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Awibrandy

Old School Reefer
Location
Far Rockaway
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Don't know if any of you recall the disastrous stupidity on my behalf that totally devastated my FOWLR back in January,2008.

It all began with a small outbreak of ich which I decided to attack asap. Called my local lfs for ich med. that a member had told me about, but no one had it. So I expanded my search a little further, nothing. But while on the phone with one of the lfs I was told of a med that the person used all the time for over 20 years in tanks with lr with no ill effect on the biological filtration. I drive out to pick it up, it is "CopperSafe". I say to the guy, this is impossible, it is a copper med. You cannot use copper base meds, and not kill of the biological filtration. He insist that he has been using the same med in his fowlr with no ill effects.
So, STUPID me decides that if it worked for him why wouldn't it work for me. So I buy the only bottle he had left (a gallon). Get home do a water change, clean off all the lr in fresh pre made ro/di w/salt, temp, and ph all in concordance to the par in the fowlr. Put the tank back together add the recommend dose of the Copper Safe 1/4 cup for 120 gallon tank.
Watched in horror as my Majestic kield over, followed by my cow fish the next morn, bluethroat trigger that afternoon. And the other fish looking absolutely miserable.
I immediately called CopperSafe manufactures, and left an urgent mess. A young woman called me back that afternoon. She told me that I had been lied to, CopperSafe does not claim to be safe for inverts, or biological filtration. And further more definitely not safe to use with Angelfish, eels. She stated that I had used the correct amount of the med., but NOT to add any more. And to start doing weekly water changes to rid the tank of the med, and to add a product that removes copper (don't really remember the name, think it was CopperRid). Did as directed, and I called the person at the lfs who to this day insists that CopperSafe is safe to use with live rock.:irked:

Now here is my dilema!! It has been 4 months, and I have not been able to get this tank back to what it was.:eek:
I had been doing weekly 20% water changes, running activitated carbon. Which I then switched to bi-weekly thinking less water changes would give the bio to re-develop. I also added Biozyme, and still the tank has a cloudy appearance. It did clear up briefly about a month ago, but it is back to being cloudy.
I have even scaled back my feeding to every other day. All in the hopes of fixing this.
And the WORSE part is that my tangs which were fine for the two years that I had them now have HLLE. My Desjardini Sailfin being the worse one off.
I soak their food in Selcon, Vitachem & Garlic Extreme.

So what else can I do?

Wanted to add that the other fish Dog_Face Puffer, Eel, GS Maroon Clown, Volitan Lion are all doing just fine, have even grown quite a bit over the past 4 months.
 
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KathyC

Moderator
Location
Barnum Island
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Not sure that Biozyme is helping..
Purpose: For water treatment, Benefits of Biozyme-F50 and Biozyme F-100 is a combination of micro-organisms and enzymes for the purpose of controlling and maintaining water quality which have organic toxins built-up such as ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, sludge, B.O.D. etc., in ponds and aquarium.
The build up of organic toxins as nitrated, phosphates, sludge, B.O.D. and others not easily bio-degradable by-products will still be present in an efficient biological filter.
The reason for this is because the nitrosomonas and nitrobacterium are the domineering bacteria populations in the biological filter and they caused the other essential bacteria's to under populate. This is why Biozyme need to be added, in order to maintain the other essential bacteria's population for the purification of the water.
If I was going to choose a product to increase the bacteria I'd use Cycle, if anything at all.
I'd ramp up the water changes to weekly (or even twice a week as the small amount of bacteria that MAY be removed from the water column will have a chance to build back up over the course of 2 to 3 days) and change only 10% of the water making sure the parameters in the new water are in perfect.
What are they currently..ammonia, nitrtite..etc?
The HLLE is a probably (usually) a water quality issue, and the frequent water changes should help that out. You might possibly try a HUGE water change to start off with to stop the progression of the HLLE ..but be sure to add a product like Cycle to give the bacteria more of a jump start.
(I know that contradicts what I said earlier but, you have a couple of battles going on here and I'm sure the HLLE is driving you & the fish crazy) After that I'd go with the twice a week water changes til all calms down in there.

I'd also change the carbon at least weekly and be sure you are using a good quality carbon (like Black Diamond).
Like how I'm spending your money for ya? :)

Please go back to feeding them daily as the added stress for the fish with the issues could possibly bring on more issues...:eek:
 

Awibrandy

Old School Reefer
Location
Far Rockaway
Rating - 100%
182   0   0
Hum:scratch: ESV carbon not good?

I'll pick up some cycle. Should have said feeding frozen foods (Formula 1 & 2, Mysis{on occasion Rod's Food}), prawns, silver sides soaked in Selcon, Vitachem & Garlic Extreme every other day.;) With Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef flakes, and Omea One Super Veggies on the other days.
PARA:
Temp. 79 - 80 (81 right now @ 3PM)
SG 1.20
PH 8.3
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates -20


This is the Biozyme that I am using.;)


Saltwater Biozyme

Biozyme is a living system of beneficial bacteria in concentrated form, which is activated upon introduction to water to convert lethal ammonia and nitrite to less harmful nitrate. It quickly reduces fish wastes to inert substances and breaks down organic buildup in gravel beds.
It has an unlimited shelf life, as opposed to liquid enzymes. These bacteria contribute to the production of the nitrogen cycle, which is critical to all aquatic systems. This material gives you the option of increasing the activity of an already established filter, or reactivating a filter damaged by medications. Helps prevent "new tank syndrome" when used for establishing new aquariums.


