Large or small water change(s)?

[Smoker]

I just got rid of a green water problem. It took a week using Green Killing Machine (UV). My tests are crazy numbers so how would you proceed with water changes?

7.4 - pH and possibly lower
1.0285 - SG
.25 - Ammonia
5 - Nitrite
160 - Nitrate and possibly higher

20 gal. long est. March 1
Fluval C3 PF w/chemi-pure, Purigen and carbon
Phosphate reactor
1500 gph flow
132W LEDs on 8 hours
20Lbs. LR, 15lbs. base, 3 inch sand bed
Soft corals, snails, YWG, pencil urchin

 

[theplantman]

holy smokes, is there anything in the tank as far as livestock? if not, one massive water change, but you need to find the source of all those nutrients. Out of curiosity, where were phosphates?

Your ph is low for a reef tank anyway. Can you give us more info about the system. How old is it, how big, how are you filtering the water, how much live rock, sand bed or bare bottom, etc.

 

[Bearjohnson]

Yea I agree with theplantman. Those numbers are rough.

Your green water was more than likely an algae bloom in the water column.

With parameters like you're showing, I'd make sure nothing is dead and rotting in the tank.

Still need more info on the tank as already stated to proceed with some educated advice.

However, without any further information, water changes will be your friend to get things under control. I'd recommend a 30-40% WC to start followed by another 3 to 4 days later.

 

[Mayja]

Blahhhh! Okay - I'll jump in and also ask how old your ChemiPure/carbon is and I would suggest getting new ones since they're probably full of gunk. Check your phosbane in your reactor.

 

[sicksnoopy71]

Massive water changes every two days. (At least 50%) This gives your corals a chance to not stress as bad while you cut nitrates in half each time. This has happened to me before. If you just recently moved rocks around and aren't aware of how much your feeding, all that caught up food in sand bed and rock work will stir up and come out. Your filtration may do good in catching all waste right away showing for little phosphate but nitrates will shoot up since all that detritus is still there. Get some sand bed sifters to help with this ever happening again and remember to always stir things up prior to water changes to get maximization of detritus out. Good luck!:whstlr:

 

[Smoker]

holy smokes, is there anything in the tank as far as livestock? if not, one massive water change, but you need to find the source of all those nutrients. Out of curiosity, where were phosphates?

Your ph is low for a reef tank anyway. Can you give us more info about the system. How old is it, how big, how are you filtering the water, how much live rock, sand bed or bare bottom, etc.

Thank you for responding. The answers to most of your questions were given in paragraph 3.

I had nothing but snails in the tank when I got the green water. Source had to be the new live rock. It started growing fern algae before the terrible bloom. I removed most of it and put it in a dark tank.

Phosphate measures .03

 

[theplantman]

With that said, I would do the massive water changes 50% each if the snails are still alive and add the new water back in slowly so the snails can acclimate. Next kill the light completely for the next week or two and skim heavily. Stay on top of water testing and change 10% weekly until everything is in balance.

Make sure you are using a decent grade salt mix

PH should be steady at around 8.0 and salinity at 1.023-1.025

Before you add any more livestock, make sure your ammonia and nitrite levels stay at zero for a few days and you will have nitrate readings, do a 20-30% water change and you can start with fish and coral if you want. This is just in case your tank cycles again.

 

[Choff]

YWG = yellow watchman goby? This is your only fish in the tank? If so, that is your only ammonia source and your bacteria colony is very small. When you added new LR, if you didn't cure it first, then you certainly added a large dose of ammonia to the tank and threw your tank back into a cycle while the bacteria colony grows to handle the new rock. Keep in mind, that's a one time source of ammonia and the bacteria colony will die back down to only handle the ongoing load of the YWG once the ammonia from the new rock has been consumed. This is why you only add one fish a at time and always cure your rock before placing it in the tank. That said, the advice given above is good. Daily water changes to keep the ammonia/nitrite under control and get rid of those nitrates to give the softies a chance. As someone also suggested, even if you don't change the media in your fluval, take those bags out and give them a rinse. I am not a fan of fluvals, they trap detritus as they clog which become nitrate factories. Lastly, if you don't have one get a RODI for water changes or buy it from the LFS.

 

[Smoker]

I did a 50% water change. Ammonia and Nitrate readings stayed the same. Nitrite dropped from 5 to 1.