Don' Do This!!!

[stresco]

For those of you who dont know me yet, I like living on the edge. I'm not happy unless im totally stressed out. This last little fiasco proves it. I have a 55gal Reef tank that started out as a FOWLR, that i set up for one inhabitant, a Hawaiian Dragon Morey Eel. His name is Bruce. When i got him in Feb. of this year, he was about 10" long. Now he is close to 24". He has 2 tank mates, Prince a Purple Tang and Tyson a Harlequin Tuskfish, not to mention the forever depleating supplies of inverts As far as the reef portion, I have about 17 different kinds of corals in my tank, a DSB, and 110lbs if LR.

Well, to make a long story longer, I am limited on space and figured out a way to add a 10 gal fuge under my tank, connected to my 10 gal trickle filter. I had to place my skimmer into the fuge for it all to fit right. After a while i noticed that the skimmate smelled more like plant life than fish waiste, so i decided to take the skimmer out for a while to see if the tank will benifit from having more goodies (technical term) flowing into the tank from the fuge. I removed the skimmer 3 weeks ago. DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU HAVE AN EEL IN YOUR TANK!!!! Tonight i tested my water params and this is what i got Ca 440, Alk 9.0, Amonia 0 - 10, PH 7.8, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80+!!!! Holy crap thats high!

So, tonight I did a 10 gal water change, and i'm making more water for tomorrow. I added baking soda to the water for the PH (per Fantasy Reef's advice). I put my skimmer back into the fuge, and it is breaking in all over again (expected). I replaced my pre-filters, and my micron pads. And last but not least, i added GAC to the Sump.

Im not a religiouse man like some but if you wish to pray for me, i would not object.

 

[fishfreek]

What does ammonia 0 - 10 mean?

Nitrate of 80 in a DSB tank? Interesting indeed. When was your last water change? When you do a water change do you syphon your live rocks for detris.

 

[bulldog12]

Good morning how is everything doing this morning? Nitrate 80+...Wow!!!! You might want to get that Hawaiian Moray to a LFS until something is calmed down in that tank. Eels are very sensitive to that because they have no scales. Anyway let us know how everything is going.

 

[tkos]

Yikes.

 

[stresco]

FF, Amonia was between 0 and 10, its really hard to read those color cards sometimes. It has been about 2 weeks since my last water change, and yes i do try and syphon as much detris off the lr and sand as possible.

Bulldog, thanks for asking. I did not have time to test the water this morning before i left for work. I got to bed after 2 and got up late for work 8O I will test the water do another 5 gal water change when i get home. I am planning on 5 gal changes for the next few days.

 

[stresco]

You know...just as an after thought, my test kit might be shot. I have another, so will try that one as well tonight.

 

[biotoxin]

all i needed to read was "nitrate 80" and "moray eel"

 

[Hara]

Wow!!!! You might want to get that Hawaiian Moray to a LFS until something is calmed down in that tank. Eels are very sensitive to that because they have no scales..

My 175 gallon crashed last May, I lost a fortune in fish and inverts. Coincidently, the only thing that lived was an adult snowflake eel. This
one is made of pretty tuff stuff.

 

[stresco]

Well, the water params look better as of 8:00 last night. Amonia 0, PH 8.2, Nitrites 0, Nitrates between 40 and 60. I know thats still way too high for my Trates so i did a 5 gal change last night, and im making water for tonight. Today will be the 3rd day that i havent fed the tank. I will feed them tomorrow.