Tank Crash

[ecam]

So after a long month of work and driving Paul, Jose and Kevin nuts with my sideline coaching as they "help" build MY tank stand and sump (Thanks guys you are great!!!!!!). I finally put my sump on line Sunday and to my horror I wake up the nect morning to a bleached tank and dead fish. I cannot figure out what happened. I used leftover (unused) FIJI Pink sand from a local reefer, GE Silicone II Clear on the sump and red sea coral plus salt for water .

Quick side note on the salt: i've slowly been introducing the salt into the system but being an idiot I filled my sump up with the new salt mix so I effectively did an 80% water change on my 120. Thinking this might be the culprit.

All paramters are in check and the 57 gallon was never put inline yet. So im not sure what could've happened. Could the Alk spike from 8 to 10 (red sea parameter) have taken out the tank. That would explain the coral but what about the fish? Any thoughts?

But sad to say my blossoming reef tank looks like its no more.

 

[Flare1185]

You don't mix the salt with RO/DI water separate but put it directly into the tank? Also did you wash the sand before putting it in?

 

[jgraz]

I used leftover (unused) FIJI Pink sand from a local reefer, GE Silicone II Clear on the sump and red sea coral plus salt for water .

Quick side note on the salt: i've slowly been introducing the salt into the system but being an idiot I filled my sump up with the salt and the new tank as well so I effectively did an 80% water change on my 120. Thinking this might be the culprit.

All paramters are in check and the 57 gallon was never put inline yet. So im not sure what could've happened. Could the Alk spike from 8 to 10 (red sea parameter) have taken out the tank. That would explain the coral but what about the fish? Any thoughts?

But sad to say my blossoming reef tank looks like its no more.

Was the sand live sand? If live, how old was this "leftover" sand. while I don't think this did in the tank, that coupled with the salt water could have just compounded things.

As to the saltwater, i think this is the main problem. The big jump in alk would def do in the coral, but im willing to bet there was also a large difference in the Ph, which would also explain the fish.

 

[Sunny]

The salinity is the most likely cause of the crash. If you added salt directly to the sump the salinity swing will kill everything.

 

[ecam]

No it was mixed. Salinity. Was at 1.023 and still is.

 

[hcker99]

My vote is the GE Silicone II Clear. It's been known to wipe out tanks due to the anti-mold/fungus additive.

 

[jgraz]

Still leaning toward the alk/Ph swing of such a large water change with a relitivly new salt mix for your system. Also like was pointed out in another crash thread, GE silicon II is not safe in aquariums

 

[ecam]

My vote is the GE Silicone II Clear. It's been known to wipe out tanks due to the anti-mold/fungus additive.

So. What do I do now with the silicone in the sump. Will it eventually dissipate or is the sump ruined?

 

[hcker99]

Honestly....you could probably pull the sump, scrape off every little bit of the silicone, bleach the hell out of it BUT....there is also a risk now that water has passed through the sump and back into the tank. Your gonna have to clean that tank like crazy. All sand/rock is now unusable (or atleast I wouldn't use it) due to the chemicals now being absorbed.

 

[jgraz]

I have read about plent of people using silicon 2 and having no problems, so this call is yours. In your case Im still leaning towards my first opinion. A huge water change with that big of a spike in alk will lead to death.

 

[ecam]

Okay, I need a plan of attack? If it is indeed the silicone? Will it run its course out of the system if I run it fallow?
or is the mold inhibtor like Copper and everything is essentially useless?

 

[hcker99]

I have read about plent of people using silicon 2 and having no problems, so this call is yours. In your case Im still leaning towards my first opinion. A huge water change with that big of a spike in alk will lead to death.

Some people have no problems what so ever using 2 others have their whole tank wiped out in a matter of hours. This would lead me to believe there are manufacturing inconsistency or there is an issue with shelf life.

An alk swing from 8-10 wouldn't bleach everything and kill fish instantly. You'd have alot of pissed off corals, corals closing up, slight discoloration, etc.. but definitely wouldn't kill everything in a 12-24 hour period even with that large of a water change. Now if you told me that he went from 8-13 for the last week then it's a possibility but not in such a short amount of time. The ph swing from the alk swing would have fish breathing rapidly and not looking so hot but the same thing they "should" have lasted longer than 12-24 hours like that.

 

[MatteZ]

The sand was dry sand. I purchased it from MarineDepot. So it needed to be washed again and then cycled. I just got too much of it and had it left over.

 

[ThatGuy]

When I had a tank crash for unknown reasons I just ran heavy carbon and it cleared up whatever it was. Didn't lose any fish but lost most of my corals in a 24hr period.

 

[AqOb]

Tend to agree w hcker99 we've done tons of lrg scale changes (even between brands of salt) and have never had wipe outs such as this...my guess is it had something to do with silicone which leads to the question of why are you using something not intended for aquarium use? why dont you just buy the silicone intended for aquariums?

 

[ecam]

Im a stubborn idiot is all i can say.... I read that it could be use and i did without research.... NO EXCUSE here

Tend to agree w hcker99 we've done tons of lrg scale changes (even between brands of salt) and have never had wipe outs such as this...my guess is it had something to do with silicone which leads to the question of why are you using something not intended for aquarium use? why dont you just buy the silicone intended for aquariums?

 

[kschweer]

What are your parameters?

 

[curt]

My vote is the GE Silicone II Clear. It's been known to wipe out tanks due to the anti-mold/fungus additive.

I'd take the sump out and start over.

 

[ecam]

I just read that the active ingriedent in the mold inhibtor... . Is ammonia. How can that be so catastropic but yet I can't detect any ammonia in my system?

 

[redfishbluefish]

ecambero's sump has been stripped of GE Silicone II and the baffles have been re-installed with GE Silicone I.

Finger's crossed.