Light change in Fuge to 2700K

So today I had swapped the Actinic 9 Wt for a 2700K 9Wt in the fuge. I had also added a timer to make the lights go on alternate schedule (one on other off). This way people say the Ph will be more stable. I was able to fit the surface skimmer fixture, but not sure if I should turn it on.
Can't wait for things to get back to normal to re-start the tank.

Filter Maint

Didn't have much time this morning, so just quickly took out the filterfloss from the bottom basket and swished it in the pre-made water (the left overs from prior water changes). The yeild was brownish load of gunk in the water. Placed floss back into the filter and turned it back on. Will check parameters later on tonight.
Oh, the CPR is now serviced by 9 watt actinic bulb that is on 24/7.

Morning Check-up

So, this morning I have added some water as some got evaporated. After that the tests have shown the following:

t = 78.6
Ammo = 0.25, but closer to 0!
Ph = 7.9
SG = 1.025

I will do the filter maint (floss wash in tank water and about 1/2 gallon PWC tonight) to further bring ammo down.

Morning Check-up

SG = 1.026
Ph = 7.9
Ammo = 0.25
t = 78.4 F

Filter Maint

PWC 1 bucket
Filter floss rinse in a bucket of used water yeild yellowish-brownish water. Two smaller filter pads were rinsed too.

More Measurements

A PWC of 1 gallon and measurements:
SG = 1.026
Ph = 8.5
Ammonia = never saw this color before. it is brownish - off the charts

Re-introduction of LR & Worms (?!)

So, this morning I woke up at 6:00 AM and decided to go with advice on killing aiptasias by injecting them with lemon juice. After making this decision I did:

1. PWC (1 bucket of water out) = approx 1 gallon
2. Scrubbed LR (stored in another bucket of water) with turkey brush under running tap water.
3. Examined LR for life and found the following:
4. Large Worms 2"+ will post picture later
5. Small crustacean (like a snail 1/3")
6. Piece of brown seaweed - 1/4"
   White leathery blubs.
7. Some hair algae
8. Weighted LR = 12 Lb - which is good according to this article
9. Put scrubbed LR back into the tank and a couple of small pieces into the fuge.
10. Filled up the tank with water with pre-dissolved salt using a declorinator from a yellow bottle.
11. Re-measured SG = 1.026

Oh, while doing the above, I managed to drop my Fuge light inside the fuge! - it got the GFCI tripped and hopefully the light will be OK.

Just Another Day.

In the morning I realized that I forgot (again!) to turn the canister filter on and plugged it back in. After running it for a few minutes (to ensure the water is out of the filter and back into the system I tested ammonia. The reading was still at .25 and the Ph registered at around 7.9 - but my color perception maybe off.

New Equipment: CPR Unit.

This evning I had picked up and installed at the back of the tank an $80 CPR Refugium. Now my tank starts to feel like professional, lol. I took off the surface skimmer as there is no space of it on the back right now and moved the heater over into refugium as to decrease the presence of equipment int the tank. The guy who sold me refugium said that I can replace the canister filter and that it was the only thing that he had running his 20 gallon tank on. I'll see about that after consulting with members of MRI also had carried out a one bucket PWC.
The ammonia reading prior to the PWC was.25 and the Ph was about 7.9 I'm looking into getting the light timer and a new 10K light bulb.
Oh, another survivor showed up - a serpae looking sea star! - she was spotted on the tank wall.

PWC & Maint

Today I had carried out another massive waterchange.
Readings

Pre PWC

• t = 82.5
• Ph = 8.0
• Ammo = 0.5-1.0
• SPg = 1.020

Post 30 - 40% PWC:

• Ph = 8.5
• Ammo = .25 !
• SPg = 1.020

Either yesterday or today I had dismantled the filter and squished the water out of the filter floss under the running water and out of the two filter pads until close to clear water was coming out. I believe that constituted to major Ammo drop.

Recovery and Survivors

First, the care process: At night when I got back home I took all the pre-change measurements:

• Ph 8.2
• NO3 = 0
• Ammonia 1.0 - 2.5 probably 2.5+
• Alk = 3.6; PO4 = 0
• SPg = 1.028

Then I turned off filter, skimmer, & heater. Moved all the live rock to the bucket (no corals on live rock made it ). Moved all pegs with surviving corals to the corner. Scrubbed the front and side walls with mag cleaner to A- cleanness scraping off all algae (coraline and other). Syphoned the water mixing up the top layer of live sand into the bucket with live rock.Whatever didn't fit, into another bucket (that one is to be dumped out later). Alltogether about 5" of greenish/blueish water were removed. Clock striked 12:30 AM. I scrabbed the filter pad from HOB DIY skimmer with a turkey brush under the stream of fresh water in the sink until it turned back to blueish. The pad was leaching yellowish water while being scrubbed. Started to poor tap water back into the tank (SPg prior to pooring went up to 1.036+) declorinating it with stuff from yellow bottle. When tank was almost full, took out coral pegs and shook off the sand, re-stuck the pegs into live sand. Checked the SPg = 1.017; poored salt into the skimmer chamber and it equipment on. After running it for a few mintues, reinserted the filter pad and turned the canister filter on too. SPg prior to going to bed and in the morning was 1.019. Poured more salt into the skimmer chamber. SPg went up to 1.020 and temp reading was 84.x F. 50/50 light went on by timer around 7:30 AM.

Second, the survivors: 1 maybe more turbo snails; sea hare - yey! - he's back to DBTC and is already spoken for; looks like ricordia corals on one of the pegs made it; mushroom coral. Some weird white blubs on the life rock.

Tank CRASH Day

Yesterday I noticed that the corals looked pretty much dead, today I saw NO FISH IN MY TANK!

Pre-change readings:

• NH3/NH4 = blue! - never saw this color before - off the charts!
• Ph = 8.2
• NO3 = 0-10 - can't tell
• Alk = 3.6
• PO4 = 0.00
• SG = 1.028

Massive waterchange was carried out (4 canisters (Ocean Spray) of freshly mixed water were PWC'ed.

10K K light stopped working sometime before the crash, so the tank was serviced by a single 36 Wt 50/50 light bulb.

1. Problem with the canister filter required its temporary shutdown (1+ month) with replacement by a HOB DIY Skimmer (from HOB filter). Strangely enough the week before the crash, all chemical levels reported normal (PH, Ammonia, Phosphate, Nitrate).
2. What I think were the leading causes of crash: 1. cansiter filter was restarted after 1 month of bein stale (stupidly enough, yes I admit I made a stupidity, I didn't toss the water out of it. Second, the sp. gravity level rose from usual 1.025-1.026 to 1.035+ (top of the scale and probably even higher.Strangely enough I couldn't find neither of my three fishes this morning! (could the cat gotten them? - I truly don't think so, could they have gotten dissolve in the high salt water?)

SO, to the conclusion.I'm not ready to give up on this hobby. I plan to restart. This time I will do the following:

1. Rescue the surviving corals [mushrooms] (tonight) by taking water measurements and making necessary adjustments. Will remove survivors off the live rock.
2. Will syphon through the top layer of the live (still live?) sand while removing the water.
3. Will remove live rock and will boil it to ensure all the aiptasias are GONE!
4. Will scrub-clean the front and side glass of whatever that brown crap had grown on it during the last few days.
5. Will ensure the canister filter and the skimmer function properly (flow adjustments).