Help on a source water problem

[saltwaternoob]

Randy or any help here.

We have had a problem since the start of the summer in my area, each of us (around 4) have had reef tanks for many years. This has us stumped, we have stn in our Acros mainly starting with the Millis & tort group, and higher occurrence of cyano bacteria. Two have reported a oil type film on the water, our soft corals and lps seems unaffected by what ever is going on. All testable parameter test fine, and we are all on the same water source but 2 different water companies.

I have tried Carbon, GFO, Phosgaurd(never at the same time and a period in between each product), and changed all my filters/membrane in the R/o unit. My tap tds is around 30-40 and after the 6 stage it has all ways come out 0. I have recently tried the Two little fishes Metasorb with no color change. Today i noticed that my rubber (powerhead to tank mounts) seem to be degrading(when cleaning them black came off when scrubbing, like i was rinsing carbon) I was also able to rub some off my bulkhead gaskets.

We have been experiencing major drought in Northern CA and have been on Ground water for many months now.

SO my question seems to be could it be from Petroleum leeching from the ground water getting through the Ro unit? If so how would one go about trying to remove it? From my quick search it seems like Calcium carbonate is a good choice, so any hard coral would act like a sponge if i read that correctly.


Thanks for any input, sorry for the lengthy post.
Anthony

Also a few people who live in the same area(some only blocks away) have done little to no water changes and remain unaffected by what ever it is. AeroJet is also a local company that tests rocket engines and has had to do some clean up for the spills in years past and i kind of wonder if they are in part responsible.

 

[tigerdragon]

What part of nor cal? I am north of sac so far no issues

 

[saltwaternoob]

It seems the affected area is north of Auburn blvd in between 80 and hwy 50 up to Folsom. Same water table.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, I spent several days working in a lab at Aerojet, showing them how to make one of my drugs so they could scale it up for clinical trials. Rather an odd place, with lots of concrete cubicals with intense fire suppression for making new rocket fuel mixtures.

Anyway, I don't know what it might be. Hydrazine is a common rocket fuel ingredient, and is quite toxic. It might get through to the DI, but I'd expect a DI to take out most of it.

Some sort of small, neutral organic might get through the RO/DI. Something like methanol, methane, etc. I wouldn't guess those to be very toxic, however.
Bigger organics in petroleum should be held in the carbon cartridge and not get through the RO very well, but some might get through.

I've also heard of some localized issues that some European reefers attribute to possibly pollen. I have no idea if that is real or not, but whatever impacted them might be your issues as well.

The things you have tried seem appropriate, especially the GAC. I might use more of it, both on the tank and the new RO/DI. use a good quality of acid washed carbon, such as ROX.

 

[saltwaternoob]

Ok Randy thanks for the quick respose, i will try and double up on the carbon in my tank. I am also going to add another canister to my ro unit before the 5 micron filter filled with carbon.


By my logic it seems to be something in the water because the people with minimal to no water changes have had little to no issues. Where as i was doing a 15% WC weekly for most of the summer, unitll i started talking to others in the area.

Thanks

 

[jgalen0025]

this would be a perfect example of where triton could come in and help solve this.

 

[saltwaternoob]

One of the people with in the affected area has already sent in a sample of water, we are just waiting for results. But i dont believe they test for natural gas residue. I have also been reading that the results are not 100% accurate

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

But if it is water, aren't even the no water change people topping off for evaporation?

That's often more water than water changes.

 

[saltwaternoob]

The people who dont/ or havent done water changes in the past 3-4 months and just top off are fine. True they are adding the same water to their tank, but tiny amounts compared to two of us who were doing lots of water changes and top off. I did a 100g WC mid summer(250g total volume) because i didnt know what was going on and it didnt dawn on me that it could be getting through my RO system with a 0 tds reading.

One thing i do know is it would take a long time to reach just 100g of total top off in a 120g as the case of one tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You add less top off than water changesY Most people top off more than 1% daily, which equates to 30% per month water change. Some top off 2-3 times that much.

 

[Cory]

Not to say it isn't true but I would test your test kits. Cyano showed up in my tank when winter rolled in. Co2 maybe? What are all your parameter, tested fresh again. Calibrate your refractometer with 35ppt, test your tank. What does your alk show, ph, calcium, magnesium, temperature, ectetera.

If you use salifert for alk, what's the reference sample read?

I wouldn't assume it's the place down the street causing issues. What's your tds after di?

 

[saltwaternoob]

I get all my tests verified/correlated with my LFS every other week.

As of yesterday
alk 8.5dkh
ph 8.04(I run a Carx, I run my skimmer air line out side and it is still "low")
Sal 1.024(calibrated monthly)
temp 76.x - 77.x
Mg 1450
I dont test calcium at home, but when i did at the lfs it was 400- 450.

Like i said not sure what is going on but the people who dont do water changes and only top off seem fine(so far) while people doing WC(i was doing 10-15% weekly) plus top off are affected in a 10m radius about.

 

[Sangheili]

Could you all have a bad batch of salt?

 

[tyler1503]

Could you all have a bad batch of salt?

Seems improbable that they all use the same brand of salt and every bucket has the same batch number, but it was my first thought too. It only seems to be the people using salt that is affected.
Very strange....

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Are they trading things with each other, or buying from the same source, spreading a pathogen?

 

[saltwaternoob]

Seems improbable that they all use the same brand of salt and every bucket has the same batch number, but it was my first thought too. It only seems to be the people using salt that is affected.
Very strange....

I think we all use Reef Crystals salt, but in that period i have gone through 4 boxes or more. I am sure they were not all the same batch even if we bought at the same store( he keeps a lower supply and i bought one at a time). Not sure where the others get theirs from.

Are they trading things with each other, or buying from the same source, spreading a pathogen?

It could be but unknown, we all by corals from the same main shop, but he has no issues with what ever it is. I have traded with one of the individuals but that was during the stn event not before, at the start. Not sure if the other 2 were trading back and forth. I did frag up one colony and dip it all RTN'd the following day. One unique piece that i was losing i fragged up into several pieces and kept 2, the other went to my buddies house(in that same affected area, around 1/2 mile away) 3 pieces still doing fine there and no other pieces stn'd in his tank. So i would kinda rule out a pathogen?

Unique piece


Previous FTS


All in all it has me pulling my hair out. And I dont want to have a Fowlr at the end of this.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

As was mentioned earlier, you might consider sending a sample to Triton for testing.

 

[saltwaternoob]

As was mentioned earlier, you might consider sending a sample to Triton for testing.

If the other memeber in my shoes does not show anything i will. I was told by someone doing a write up that the accuracy is not great though.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If the other memeber in my shoes does not show anything i will. I was told by someone doing a write up that the accuracy is not great though.

I've seen some data, perhaps the same you were told about, but we can discuss it in more detail when its published.

 

[fishroomlady]

please update with that information. I find this very interesting I hope you get it figured out - your tank is beautiful