Post water change issues.

[Shetty54]

so every week I do a 10 gallon water change on my Biocube 32. Corals were doing fine for quite some time. Then this week when I did my water change nothing will open. Water temp of tank is 79. Water change temp 78. Supplemental light added for more coral support. Tank has been up for 4 months and this is the first issue. Any advice would be appreciated!

Pre water change Parmas:
Ammonia- undetectable
Nitrite- undetectable
Nitrate- 10 ppm
Phosphate- .1
Ca-450
kh- 11.5
Salinity-1.027
Ph-8.2

Post water change:
Ammonia- undetectable
Nitrite- undetectable
Nitrate-5.5 ppm
Phosphate-.1
Ca-470
Kh-12
Salinity-1.025
Ph-8.2

 

[lapin]

Could it be your water source. New box of salt?

 

[gbroadbridge]

so every week I do a 10 gallon water change on my Biocube 32. Corals were doing fine for quite some time. Then this week when I did my water change nothing will open. Water temp of tank is 79. Water change temp 78. Supplemental light added for more coral support. Tank has been up for 4 months and this is the first issue. Any advice would be appreciated!

Pre water change Parmas:
Ammonia- undetectable
Nitrite- undetectable
Nitrate- 10 ppm
Phosphate- .1
Ca-450
kh- 11.5
Salinity-1.027
Ph-8.2

Post water change:
Ammonia- undetectable
Nitrite- undetectable
Nitrate-5.5 ppm
Phosphate-.1
Ca-470
Kh-12
Salinity-1.025
Ph-8.2

How long has it been since the water change?
Perhaps some contamination in the new water?

I'd add carbon to the filter and prepare another water change just in case.

It may well resolve itself over a few hours.

 

[Shetty54]

so every week I do a 10 gallon water change on my Biocube 32. Corals were doing fine for quite some time. Then this week when I did my water change nothing will open. Water temp of tank is 79. Water change temp 78. Supplemental light added for more coral support. Tank has been up for 4 months and this is the first issue. Any advice would be appreciated!

Pre water change Parmas:
Ammonia- undetectable
Nitrite- undetectable
Nitrate- 10 ppm
Phosphate- .1
Ca-450
kh- 11.5
Salinity-1.027
Ph-8.2

Post water change:
Ammonia- undetectable
Nitrite- undetectable
Nitrate-5.5 ppm
Phosphate-.1
Ca-470
Kh-12
Salinity-1.025
Ph-8.2

Could it be your water source. New box of salt?

Using same water source since setup. But I am at the bottom of the bag of salt I’ve been using. Haven’t ran into this before though.

 

[Shetty54]

How long has it been since the water change?
Perhaps some contamination in the new water?

I'd add carbon to the filter and prepare another water change just in case.

It may well resolve itself over a few hours.

That’s what I was hoping but it’s been 10 hours since water change and everything is still closed up.

 

[Shetty54]

That’s what I was hoping but it’s been 10 hours since water change and everything is still closed up.

It’s been a week since last water change

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

So your corals are closed the whole week? Can you share some pics? Let’s see the corals.

 

[Shetty54]

So your corals are closed the whole week? Can you share some pics? Let’s see the corals.

No they’ve been fine. But after my water change this morning everything has been closed up. they usually aren’t closed for more than an hour after my water changes. Today, they haven’t opened back up. I tried uploading photos but it says my files are too large

 

[fish farmer]

Do you normally run your S.G. at 1.027 and dropped it with the WC to 1.025? Both params are fine, but maybe that ticked them off? Is your tool for checking that been calibrated recently?

I seem to annoy corals when I swing S.G. out of their preferred zone. Maybe the 1.027 was really 1.025 and you dropped it to 1.023?

 

[Shetty54]

No they’ve been fine. But after my water change this morning everything has been closed up. they usually aren’t closed for more than an hour after my water changes. Today, they haven’t opened back up. I tried uploading photos but it says my files are too larg

Do you normally run your S.G. at 1.027 and dropped it with the WC to 1.025? Both params are fine, but maybe that ticked them off? Is your tool for checking that been calibrated recently?

I seem to annoy corals when I swing S.G. out of their preferred zone. Maybe the 1.027 was really 1.025 and you dropped it to 1.023?

All my tanks I try to keep at 1.025…. Try. I work away from home so my wife keeps track during the week. But it just crept up to 1.027 while I was away. Assuming it was evap related. Will dropping .002 really have an impact like that?

 

[Shetty54]

Do you normally run your S.G. at 1.027 and dropped it with the WC to 1.025? Both params are fine, but maybe that ticked them off? Is your tool for checking that been calibrated recently?

I seem to annoy corals when I swing S.G. out of their preferred zone. Maybe the 1.027 was really 1.025 and you dropped it to 1.023?

I normally calibrate my refractometer monthly to keep things in check. With calibration solution.

 

[fish farmer]

Likely not....but just putting it out there. I've had my tank "high", fixed it with a couple water changes and then did calibrated and found it at 1.023.

 

[Shetty54]

Do you normally run your S.G. at 1.027 and dropped it with the WC to 1.025? Both params are fine, but maybe that ticked them off? Is your tool for checking that been calibrated recently?

I seem to annoy corals when I swing S.G. out of their preferred zone. Maybe the 1.027 was really 1.025 and you dropped it to 1.023?

So I just rechecked the refratometer and it was .002 high. So my salt level in tank as of right now is 1.023.

 

[Shetty54]

Likely not....but just putting it out there. I've had my tank "high", fixed it with a couple water changes and then did calibrated and found it at 1.023.

Good call!!

 

[radfly]

Ensure new water is at the same temp as the tank, and mix your new water at least six hours before water change, keeping a pump in the bucket to stir.

 

[Evil1]

Just my opinion but I think 10 gallon water change for a 32 gallon tank is a little too much. 4 gallons much better. It just might be your removing too much good bacteria in one shot. Fluctuating your parameters too much especially in such a young tank. Just my opinion. Not a big fan of weekly water changes.

 

[Shetty54]

Ensure new water is at the same temp as the tank, and mix your new water at least six hours before water change, keeping a pump in the bucket to stir.

Yes, i try to make sure it’s as close as i can get to tank temp. I mix the night before and give roughly 8-10 hours with a pump and heater.

 

[Shetty54]

Just my opinion but I think 10 gallon water change for a 32 gallon tank is a little too much. 4 gallons much better. It just might be your removing too much good bacteria in one shot. Fluctuating your parameters too much especially in such a young tank. Just my opinion. Not a big fan of weekly water changes.

How do you keep nutrients within check without a water change? I try to keep nitrates below 10ppm. To get my nitrates to around 5 I would need to do a 50% water change right? So that would come out to about 14 gallons. Or I could feed less to keep nutrients lower longer?

 

[Malum Argenteum]

If the tank lost 0.002 from a 30% WC, the specific gravity of the new water was not well matched to that of the tank. That would be my guess as to why corals are in a funk, and is another reason not to do large WCs.

 

[Evil1]

How do you keep nutrients within check without a water change? I try to keep nitrates below 10ppm. To get my nitrates to around 5 I would need to do a 50% water change right? So that would come out to about 14 gallons. Or I could feed less to keep nutrients lower longer?

Are you having issues with your nitrate and phosphate runny high? Softies and lps like dirty water then sps. Higher nutrients. 10 ppm nitrate and .05 and up to 1 ppm phosphate is generally fine for such. Best advice I can give is don’t chase numbers. Let the tank tell you when something is out of wack.