Ich,low calcium, hair algae

[Goldmoon]

Simple question:

How can EVERYTHING die from ick? Did you use copper in your water? I have had ick now in my tank (reef) for about3 weeks. I am using garlic soaked food and UV sterilizer. (So far so good) It seems under control but in any ways, fish could have died but not the snails or hermits. They simply do not catch ick. If you used copper I am afraid that is why your inverts died

As for the rest, I am not a pro but from what I heard, you might not be able to have inverts anymore in that tank. I would be even scared for your live rocks

Better seek some pro advice here. Hopefully I am wrong assuming you used copper.

 

[jdeets]

Yes--tell us exactly what you did to address the ich, if anything. Also, what's your specific gravity?

 

[davelin315]

I've had dormant ich in my tank since I got it years ago. Ich won't kill snails and hermits. You should do a 100% water change, then run carbon, a phosphate remover, and maybe a resin, then test the water before adding A COUPLE OF SNAILS AND HERMITS, not as many as you did. My guess is you shocked the system and had a nitrite and ammonia spike which killed everybody off. The key is to not only acclimate your livestock to the tank, but also your tank to your livestock.

 

[odie]

I am attempting my first reef tank . I have a 120 gal. with 150 lbs of live rock and 100 lbs sand.(250w metal,Actinic vho) The tank has been up for approx. 5 months. Everything was going fine for the first month or so (no fish....just the rock and sand) I started seeing hair algae on the rock and sand. I went to the local fish store and had them test my water. The owner stated that the hair algae was normal ant that my water was low (240) calcium. He sold me Kalkwasser and said that would take care of the calicium problem. After this I purchased 125 snails and 50 hermits and a yellow tang for the hair algae. Everthing is now dead,thanks to the tang having ich. The calcium levels were still at 240 and the snail were six feet under.
Nothing has been in my tank for 2 weeks (except for the hair algae)I changed fish stores and purchased B-ionic cal. And now I'm just waiting.
I would like to know what I should do next. I would appreciate any suggestions.
If it's possible , type it step by step. Also, type slow, because I can't read that fast. Thanks

 

[odie]

My specific gravity is 1.021 and I have treated the tank with nothing. I did not add all 100 snails and hermits at the same time . They simply died over a short period of time and were replaced (totalling 100). No Copper has ever been in tank. The calcium level is still 240.Will the Bionic raise the calc. level.
thanks for the help

 

[2poor2reef]

Odie, don't get defensive. Everyone is just trying to help you. Tell us what happened so this doesn't happen to you again. What are your current ammonia and nitrite readings. Personally, I have found that snails don't do well at salinity as low as you quote. What temp are you running and how did you acclimate the snails in the first place. Also, as has been asked, How did you add the Kalk? As stated already, ich won't kill inverts, so there's something else going on here.

 

[odie]

Kalkwasser was added slowly. The Ph maintained a constant 8.1 8.3 range.
should I stop the kalkwasser until the ph drops? I have recently purchased EVS B-ionic calcium buffer system , and have been adding the recommended amounts. The CA is 240. How long should it take to bring the CA to the 400 level ( I believe this is the recommended amount for inverts. Thanks for helping

Mike

 

[2poor2reef]

Mike, I don't know the answer to your bionic question as I use Seachem products. But you don't seem to list anything in your tank that requires much calcium other than possibly corraline on your live rock. The snails/crabs didn't die because your ca is 240. I think you should concentrate on that first.

 

[odie]

To everyone attempting to help:

I hope I don't sound like I'm getting defensive or rude. I'm just frustrated that I listened to someone who doesn't know what he's talking about and has cost me time and money and many explainations to my wife...

thanks to everyone for helping

 

[odie]

My ammonia level and nitrites are all fine.
The only thing that does come to mind is the fact that never flushed the new RO/DI unit pror to installation. I simply hooked it up and let fill the tank...Could that have let some type of chemical into the tank....
thanks

 

[davelin315]

The problem could be with adding snails after they died. Over what period of time did they die off? It is possible that they ate something in your tank they shouldn't have. And also, unless your tank is used to a large biological load already, even adding 10 or 15 snails at once could have a detrimental effect. About your pH, you don't want to lower it, you want to keep it in that neighborhood.

By the way, I also found some responses when I started to be very rude (and I only started a week ago) but found over time that it's just that people are used to speaking in technical terms and often sound rude when they're only trying to be helpful (I took a second look at mine and it looks kind of rude now that I see it). The book suggestion is very helpful, as you'll learn all the tricks of the trade.

