Please help, I'm killing everything

[BalaShark]

Hi All
Please help, I'm killing everything. I have set up my 30g about 2 months ago, live rock and live sand.
I monitored the cycle and now that the algea bloom started, I decided to put a cleanup crew in, but.........the first batch I got all died, I replaced them last night, and they seem to have died as well when I looked this morning.

The water parameters are all 0, accept the pH, around 8.4~8.5, Sg 1.023
It kills me to know that I am killing my critters, I just don't know what I am doing wrong.

Please help with suggestions/questions.

Regards
Tony

 

[MrBungle]

how did you acclimate the crew?

 

[SALTY WATERS]

What is your tank temperature?
What kind of water are you using (ie. Tap, RO etc.)?
What kind of Salt mix are you using?
And as well (as asked above) how have you been acclimating the live stock?

 

[BalaShark]

Thanks for all the questions. Here we go

What is your tank temperature?

82 DegF

What kind of water are you using (ie. Tap, RO etc.)?

Well water

What kind of Salt mix are you using?

Instant Ocean

And as well (as asked above) how have you been acclimating the live stock?

After I got home, I left them in their bags for an hour in my tank to get the temperature stabilized. Then I opened the bags, and added approx 1 ounze of tank water to the bags every 10 minutes. Did that until the bags were full, disposed of 1/2 the water in the bags, and started adding again. The complete acclimating period took from 4pm to 9pm last night.

 

[SALTY WATERS]

Temp is good
Have you tested your well water for contaminants?Salt mix is fine
I would only float the bag for 20min and then start adding in the water. An hour is way to long for just floating (there is only so much oxygen in the bag, though I doubt that had anything to do with it). Total acclimation should only be 45 min-2hrs max (IMO)


Oh ya and when you say everything is at 0 what is everything?

 

[BalaShark]

Have you tested your well water for contaminants?

Contaminants? I have a test kit for pH, Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia

I would only float the bag for 20min and then start adding in the water. An hour is way to long for just floating (there is only so much oxygen in the bag, though I doubt that had anything to do with it). Total acclimation should only be 45 min-2hrs max (IMO)

I was following the directions from the supplier @ www. petsolutions.com Got the stuff delivered. The critters were doing fine while acclimating. All moving and ready to rock.

Oh ya and when you say everything is at 0 what is everything?[/QUOTE]Nitrate, Nitrite and Ammonia

 

[SALTY WATERS]

Yes contaminents from stuff like, bacterial, viral, farm waste runoff, lawn chemicals, acid rain, etc. You should have your well tested at least once a year especially if you are drinking it yourself.

 

[BalaShark]

Yes contaminents from stuff like, bacterial, viral, farm waste runoff, lawn chemicals, acid rain, etc. You should have your well tested at least once a year especially if you are drinking it yourself.

of course. Sorry for that stupid question. It was tested 3 months ago and came back with very good results. 100% servicable as drinking water.

 

[Lotus]

I'd guess that you have copper in the water, or something else that's safe for humans, but not for inverts.

 

[BalaShark]

I'd guess that you have copper in the water, or something else that's safe for humans, but not for inverts.

Are there ways to test for that? Any suggestions please?

 

[Mahamotorworks]

Also Even tho you have Well water are you useing any Water conditioner? It may be something that you should look into.

MAHA

 

[SALTY WATERS]

Copper is one possibility!
You can purchase copper tests at your LFS though I do not know how small amount they will detect but any copper in your system is bad on a lot of marine life.

was your tank previously used before and may have had copper meds used in it?

 

[Lorna]

My guess it is either copper in the well water or other heavy metals that are okay for humans but not inverts. This may be the case also I have well water too and it is very very high in calcium/lime which is not the type you want in your tank......and iron. The well water is extremely hard and not in a good way. If your copper tests out I would then do the extreme and completely drain everything....and refill using ro/di water only.....

 

[TRe]

when u say u moniterd the cycle did u get a spike in ammonia then it level back to 0 ??? did you have any nitrates??? also ive never ordered from that site well i havnt ordered livestock from any site cause i was scared this may happen

 

[BalaShark]

Also Even tho you have Well water are you useing any Water conditioner? It may be something that you should look into.

Just a water softener

Copper is one possibility!
You can purchase copper tests at your LFS though I do not know how small amount they will detect but any copper in your system is bad on a lot of marine life.

Will get a test kit for Cu today

was your tank previously used before and may have had copper meds used in it?

Yes to the first Q and no to the second

My guess it is either copper in the well water or other heavy metals that are okay for humans but not inverts. This may be the case also I have well water too and it is very very high in calcium/lime which is not the type you want in your tank......and iron. The well water is extremely hard and not in a good way. If your copper tests out I would then do the extreme and completely drain everything....and refill using ro/di water only.....

Well, here we go again. I'll go for the ro/di water. Another start*DRUMMER*

when u say u moniterd the cycle did u get a spike in ammonia then it level back to 0 ??? did you have any nitrates??? also ive never ordered from that site well i havnt ordered livestock from any site cause i was scared this may happen

Well, it happened to me. Yes, the cycle was just as you said, even monitored the graphs on MS Excel

 

[Limi310]

I'm not sure...but well water running through a water softer doesn't seem good for a SW tank. Is it the kind of water softner you put salt into?

I would try again with RO for sure.

 

[SALTY WATERS]

It's gotta be your water ... always best to use RO water that way there is no guessing!

Live and learn

 

[BalaShark]

So I couldn't find any RO water at the lfs, can I use distilled water?

 

[Lorna]

I have heard not to use distilled.....you are better off going to the local grocery store and buying it in bulk....or Culligans. Look in the yellow pages for water filtering suppliers......Most places have bulk sale places where you can buy big 5 g bottles for coolers.....That is where I got my initial water from then I now go to the grocery and buy it from there they have a bulk dispenser...though I just bought an ro unit from www.airwaterice.com Products and answers for your water treatment needs. works like a charm though to up the production I will need a booster as do most on a well....low pressure.

 

[CoolWaters]

just take it to a good LFS (i mean good!! others will rip u off buying usless junk)
and ask them to test it.

aim for 78-79 degrees thats like the best mid pt and gives the best results