Continuing Tank Problems. Reallly need help. (again)

[stubbsz]

Updates... still looking bad, still no growth. Now I'm reading all those tank tour threads and shaking my head in wonder.

I'm going to swap salts. The more I think about it, the less I can believe that this is the problem but what the heck.

I'm also thinking it might be worth sending my water off to get tested. Has anyone used one of those services where you send them a sample of your water and they tell you accurately what's in your water? If so, do you have a link? For all I know, I have a powerhead leaking something horrible into the water.

-Adrian

 

[Apon]

How does your fish look like? you said you lost a yellow tang did you find out why? ever get shocked in your tank? Stay voltage? Just guessing.

 

[stubbsz]

That's an idea that hasn't crossed my mind. I do have a tunze that seems to get calcium build up pretty fast and I just read a thread about exploding impellers

But I have never had a shock from my tank. I did get a mixing bucket shock once but never from the tank.

My Tang lived for 10 years in my tank... he hurt his eye one time and took a long time to recover, he got stuck on a tunze and never really got over it. He never had any disease or lateral line erosion...

My fish are healthy although I only have 5. I have healthy pods, and 11 year old serpent stars that are still going strong.

 

[Elite]

Sorry I can't help you with your tank problem but I hope your Xenia are still good cause I need some later on ;D ..

 

[stubbsz]

I've always got Xenia... Clown obscuring junk. I've also got the Orange Zoa I got in a clandestine coral exchange in a fast food parking lot.

 

[Elite]

Cool .. The orange zoa called dragon eye or maybe eagle eye ..

 

[Raddogz]

Adrian, when was the last time you took the pumps (all pumps) offline to be cleaned?

 

[Apon]

gee - I have never cleaned my pump in the tank...how often do you do it?

 

[stubbsz]

[quote author=Raddogz link=topic=3464.msg42686#msg42686 date=1210264055]
Adrian, when was the last time you took the pumps (all pumps) offline to be cleaned?
[/quote]

All at once... never. I clean them all from time to time. None of them has gone for more than a few months without a clean... couple of tunze's, Panworld return pump, BM160 pump, little pump that feeds the Carbon. All pretty regularly cleaned although I'm not doing it all the time. Haven't cleaned my Rio (shhh), in the Trash Can for a while that mixes my Salt. I'll clean him today as I'm WFH today

[quote author=Elite link=topic=3464.msg42685#msg42685 date=1210263040]
Cool .. The orange zoa called dragon eye or maybe eagle eye ..
[/quote]

Whatever they might be, they survive and stay colorful.

 

[Raddogz]

I like to clean pumps every other month, but it seems more like every 3 months in a vinegar bath. I don't normally don't clean them all at once usually one pump at a time.

 

[GrumpyDave]

Are you doing anything (besides the macro algae) to export phosphates? As I recall, if the "weeds" are taking it up fast enough, it will test zero, even if it is present. Also, some test kits are only sensitive to one kind of phosphorus - and there are 2 kinds, organic and inorganic (I don't recall if Salifert is one of those kits..).
After having no luck with Phosban, I started using the HC GFO phosphate reducer from Bulk Reef Supply, and it seems to be helping things out in my tank (and there are plenty of things wrong!) Also the HC seems to be harder, and is more resistant to clumping and/or grinding to dust.

If your're using carbon from BRS, they suggest only leaving it in the tank for about 3 days, unless you want it to start being the biological filter.

Just my $0.02 - I could be wrong...

dave

 

[stubbsz]

I do use carbon.... I tend to leave it in up to a month... I don't use phosban or any other phosphate removing media, just a good Carbon. I think Black Diamond at this time.

I hear different recommendations about Carbon every time I poke around on the net. Not sure what to do about that.

I also grow fluffy pink algae in the tank and yank it out on a regular basis Although it seems to be going away a little.
-Adrian