By the way, you're supposed to flush the new R/O system because the first batch will contain a lot of dust that is on the filters. I'm no chemist, but I don't think you'll suffer a problem from leaching in those first batches, but more from small particulate matter getting swept up with the water, and also, with the filters getting wet enough to actually do the work of scrubbing your water. I think they usually say you can use the first batch to water plants or something, so I don't see why it would necessarily by harmful to your tank, but I would still do the complete water change, and also, scrub off your rock with a toothbrush and get the algae off of it and let it start over (not the coralline).

 

[odie]

After I start over and have the new water up and running how long should I wait to add snail/hermits.

Should I add kalk and Bionic right away or wait

thanks again

 

[ging]

I am by far not as experienced as the others, but are you leaving the snails in the tank after they die. I have been told that this will muck up your levels quite a bit. Is this correct reefers ??

ging

 

[odie]

I remove everything I see, Isure theres a couple that are still hidden

 

[Anonymous]

hi odie,

i would wait a few weeks before adding any livestock, whether hermit, snail, or fish.
and you don't have to worry about calcium right off the bat. that can be adjusted later. the guy who sold you the kalk wasn't wrong - there are just some other problems that need fixing in your tank right now.

after starting over, keep track of your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. these should be zero. not close to zero, but actually zero.

keep your temp approx. 82 degrees, and your specific garvity (salinity) 1.023 to 1.025.

your phosphates (PO4) should also be zero. again not 0.1 ppm, but zero. i bet your PO4 was causing the hair algae. just a guess.

after the above conditions are met, then go with your livestock.

BTW there's a good article in Aquarium Fish magazine that serves as a marine fish buying guide (by Scott W. Michael). i wish i had planned my tank better when i started.

good luck.

 

[odie]

EVERYONE:

Thanks for everything


I wish I found this site 5 months ago
talk to you soon

 

[greatwhite]

How did you add the kalk.If you added it to fast this will raise your Ph way to high and cause the die off.

 

[davelin315]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

I am by far not as experienced as the others, but are you leaving the snails in the tank after they die. I have been told that this will muck up your levels quite a bit. Is this correct reefers ??

You should remove anything dead that is floating around, but good luck finding anything dead in a reef tank with all the scavengers. I lose snails periodically, but by the time I notice it, they are being devoured by everyone in the tank.

 

[jdeets]

I noticed your SG is 1.021. That's a little low. You may never be able to get your Ca to 400 at that SG. In effect, your water is "diluted" so to speak. Bring your SG to 1.025, then start working on biomineral issues.

 

[Goldmoon]

Hi,
I have another small question.
What kind of salt are you using? My husband just read about 10 minutes ago on a website that bad quality salt could kill inverts. Just a wild guess again.
I also read that you should not change brand of salt after you started with one... unless you do massive water changes (50% at least)

Here is a copy paste of one:

Q: I purchased a Fire Shrimp and 3 Cleaner Shrimp from Flying Fish Express along with a Flame Angel and Maze Brain. The latter two are doing fine (1 week now in the tank), but I have lost all the shrimp. I am receiving a replacement Fire Shrimp and Cleaner Shrimp today. I am concerned with the losses of these shrimp. I have checked, rechecked and took a sample of my water to the local fish store and everything appears to be fine with the parameters. I am concerned I will lose these next two shrimp because I can't figure out why they are dying. Any thoughts on why I am experiencing these losses with the shrimp? What else should I be checking?

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A: If you lost them soon after placing them in the tank then there could have been a problem with your acclimation techniques or your water may be way off relative to the water at FF. These animals do well once acclimated, but they are quite sensitive during acclimation. Another distinct possibility is that the salt mix that you are using is not well balanced and these animals are dying of osmotic shock as a consequence. If you are not using one of the more popular brands of salt then this is a very distinct possibility as I have been asked about this problem numerous times and it has almost always come down to the salt mix. If you are using a cheaper grade of salt do a large water change with one of the better brands and then add the shrimp, otherwise you are likely to encounter these deaths again.

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And here is another one:

Q: I recently added some new Mexican turbo snails, but every time I add them to my tank they do nothing but sit in their shells, not coming out and eventually dying of starvation or soemthing of that sort. What might I be doing to have them die on me so quickly?? Might I be adding them too quickly? Please respond asap and thanks so much.

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A: I have gotten this question 10 times in the past week. In most instances the cause of the snails demise is the use of a lesser grade of salt that is not properly balanced. So before you try them again try doing a large water change with one of the more popular and somewhat more expensive brands of salt. Do not get a lot of snails - 1 or 2 will tell you if you done a proper water change. The only other typical cause is if the tank's salinity or temperature is dramatically different and the snails are just dumped in. In this instance it is possible to have shocked the snails.
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Sincerely hope this will help you...