Where's my CUC?

d2mini

d2mini

Reef enthusiast
I just can't seem to keep a good CUC population. I can't find any turbos, no nassarius, very little nerites, limpets are always the first to die on me, and even the 60 or so small blue leg hermits i put in a month or two ago seem to mostly be missing. :(

The hair algae is still out of control and now is even covering the back wall and overflow! Neither my pencil urchin or long spine black urchin seem to do anything about it, nor my foxface.

0 ammonia, 0 nitrates, 0 nitrites, 0 phosphate.

Now I gotta go to the LFS, bend over, and purchase at least a few turbos. :grumble:
 
I would check copper too, I just read this build thread and its was pretty similar story and it turned out in there pump that was reef safe from the manufacture was not.

there thread:
Reef Frontiers

" We took tests of all parameters. Took tests on EVERYTHING. Nothing came up. Ammonia 0, nitrates/nitrites 0, phosphates little to none, etc. Then he thought about the pump. He called the manufacturer, Aquatic Eco-Systems, and they reasured us that there is nothing in it that could cause this. So then we thought it was the makeup water tub, a rubermaid tub. We had replaced this with our old 200 gallon tank that has the failing seals. Still, things were dieing. We gave up. After 2 years of fighting the invisible killer, we Sold everything, except for some of rock that didnt sell. We started taking stuff apart, and dad got curious and thought about the pump even after being reasured.

So dad took off the volute on the Dragon pump we got from, that is guaranteed saltwater safe. And sure enough, there was the lime green/blue streaks coming off of two brass insert bushings - a sure sign of copper.

For the last 2 years we have been fighting copper poisioning. "
 
weird.
I'm using a magflow pump but who knows.
The copper test kit is cheap, i'll see if i can find one tonite when i stop at the lfs.
 
d2mini- Mine's not doing too much better. I think my sea hare just croaked and the HA is worse than ever. I am seriously considering that algae scrubber now.
 
Well, i just got home with 5 turbos (just found one old one on the front glass of my tank), 10 more nassarius and a sea hare. Also picked up the copper test kit. Gonna go test now while the new crew is acclimating.
 
how do you acclimate them? Snails are very succeptable to changes in salinity. I used to just throw them in and they always died pretty quickly. Then I started dripping them over a 4 hour time. I still have the three turbos for over a month.
 
Sometimes i drip, sometimes i don't. They usually do ok for me. It's not that they die right away, i'm talking over a couple months.

So looks like I'm NOT testing for copper. The bottle of test solution in my kit was opened and completely empty! And this lfs is completely out of my way. I only went there because I had to pick my dog up at the vet nearby. :grumble:
 
That sucks. I would call them up right now so that way they know there is a problem. That way when you get a chance to go, they will know about it
 
+1 Bj
I'd be calling them about that test kit.
But if you had a copper problem,you'd be having trouble with your corals to.
When it comes to snails,I'm not so sure that they have a very long life span to begin with.
 
do you make your own water or get it from the LFS? also, i dont know how true it is and i dont know which brands, but i heard some salt brands have traces of copper in them so that might be it...

like Yote said though, your corals would be affected too... also though if you've always had a slight copper problem, you would never see how your corals are supposed to look like opened so you would be used to them not opening all the way and it would look normal to you... dont know if that makes sense typing it ha
 
1) i know i don't know many of what you guys know but you should consider using activated carbon. It removes many metals and toxines that you cannot detect with your measurement tools. A protein skimmer will not remove toxines and metals as well and fast as activated carbon does.

2) Maybe you are feeding less so they don't have any remains to eat down there.
 
Now my $&$*@(! Sea Hare is dead! Another 20 bucks down the drain. :frustrat:

I did get a replacement copper test and tested last night and is showed zilch.
 
i believe all the creatures brought from ocean don't have a long life. It's obious that the conditions in the tank no matter how perfect are cnnot replace mother nature.

In the ocean they have 24/7 hours live plankton they are feeding with, notrients and algae enriched in proteins and vitamins. In tanks not even 5% of what real life is.

I guess it's normal!
The place of the birds is in the sky, the place of all these marine stuff is in the ocean. We can bring a drop of ocean in our homes but it will only be a dead one!

God is great! And He canot be replaced by us... thats fo sure!
 
Dennis that sucks. Sorry you're having such a hard time with things right now. Just think how nice it will be to have that new tank.:)
 
qxcontinuum said:
i believe all the creatures brought from ocean don't have a long life. It's obious that the conditions in the tank no matter how perfect are cnnot replace mother nature.

In the ocean they have 24/7 hours live plankton they are feeding with, notrients and algae enriched in proteins and vitamins. In tanks not even 5% of what real life is.

I guess it's normal!
The place of the birds is in the sky, the place of all these marine stuff is in the ocean. We can bring a drop of ocean in our homes but it will only be a dead one!

God is great! And He canot be replaced by us... thats fo sure!
Click to expand...

I know what you mean but we're talking 6 days later.
My tank is far from perfect. I have a nice hair algae/dino combo stewing in there now.
Even though my water tests out fine (alk and calc are a little low), it looks like ass.
 

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