Other then the water changes & cycle what else would you guys do?
I also have lr rubble in the sump, and a Berlin in sump skimmer that I can't seem to get it working properly. I'm thinking I should remove the lr rubble.
 
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NYreefNoob

Skimmer Freak
Location
poughquag, ny
Rating - 99.4%
168   1   0
i use esv carbon myself, not changing brand's, awi i am starting the prodibio this week, not saying it will help but read through their site, i would suggest getting a cup of sand from a establish tank or small rubble rock
 

Awibrandy

Old School Reefer
Location
Far Rockaway
Rating - 100%
182   0   0
i use esv carbon myself, not changing brand's, awi i am starting the prodibio this week, not saying it will help but read through their site, i would suggest getting a cup of sand from a establish tank or small rubble rock

Ummmm! Please keep me posted on the prodibio. I'll probably take a rock, or sand out of my reef.
 

Awibrandy

Old School Reefer
Location
Far Rockaway
Rating - 100%
182   0   0
I'm not sure what the problem is but a salt water tank should never be cloudy unless you don't have enough flow and water breakage in the tank. The only other thing would be an algae bloom.
Ah ha! I think you have the answer. I keep scraping red slime like gunk off of the rocks every few weeks..

When I say cloudy, I do not mean milky white. Just not as prestine as my 155 & 20. And to further the mystery if you look at the tank through the front panel it looks just a little cloudy, but if you look through the side panel it appears cloudier.
As for flow this tank has a Eheim 1262 return trottled back a bit to compensate for the small sump.(working on remedying that), and 4 MJ1200. So I don't think flow is the problem.
What disturbs me the most aside for the HLLE on the 2 tangs, is the darn nitrates being at 20ppm. It will not budge from there.
Just had a thought. Could the puffer's puffing at the sand bed continously be the cause of this cloudiness?
 

Pinkheine

No More Room :-(
Rating - 100%
18   0   0
When we had our fish only it was always cloudy looking until we put some floss in the overflow before everything to polish the water. We mainly had Triggers, a Puffer etc. They were always moving sand or rocks around. So there was always some type of debris floating in the water. The floss/polyfill helped clear it up.

As for the nitrates.. hmmm :scratchch
 

Awibrandy

Old School Reefer
Location
Far Rockaway
Rating - 100%
182   0   0
When we had our fish only it was always cloudy looking until we put some floss in the overflow before everything to polish the water. We mainly had Triggers, a Puffer etc. They were always moving sand or rocks around. So there was always some type of debris floating in the water. The floss/polyfill helped clear it up.

As for the nitrates.. hmmm :scratchch

Thanks for the floss idea. I don't have overflows in this tank. But I do have micron socks that I am not using I think I'll try using them on this tank drain pipe.;)

Now if you come up with a solution for the nitrates you better let me know....J/K Please do let me know..
 

ecvernon

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 100%
170   0   0
red slime

do you mean red slime like cyano bacteria? When i had a outbreak in my fowlr tank i was able to control it. It started as thick slime re-occurring everyday to coming back slightly every week or two. Even though it was hardly noticable in the end, the water just was not clear as i wanted it to be. i used chemi clean then shortly after it was gone and water crystal clear..(not sure if it applies to your situation)
 

Awibrandy

Old School Reefer
Location
Far Rockaway
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182   0   0
Thanks for all the replies guys!;)

I will get some algea plants as I was thinking of doing this anyway since obviously cannot pretty up the tank with corals.;)
G, your idea is basically what I was thinking with the addition of algea plants. I don't want to have to add a light to the stand. I don't think I have anymore outlets left.lol

Dex, I do have a grounding probe that I need to install if I can figuer out how to.;)

Oh, and the tank is pretty clear this morning.
 
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Tito

Advanced Reefer
Location
Perth Amboy, NJ
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5   0   0
You don't have enough bio bacteria. If I was in your shoes - I would use BioSpira. This is tried and tested LIVE bacteria. Typically when a tank has that slightly couldy look it means that there are other bacteria thriving. When enough biological bacteria populate the tank the other bacteria begin to die off and the water becomes sparkling clear. Good luck!
 

Awibrandy

Old School Reefer
Location
Far Rockaway
Rating - 100%
182   0   0
You don't have enough bio bacteria. If I was in your shoes - I would use BioSpira. This is tried and tested LIVE bacteria. Typically when a tank has that slightly couldy look it means that there are other bacteria thriving. When enough biological bacteria populate the tank the other bacteria begin to die off and the water becomes sparkling clear. Good luck!

Thanks Tito, this is what I have thinking all along. You have given me something to research, and possibly purchase that will correct what happened.

I will still be looking to the algea plants for the nitrate issue even if 20 ppm is not suppose to be so bad for a fowlr I still don't like seeing that little tube change colors.;)
 

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