Possible Tank Crash

[nelson]

You can see my giant clam thread for more detail but now this is where I am.

Now I need more help. The clam isnt acting up anymore but now the tank is super cloudy despite an 20% water change. A nitrate spike has occured. The few corals I have in there are rapidly dying, looks like RTN as the flesh is just falling off the bases. Tank has an odd odour to it. I have no idea what is wrong. I am trying to save what is left. I am going to place both the corals and clam into fresh seperate water containers but does anyone have any advise.

 

[Luke.]

I would say 15% water change after every 24hrs , till you hit 100% and keep the skimmer going run some carbon.

 

[nelson]

I just moved the clam into another tank of clean water and he isnt even moving anymore. Mouth stays open and appears to be gaping. I looking at the corals, I dont honestly think they are salvagable. The tube worm that was stuck to a rock has crawled out of the tube and died. I dont have a skimmer to put in the tank. I do have carbon running.

 

[Luke.]

Oh boy , I hate to say it but sounds like things are toast .. a healthy clam should “twitch and close” as you wave your hand over the light , I’m with madero good how you have a spike in nitrates , what are they at ?

 

[nelson]

With a API test kit it is red like probably over 200. Yesterday is was slightly elevated but nothing that would kill anybody (like 40) did a small water change. Even a couple mushrooms have let go of the rock. Still alive. I agree I think the tank is toast. I hate to admit it. My concern is finding out the reason to prevent it from happening again. I feel it is related to a recent algae spike. But I was gone for 10 days and dont really know what happened when I was gone. Other then the fish in the other tanks got fed.

 

[Luke.]

Well my tank normally sits around 2-5 ppm and anything over 5 I can see signs of stress , my Best advice to you is get a skimmer for the tank , you said it was 30 gallons ? I myself had a 20 gallon now a 40 , and Since ive added a skimmer I believe it’s a big help to get the waste out , and if you are over feeding then that’s a huge problem . I use salifert test kits they are more accurate. And just make sure you do 5 gallon water change a week , that’s all I do on my 20 and 40 gallons if you see that your nitrates are creeping up you could do 10 gallon water change or 5 one day 5 the next

If you had 40 ppm that’s waaayyyyy to high, clams are sensitive .

 

[nelson]

The tank had no fish in it. The only food that got put in it was shrimp for the corals maybe once a week. And phytoplankton for the clam maybe once a week. I normally do a weekly water change of 5g. Before I left, the nitrates were down around 5. I was on vacation for about 10 days. When I came back, the tank had a bunch of algae on the glass and on some of the rocks (GHA). I turned on the ro system to make water for a water change. The next day, the water was heating up for a water change. Checked the nitrates and they were 40. But I knew I was going to do a water change. Then the clam started acting up. I put off the water change as I was concerned that a water change while the clam was acting like this might add extra stress. This morning a 20% change was done (done by experienced family while I was at work). The tank still cloudy. Before this water change was when the nitrates were super high. The clam and the corals I think can survive are in a complete new tub of saltwater as I figured it was my best option. I have a red sea test kit but I am colour blind and I have trouble of reading the difference in the colours. Even my not colour blind family have trouble. So that is why I use API test kit as it is easier for me to read.

 

[kapelan]

You have identified the dead specious.
When something is dead (including corals) that happened: cloudy water and nitrate spike.
After this point corals start dying releasing poison that kills everything alive around.
It is an avalanche. Sorry to say it, basically nothing can survive, if not reacted immediately.
The action should be ASAP: identify and remove dead corals.
For partially bleached corals probably the best way - rinse them, lugol bathroom and hope it will survive.
And definitely water change, 100% water change using water from other tank. There is nothing to loose - water is poisoned, no way to save it.
Activated carbon also needed to remove poison.
Good luck!

 

[nelson]

I appreciate all your help. I am sorry to say that the tank killed almost everything. Only a couple snails and a few crabs survived. This morning the clam did not react at all to light and the final confirmation is what the clams flesh was touched nothing happened. The clam was in obvious signs of gaping. I ended up moving the crabs that survived into my other tank and cleaned the small tank and got rid of everything else.

 

[Shooter000]

Sorry to hear all this, don't let this discourage you from the hobby, if anything make it a learning experience, figure out what may have went wrong, try to make sure proper filtration is in place and try again, was someone feeding your tank while away?, that's my first guess, or maybe messed with the salinity, or added something or maybe tap water was used?, just trying to help figure it all out with ya, good luck and keep us posted

 

[Salty Cracker]

Any leathers in the tank?

 

[nelson]

@Shooter000 I left instructions not to feed this tank as it was a holding tank and contained no fish. The salinity was good at 1.025. The only thing that they did to this tank was top off evaporated water. At first with RO water, but towards the end they ran out of RO water and they were not comfortable using my RO system so they did use tap water that was conditioned with Seachem Prime. It was only a small amount of water that was added but it was put into all three of my tanks without any ill affect in the others.

@Salty Cracker No, there were no leathers in the tank. The only corals were a few acans frags, a goniopora frag (half eaten from a Red Knobbed Sea Star from my other tank but recovering well), a few mushrooms and 7 head duncan rock. Nothing survived.