Water Change Ends in Crashing!! HELPPP

[saycheessee]

Ok... Saturday I went to knoxville and picked up ro water. When I got home, I did a water change of about 15-20% just like I always do. Excepttttt... This time I had bad things happen. Everything looked fine when I first put the water in but by in the mornng... .everything!!! looked wilted and closed up. I did change places I got my water. But anywhooo... I need to find out what's going on so that I can save my corals. They were beautiful until after my water change which was suppose to be helpful.

My readings are as follows:

Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Amonia 0
Alk 240
Ph 8.2 in the tube test
7.8 on my probe meter (it may be off didn't trust it so I did the tube test too)
Calcium is 480

Here is what my corals look like at this time... my fish all look fine and act fine and are eating fine.

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HELPPP I want to save my corals. I love my tank and really don't want to lose everything!!

 

[Fanof49ASU]

Probably a stupid question, but.......
did you add salt to the water? I always check my water (for salt) before my water changes, because the Critter sells a lot of freshwater.

 

[saycheessee]

I bought regular ro water and added water and tested with my meter and even checked it's calibration before I added the salt. I let the water stand about 1 hour before I added it to the tank with the salt in it just like I always do with a power head in it for circulation.

 

[saycheessee]

I just went and rechecked the level and it is 1.022 and that is a little low. I will mix some water up and raise it up to 1.024. I usually don't have to add alot of salt because when my water evaps it leaves my levels a little higher so I don' thave to add as much to get them back to 1.024-6

 

[Siffy]

Wow, you should really let it mix longer than that. Have you checked your tank salinity just in case?

 

[gflat65]

I had issues with a bad RO unit a few years back. I got a GAC carbon filter instead of a block and my theory is that the GAC let something through that ate a hole through the membrane, flushing everything back into the RO water. I started doing water changes to fix the [problem and things only got worse. I replaced membranes, and using the same salt (same bag), everything turned around. A lot of stores don't ever change their filters, too... Did you do a TDS reading on it? FWIW, you should let the water aerate more before using it as change water (24 hours is a good time frame as a min). I don't know that that would have caused the problem. I'd bet you got some nasty water. I'd invest in an RO/DI system. When you look at the investment in the tank, it is negligible in cost, especially when you hvae to start over because of issues. Everything looks unhappy, but nothing looks horrible... Find a more reliable source for water and try some more changes. Did you open a new box of salt, or are you using the one you made water with last time. Just too many variables to give an answer, so questions abound...

 

[saycheessee]

I'm using the same bag that I have been using. I have about 3 - 4 more changes out of this bag then I have to change. I didn't check the TDS because the meter I had has died. I started to buy one about a month ago but didn't. I did change locations because someone said that the TDS readings were higher at the location I was usually getting my water from and I went to another place. Buttttt trust me.. I won't go back to them again. Not after this. Nothing intended for the person that told me to change... but I just don't trust their water now since I wasn't having any problems with the place I was getting it.

I am going to do another water change tomorrow with distilled water since all the water I have is from this same place. I'm going to mix tonight and let it aerate tonight hope this helps. How long do you think it will take before everything comes back to life If this works??? Or do you think they are gone? Even my zenia is wilted!

 

[gflat65]

From those pics, they don't look that bad... I'd say a few water changes with good water and they'll be fine. Run some carbon and see if that helps. FWIW, leathers tend to droop from time to time for no apparent reason. The zoas look the most ticked off, but don't seem to have any fungus or transparency.

 

[wawruck]

will agree, they just look ****ed right now. We have had ours do that after a water change, and once or twice our kenya trees look dead for a day or so. Would def. suggest mixing your water a day or two ahead of time though. I try to mix mine on wed. for a weekend water change.

 

[saycheessee]

Ok... I have done 3 water changes since Saturday and still no luck. Actually the kenya tree is dropped really bad now. Swivelled up really bad! Any other suggestions??

 

[crumbletop]

are you running fresh carbon or some other chemical filtration?

 

[saycheessee]

Just wanted to let everyone know that I only lost my torch, monti and my xenia. Everything else is on the mend. Thanks for all the help. I believe I just got bad water cause after I got the ro/di and started doing water changes.... it has turned around!!

HUGGGSSSSS THANK YOU!!!

 

[wooglin]

You really should look at a RO/DI unit, a big trash can and a float switch. All that will cost you about 140 bucks, and about 30-40 dollars a year to operate (no including your water bill). My RO/DI unit was 99 bucks, has a 75gpd membrande, 3 different carbon/etc stages, and two DI stages.

 

[saycheessee]

I bought a ro/di over the weekend and started doing water changes.