What the hell????

[david]

I did a water change on 6/22/03. I changed 10 1/2 gals in my 55 gal. tank. Before I changed the water my nitate level was 0.
Now I have snails and crabs dropin' left and right. So I tested again today for every thing. Only thing outta whack I can see is nitrate at 10 p.p.m. I don't think that would be high enough to kill them but it's the only thing that does'nt add up?
any suggestions? I don't think I should change the water again because it would take out more good bacteria. Did I change too much water? I change that much every month with no ill effects?

[Jason McKenzie]

Could something have gotten into your change water? A contaminate?

J

[david]

Doubt it when I change my water i go buy 11 gals. of distilled water. My skimmer was on the fritz for a day but it was only 1 day maybe that could be it I guess don't know? To tell you the truth I've never tested the distilled water I just assume it's good it's disstilled! I've never had this problem before with it?
I think it must be something else maybe the skimmer.
thanks for the input though jackets

[Jason McKenzie]

A nitrate level of 10 should not cause the deaths you have had. Have you tested Nitite and Amonia. I would also test your store bought water. If it is from the machines at the grocery stores I would deffinetly test that stuff. I have found that maintainance on those machines is rare, some store the water is better coming out of your tap then to buy from them.
How do your fish look? inverts are usually the first to show signs of poor water quality.

Could your skimmer have dumped it's skimate into the tank?


J

[david]

YES jackets,That may be it,
The skimmer was over flowin' all night long. When I got to it it was over flowin' tank water, but I have no clue what was in it when it started. As for the water it's poland spring distilled water.It doesen't come from a machine. It comes in plastic gal. jugs. I use that because my tap water gives me algea like hell and the nearest place I can get r.o. water is 3 hrs. away!
So what do you think I should do I got the skimmer workin' again just wait?do a water change? I've lost maybe 3 turbo snails and one scarlet leg hermit. The other crabs are feasting on those that perished and the hermits are checkin' out how they look in turbo shells. but the fish and my pepperment shrimp seem to be fine?

[Jason McKenzie]

Skimate is highly concentrated waste, usually organic protiens that would consist of a great deal of unwanted chemicals.
First I would perform a water change again, Then two or three over the next week. I would also figure out why the skimmer was not working. Is it new? perhaps the water volume is too high, or too much air.

you can run without a skimmer for a couple of days but I would make fixing it a priority.

J

[Matt Rogers]

DITTO! I 2nd Jakets on this one. That plan should help. Sorry about your loss, I'd die from skimmer sludge too!

[david]

thanks jackets thats what I'll do luckly I have a few days off.The skimmer is just a peice of crap counter current skimmer and if the air going to the stone out does the air going to the "good" water tube than the foam bubbles right up and over the cup if it hung on the outside of the tank when this happened it would be on my floor but since it hangs in the tank it boils right over into my tank water yeah!!! [smiley=furious.gif]This doesn't happen often
but it has done it before I don't know what causes this?hopfully I'm gettin' a new skimmer in the next few weeks I'm going to go with a seaclone!
t.y. again

[david]

Just one more question guys what volume of water should I change like 11 gals. each time or smaller amounts or hell would you suggest a bigger water change than that I've never changed more than like 15 gal. at once? just wondering

[Jason McKenzie]

I would say 10% every other week is a good maintainance, but in your case I would go 15G for the first and then the following ones just 5 each then go back to reg maintainance schedule.

J