Woke up to find almost everything dead.
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namlessdude
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Salinity is at 1.026. 1.019 is old. Also, blue tang did die unfortunately
I would not worry about phosphate and nitrates right now. These mater when you try to do nutrients managment. Help with color of corals and sever ease algae growth. This is not what you should worry on right now.
For a small tank, 37 gal, I would use water change to manage nutrients and add Ca/Alk and Mg to maintain and keep balance of the major lever. Micro nutrients micro toxin manage by water change.
For a small tank, 37 gal, I would use water change to manage nutrients and add Ca/Alk and Mg to maintain and keep balance of the major lever. Micro nutrients micro toxin manage by water change.
Salinity can decrease quickly but to increase salinity I would just top off with normal salt water and let elaboration increase salinity.
namlessdude
Active Member
Sounds good. I will move my fish to the qt tank and change 90% of my water.
I’m sorry about the critters and I’m sorry for the confusion. Lots of people mean well but often we don’t know as much about the situation as we think, and consensus directions are often flawed or contradictory and sadly just wrong. PH adjustments have been proven to be potentially disastrous, in this case. The advice to fix it was not correct for the application.
An important lesson to understand is that following the steps others suggest can lead anyone into the wrong place then where they needed to go. Science is supposed to teach us how to think about things and how to make proper decisions.
Actually that’s the old fashioned approach. Nowadays science is telling people what to think so they don’t have to think for themselves, imo.
I strongly suggest folks do the research and hard work to understand the world that science can describe and understand how to make sensible applications for themselves.
Then understand what and why you need to do something or not, and be sure that the solution needs to be solved, or not.
Hint: Simple water changes where you match salinity and water temperature (using RODI not tap) is generally more than enough “dosing” to keep fish and many coral s quite healthy and happy.
My evil advice would be to take the pH booster back to the LFS and offer to demonstrate to them how “harmless” it is using one of their tanks. You can also just take it back and tell them your findings and let it go, probably the best way.
namlessdude
Active Member
I appreciate this more than you know. I understand that i have made mistakes along the way and like everyone I need to learn. I know that people generally mean to help and that it's hard to Guage tone through a text so I don't take it personally. I genuinely appreciate every comment someone leaves whether it's constructive or not because it all helps through a reality check or future education.
For those that care, i cleaned out about 95% of the water, cleaned of of the dead bristle worms from the sand and I am adding my new RODI water with salt, leaving it for a week to check back on the nitrogen cycle and alkalinity, then i will introduce the damsels (2 clowns and 1 bowtie). If you have any additional tips I am open to it!
I woke up this morning to find about 9 snails, 1 decorator crab, 2 fire shrimps, all my bristle worms dead. I feel incredibly defeated...
I checked parameters and my pH is at 8.2, phosphate at .25, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, ammonia 0, but my alkalinity was off the charts according so salifert test. I ran the titration and the color never changed which should mean its 16+dKH.
i have no idea why it spiked. I did dose the tank slowly over a week with marine buffer to raise my pH to 8.3 from 7.8.
My GSP corla isnt really thriving either and I have 1 more snail and 1 more designer crab that i need to save...
I will buy a phosphate pad for my filter which should decrease phosphate, but what the heck killed everything? What should i do??? I am a second away from shutting everything down.
Many marine buffers also raise alk, don't chase pH like this.
This is likely what killed everything.
namlessdude
Active Member
I definitely learned that the hard way. Thank you for confirming!
Be sure to read the directions of what you put in the tank. This is on Seachems website, I assume it might be on the bottle? Sorry the LFS steered you wrong. 
At least there wasn't a ton of coral in there yet.
For raising pH, people run a skimmer line out the window (beware of any pesticide use in your area) or use a CO2 scrubber on it.
That being said, you mostly don't need to chase/worry about pH this early on. Especially for soft corals. Once you have to dose 2 part (someday) if you have lots of growing SPS or LPS or coralline algae, then this can also raise pH. I never needed a scrubber or any fancy stuff once I started 2 part.
At least there wasn't a ton of coral in there yet.
For raising pH, people run a skimmer line out the window (beware of any pesticide use in your area) or use a CO2 scrubber on it.
That being said, you mostly don't need to chase/worry about pH this early on. Especially for soft corals. Once you have to dose 2 part (someday) if you have lots of growing SPS or LPS or coralline algae, then this can also raise pH. I never needed a scrubber or any fancy stuff once I started 2 part.
Spare time
10K Club member
I don't think you need to do a massive water change. Just get alk to at most 13KH.
Spare time
10K Club member
I don't think you need to do a massive water change. Just get alk to at most 13kh
Sucks, baby fish need to eat all the time, lots of frequent very nutritious foods. I suppose that is just like baby people... and kittens... kittens eat so much...
4-6 feedings a day for a tiny angelfish, I assume a tang is similar. It could do a number on your water quality and other inhabitants in such a young tank. Probably not worth the headache.
00W
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Sorry for all the disasters.
Many many threads with newbies (and others) chasing numbers and all the disasters that ensue.
Good job starting anew.
Just chill, go slow and let the tank do it's thing.
Enjoy.
Advice I give all newbies is pick someone you trust and go with that.
There's way too much information out there. It's confusing and some of it just plain wrong.
Study, research have fun take care of the animals.
Peace.
namlessdude
Active Member
Definitely gonna take it slower and simpler this time around so i'd start to feel the joy of it rather than wake up to a new disaster daily. My plan is to get my tank ready for the 3 fish i already have, then a week or so after ill maybe buy 1 or 2 snails to have some more diversity in the tank. I will then take a break and maybe culture copepods to then introduce them to the tank to create biodiversity like a different comment talked about and they would be a good source of food for some fish.
AetherealKnight
Active Member
Out of curiosity op are you using a hydrometer or a refractometer?
namlessdude
Active Member
Refractometer
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