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Deano · 10-11-2006, 07:37 AM

Over the past year I have been having some problems with my inverts. Since I set up my tank snails have just not been able to survive longer than a few hours. Originally, I thought that it was my water quality. You know the usual copper, phosphates etc, etc. I eventually gave up and just decided that I would just not have any snails in my tank. My hermit crabs were fine, but an emerald crab I purchased died in two days. I bought a frag of Xenia and it just melted over a few days. The corraline algae on my live rock never lasted more than a few months and eventually was always over come by standard green algae.

I moved onto finishing the deck off my house this past spring and summer. But, when my blue tang got sick I decided I should finally pay more attention to my tank. I had the usual Newbie fish, you know, Clowns, Damsels, Chromis and one Blue Tang. Anyways I found 3 reef and finally figured out that my Blue Tang had HLLE. I was too late though, it had died.
HLLE?

I fed my fish Formula One and there was plenty of green algae that it picked at all the time.
I placed the rest of my fish in a quarantine tank along with some antibiotics I had purchased . I decided to drain and fill my tank with water from my new RO/DI unit. After cycling I put everyone back in my main tank and decided to get more fish and fully leap full force into the hobby.
I bought some more fish on line and only 3 of the 6 fish I purchased lived more than 2 days. Frustration!!! :mad: The yellow Tang was fine but died the next morning, the Naso Tang didn’t make to the end of the day. The Blenny swam inverted alot and would swim to the top and bottom of the tank. He died the next morning. The(baby) blue tang, the (baby)clown along with a medium Yellow Eyed Tang were fine. Water parameters were good, man O man what was going on. I still couldn’t get any snails to live more than a few hours. I talked about my problem with all the local fish stores and no body had any ideas what could wrong with my tank. So over the past few months I would just check various web sites to see what I could find as a solution for my problem.
Any guess as to what my problem was. I highlighted some key facts about my problem that I have learned are clues to what has been plaguing my tank. I’m sure you O’L Timers and those more astute than myself have already figured out what was wrong.
After perusing the web I was able to find out that my problem was. I went to my work shop in the basement got my voltage meter and BAM my water tested 120volts. I had stray current from the water pump in my sump coursing throughout my tank. It’s nice to finally figure out what was wrong, but it has been a long frustrating year. I hope my pain my help others in the future. I now will always check any equipment before it goes in my tank.

10-11-2006, 07:37 AM	#1 (permalink)
Deano Astrea Snail Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 41 Karma: 7	Diatribe of a Newbie Over the past year I have been having some problems with my inverts. Since I set up my tank snails have just not been able to survive longer than a few hours. Originally, I thought that it was my water quality. You know the usual copper, phosphates etc, etc. I eventually gave up and just decided that I would just not have any snails in my tank. My hermit crabs were fine, but an emerald crab I purchased died in two days. I bought a frag of Xenia and it just melted over a few days. The corraline algae on my live rock never lasted more than a few months and eventually was always over come by standard green algae. I moved onto finishing the deck off my house this past spring and summer. But, when my blue tang got sick I decided I should finally pay more attention to my tank. I had the usual Newbie fish, you know, Clowns, Damsels, Chromis and one Blue Tang. Anyways I found 3 reef and finally figured out that my Blue Tang had HLLE. I was too late though, it had died. HLLE? I fed my fish Formula One and there was plenty of green algae that it picked at all the time. I placed the rest of my fish in a quarantine tank along with some antibiotics I had purchased . I decided to drain and fill my tank with water from my new RO/DI unit. After cycling I put everyone back in my main tank and decided to get more fish and fully leap full force into the hobby. I bought some more fish on line and only 3 of the 6 fish I purchased lived more than 2 days. Frustration!!! :mad: The yellow Tang was fine but died the next morning, the Naso Tang didn’t make to the end of the day. The Blenny swam inverted alot and would swim to the top and bottom of the tank. He died the next morning. The(baby) blue tang, the (baby)clown along with a medium Yellow Eyed Tang were fine. Water parameters were good, man O man what was going on. I still couldn’t get any snails to live more than a few hours. I talked about my problem with all the local fish stores and no body had any ideas what could wrong with my tank. So over the past few months I would just check various web sites to see what I could find as a solution for my problem. Any guess as to what my problem was. I highlighted some key facts about my problem that I have learned are clues to what has been plaguing my tank. I’m sure you O’L Timers and those more astute than myself have already figured out what was wrong. After perusing the web I was able to find out that my problem was. I went to my work shop in the basement got my voltage meter and BAM my water tested 120volts. I had stray current from the water pump in my sump coursing throughout my tank. It’s nice to finally figure out what was wrong, but it has been a long frustrating year. I hope my pain my help others in the future. I now will always check any equipment before it goes in my tank.