Can't figure this out...

Hi all Ok here's my story.
I've had a 30 gallon tank set up with a 10 gallon sump for about three months now. I have two green chromis in it doing very well and a yellow watchman goby. I tried added a Kenya Tree and a xenia a few weeks ago, but the xenia has since passed away into the big blue ocean in the sky, and the Kenya Tree still isn't fairing too well.

What's bugging me is I have a fairly good knowledge about this hobby, and I'm constantly doing research to find out new information. I'm always trying to improve, and that's why I love this site so much. There are so many helpful and informative people on here.

Ok, so back to the dilemma. My water params are as follows.
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.8-8.0
Alkalinity: 12
Calcium: 420

Lighting: 2xT5HO lights in a zoomed T5HO light fixture. 1x6500K & 1xActinic

~10lbs Live rock
~30lbs dry base rock

Reef Crystals salt mixed with tap water. I know tap water is a big no-no, but i'm saving up to get a RODI system (struggling college student). My tap reads about 1 DKH for alkalinity, and I did a GH test a while ago and it was very soft. I've been topping off with distilled water bought at the grocery store for now though.

6 inch aragonite sandbed in DP

10 gallon sump with chaeto macro algae

DIY PVC overflow

So everything looks good right? And the fish are doing great.... Hmmm.

The only other thing I can think of is on the overflow, I added a metal screen to keep out the fish from ending up in the sump. I tried making it out of PVC but it was restricting the flow too much, so I went to homedepot and bought some wire fencing. I just looked on the package and it says it's zinc coated to help prevent rust. Do you think there is zinc leaching into the water killing off my corals, but not affecting the fish? It's been in the tank since I set it up.

The sump is also a DIY which I siliconed the baffles into place using GE Silicone I. Do you think that has any to do with it?

Thanks in advance!

ps: heres a pic of the screen I made for the overflow.

 

If you think the metal screen might be the problem you could try a plastic one. I bought a roll of plastic screen that is used to cover gutters from lowes for 10 bucks. Might want to give that a try.

 

3 things;
tap water (don't care how it tests) still has bad things in it
zinc coated random metal placed into saltwater, prob not good for anything in there, what kinda metal?
was the silicon aquarium safe/potable?

Also some tanks love xenia and kenyas and they become hassles, others tanks hate it...
BUT, i'd get a RODI, get rid of that metal, and read up on that silicon

good luck

 

It is a very bad idea to add any type of metal to a SW aquarium. I would remove it immediately. Try using a pvc mesh made for needlepoint as it will not restrict the flow and be safe for the inhabitants. You can get this at Walmart or any craft store and is sold in sheets.

 

Hmm, the screen could be leeching something.

Your alk is on the high end, have you added any buffers in an attempt to up your pH recently? Since your calcium is in line, I wouldn't worry too much about the higher alk.

And your lights, are you using the ZooMed bulbs too? I had the same fixture before and my softies did fine, but I used ATI bulbs in it. I would suggest putting some higher quality bulbs in it.

How did the softies die? Did they acclimate fine and then just go downhill or were they not looking so hot since you put them in?

 

Vinny, that plastic mesh screen looks perfect! I'm going to run out tomorrow and get it. But I'm thinking I should do an almost complete water change because any metal leached into the water would still be in there. And i hope my DSB isn't holding on to any of it. I'm thinking of taking the DSB out, because it wasn't lowering my nitrates. I know the tank hasn't been set up that long, but as soon as I put in the chaeto and added a sump light they dropped to 0.

Cosmo: I'm not sure what type of metal it was, it didn't say on the package, just that it was zinc coated. The silicone didn't say anything about being aquarium safe, but I've read that other people have used it online with good results. It's just old fashioned GE Silicone I.

Inertiatic: I tried dosing with Reef Buffer once to raise my pH, but it raised my alkalinity way too high ~16dkh. I've since brought it down, and that's what a fresh batch of RC comes out to with my tap water.

The bulbs aren't zoomed, but another brand that I bought at Petco. The xenia looked good for part of the first day then declined very rapidly. Died within a day or two. The Kenya is still alive but doesn't look good, and doesn't seem to be getting any better.

 

I'd research before adding anything else! also research removing a DSB before doing it, if its old, it needs to be done right!

 

You can do a waterchange but truthfully you are better off with a good quality carbon and/or a polypad to remove any metals from the tank. If any is present it will mostly be in the rock and SB.I wouldn't touch anything else in the tank for a while and allow the carbon or pad to remove whatever you may have introduced.

 

Well if it was pretty quick, I wouldn't attribute it to your lights. Xenia is pretty tough stuff, I couldn't kill the one in my tank if I tried.

I wouldn't worry about trying to add the buffer again, but it already sounds like you stopped.

I would run some carbon for a bit and take out the screen as the others have already said.