Tank Crash - 4 weeks later, dying Micro Algae???

[roypersson]

Hello,

About a month ago I went away for two weeks leaving the care of my 55 gallon reef tank in the hands of two people who have no saltwater tank knowledge. Their only job was to watch water levels in the sump and make sure everything looked "okay".

I came back to find my only two fish (Blue Chromis) floating belly up. Somehow this slipped the careful guard of my appointed help. I quickly removed them and executed a 50% water change. I noticed that my mushroom, zoo's, kenya, and frog spawn all looked frail. The zoo's were covered in white film as was the Kenya tree. They were bleaching out it seemed.

I administered weeks of 10% water changes.

In a very interesting note at no point where my Nitrates, PH, Calcium, Magnessium, of Alk ever reporting anything abnormal. Seems I caught the death and destruction in on set. I still to this day can't figure what triggered that.

A month passes while I let my tank (and whatever happened) stabilize.

I looked into the sump tank last night and noticed most of the macro algae (Culpera stuff) was dying / dead / gone!

I looked back at my tank to see the snails and crabs having a great time.

This mystery is beyond me!

A few other facts:
- Added Blue Chromis (Jan 2011)
- Added Kenya (Jan 2011)
- Added Zoo (Feb 2011)
- Added Mushroom (Mar 2011)
- Added Frog Spawn (Apr 2011)
- Salinity levels never spiked
- temperature ranged from 80 - 83
- a week before the event of death power to my building went out. I was there when power was restored and a day later everything was still alive

I'm perplexed by this mystery... It's been a month this week and I want to get back to adding things... but this recent macro algae death has me concerned that whatever is lurching is waiting to bring more death. Is there something I'm not thinking about here?

Thanks in advance!

Roy

 

[Mattl22]

Do u have test kits ? What u using to measure salinity ?

 

[sillysidewinder]

I'm sure you're aware, however, the temp is a little high. Couldn't that at least be part of the problem? It seems your water levels are in check, however have you checked phosphates? Im interested to see what the problem turns out to be.

 

[roypersson]

Yeah temp is running high but shouldn't wipe out all life. I do have test kits. Salifert for for MG and Alk. I'm using API for all others. I have a refractometer. My salinity have never dipped below 1.20 or over 1.25 since I had the tank. Sometimes the salnity level might move up or down .1 or .2 on a water change due to an improper water mix ratio - but never any significant spike.

 

[sillysidewinder]

I would not be surprised if you're getting jaded results from the API test kits. I have heard that results from those kits are much less accurate than with the Salifert kits. I would definitely take a sample of water into the LFS and have them test it for you.

 

[Breezp]

I'm sure you're aware, however, the temp is a little high. Couldn't that at least be part of the problem? It seems your water levels are in check, however have you checked phosphates? Im interested to see what the problem turns out to be.

The temp in my 8gal nano gets as high as 86 at some points and my coral don't even close up. Obviously I wouldn't wanna keep flirting with temperatures like that but 83 shouldn't be a reason for death UNLESS the temperature jumped that high very quickly and shocked the fish

 

[albano]

is your sump lit 24/7?
IME caulerpa under day/nite light cycles will often 'just die off' or 'go sexual' to reproduce.
My sump/refugium has been lit 24/7/365 for 8 years...never had a die off.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

The temperature goes with oxygen hand in hand.
If your tank is of little water movement, even 82 is too hot for some tank while I have seen a SW fish tank with constant 89 degree and the fish are like under influence of ecstasy, swimming like there is no tomorrow.

There are many reasons for macros to melt, reproduction could be one, missing certain minerals such as iron could be two and there are numerous others too. Hard to pin point.

I have a system that the macro algae swing between couple species for dominance.

 

[roypersson]

No I only have two 6 hour light cycles. I can increase it to 24 hours straight.

So Macros can just die off? That would make some sense as my Chado (however you spell that) is just fine as well as this little red macro a friend gave me. Only the Culpera died off.

As for the test result kits. I know many distrust the API. But I have a 55 gallon tank that had two fish and about 4 coral with a full sump / filtration set up. It's a little challenging to get a nitrate spike going there. Once API runs out I will upgrade it.

 

[mazon56]

sry to hear about the losses. Do u use ro or tap?

Sent from my DROIDX using Reefs

 

[roypersson]

I was using simply DI water. The TDS of water was approaching 10 tds the week of the crash but one water change of 5 gallons at 10 tds shouldn't wipe a tank. I just installed my RO/DI unit last night (excited).... does it normally take 30 minutes to make 5 gallons! Geez

 

[albano]

I just installed my RO/DI unit last night (excited).... does it normally take 30 minutes to make 5 gallons!

10 gallons an hour! that's 240 GPD...how big is that RO unit!!!!!!

 

[pauliwalnuts]

10 gallons an hour! that's 240 GPD...how big is that RO unit!!!!!!

And what brand and model is it ?

 

[darod850]

And what brand and model is it ?

My takes about 45min to fill a 5gallon, got mine from melevs

 

[albano]

My takes about 45min to fill a 5gallon, got mine from melevs

that would be about 150 GPD...is that what you purchased?

 

[darod850]

that would be about 150 GPD...is that what you purchased?

Exactly. he also sells it with a booster pump that makes it like 250gpd

 

[MatthewScars]

83 is not high. My tank runs 80-84 in the summer and i have zero issues.

Also, 10tds is nothing. I know people here that have success without RODI using NYC 40 TDS water just fine.

I'd guess:

-They GROSSLY overfed the tank.
-A fish died randomly and decayed spiking the Ammonia to insane leaves
-Old pump/heater/EQ got rusty and started putting toxins in the tank.
-Your friends dosed/dropped/sprayed/threw/exploded something highly toxic near or area the tank.

This is if all measurable parameters were normal.

 

[allenjj]

Caulerpa has a tendency to begin to reproduce if kept in day/night cycles and will deplete the tank of oxygen in the water. My ORP went from 425 to 80 overnight when the Caulerpa went into reproduction mode. To keep it from doing that, you need to keep it in light all the time.