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Signs of ich after reactor install

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Brandon9400, May 8, 2012.

  1. Brandon9400

    Brandon9400

    233
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    Well last night I hooked up a Dual BRS reactor with GFO and carbon. I woke up this morning my flame angel and tomini tang have white spots all over. I have had both of them for 4 months and they never had signs of ich. I have 6 other fish and all of them are clear. All my corals look great. I have a tubrotwist UV sterilizer running so any free floating parasites should be dead.
    What could have swung to cause enough stress to have them break out. My ph didn't swing any different than it normally does at night. Has anyone had something similar happen?
     
  2. mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    check your Alk. When you run GFO it will drop your alk pretty drastically
     
  3. Brandon9400

    Brandon9400

    233
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    I'll check it when I get home but my apex said 8.2 this morning. I usually dose every other night with aquavitro 8.4 to keep my alk up since my corals suck it up pretty quick. Thanks good to know GFO will effect alk. Does it constantly consume it or just at first when the GFO is added?
     
  4. Jamie

    Jamie Well-Known ReefKeeper Vendor

    591
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    +24 / 0 / -0
    It could be a change in water quality that could stress fish it's really hard to say. The UV isn't going to kill the ick unless the flow is less than 12gph through it (assuming you have the 36 watt one) The turbo twists are essentially useless against ick. Ick requires 336,000 uW/scm2 of radiation to be killed.
     
  5. mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    when you first add it from my understanding.
     
  6. Kpotter2 Expert Reefkeeper

    North liberty, IA
    Ratings:
    +7 / 0 / -0
    It could just be your sand on them to. Don't panic just keep an eye on them... I was thinking the same thing a few times, but ended up being just sand on them.
     
  7. adampottebaum

    adampottebaum Experienced Reefkeeper

    Ratings:
    +19 / 0 / -0
    Did you rinse the carbon and gfo before adding? Also, ate you tumbling either of the two medias excessively?
     
  8. Brandon9400

    Brandon9400

    233
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    I rinsed both of them with RO water first and im using the mj 1200 pump. I also have their 1/2 inline ball valve open halfway. Typically how much flow is supposed to be running through GFO? I have a foam pad on the top and the GFO is pushed up against it.
     
  9. adampottebaum

    adampottebaum Experienced Reefkeeper

    Ratings:
    +19 / 0 / -0
    Gfo is supposed to "dance" at the surface and all of the media should be tumbling, it binds together easily. Carbon is supposed to be held inplace with two foam pads so it doesn't move at all, if it tumbles it'll break up into carbon dust, which is very hard on fish. When I rinse my reactors, I put the media in the cartridges, install everything, then put the outlet tube in a bucket and ruin the medias until they run clear, shaking and opening/closing the valves to ensure it's rinsed good. Once it runs clear and it's rinsed good, I adjust it so the gfo is tumbling and carbon is held in place with pads, I quickly stick the outlet tube back into the tank. My carbon usually runs wide open since it's held in place. I have two single reactors , but mine are fed from a manifold on my return pump.
     

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