Christmas Tragedy in My Tank

[bluespotjawfish]

I'm getting the The Filter Guy's OCEAN REEF + 1 FIVE STAGE 75 GPD RO/DI. I'm sticking with my tap water until the unit comes. I'll have to deal with the nitrates and phosphates after that. Here are the stats prior to tonight's WC:

Salinity = 1.215 (will raise it a bit with this WC)
Nitrites = 0.3 mg/L (the same as this AM, much lower than it has been)
Ammonia = 4.9 mg/L (with the 8.0 ph, un-ionized is 0.26 or toxic - duh)
Nitrates = about 20 mg/L (this is also usually too high to measure with my kit)
Phosphate = Between 2.5 and 5.0 (this is also usually too high to measure with my kit)
Alk = 17.6 dKH (mixture is about 17 dKH, so this is normally high like this)
Cal = 475 ppm (mixture is about 500 ppm, so this is also normally high too)

I just did a 35-40% WC. Did I say I am impatient already...? Actually, for now I am just focused on keeping my $$$$$ of fish alive. My recent equipment purchases will definitely slow down any restocking opportunity I may have had anyway. I'll be taking back my donations I made to my daughter at some point. With the fish I have in the tank, I'm going to have a tough and expensive time restocking so it will go slow. Only big stuff has a chance at survival, because the rest is picked up and moved out of the way several times a day or gets grazed on.

Tonight I see my first speck of coraline algae on my rock! Phosphates have been so high that it hasn't been around for a long time. I also found my second anenome crab

Just read the new posts and wanted to add that this site (and people) are truly awesome. I am sleep deprived from digging through all the posts the past few days, but it has been helpful. My favorite find so far is the chart for the alk/calc:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

[bluespotjawfish]

One other question about the site, I can't get my profile pic to upload, it is the right size and shows up on the profile but I get an error that it didn't upload correctly. Any suggestions?

[Snelly40]

i dont htink they are allowing pics in the profile anymore, but i may be wrong

[lcstorc]

I have always had trouble with that feature. You should still be able to load an avatar though.
Sounds like your water change is bringing things back in line. That is great! Keep it up and once you get your water in better shape you will be all set.
It looks like the current water is enough to at least lower your paramaters to your test kit so it must not be that bad.

[bluespotjawfish]

This would be me if I could be me, but I can't, so I won't be me:

[bluespotjawfish]

If someone helped me out on the pic thanks! Not sure what worked, but it shows up now. I tried to upload as avatar and got the same message, who knows. Anyway if the magic person behind the curtain helped me out, thx!

[sasquatch]

LOL wait till you start using the ro/di you will be formidable!!

[iluvzigz]

welcome bluespot...sorry we had to meet under these circumstances but i hope your tank does well in the future

good luck with lowering those levels..

keep us posted with your progress

[bluespotjawfish]

Here's hoping it is indeed a Happy New Year (for the fish of Christmas Present, corals of Christmas Future, and doggies now and forever more too). Poor things, they just can't figure out why I am playing so much with my fish. AND the fish got more for Christmas than they did.

Cheers

[sasquatch]

Ok Bluespot, thats like 3 times with the dogs, Ive got 6, tell us about yours lol. Steve

[lcstorc]

Better yet post pics of them in the other pets thread. I haven't seen any action on that thread for a while and love to see everybody's pets.

[bluespotjawfish]

Steve, six dogs??? Thats as crazy as having six tanks! Not for me, too much work. I bet you do though, don't you... Both are addictions you know...

I posted a few photoshows of my two Staffordshire Bull Terriers under "How many of us have pets?" Took me a while to find that thread. Yes Steve, I am addicted to SBTs too but I am controlling my habit so I can also afford my third addiction of diving. I posted my photoshow of my recent trip to Fiji under the Diving thread. Makes me want to go out and get a bunch of anemones and clown fish, anemone shrimp and tons of soft corals of all colors. Sounds like a second tank is on its way. Control yourself Lorraine...focus on your existing tank...

Update on the tank, starting to see some green in the bottom (under the top 1" of aragonite). Nothing on the surface or on the glass, just deep down where all the nastys are. Vacuumed my tank with the cleaning on Saturday when this all hit. Should I vacuum it yet or leave it alone?

[sasquatch]

Think I would leave it be as its consuming nitrates for you and every bit should help,6 dogs, 3 parrots,3 tanks, indoor koi pond, 3 outside ponds, NO kids la la la la la lol. Steve

[boozeman]

thats not a home...its a petshop

[lcstorc]

They call my house the zoo. Kids love to visit and see all my pets. The hardest part is to keep their hands out of my macaw's cage. That is something I am always scared of with little visitors.