xabo January 28, 2011 January 28, 2011 I think I know why my fish/corals are dying. The drywall above the tank was not water proofed as I beleived it to be. There's a hole in the drywall and it seems that that the dust/particles have been falling into the tank...DUH!!! How toxic is this dust/particles to the animals? Should I dump all 210 gals. and start over?
Origami January 28, 2011 January 28, 2011 Generally speaking, dust and particles should be no issue. There's always dust in the air. Most regular drywall is gypsum board. Gypsum is a chalky material that is mostly calcium sulfate dihydrate. I don't think it's very soluble in water. Even if it did ionize or was consumed, neither calcium nor sulfate should be at issue - both are very common components of sea water. What is causing the hole in the wall? Is something else coming through?
treesprite January 29, 2011 January 29, 2011 If your paint is flat paint, you should cover the wall surface around the tank with something. The wall behind my tank in the old apartment was a horror to see, because the corrosion went through a dozen layers of paint right down to the surface of the drywall tearing up. The ceiling was high, so no problem with that.
lowsingle January 29, 2011 January 29, 2011 Is it poopy water from a bathroom above it? Now that could cause a die off!
xabo January 29, 2011 Author January 29, 2011 No poopy water.....it's an in-wall with a 3-4" piece of drywall above it.
davelin315 January 29, 2011 January 29, 2011 Is it poopy water from a bathroom above it? Hey, no fair! My tank is still trying to recover from that!
Coral Hind January 29, 2011 January 29, 2011 Some minor drywall dust wouldn't be an issue. A larger amount might cause the pH to shift some. Since it is an in wall unit, could you get some FRP from home depot or lowes and place it over top of the drywall above the tank? That would protect the drywall and protect the tank from falling drywall dust.
Chad January 29, 2011 January 29, 2011 I agree, I have had drywall dust get into several tanks, the only issue that I could perhaps attribute to the problem would be diatom blooms. Since this is probably not your issue, what else is going on? What is your setup / equipment / water parameters / husbandry / etc.? Perhaps we can help figure this out.
Coral Hind January 29, 2011 January 29, 2011 Can you post a pic of the hole? I would just like to see what we are taking about. Like Chad said, post up as much info as possible for us.
xabo January 29, 2011 Author January 29, 2011 210 in-wall setup with 80 gal. sump. Sal=1.027 Cal=490 Alk=10 P=8.2 Temp=78 Phos=0.....lost 3 fish in the past 5 days,44 gal. water change biweekly. Zero polyp extension from the corals that are still alive.
zygote2k January 29, 2011 January 29, 2011 time to drain the tank and patch the hole. you might even try attaching some fiberglass sheeting to the area around the tank for water resistance. silicone the gaps and holes too.
Coral Hind January 29, 2011 January 29, 2011 Yeah, as I mentioned above, get some FRP and place over that sheetrock. What are you checking SG with? I would drop the SG down a little. I know many people want to keep the tank at 1.026-1.027 but to me it is pushing it. I think fish and corals can handle the SG in a slightly lower area and it still gives you that room to play in case you don't top the tank off as often as you should. I keep my tank at 1.024-1.025.
Origami January 29, 2011 January 29, 2011 I would be far more suspicious of the paint than the gypsum board given the picture.
xabo January 29, 2011 Author January 29, 2011 time to drain the tank and patch the hole. you might even try attaching some fiberglass sheeting to the area around the tank for water resistance. silicone the gaps and holes too. That's the plan
xabo January 29, 2011 Author January 29, 2011 Some minor drywall dust wouldn't be an issue. A larger amount might cause the pH to shift some. Since it is an in wall unit, could you get some FRP from home depot or lowes and place it over top of the drywall above the tank? That would protect the drywall and protect the tank from falling drywall dust. What's FRP?
Coral Hind January 29, 2011 January 29, 2011 fiberglass reinforced panel, the stuff used in public bathrooms. You could also cut, heat, and bend a thin sheet piece of plexi to cover that area and on up the side. Just another option that would be easy to do. Just leave what is there, don't patch it, just cover it up.
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