testing

[dwinzent]

I had questioned the accuracy of my liquid test kit because of the fact it was a couple years old so finally today i went out and bought a new one. I had noticed a few issues in my tank that signaled that there was a problem. First my zoa frags that i got one of them has not been opened in about a week or two but still seems to be doing fine otherwise, doesnt look like it is diseased or anything. The other frag next to it seems to be be doing pretty well but can also be seen closed up for a good part of the day. The other thing i have noticed is that my yellow watchman goby has been in hiding for a very long time and doesnt even come out for feeding anymore. I can still see him every once in a while inside the rock structure so i know he is still alive but he never comes out like he did the first couple weeks i had him. The tank has been setup for about two months if memory serves me right and was setup up with live rock sand and water from my previous tanks.

Here are the test results:
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
Ph - 8.2 - 8.4
ammonia - 0
salinity - 1.025 (i am using a hydrometer not a refractometer)
temp - 78.5 F

All my inverts (hermit crabs and my queen conch) seem to be doing fine and my two perc clowns are doing great as well What could be wrong in my tank that would be causing this?

 

[Bifferwine]

Try this:

Identifying, Locating and Curing Stray Voltage in a Saltwater Aquarium

 

[dwinzent]

Thanks for the tip Biff. I checked my tank today with a digital volt meter and it was reading about 3v in the tank. I couldnt locate the source though. I unplugged everything one by one like the article says but it never went down. If i turn off the power strip everythings plugged into the voltage would drop to under one volt but the only thing that seemed to drop the voltage at all when i unplugged them one by one was my return pump and it would only drop the voltage to around 2v. Would installing a grounding probe help the problem? or what else should i try? I am leaving a powerhead unplugged that i have suspected of leaking electricity for the next couple days to see if that helps as well.

 

[BL1]

You can install a grounding probe as a preventative measure for future stray voltage but, 3v should not be harmful to your inhabitants.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah, 3v is not enough to be causing the problem, IMO.