going nuts

KeishaKornbread said:
Sweetie, that calcium is higher by twice the level it should be. I don't see how it's not already percipitating.

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which goes back to the question what test kit are you using?
 
my biggest is how did the ammonia and nitrite spike. was it disturbing the sand. or could adding two fish spike it like that in less than a day
 
1mg said:
my biggest is how did the ammonia and nitrite spike. was it disturbing the sand. or could adding two fish spike it like that in less than a day
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Both are reason for a spike. However a sandbed only 3 or 4 months old shouldn't be a problem, it is when they aren't disturbed for a long time that it can cause a spike plus other nasty toxic compounds. The fish depending on how big your tank is and how much you have increased your feeding could also cause a rise in ammonia levels.
 
thats what i was taking into acount is each drop is 20ppm. i was thinking the cyano that was on the sand bed caused the spike when it decaded. i tryed manualy to remove it and some got mixed in with the sand. the two fish are small and i only feed them once. but i did have a xenia get lost in the sand when it blew off the rock into the sand. but i would think only the dying cyano would cause more than the filters could handle
 
Man why every one knocking api its what i use . 1200 cal holy chit batman. unless u knocked a whole bottle of purple up in u tank u test might be expired. Now i not saying there isnt better test kits out there. But i been useing api for years for all my test well least when i test which isnt often :p. I gotta read more hold on
 
madjoe said:
Man why every one knocking api its what i use . 1200 cal holy chit batman. unless u knocked a whole bottle of purple up in u tank u test might be expired. Now i not saying there isnt better test kits out there. But i been useing api for years for all my test well least when i test which isnt often :p. I gotta read more hold on
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JOE!! You don't even test!!
 
jm23 said:
Vitamin C can be a great carbon source, but in a smaller tank it is a lot easier to overdose (which can cause lower oxygen levels due to the increase in bacteria). I would stop the Vitamin C for the time being until you can isolate your problem. In regards to the LEDs, how long have you had them? If the corals were doing fine under them for some time, it is probably not a lighting issue. If you just got the LEDs, they are known to deliver a lot of par and can give light shock to corals at first, go slow with ramping them up and placing corals higher in the tank. We need the following (as was stated above) in order to best help you:

  • Temp:
  • Salinity:
  • Calcium:
  • Alk:
  • Mag:
  • Ammonia:
  • Nitrite:
  • Nitrate:
  • Phosphates:

Other things to check for would be someone spraying chemicals (windex, febreeze, scented candles, etc) in the area. Are you using RO/DI water or tap? Try running some carbon to help clean up any possible chemicals that are in the tank water (rinse the carbon first). And like was said above, take a step back and breathe.
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Good info. But i would worry about windex and febreeze to much i spray the heck out my tank with windex almost every day . The top suggestions would most likely cause the issues u haveing vc can work wonders but can screw things up too seen it crash systems . Dosing anything wrong can be very bad
 
everything looking bad was the reason for the vit c. only geen doing it for a few days. unless it causes ammonia and nitrite beyond what my lr and dsb can handle
 
try this, do a huge wc, then leave your tank alone for a few months, no dosing anything but fod for fish and FW for top off. do WC when you see hair algea or a yellowing of the water. shoot for these parameters: 8dkh, 440 calcium, and 1200 mag. dont use VIT c, if you want to carbon dose use vinegar but buy a better skimmer. but with a tank that small just do WC when you see the tank gets more algea. dont over feed your fish or coral. trust me you will get out of this. everyone makes noobie mistakes, especially me. just listen to us.
 
I tend to agree, vit c, or even carbon dosing of any type should be left until you are a more experienced reefer, dosing anything other than 2 part I would consider advanced reefing technique and you need to be comfortable enough with you livestock to be able to detect when its starting to be unhappy. With a lightly stocked tank like this, 10% WC once a week, maybe run GFO/Carbon if you want, make sure you change out carbon and all sponges/filter socks during the WC, change GFO monthly if using.
 
ya im stopping the vit c. i guess if the zoas melt so be it. my skimmer skimmes as good as any i seen in action in person or on youtube, even if it is a bottle of absolute. my diy is pritty good im a machinist/engineer by trade. i did a 20gal wc and i planned on doing the same in a couple days, unless you guys advice against it. it is ironic the torch smitty gave me is still just thriving for support lol. i think my damsel might bite the sand, cause there is now dust in there. but the wrasse is good. am not sure about every thing else.
 
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