[afederico]

Hello,
Need some opinions please.

My water parameters after 5 gallon water change in 24 g aquapod. (I am using RO/DI water)
nitrites=0
nitrates=7.5
ammonia=0
temp= approx 80
Spec grav=1.025
Ph=8.4

Everything was going great for 2 1/2 months. was taking my time added CUC and then added a green hairy mushroom as a tester. Everything was great and mushrooms taking off. Decided to buy pulsing xenia. Everything was great for about 2 wks until this water change. The other day I dbought a maroon clown. He did not seem to be doing that well after a couple of days so my local fish store told me to do a partial water change. This is when I did the 5 gallon change. I made salt water(instant ocean salt) and heated it up via microwave to bring temp up to par before adding to tank. Everything seemed fine. Over the next few days I lost my clown, scooter blenny, my brittle star, cleaner shrimp, my xenia and some of my cleanup crew. I just do not understand. I kept temp consistant as well as Spec. gravity. Can I not warm water in microwave. Was thins too big of a shock to the system. I here people doing 50 % water changes all the time and all I did was 5 gallons????????

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Not that there is anything wrong with a 5 gallon water change but 5 gallons in your tank is 20%.If you used a freshly mixed batch of salt water the ph was more than likely very high.If you hit the fish with a very small but sharp ph spike that may be the problem.Ph increases are always bad but generally occur over a few days or even worse a few hours,but one that happens it two minutes has got to be the worst.I am not sure about the effect of a very rapid temperature increase but I dont see the micro wave as beeing a good idea.I would suggest you make your water 72 hours in advance and if needs to be warmed do it with a 2 litre soda bottle full of hot water.Also an air stone in the mixing tank would be a good idea.

[NOSAJ214]

Sounds like you did everything ok ,except the microwave,never heard of that and i certainly wouldnt have gone that route.You should have just stuck your heater in the new water,with a powerhead or airstone.But yes the 20 percent water change was a lot for your size tank.Plus i hope all salt was desolved.But anyway sounds like a bad ph swing or the temp of the water u made was a shock to your livestock.Good luck sorry for your loss of precious fish and inverts in such a short amount of time,very strange.

[emccullough1]

Is far as 20% water change go's there should be no problem as long as you make sure the parameters are the same. When I first started my 10 gal tank I routinely did 50% with no problems at all. I'm wondering if there may have been some thing in the bucket that you mixed it in. Or if you purchased the RO water from a LFS It could have been bad. As for suggestions I would recommend you get a small heater for adjusting you temp and a cheep pump to circulate your water and salt mix for at least 6 hours 24 would be better. You can get a small pump at Lowe's or other hardware store for $20.00 small fountain pump adjustable 40 to 80 gph at 1 foot. I just got one yesterday to feed a DIY CC skimmer. I would think that the microwaved water did not do it but with that being said I would not try it to find out. Xenia are real sensitive to PH change so the others my be correct but I really think that it was some thing in the water.

[R-e-D]

ok here is my first thought on this . THE BUCKET DIDENT FIT IN THE MICROWAVE! lol .. so what did you put the water in to heat it in the microwave ? this was not a ph swing it was a chemical imbalance . soap or a cleaner of sometype .. i talked to a guy who would make his water in a 5 gallon bucket but would use a small 1/2 gallon bucket to get it in to his sump .. all his fish died , when asked about the little bucket he said it was the bucket he kept under his kitchen sink with his household cleaners .. so even if you clean a bucket , the microwave will pull soap or cleaner chemicals from the plastic ...imo.