Totally frustrated, corals dying

[Jsingh]

Spec grav 1.021 is pretty low. I keep mine with at 1.025-26. I still suggest using a refract to see if you are there. Thanks

Steffen Sparks

I went through something similar a few years ago all parameters looked correct but it turned out my refractometer was not calibrated correctly. Once I got my salinity straight everything got better.

 

[TimGentry]

frustrated

frustrated

got a refractometer. hydrometer wrong. got salinity up to 1.026 now.

also sent in water specimens this morning for testing. we'll see what they say.

 

[TimGentry]

Got the result of my water test back today. couple of things stood out but the obvious one that may the source of my troubles was a copper level of 0.04 which is high for a reef tank especially I'm told.
Ordering some Seachem Cuprisorb.

Other than that I had phos of 0.37, calcium over 500 and a magnesium of 1700! Little high on that huh. Nitrate was 2.2.

 

[pnavarro170]

Hmmmm so you need new test kits ? What was Alk ?

 

[TimGentry]

alk was low.
I don't know how much trust you can put into home test kits.

 

[pnavarro170]

so if alk was low so was ph ? also do you have a refugium going ? i would start reading up an algae scrubbers, would take out all the bad and leave in the good.

 

[TimGentry]

Remember I took out the biopellets. Back in now as of sat but it will take a couple weeks to get going. PH is right around 7.9. Had some phosphates that weren't showing up with my test kit either. Has to be the copper doing the damage.

 

[Snyper19]

Hope you get it fixed after getting those water tests

Good luck

 

[TimGentry]

Me too. It would be so cool to get this tank back to normal.

 

[dr. todd]

What test kits do you use? Where is the copper coming from? I assume you use rodi water if so, whats your tds?

 

[TimGentry]

well I have a couple different brands of test kits. For most parameters I'm using a standard ASI kit. For calcium and mag I have Red Sea kits which seem to be the most accurate. Where is the copper coming from? that I don't know. Yes, I have a my own RODI unit at home. TDS is zero.

 

[TimGentry]

I used several different products last year trying to treat the ick outbreak I had so it could be something still left over from that still in the tank.

 

[pnavarro170]

Three words. Algae turf scrubber

 

[FASTnDIRTY]

Ha ha ha... Is that your answer for everything... Algae turf scrubber... I might just have to make another one...

 

[pnavarro170]

Give me a few months to confirm 100 percent, but yeah im pretty sure. leaves food in, takes out all the bad we are trying to get rid of in one natural process !

 

[FASTnDIRTY]

Does sound to be a more natural approach, compared to all the other equipment and chemicals we add...

 

[dr. todd]

I think you are just looking for a way to continue your no water change theory!:deadhorse:

 

[pnavarro170]

lol, that too.

 

[TimGentry]

You're killing me with the ALGAE TURF SCRUBBER!

 

[pnavarro170]

Your killing your corals without it. Lol