Tank Maintance Again...My Loss

[tbmoore]

Again I am talking about water changes and PM....and I mean PM like in Purple Monster...My purple monster started to rtn yesterday...I have been fragging every since....( I have another frag about an inch long doing well) but my main piece started to rtn....I have fragged it as much as I can and hope for the best but the main problem I feel is PM (preventive Maintaince.).... I have been working lots of hours and just got to test my water....alk was 11.2 and cal was 540....ok and in reason.....nit ect was ok but when I tested the gravity it was 30 instead of 35.....where the salt went who knows...but please take this as a warning to test your water.....do water changes.s.....I have taken the loss please do not do the same.....I still have some hope for couple of frags ...did an iodine dip ect...but does not look good for the main piece.....it is not just the money...just hard to replace.....and a loss to nature.....Terry

[Scott]

Sorry to hear that. Did you calibrate your refractometer recently? You know iodine dips are very stressful. If you have Seachem Reefdip that is a better alternative. Could the salinity gone down because of skimmer output and then the lost skimmate being topped off with fresh? That is an expensive lesson. Does John still have his?

[tbmoore]

John sold his.....I still have a nice frag almost as big as the one I bought...I fragged it the day I got it.....I thought I had a dip but was out so used iodine....light dose but all I had....So far still have couple of pieces alive and doing well ....will see in another 24hrs.....and yes have done a cal....Yes I had trouble with my skimmer....first plugged up with a piece of plastic .....water quality went down then when I fixed it might have foamed a bit......will monitor closer if I can...have to go back to wk in morning.....another 10 days......it is not the money even though it hurts....but a hard piece of coral to get.......that really hurts....I was looking forward to a nice piece in another yr.......we will wait and see.....

[Scott]

Yeah, as slow as that one grows it is hard when you have to start over like that. Best of luck to you. I lost my soli frag and a few others in late November for no apparent reason so at least you know you have solved your problem. I did 20 gallon water changes every week for three weeks and then every other week since and haven't lost another. Time is something that I never seem to have enough of to take care of business.

[tbmoore]

At least I hope that was the problem...it is the only thing I can find out of wack......We will see....