Water Quality

[mnavick]

Where to begin.
Have a 5yr. old tank and after numerous threads have realized my sump was built completely incorrect (Detritus collector). Rebuilt re-using existing LS&LR and added Cheato. MY RO/DI TDS out meter is reading 0ppm however my nitrates,phospates and ammonia is close to toxic(tank water). Water tested directly from RO/DI is all 0 except for ammonia which is 3.0 (Mardel test kit). All my fish and minimal corals (BTA,Leather) are all doing well but I have hair algae going out of control. Tried the reduced feeding and no lights with slight reduction. I have gone thru close to 2 buckets of salt(Reef Crystals)in about 3 weeks doing water changes.Should I just be more patient because of a re-cycle or am I missing something?

 

[cujo6984]

i would do weekly water changes whats your skimmer pulling you do have one right?
what exactly are your #'s? how large is your bioload?

 

[mnavick]

I am running an ETSS Reef Devil. Produces about 1/2 cup of dark green scum a day. Bio load is: Koran Angel,Coral Beauty,2 Maroon Clowns,Blue Devil, Sailfin Tang, Naso tang and large cleanup crew plus 5 shrimp (Flame,Sexy and Peppermint).

 

[mnavick]

Woops forgot the numbers (from tank):
Ammonia 3.0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 60
Hardness 250
Alkalinity 24
Phosphates 3.5
PH 8.0
Salinity 1.023
Temp 78

 

[kraze]

The nitrates and the phosphates are helping to fuel the HA. I would advise a water change asap. As big of one as you can do. If that ammonia reading is correct, its very high. The water change will also help the nitrates a bit.
Can you think of any reason why the ammonia would spike that high? Did your old sump have a DSB? Was the LR out of water for a while? HAs anything died recently?

 

[cujo6984]

if your new water has 3ppm ammonia thats what your tank will have you have to treat the new water first

 

[mnavick]

Nothing has died, actually my BTA is full and beautiful. All my rock and sand was kept in a bucket of tank water (heated and circulated) while I rebuilt. The original sump had crushed coral (about 6"deep) with only 1 baffle. The new has 3 baffles (1 is incoming tank water, 2nd is LS,LR&Cheato, 3rd is Skimmer and return).
I have been doing water changes every 2-3 days for 3 weeks,ugh!!!! This is my dilemma.

 

[mnavick]

How does one treat ammonia coming into house from well water and using a RO/DI unit with only 1 month old filters (membranes are only 1.5yrs old/ Kent Marine Maxxima Hi-S Dual Membrane)????????

 

[mnavick]

Wondering if it could be my test kit (Mardel)? Anyone else use these?

 

[cujo6984]

maybe run some zeolite

wont hurt to get your tests run at a lfs to double check

 

[theone]

when you do a water change do you blow off the rock? you need to get all that detrus out. Simply doing water change IMO is useless unless you remove all the decayed matter from the tank

 

[mnavick]

Got my turkey baster, and I use it......

 

[nichols]

I'd double check your test kit. I find it kind of hard to belive you could have 3.0 ammonia and aren't having some healthy losses. Are you running a carbon block before your R.O.?

 

[mnavick]

Nope, no carbon block. Just a Lifegard Pentair Aquatics with a filter, and UV Sterilizer. Which the filter is washed weekly.
Dang this hobby::::::

 

[JayM]

If I read this right, there is detectable ammonia in your RODI water?

If that is the case, it is NOT 0 TDS.

You cannot add ammonia to a tank and expect to get nitrates down, since nitrates are a by-product of breaking down ammonia.

You need to get an ammonia-free water source, and do a large water change.

Run carbon in your tank

Skim wet

cut back on feeding

Get rid of any crushed coral, as it is a chemical trap for detritus and is probably holding phosphates and generating nitrates, which is fertilizer for your algaes.

You have little hope of controlling what goes on in the tank until you have a better grip of your water chemistry.

 

[mnavick]

Thanks for all the responses.
All the crushed coral is gonzo, for the exact reason.
The TDS meter is only about a week old.
In a previous post I'm going to bring some water to my LFS and let them look at it. Cant believe all I've gone thru that my RO/DI is putting out 3ppm for ammonia, hell all my fish would be dead and my wife and child would have 3 eyes
Something is definetly off.

 

[JayM]

other thoughts...if your RO membrane is 18 months old, change it.

lastly, test and see what a mixed up batch of water change water has for chemistry.

if either have much detectable ammonia, phosphates, etc, you're not gaining much by changing one set of bad water parameters for another

 

[mnavick]

Either my membranes are junk (Maxxima HI-S dual) or my test kit is false. Starting with LFS, cheapest of the 2. Thnaks again.