked like they were bleached and then slowly fade away.

Can someone help me determine the cause? Could removing and replacing a sump be this detrimental to my reef system?

 

[pmrossetti]

nitrate? phosphate? ammonia? nitrite?
how old were the old lights? replace with same bulbs?
fish doing ok?
salinity, temp?
ca,alk,mag?

how long ago replaced sump?

 

[huskysglare1]

All the fishes are doing fine. However, the shrimps are all dead. I had 3. 1 pep, 1 fire, 1 cleaner. They're all dead.

I haven't checked nit, phos yet. I'll check it tomorrow. That could be my problem. The corals that died are mostly SPS.

Ca=460
Alk=9
Mag= 1300

 

[milspec]

How long before you noticed you had too much in your reactor?
Did it start to smell like hydrogen sulfide?
" the rotten egg smell"

If this happened, it may explain your problem....

 

[RotaryGeek]

It sounds more like shock of all the changes as once instead of a water quality problem. If that's the case then water changes won't help much. I would suggest only running your halides for like two hours a day for a while and slowly ramp it up after a while, and feed often with something like garlic xtreme. You might just have to ride this one out.

 

[milspec]

All the fishes are doing fine. However, the shrimps are all dead. I had 3. 1 pep, 1 fire, 1 cleaner. They're all dead.
I haven't checked nit, phos yet. I'll check it tomorrow. That could be my problem. The corals that died are mostly SPS.

Ca=460
Alk=9
Mag= 1300

This is why I'm leaning twards poisoning....
This could have happened by disturbing the sand bed in the old refugium,
but it is unlikely because you probably had good flow through it while it was running and it was off while you swapped sumps.

The anoxic conditions inside the bio-pellet reactor from being over full may be the cause.
I would run some carbon for a while.

 

[milspec]

Depending on how much flow through the bio-pellet reactor or how long it was in the system before you took it out, or if there was a smell. These are not know at this time.

So I may be jumping to a conclusion.
It could be something else...
Need more info....

 

[caliking]

I had the same thing happen in my tank. BIO Pellet crash.

 

[huskysglare1]

The bio-pellet reactor was in there for about a week. The water became very very clear. There wasn't any smells while i was running the reactor. The bio-pellet was powered by a Maxijet 1200.

I did put some screen nets below the lights to help reduce the amount of penetration, but the corals are still bleaching.

When i change the sump, i turn off the return pump before moving water and disturbing the refugium. I did no stir anything up while changing the sump.

It'd been 1-2 months since all this occurs and my corals are still STNing. I just don't get the problem. I've been doing water changes weekly, but still no help. I'll check on the Nit and Phos when i get home today.

 

[marc18wheeler]

I'd keep testin all the parameters ... do the carbon... its important that you do the right tumble method for the biopellets... very vigerous tumble... i've heard some ppl have had good luck w/ not doing sooo but I haven't done any follow up w/ those ppl either... I've always been told keep them tumbling... as far as the amount goes that is more of a size of your reactor and if you have a pump that can keep them tumbling good enough...I haven't heard of too many situations where ppl had too much it was more of a too small of a reactor for the amount and not tumbling right situation...

 

[marc18wheeler]

but I do think it is a combination of a bunch of stuff and now maybe your in panic mode... first thing first calm... some corals could have gotten too far 2 repair... and all the water changes and all the changing thing could just be causing more stress...just take a step back and do lil thing... have someone come over and take a closer look ...

 

[marc18wheeler]

does your wife mayb have it out for you...LOL... ;-)

1-2 pennies in the sump and really wreak havoc...

 

[marc18wheeler]

or mayb you've had you EX-girlfriend over recently...?

LOL! just trying to make light of a situation

sometimes the be best action is no reaction...

when in doubt...dont

 

[huskysglare1]

A lot of the corals had died in the last 2 months. Slowly, but steadily, they fade away. When i had bio-pellet reactor, it was tumbling very vigorously.

Should i put the bio-pellet back and add Carbon?

 

[marc18wheeler]

have you tested your PO?

I would put them back on yes... I don't think that was the problem... talk bout how you dismantaled your sump... and tell me bout the new sump again

 

[marc18wheeler]

btw, you didnt find any pennies in your sand did your? wink wink

 

[marc18wheeler]

looks like you have an awful lot of flow in your tank too... btw, i have the same skimmer... Isn't luke good to deal w/

 

[huskysglare1]

The skimmer is working Great. No problem there. Right now, i am only running an ecotech 60es and a Koralia 1 and a return pump that pumps out about 1000 gph. In an SPS tank, the flow needs to be strong. this is average for an SPS tank.

 

[marc18wheeler]

we just need to get down to what may have caused it ... how long have you been running your system sooo fair

also this new sump is it DIY or did you have someone build you one or did you buy one from someone?

 

[marc18wheeler]

I know we need lots of flow in an sps tank... I toooootally get that but someone could be haven't too much flow too... has any of that been changed recently or at about the same time as when this started to happen?