Diagnosis Please (Saltwater Aquarium Problems)

Are the bio-wheels your main source of nitrifying bacteria? I didn't notice you listing any live rock in your sig. If it's a new tank you could be going through a cycle.

Also, algae outbreaks are expected in new set-ups and are part of the tank maturation process.

Lastly, I note that you're using well water with an RO system. RO-only systems may not be able to eliminate all heavy metals such as copper. Well water may indeed contain heavy metals depending on your source. Do you have TDS meter to measure your post-RO output? A DI filter after your RO will "clean-up" anything missed by the RO.

hi connie, i see your tanks been having alot of small problems in the last two years since you moved

could somthing have be spilt in the tank during the move ?

there are a lot of thing that can happen to a tank that is sitting around doing nothing ... some thing could have gotten on to the inside of the glass that did not get washed out completely

there is no real way to clean the inside of your tank while its in use, but if you are having die off then its probably a good idea to find a tempary home for your surviving live stock and live rock/sand and do a complete cleaning of the inside of your tank

your green algea sounds like phosphate, thats common with tap water

are you using tap water ?

you need more flow:
here are some more possibilities:
-old bulbs
-over feeding
-old RO membrane
-direct sunlight
-and something could have spilled in the tank. did you ever use copper? that is just what it sounded like when you mentioned the legs of the starfish

Connie P said:

The tank was thoroughly cleaned (and has been cleaned several times since the move). I had it running fine in one location (couldn't even kill off a pain in the butt pufferfish!). Then I moved to another house and didn't start the tank up there. After a couple years, the new house was done and I started up the tank again. Is it possible that the live sand "died" during the time it wasn't in use? Could that be my problem?

Click to expand...

you said it was cleaned when not in use, then ... could the live sand have died when not in use

confusing there

and yes you live sand can be dead now it needed to be feed it is alive after all

The bio-wheels are the only other way I have to deal with nitrifying bacteria. I had some abalone and starfish, but they died (the starfish lost their "legs"). All that is left of my "cleaning crew" that I tried are some of the mini hermit crabs.

Click to expand...

i would .. take down the tank, wash out the dead live sand, clean out the tank, replace the dead live sand, set up the tank get a good skimmer, get some live rock ( if you had some before and it was in storage it is now deal live rock .. or base rock ) then get some live sand to re-seed your dead live sand

ie your starting over, you need to reseed your live rock and your live sand, and if the 'dead live sand was left in the tank while it was in storage in needs to be cleaned out to remove any build up in there

there are more things that could .. should be done but thats IMHO