Urgent: don't know what happened!

[Jblank44]

So, yesterday I changed my filtration on my tank. I added a refuigium (see below) and now literally everything looks like it's gonna die.... When I did it and added water... Something happened and my salinity dropped like crazy to like 1.020 from 1.026. Can that cause them all to close up and spew the stingy clear stuff... I don't know what to do.... I'm almost back up to 1.025 in a day period.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/12/guqysutu.jpg[/IMG



[IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/12/adeheqav.jpg

 

[patsfan1130]

Rapid drops in salinity certainly can cause your critters to react like that. Bringing it back up in such a short period of time like you did not help. Such a big swing down & then back up inside of 48 hours is quite drastic to marine life. What's done is done. I would recommend running plenty of carbon, have plenty of water ready to do some W/C and be on the ready to pull anything out that is on it's way out as to not further pollute the tank.

 

[jad1217]

I agree with patsfan1130. your salinity swings are very traumatic to your fish and corals. I have a salinity problem about 2 months ago and my corals are just starting to look great again.

 

[StaySalty]

Those are pretty significant swings down and up. Just take the advice posted above and keep an eye on it.

Just remember to never change salinity like that in the future. If you are gonna add something that adds more water volume to the system, you need to have mixed water on hand.

Best of luck!

 

[Jblank44]

Those are pretty significant swings down and up. Just take the advice posted above and keep an eye on it.

Just remember to never change salinity like that in the future. If you are gonna add something that adds more water volume to the system, you need to have mixed water on hand.

Best of luck!

I agree with patsfan1130. your salinity swings are very traumatic to your fish and corals. I have a salinity problem about 2 months ago and my corals are just starting to look great again.

Rapid drops in salinity certainly can cause your critters to react like that. Bringing it back up in such a short period of time like you did not help. Such a big swing down & then back up inside of 48 hours is quite drastic to marine life. What's done is done. I would recommend running plenty of carbon, have plenty of water ready to do some W/C and be on the ready to pull anything out that is on it's way out as to not further pollute the tank.

yeah and I know not to do that it was an accident!! I must not have put the right amount in so my ATO kicked on

 

[Jblank44]

Figured it out.... My ATO container was above my sump... So when it turned on it siphoned a ton of water into my sump.... Not good... Causing the salinity change. So great, then just 5 minutes ago a pipe sprung a leak and water was everywhere.... Wow, the things you go through for a fish tank

 

[patsfan1130]

Gravity can be your best friend and worst enemy at the same time. Glad you figured it out

 

[StaySalty]

I just got my JBJ ato. haven't set it up yet though. I like the idea of ato but stories like this make me nervous about it.

So was the line from the ato pump submerged into water in the sump? Then your ato kicked on and off and then started a siphon into the sump? Just trying to get it right in my head so I can hopefully avoid something like this.

Good job on figuring it out though

 

[wildman926]

Figured it out.... My ATO container was above my sump... So when it turned on it siphoned a ton of water into my sump.... Not good... Causing the salinity change. So great, then just 5 minutes ago a pipe sprung a leak and water was everywhere.... Wow, the things you go through for a fish tank

What type of ato setup are you running?

 

[Quick_Ben]

Found out about the siphoning the hard way too. Now I use a few gallons in each container at or below pump level. Works like a charm. Less chance of trouble. Took two weeks to get the water back to normal and it wasn't a huge swing. I've made "improvements" that set me back many times. Learning from them is almost worth it. Didn't know to calibrate my refractometer. Oops, salinity not even close - took a long time to get that straight.
Small changes over a long time = less stress for all.

 

[Jblank44]

I just got my JBJ ato. haven't set it up yet though. I like the idea of ato but stories like this make me nervous about it.

So was the line from the ato pump submerged into water in the sump? Then your ato kicked on and off and then started a siphon into the sump? Just trying to get it right in my head so I can hopefully avoid something like this.

Good job on figuring it out though

Make sure that your reservoir is lower than what you are pumping into. And make sure that it isn't in the water and it's hanging just above it (not submerged). I didn't think about it and put it above and it started to siphon from the reservoir of rodi above my sump into my sump when it stopped.

What type of ato setup are you running?

I have a 14g biocube that is siphon plumbed to a 3 gallon fuge for some macro algae action and now I'll be able to have a potein skimmer (tunze 9002) and a phosban reactor. Over kill but I love to feed and watch them feed... And it makes it easier for me. But it's killing me right now.... I lost an acro and probably will be losing a brain coral.

 

[Jblank44]

I've been searching it and there are tons of people that have had salinity drops like mine and everything in their tank is fine.... I've lost three corals already..... Why such bad luck for me... Could it be something else

 

[shaginwagon13]

Rapid drops in salinity certainly can cause your critters to react like that. Bringing it back up in such a short period of time like you did not help. Such a big swing down & then back up inside of 48 hours is quite drastic to marine life. What's done is done. I would recommend running plenty of carbon, have plenty of water ready to do some W/C and be on the ready to pull anything out that is on it's way out as to not further pollute the tank.

I agree with patsfan1130. your salinity swings are very traumatic to your fish and corals. I have a salinity problem about 2 months ago and my corals are just starting to look great again.

Those are pretty significant swings down and up. Just take the advice posted above and keep an eye on it.

Just remember to never change salinity like that in the future. If you are gonna add something that adds more water volume to the system, you need to have mixed water on hand.

Best of luck!

Almost every single aquarium store keeps their water around 1.021 salinity as they save on money from having to use less salt. I really see no difference in acclimating fish and corals using the 'drip' method over a few hours, and what the OP did here.

IMO it was more than a drop in salinity.

 

[RedStangGA]

Did you build the sump? Did you use aquarium safe silicone?

 

[Jblank44]

Did you build the sump? Did you use aquarium safe silicone?

Yes I built it, and the silicon I used everyone said was aquarium safe.

 

[Jblank44]

So after losing three, here are what the corals look like... Most are still closed up so you tell me...

Maxima

Zoos

Ric

Green mushroom

Hairy mushroom

Red mushroom

I feel that in a week or so everything will recover... Levels are back to where they should be... Slightly low.... Calcium was at 390 and mag was at 1200... Not horrible but low... I really hope... What do you guys think?

 

[Jblank44]

Silicon I used... Everyone said it's safe

 

[shaginwagon13]

The pictures don't show up.

 

[Jblank44]

The pictures don't show up.

I'm sending them all on iPhone... Let me try another way...

 

[Jblank44]

The pictures don't show up.

http://imgur.com/ghwmDYy,RJxA8Yq,Md59Ktc,EfALFyy,egTTvXu,NLfLOjw