a question about toxins

[nynick]

Hi Eric and everybody,

I am new to this forum and have a question. I read in your article about sponges etc releasing toxins in to the water as they decompose. What if you acted like an idiot (ME) and put som button polyps, star polyps and Xenia in a tank that was only 4 weeks old just because all the tests came out perfect (ME AGAIN!). I added about 2 Lb of live sand from 2 other aquarists aquariums that I got at a swapmeet this last weekend and 3 days later the problems started. Could the sponges in the sand give off toxins that quick?

All my tests are still perfect exept for a little bit low in calsium (350ppm) and a bit high in KH (36). I am slowly trying to fix these 2 but it would not make 4 Xenias absolutely misserable...right?

My Xenias are not looking happy, star polyps are so-so and button polyps seem great. I cant think of anything else but a toxin of some sort, so my question is: How do you get rid of it? Will carbon and small frequent water changes do the trick or is there a better way?

Thanks

Hans

[nynick]

someone must have an idea.......I really need some help!

[MiddletonMark]

I would pretty much always suggest a water change, just make sure to match temp and salinity very well. But that plus carbon may help ... but xenia itself is often a weird coral.

What are water tests now?

Some have terrible luck with it, even in multiple tanks ... for others it's a weed. I can barely keep the `long-tentacle' version of it, but the `pom-pom' grows like on my back glass, my frag rack, in my refugium, I'm constantly giving it away or selling it.

Try searching on it, there's a lot available here. There's a great `stickied' thread at the top of the New to Hobby forum on good ideas for searching, if you don't find what you want.

Good luck with it ... I'm off for the weekend :beer:

[nynick]

Hi...tanks for replying!

The water tests all came out perfect...everything that is supposed to be zero is and I have tested for everything under the sun and then brought water to a store to double check....everything is just perfect incl. Mg, iodine/ide, strontium etc.! Kh is down to 34 and Calsium up to 360. Salinity is at 1.025 but that should be fine I guess since they are used to it I'd rather not lower it right now anymore than several small top off's per day.

I have spent a whole day looking for answers and came up with something called AmQuel.....does anyone here have any experience with this product? It is supposed to remove clorine, cloramine and also some organic toxins.

Thanks

Hans

[EricHugo]

Hans...its a four week old tank. What did you expect???!!! Its not sponge toxins in the sand.

Why would you need Amquel?

[Obi-dad]

Eric, isn't a kh of 34 way too high?

[RicksReefs]

IIRC, the colliods in amquel aren't the best thing
for corals.

[EricHugo]

I'm assuming that's supposed to be 3.4