Origami

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Got it. I think you do, too. Good luck battling the dinos.

Kaiser, simply put: When the sample tests within the range of the meter without dilution, use that measurement. So, trust the 1.40 ppm measurement. But, also realize that the 1.40 measurement has an accuracy error associated with it. That same sample in another meter or with another reagent might measure out to 1.30 ppm or 1.5 ppm. Same sample, different readings. But ALL within the accuracy specification of the device. Only use the diluted sample if your undiluted sample exceeds the range of the meter. The instructions for that meter say you'll see a blinking "5.00" if that's the case.

Let's see what the results are. You should also send in a sample of your mom's tank water to note any differences that might be playing into this. It's odd to have two tanks, both being run the same way using the same water and stuff and to have one losing its residents, most notably, right after a water change. Reef Crystals is a good product. Most all RO/DI have carbon chambers. It's there to reduce membrane-damaging clorine. If you're using the same water for your mom's tank and yours, then I can't see how your RO/DI would have anything to do with it. Or your salt mix. Salinity shouldn't be an issue either as long as the same topoff approach is being used in both - that is, topping off with fresh (not salt) water. If your equipment isn't the problem and your water's the same, then it's a bit of a mystery. ICP-OES analysis will not tell you, however, if you have organic toxins, pollutants, etc. in your water because the process will break molecules up into their component elements and ions.

A pH probe taking a static (single) measurement would not give you any real hint of reduced alkalinity. However, one that plotted the alkalinity measurement over time (e.g., hour to hour, day to day, and week to week) can give you an indication that alkalinity is decreasing. Aquarium controllers like the Apex collect and display this sort of data. It's one of the ways I can tell if the CO2 in my calcium reactor cylinder has emptied. (I could look at the gauge, of course, but I can't tell you how many times it took looking at the pH curve to tell me that I needed to swap out cylinders.) pH has a daily diurnal cycle that rises during the day as CO2 is consumed by photosynthesizing zooxanthallae in the coral flesh. At night, photosynthesis shuts down and the coral polyps go into respiration mode - that is, they breathe oxygen and release CO2. The increase in CO2 causes the pH in your tank to drop overnight. Thus, a plot of tank pH over time looks like a sine wave of sorts, bottoming out in the early morning before the lights come on and peaking sometime during the day when the lights are brightest (typically close to when the lights go out). If alkalinity were relatively constant in your tank, this rise and fall (i.e., diurnal variation) would oscillate around a horizontal trend line. But, when alkalinity falls, the trend line of the diurnal variation is downward (toward more acid). Likewise, if alkalinity were accumulating, this trend line would be upward (toward more basic).

Assuming that you followed the dilution instructions correctly, your "before dilution" reading is more trustworthy. This is because of the specification for the Nitrate LR checker which Hanna specifies as follows: +/- 0.25 ppm +/- 2% of reading at 25C (undiluted); and +/- 2.5 ppm +/- 5% of calculated reading using dilution. So, from the first, undiluted, sample, your nitrate range is 1.13 ppm at the low end to 1.68 ppm at the high end. And, from the second, diluted sample, nitrate range is 1.14 ppm at the low end to 6.51 at the high end. Dilution is probably something you'd only do if your (undiluted) nitrate measurement exceeded the range of the meter (that is, 5.0 ppm).

The Spring Meeting date has shifted out to May 6, 2023. The Summer Meeting date has been brough in by one week to July 15, 2023. Speaker for the Spring Meeting is Marc Levenson (of https://www.melevsreef.com). Speaker for the Summer Meeting is Sanjay Joshi.

Because you seem to be tying fish symptoms to water changes, I'm concerned with your storage container (hyper tough you called it). I'm unfamiliar with that particular trash can, but if it's leaching plasticizers into your change water, you might see something similar to what you're experiencing. In the past, many of us limited our mixing and storage containers to the gray-colored Rubbermaid Brutes. Some other trash cans were known to be problems and were to be avoided. Today, I mix and store in 75-gallon food-grade HDPE containers, so I've not kept up on the trashcan scene. Perhaps somebody else can comment on this hyper tough can. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

Nitrates and phosphates aren't high enough to be a problem for fish. How long before a fish starts exhibiting symptoms (from the time you put it in the tank)? What are the symptoms (e.g., fast breathing, uncoordinated swimming, lethargy)? Any signs of discoloration on their bodies or gills? Some discoloration might look like bruising, or flecks of salt, or even like a coating of powdered sugar for example. Marine velvet, for example, can obliterate a tankful of fish in a matter of days. How often do you feed? Is it all consumed, or does waste settle onto the sand and in the corners? You have a lot of algae growth in some pics. Do you have any inverts living/thriving in the system (snails, crabs, etc.)? If the fish start exhibiting problems fairly quickly after being put in the tank, please test for ammonia and nitrite. I think somebody suggested you take a sample of your water to an LFS for testing. I'd do that soon. See the other unanswered questions in previous post and respond as quickly and as accurately as you can. Some key questions whose answers should be easy remain unanswered. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

[emoji106] I've had small collonistas get caught in my skimmer impellers but never in my intake. They do find a way sometimes, don't they? Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

What exactly are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels? What is your salinity? Are you topping off with fresh water? Do you have good surface flow? Are you dosing anything else you've not mentioned? What symptoms/behavior do the fish exhibit when unwell? Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

I can't tell you how many times over the years John and BRK have been there to save members' bacon in emergency situations. It's just one of many reasons that I ask people to support our local stores - to ensure they're here to help when we need help NOW, not in one or two days.

