fish are dying....!

[topz]

The vitamin c needs to be added to top off larger then 10% in my case. As far as 850 gallons all at once I believe the rate was 500mg per 50 gallon. I hope it helps.

[semi]

topz, apollo
What is the form of the vitamin c: liquid, capsule? Does it help reduce dissolved minerals to the point it is crucial to use? I also have tds heavy well water. I still plan to get an ro system. RO should negate the need for vitamin c, right?

[Apollo]

I'm using the capsule form, by putting them in the Floating Duckweed Raft I don't have to worry about the fish eating them. As they dissolve they slowly make their way though the shade screen mesh and into the main tank.

[topz]

I as well use tablets makes measurement easy.

[semi]

So I went and got an RO system so I can clean up my water and keep it that way. Haven't set it up yet as I hung an inline fan and ducting today instead. It is 87F in the garage. Soooo...now I can move the hot air around
Lotsa death today, mostly kale leaves but also one goldie. Do you think the phosphoric acid dried up my blue curled kale? I keep doing stuff to fix problems and make new problems in the process, I think. In any case, I am having fun with it and will keep at it til it settles down again. Water level in FT is back to where I started. pH is at 7.5, no ammonia or nitrite, nitrates at 30, temp at 78. Plan to step up serving size a tad. I wonder if the fish fasting also starved the greens.

[semi]

Now many of the plants are dying too. Kale was first to show signs of interveinal chlorotics. Next the collards did the same. It seems that cabbage, basil, dill, and spinach are fine. My thought is that the pH spikes that killed the fish also blocked nutrient uptake. I added a cup of maxicrop with iron. I have trimmed away handfuls of bad leaves for 5 days now. Some remain so I will try to post pics.

[semi]

Happy days just over a week ago.

[semi]

[attachment=0:34mklvje]20140630_232253.jpg[/attachment:34mklvje]

[semi]

Is anyone out there familiar with this sequence of trouble?

[Apollo]

My guess is your high PH levels...your plants look similar to mine. The leaves just start to dry out and disintegrate, I was thinking it was because my PH levels were too high (8.4) or because my Nitrates (200 ppm) were too high.

With your Nitrates only being at 30 ppm, it leads me to believe it has more to do with your high PH levels. I also had some healthy looking fish die...from normal, to moving slow, to floaters all within 24hrs. My plants were all doing GREAT until my PH and Nitrates got too high.

How fast did you drop your PH level? That may have taken a toll on your fish.