help, you read the story or you can read last sentence.

[pwj1286]

So I am working on a client's tank.

First off, its a 270. Next, the protein skimmer is a Berlin, the smallest model and it wasnt even running, and never has been. Then, the pumps are two Little Giant 3. Next, Bio balls in the sump. Rock stack that looks like a dog shat. No powerheads to circulate water. Water is 89*F. Never does water changes. NH4, NO2, and NO3 are out the roof. There are fish and corals dieing. The plumbing is shot. Cant see into the tank.

Everything is wrong.

Well after a couple weeks of water changes. 40% water cahnges per week for three weeks. 2 kilos of carbon, and TLC. The tank was stablizing and perameters were stable.

So I went to work on the 450 pounds of liverock. It was all stacked wrong. Took it all out. Left only large pieces and rescape the rocks.

8 days later, you cant see into the tank.

The tank water is a greenish yellow hue and cloudy white. What to do? I never experince this with any of my reef tanks.
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[waymack97]

tell them to get a new hobby.
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[Anonymous]

Offer them $50 for it, then sell it to someone who actually wants it.

Louey

 

[bleedingthought]

Did something get nuked? Did more things die? You might have squashed something when messing with the rock. Try doing a large water change and changing the carbon. :?

 

[Anonymous]

The tank water is a greenish yellow hue and cloudy white. What to do? I never experince this with any of my reef tanks.

What to do: get a Vortex diatom filter, I'd suggest the XL model due to the size of the tank. It should remove the cloudiness.

It sounds like a bacterial (and possibly algal, on top of it) bloom, probably triggered by a combination of tank disturbances and the reduced amount of rock present in the tank.

Carbon won't help. Water changes will treat the symptom, but likely won't keep up with the problem. A diatom filter will clear it all up, although considering the size of the tank I'd expect it might take a while.

The main worry if it is a bacterial or algal bloom is that it will dramatically lower the amount of oxygen in the water. If there's anything still living in there, I'd add a lot of additional aeration for the duration until things clear up.

 

[pwj1286]

Thanks for the replys guys, I did think it was bacterial, because it was similar when you put to much sugar into a reef tank, however it had alot of green it in so I was thinking bacterial and algal.

I wanted to see what you guys were thinking. Since diatom filters dont grow on trees, I have to use alot of filter floss for now.

Today I plan to do a 50 % water change and put more carbon into the tank. Maybe another kilo. I am trying to keep any ammonia and nitrite down.

When he wants to go through with it, I am replumbing it with PVC and putting a Deltec 851 on it.

To actually keep up with the fish load, it needs a water change at least once a week.

My client doesnt know how to take care of the tank, so he had some jerk take care of it. The professional just put in animal after animal and coral after coral and said "Well with saltwater its a 50:50 chance with those corals and fish. Sometimes they dont do well."

What a jacka$$?! He basically took $1,000's of dollars and put it into the tank and never did a water change in 6 months or tested the water or even bothered to check the damn temp of the tank. He stole their money.

I was really distrought. I was angry. HUGE 14 inch Rose BTA, dead. Lobos and Acans Lords, dead. Powder Blues, dead.

What a jerk. A diservice to the hobby and to the enviroment and all the time he knew what he was doing....making money.
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[bleedingthought]

I was really distrought. I was angry. HUGE 14 inch Rose BTA, dead. Lobos and Acans Lords, dead. Powder Blues, dead.

 

[Anonymous]

I was really distrought. I was angry. HUGE 14 inch Rose BTA, dead. Lobos and Acans Lords, dead. Powder Blues, dead.

:evil: @sshats like that irritate me. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Anonymous]

Problem is, that rock is probably loaded with detritus. I would get a vat of SW and swish the heck out of it.

 

[pwj1286]

Detritus was a understatment! It was top soil almost! lol. The water is GREEEN. To the point where you can not see in it.

The fish look fine though. Active and swimming around.

He doesnt have a RO system. So I got him one, but we can not hook it up just yet. working on were we will put it.

My LFS doesnt have RO water the machine is not working properly.

As of tonight, I put about two pounds of carbon into the sump.

I put a Deltec media reactor on it and a kilo of RowaPhos.

I hope that will put a dent into it.
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[pwj1286]

This tank is a real headache.

Lesson one that I have learned. Dont try to fix other people's mistakes, redo the damn thing.
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