kindasleepy Posted February 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 I'm getting the false positive on the API test strips NOT the Hagen kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted February 2, 2013 Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 Perhaps suggest to ask if anyone was close in the area to stop by your place and test with their known test kit. It sounds like right now your not sure of the tank...and a base needs to be found for solid footing to find out what's wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kindasleepy Posted February 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 When Aquarium Illusions tested it last night they got the same as my test that I did earlier yesterday afternoon. Zero ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, everything else normal. I picked up a copper test but haven't done it yet. Meanwhile, the tank is like milk and now all my mushroom coral has completely disintegrated and most of the other coral look pissed off. I picked up some foam that's supposed to clear heavy metals etc so we'll see what happens over the next few days I guess. The good news is they don't think I'll have to start all from scratch with new sand or live rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted February 2, 2013 Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 they don't think I'll have to start all from scratch with new sand or live rock. After this event is over I'd be very cautious of throwing in anything newly bought into the tank. Let it run as a basic SW tank for a month or two without many inhabitants and let the beneficial bacteria take a very good hold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kindasleepy Posted February 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 That's exactly what I was planning on doing. It's still hooped, very milky but no ammonia, no nitrites. Smells a bit...off today. Got the ten gal set up just bringing up the salinity so I can stick some of the coral that is still trying to survive in it. Worth a shot anyway. The guys at aquarium illusions are stumped, the fish tech (helps me fix my system at work) came in today and I bounced ideas off him and he didn't really know what to tell me either. We're thinking heavy metals, but don't know if it was the supplement or something else. He suggested that I never use tap water ever, which is do-able since my tank is small, just a pain in the butt. Aquarium Illusions said that my sand and liverock will be fine to use once all this is over, just to give it some time. I did another water change tonight since it smelled a bit odd when I got home, used RO water to refill. Aquarium Illusions sold me a pad that absorbs heavy metals and other impurities to stick in my filter so I'm hoping it starts to clear a bit soon. What should I add when it eventually does get better? I originally cycled it with mollies that I converted over. Probably should do that again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 (edited) Do the rescue transplant and see what happens. I'd think adding live rock/sand to a brand new sterile environment would be best. I'd say skip the mollies and go for sw hermits or crabs AFTER your cycle is complete. I had seen over in Calgary @ Pieces each something like $3 maybe you know cheaper in Edmonton. Let the tank cycle for a couple good lomg weeks with live rock and sand then throw a couple crabs as they are quite hardy. I'd always be worried since the problem isn't truly diagnosed to reuse the rock and sand...but if you do...start very slowly and don't even think about corals for a while. Edited February 3, 2013 by ckmullin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kindasleepy Posted February 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 The thing that really really scares me, what if I get this all fixed, everything thriving again and this happens again. Has this happened to anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11Purewater Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Test your PH two hours after all lights are off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kindasleepy Posted February 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2013 Really? Why? Also, would it matter now? There's nothing living in there right now. Water is stabilized it appears but even the coraline algae on the live rock looks lack luster so I think my "live" rock is dead rock. Also I'm suddenly plagued by cyano bacteria in both the main tank and the quarantine with the somewhat living coral in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11Purewater Posted February 10, 2013 Report Share Posted February 10, 2013 A sudden ph drop at night mean excessive co2 are you running skimmer or any form of gas exchange eg high surface water agitation and no dead spots water flow wise along the bottom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kindasleepy Posted February 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 (edited) i have a small skimmer on there, it's one intended for a 30 gal nano cube but I'm not really sure how well it's working. The filter outlet has two adjustable "jets", I have one pointed down toward the closest wall and the other is toward the surface. I also have a small powerhead that is on the other side of the tank. I don't think there are any dead spots, it's a small column style tank so I think there's good flow everywhere. If the pH was dropping at night and affecting the tank would it still be doing that without anything alive in there? Also, any advice about my live rock. Is it basically dead rock now you think? I'm also getting cyano bacteria in both tanks and haven't seen that until now. edit: actually the more I read the more it looks like very darkly coloured diatoms. It's not as bright as the pictures for cyano bacteria. Edited February 11, 2013 by kindasleepy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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