Thanks. Moving a tank with the plumbing attached stresses connections. You found that out. Quickest thing is to just replace the bulkhead. You will likely find one stocked at BRK. John always seems to have these sorts of things in stock at the shop. You also don't need the foam with that kind of frame. There's a risk that it's going to put more stress on the panels rather than less. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

These days, I run Radions over my main display but use Chinese "black box" LEDs over my frag tank. I tend to go through one of the black box LEDs every 3 or 4 years, so I always keep a spare on hand. As an entry-level light, they'll probably do just fine to meet your needs.

Post #12 says he's not and that he's relying on his CUC at this point, which is what the consensus is. He was merely asking for more information about fluconazole for personal knowledge.

yagerboy, can you post a picture of your tank - make sure we can see the bottom frame that you spoke of. If you have the kind of frame that we commonly think about, a foam pad underneath is a bad idea as the frame may settle into the foam (indenting it) and the foam may start to apply uneven pressure to the bottom panel. And what do you mean you "broke a seal?" Did you break a bulkhead fitting? Feel free to post pictures. They can be helpful.

No. I got capsules years ago from an online pet supply place. I just searched back then and found a relatively good price, and it all worked out. It has a shelf-life, though, so I wouldn't just buy it and hold it. If you search, try googling "fluconazole 200 mg capsules aquarium" or something like that to avoid getting the human-use listings (which require a prescription). You can generally find the stuff for anywhere from over $1 to around $3 per 200 mg capsule, I think.

Richard was good to work with. He's been in the business forever it seems. I've retired so I guess it makes sense that he may have also. My air freight pick up was at Dulles years ago. Like you, I found it easy despite never having picked up anything at an airport freight office before.

Yes, it's reef-safe. I've used it myself. But follow the instructions. It's normally advertised as targeting exclusively Derbesia (green hair algae) and Bryopsis but if others have had success with it against other nuissance algae (e.g., Valonia (bubble algae)), then that's a potential bonus.

Same here. Water leaked from an overflow bulkhead and ran to the frame where it flowed / rerouted and collected as salt creep. Sent from my Note 10+5g using Tapatalk

With a frame on the bottom, you normally would not use a foam pad. It's possible that the move may have flexed the silicone just enough to open up. Or that the surface it's sitting on now is not perfectly flat. Sometimes - just sometimes - a tank can settle in and the seam will close and stop leaking. About 15 years ago, I had a 55 that I was using as a frag tank and it was sitting on one of those snap-together, heavy duty six-foot racks from Costco or Sams (I can't recall). It had wire shelves and reportedly could hold something like 1,000 or 2,000 pounds. I lined one shelf with 3/4-inch plywood and set the tank on top, near the center. After a few weeks, I noticed salt creep near a bottom seam. I also noticed that the front and back rails (which were formed metal) were twisting slightly - a sure sign that the shelf was sagging (so much for load capacity!). I wound up stringing a piece of all-thread front to back in the middle of the beams and using fender washers and nuts pulled the twist out of the rails and unbowing the shelf. The leak stopped and never reappeared. Eventually I decided a 55 made a lousy frag tank and replaced it, but the point is, sometimes you can do things to close up an otherwise open/failing seam.

It's kind of cool how Richard has made a package out of what, for many that buy his rock, is a pest. For me, way back when, the G. wennerae was a curiousity that lasted in its own, dedicated tank for several years. I regularly fed it a bit of squid or shrimp placed at the end of a bamboo skewer when I didn't have some pest snail or crab to deal with.

Agreed. As noted in my post, I don't think you're anywhere near that. The information is provided, not only for your arsenal, but also for others that may find this thread someday in the future. For you, since the problem seems so isolated, I'd first give manual removal and the toothbrush/siphon approach a try. Then, bring in a minimum team of herbivores if needed - just enough that your tank can actually sustain to keep any problem under control. (That is, don't get so many that they eventually starve unless you're willing to toss more food in that can sustain them after they've done their job.)

Well, reading and asking questions is a great way to get a good foundation. Remember, there's often more than one way to do things. Also: Nothing good every happens fast in a reef tank. In the end, you're striving to build a stable ecosystem from the bottom up. That requires patience and understanding. Water quality is important - more so for some tank types than others. You can get there several different ways: Frequent water changes, and/or solid, diverse biological, chemical and mechanical filtration. You have to provide for the needs of your advanced life forms (food, water quality, light, temperature, chemical additives, etc.). There's a lot of "stuff" out there that you can buy - some of it's proven, and some of it's a lot of glossy marketing. It pays to understand how we got to where we are today. This hobby, for many years, was driven by hobbyists from around the world that experimented with ideas, and built solutions to problems that the strove to understand. The hobby is still quite dynamic and hobbyists have played a large role in developing technologies and methods used today even in large public aquariums and, for me, that's what makes it exciting.