Help! TFE paste?

rmlevasseur · 01-19-2009, 03:47 PM

I just replumbed in a huge new sump, and I have to say I did a crappy job of transitioning. My corals are in distress but my fish seem fine. I heard TFE paste was reef safe on pipe fittings, but I have water that is cloudy and not clearing. I may have just made a huge mistake. Anybody use this stuff and can post their results with it? It sure makes a nice seal. I'm running carbon like crazy but my ORP crashed and water is cloudy.

yungreefer2410 · 01-19-2009, 04:36 PM

BigAl07 · 01-19-2009, 04:39 PM

ORP is short for oxidation - reduction potential. It's companion term is Redox. Redox is a chemical term referring to an oxidation-reduction reaction. These guys work as a team, so one can't happen without the other one.

Reefs.org: Where Reefkeeping Begins on the Internet - Redox and ORP

rmlevasseur · 01-19-2009, 05:09 PM

What Al said. I have found that ORP is the best and quickest way to tell if something is going on with your water. ORP monitors are also necessary when running ozone.

Folks on RC are saying TFE paste is safe, and maybe the oils are coming from the new pipes and acrylic. The is a monster sump, hopefully that is what it is. But I have never freaked out my corals like this before so I'm very worried. My hope is that all is well because my fish are doing just fine and all are eating and acting 100% normal.

lcstorc · 01-19-2009, 06:13 PM

Sometimes you just have to give them a chance to settle in.
Hopefully things will turn around soon.

reefer4200 · 01-19-2009, 06:37 PM

i had a stint like this and i hope it turns around asap for you. best of luck

rmlevasseur · 01-20-2009, 08:20 PM

OK guys, I'm stumped and worried. My water is still cloudy and its been over 48 hours. My xenia are shrunken little things, my huge froggie is all closed up, and my montipora and sps frags look like they bleached already. The water is just a little clearer than yesterday, but I had to get the wife's opinion, so if it is clearer its not by a whole lot. I really don't think its the paste I used as I have heard now from many people that it is safe.

I can't figure this out. I tested everything tonight, no nitrate, no ammonia, perfect calcium and magnesium, alk at about 9dKH, PH 8.1.

My skimmer is goin nuts, and yet the skimmate, although frothy, pops into water that is only a little cloudier than the tank.

Fish are fine, so I doubt it is anything toxic, although I an running lots of carbon.

If anyone has any ideas, please let me hear them.

cioutlaw · 01-21-2009, 12:47 AM

I didnt want to answer last night cause I wasnt sure but I figured it was safe being they use it on potable water. You think its time to start doing some water changes? Good luck & I hope everything recovers!

rmlevasseur · 01-21-2009, 06:10 PM

Thank you ciotlaw. My water is clearing now but damage has been done. I'm pretty sure I lost my sps frags, my xenia, my favia, my montipora and my large froggie is still not opening. Too early to tell but it doesnt look good for them. Other corals and fish appear completely unaffected. I still don't know what happened to make the water cloudy, but I admittedly messed up minorly on the salinity and temp. Guess time will tell now. Whatever happened, i'm fairly sure nothing toxic was added to the water.

01-19-2009, 03:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
rmlevasseur Acropora Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,849 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Help! TFE paste? I just replumbed in a huge new sump, and I have to say I did a crappy job of transitioning. My corals are in distress but my fish seem fine. I heard TFE paste was reef safe on pipe fittings, but I have water that is cloudy and not clearing. I may have just made a huge mistake. Anybody use this stuff and can post their results with it? It sure makes a nice seal. I'm running carbon like crazy but my ORP crashed and water is cloudy. __________________ Robert http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ufas-tank.html

01-19-2009, 04:39 PM	#3 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,547 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Help! TFE paste? ORP is short for oxidation - reduction potential. It's companion term is Redox. Redox is a chemical term referring to an oxidation-reduction reaction. These guys work as a team, so one can't happen without the other one. Reefs.org: Where Reefkeeping Begins on the Internet - Redox and ORP __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

01-19-2009, 05:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
rmlevasseur Acropora Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,849 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Help! TFE paste? What Al said. I have found that ORP is the best and quickest way to tell if something is going on with your water. ORP monitors are also necessary when running ozone. Folks on RC are saying TFE paste is safe, and maybe the oils are coming from the new pipes and acrylic. The is a monster sump, hopefully that is what it is. But I have never freaked out my corals like this before so I'm very worried. My hope is that all is well because my fish are doing just fine and all are eating and acting 100% normal. __________________ Robert http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ufas-tank.html

01-19-2009, 06:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 26,433 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Help! TFE paste? Sometimes you just have to give them a chance to settle in. Hopefully things will turn around soon. __________________ Peace LYNN Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Lynn's frag tank experiment A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash.

01-19-2009, 06:37 PM	#6 (permalink)
reefer4200 Elegance coral Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: BG, IL Posts: 1,000 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Help! TFE paste? i had a stint like this and i hope it turns around asap for you. best of luck

01-20-2009, 08:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
rmlevasseur Acropora Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,849 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Help! TFE paste? OK guys, I'm stumped and worried. My water is still cloudy and its been over 48 hours. My xenia are shrunken little things, my huge froggie is all closed up, and my montipora and sps frags look like they bleached already. The water is just a little clearer than yesterday, but I had to get the wife's opinion, so if it is clearer its not by a whole lot. I really don't think its the paste I used as I have heard now from many people that it is safe. I can't figure this out. I tested everything tonight, no nitrate, no ammonia, perfect calcium and magnesium, alk at about 9dKH, PH 8.1. My skimmer is goin nuts, and yet the skimmate, although frothy, pops into water that is only a little cloudier than the tank. Fish are fine, so I doubt it is anything toxic, although I an running lots of carbon. If anyone has any ideas, please let me hear them. __________________ Robert http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ufas-tank.html

01-21-2009, 12:47 AM	#8 (permalink)
cioutlaw Elegance coral Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Champaign Illinois Posts: 1,176 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Help! TFE paste? I didnt want to answer last night cause I wasnt sure but I figured it was safe being they use it on potable water. You think its time to start doing some water changes? Good luck & I hope everything recovers! __________________ My 120gallon chronical My 225 gallon chronical My website

01-21-2009, 06:10 PM	#9 (permalink)
rmlevasseur Acropora Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,849 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Help! TFE paste? Thank you ciotlaw. My water is clearing now but damage has been done. I'm pretty sure I lost my sps frags, my xenia, my favia, my montipora and my large froggie is still not opening. Too early to tell but it doesnt look good for them. Other corals and fish appear completely unaffected. I still don't know what happened to make the water cloudy, but I admittedly messed up minorly on the salinity and temp. Guess time will tell now. Whatever happened, i'm fairly sure nothing toxic was added to the water. __________________ Robert http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ufas-tank.html

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