Water toxicity

[alemone]

How well did you flush out the new hose? Do you normally leave water for that long in your mixing containers?

I just set up this system. This was the first batch. I used maybe about 20G to test it and this is how much was flushed through the hose.

 

[Steve175]

Sounds like it may not be an issue for you, but I have to be pretty careful about stagnant water in my changing system. Mostly the 150G is hard plumbed into the system with a circulating pump running 24/7 (which serves to mix in the salt when I take the container off line to mix up new NSW); however, I have a line of flex PVP which I can use to add the water directly to my sump if my sump level is low. The water in that line gets nasty if it sits more than 24h. When I need to use it (rarely, like every other month), I am always careful to run the line into the sink for 30s or so before allowing it into the sump. The few times I have forgotten this, I have had some minor inverts die off and would have had more had I not an over-sized skimmer. Did your skimmer start wet skimming? I like the chlorine test theory: try to reproduce the event and text for chlorine.

 

[alemone]

Sounds like it may not be an issue for you, but I have to be pretty careful about stagnant water in my changing system. Mostly the 150G is hard plumbed into the system with a circulating pump running 24/7 (which serves to mix in the salt when I take the container off line to mix up new NSW); however, I have a line of flex PVP which I can use to add the water directly to my sump if my sump level is low. The water in that line gets nasty if it sits more than 24h. When I need to use it (rarely, like every other month), I am always careful to run the line into the sink for 30s or so before allowing it into the sump. The few times I have forgotten this, I have had some minor inverts die off and would have had more had I not an over-sized skimmer. Did your skimmer start wet skimming? I like the chlorine test theory: try to reproduce the event and text for chlorine.

No, there was no wet skimming. So OK the water gets stagnant but what specifically do you think killed the inverts? My chlorine test is on its way.

 

[sfdan]

No, there was no wet skimming. So OK the water gets stagnant but what specifically do you think killed the inverts? My chlorine test is on its way.

My salt mixing container is a brute trash can, which isn't quite open but isn't quite sealed, and I often mix up saltwater and leave it completely stagnant for weeks at a time. Then before I make a water change I turn on the pump to mix it around for a few minutes, then pump it into the tank. I've never had any negative issues. So I don't think stagnant water in itself it anything dangerous. I do check it though and make sure the water looks clear and there isn't any weird smell or anything.

I still think chlorine has to be the prime suspect, but it is possible it could also be some contamination from the containers or the hose.

 

[Steve175]

No, there was no wet skimming. So OK the water gets stagnant but what specifically do you think killed the inverts? My chlorine test is on its way.

In my case, the water can smell of rotting corpse. I have always assumed it was an ammonia spike for my invert event, but honestly am not certain. I am on a well without any chlorine input and with a 6 stage RODI system.

 

[alemone]

In my case, the water can smell of rotting corpse. I have always assumed it was an ammonia spike for my invert event, but honestly am not certain. I am on a well without any chlorine input and with a 6 stage RODI system.

Tha's strange. That's organic matter but where is it coming from? Could you have H2S- hydrogen sulfide?

 

[alemone]

A followup to my problem:

I tested my tap water for free and total chlorine using Hch CN-70. Both tested 0. That's even before going into any carbon filters.

I remain flabbergasted.