Unhappy inverts

jdogclif · 02/01/2010, 03:45 PM

I have a 38 gallon with soft corals, some snails and hermits, two tomato clowns and a small black chromis of some sort. I purchased the setup from another person who had it up and running for 4 years. I set it up and it has been running great for a little over 2 months now.

Over the last couple months I have been slowly building a sump. It is a 29 gallon skimmer, baffles for bubble trap, return section,and refugium section. Nothing is in the fuge section right now, the skimmer is an Octopus 150. I have it plumbed with a glass-holes overflow in the back and a return that comes over the top and then splits into two.

I fired up the sump last night and notice right away that my pump is too big: it's a via aqua 3300. Lots of microbubbles and flow seems way too fast through the sump. I ordered a smaller pump and it is on the way.

Today I came home for lunch and noticed that all the inverts are unhappy: the corals are clamped down tight, the snails are alive but most of them are on their sides, and the crabs are holding very still. The fish are fine. I checked a couple parameters: temp is 80, SG is 1.025, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are 0.

I don't get it. Did they hate the microbubbles? The increased flow? Was it too much new water to add at once?

Sorry about the long post. I have been researching this site for months and this is my first post. What a great resource this has been!

Toddrtrex · 02/01/2010, 03:51 PM

To Reef Central

Did you make the sump yourself? Did you use silicone for the baffles? If so, what brand of silicone did you use?

SLove1104 · 02/01/2010, 03:53 PM

Also... did you happen to use any copper in any of your plumbing...?

crazy4reefs · 02/01/2010, 03:54 PM

it sounds like you checked the water parameters after adding the sump...Is this correct? If so did you check the water you added when you brought the sump online? If you added a large volume of water that caused a rapid change in PH you could have shocked the inverts...

hoffy02 · 02/01/2010, 03:58 PM

Used tank for the sump may have been contaminated.... Copper?

jdogclif · 02/01/2010, 07:09 PM

Silicone was GE Silicone I, made a week ago. The sump was a used aquarium, but I had everything in that aquarium for 2 weeks before I transfered it to the 38-gallon. All the plumbing is PVC. The water was RO/DI and I mixed the salt overnight, but I did not check pH before adding it. Maybe that was it? Anyway, I turned off the sump and they seem much happier. Maybe I'll check the pH and go from there. Thanks for the good ideas.

brycerb · 02/01/2010, 08:04 PM

How long did you let the silicone cure before adding water. Silicone is some nasty stuff until it cures fully.

02/01/2010, 03:45 PM	#1
jdogclif Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Eastern Washington Posts: 6	Unhappy inverts I have a 38 gallon with soft corals, some snails and hermits, two tomato clowns and a small black chromis of some sort. I purchased the setup from another person who had it up and running for 4 years. I set it up and it has been running great for a little over 2 months now. Over the last couple months I have been slowly building a sump. It is a 29 gallon skimmer, baffles for bubble trap, return section,and refugium section. Nothing is in the fuge section right now, the skimmer is an Octopus 150. I have it plumbed with a glass-holes overflow in the back and a return that comes over the top and then splits into two. I fired up the sump last night and notice right away that my pump is too big: it's a via aqua 3300. Lots of microbubbles and flow seems way too fast through the sump. I ordered a smaller pump and it is on the way. Today I came home for lunch and noticed that all the inverts are unhappy: the corals are clamped down tight, the snails are alive but most of them are on their sides, and the crabs are holding very still. The fish are fine. I checked a couple parameters: temp is 80, SG is 1.025, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are 0. I don't get it. Did they hate the microbubbles? The increased flow? Was it too much new water to add at once? Sorry about the long post. I have been researching this site for months and this is my first post. What a great resource this has been!

02/01/2010, 03:51 PM	#2
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	*To Reef Central* Did you make the sump yourself? Did you use silicone for the baffles? If so, what brand of silicone did you use? __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

02/01/2010, 08:04 PM	#7
brycerb Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Isle of wight, VA Posts: 541	How long did you let the silicone cure before adding water. Silicone is some nasty stuff until it cures fully. __________________ -Luckily, my wife is reef safe so I can use my normal income for this hobby. -My cichlids love RO waste! Current Tank Info: 7.5 gallon box with water in it.

02/01/2010, 03:53 PM	#3
SLove1104 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: South OC Posts: 256	Also... did you happen to use any copper in any of your plumbing...?

02/01/2010, 03:54 PM	#4
crazy4reefs Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: 18411 Posts: 219	it sounds like you checked the water parameters after adding the sump...Is this correct? If so did you check the water you added when you brought the sump online? If you added a large volume of water that caused a rapid change in PH you could have shocked the inverts...

02/01/2010, 03:58 PM	#5
hoffy02 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Crosby, TX. Posts: 399	Used tank for the sump may have been contaminated.... Copper?

02/01/2010, 07:09 PM	#6
jdogclif Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Eastern Washington Posts: 6	Silicone was GE Silicone I, made a week ago. The sump was a used aquarium, but I had everything in that aquarium for 2 weeks before I transfered it to the 38-gallon. All the plumbing is PVC. The water was RO/DI and I mixed the salt overnight, but I did not check pH before adding it. Maybe that was it? Anyway, I turned off the sump and they seem much happier. Maybe I'll check the pH and go from there. Thanks for the good ideas.