I've lost count of how many times I've added new clownfish or cocoa damsels, only to have them kick the bucket within a week. I'm testing the water almost daily, and without the fish, everything seems fine - no ammonia, no nitrites, and 20 mg/L of nitrates. But as soon as I add the fish, they're good for a couple days, then suddenly they're all dead. This has happened at least five times now, and it just happened again this morning. All the damsels were gone, but weirdly, the slippery dick wrasse were all still swimming. I only had time to check the ammonia, and it was at 0.50 mg/L, which is weird since it's usually at 0 mg/L. I've got a pH dosing thing trying to bump up the pH, but it's stuck at 7.8-8.0.
I'm starting to wonder if the slippery dick wrasse's mucus coat has something to do with the ammonia spike. My filtration setup is a 110 gph topwater filter, 40 gph stingray underwater filter, and a 530 gph powerhead (which used to be on a skimmer that doesn't work). I've got about 1 inch of sand, 40 pounds of live rock, and a coflake frag that I think is in there too. The tank is 30 gallons, with three small slippery dick wrasse, three hermit crabs, and one ghost shrimp. I'm using a strip light with a UVB 5.0 tube, which I read is what coflakes need. Any ideas what's going on?
learning from failures
Re: learning from failures
"Hey craftyx, can you tell me what the temperature of your tank is and what the salt level is at? Also, what type of salt are you using and are you using reverse osmosis water? I noticed you mentioned a coflake frag in your setup, I'm wondering if that might be part of the issue. Looking forward to hearing back from you."
Re: learning from failures
To help you figure out what's going on, we need some more info. What's your tank's specific gravity, or SG for short? You can use a refractometer or hydrometer to check that. Also, what are your current ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels? I know you mentioned earlier that ammonia was 0.5 mg/L after the fish died, but I'd like to know what it's like normally.
It's also good to know your pH, but you mentioned it's usually around 7.8-8.0, which is fine for fish.
Another thing to consider is whether you're acclimating your fish properly. If not, they might be getting shocked to death by sudden changes in SG, temperature, or pH. To acclimate, you can use either the drip or cup method. It's pretty simple - just search online for a tutorial if you're not sure how to do it.
It's also good to know your pH, but you mentioned it's usually around 7.8-8.0, which is fine for fish.
Another thing to consider is whether you're acclimating your fish properly. If not, they might be getting shocked to death by sudden changes in SG, temperature, or pH. To acclimate, you can use either the drip or cup method. It's pretty simple - just search online for a tutorial if you're not sure how to do it.
Re: learning from failures
I'd like to know if all the fish you've lost came from the same LFS? Have you tried getting fish from a different store to see if the issue persists?
Re: learning from failures
I'm pretty sure I have a couple of coflakes in there - two small frags, about 1/2 pound each. I got them with some live rock I picked up, the lady at the store asked if I wanted the frags with it.
My tank's running at 82 degrees Fahrenheit, salinity's usually around 1.022-1.024, so 29-33 ppt. I'm using coflakeife salt. And yeah, I'm not using RO water, just dechlorinated tap water - can't you just boil tap water to make it RO?
I did another water test and here's what I got: nitrates are still at 20 mg/L, ammonia's at 0.25 mg/L, nitrites are also at 0.25 mg/L, and pH is at 8.0. The tank's 2 1/2 months old, so it's cycled - I added a 5-pound piece of live rock two weeks ago, maybe it's still cycling and that's why my water tests are off?
I did acclimate the fish, adding 1/2 cup every 5 minutes, but I think I might've messed up with a few of the damsels - I remember forgetting to acclimate them. And yeah, the damsels are w/c.
My tank's running at 82 degrees Fahrenheit, salinity's usually around 1.022-1.024, so 29-33 ppt. I'm using coflakeife salt. And yeah, I'm not using RO water, just dechlorinated tap water - can't you just boil tap water to make it RO?
I did another water test and here's what I got: nitrates are still at 20 mg/L, ammonia's at 0.25 mg/L, nitrites are also at 0.25 mg/L, and pH is at 8.0. The tank's 2 1/2 months old, so it's cycled - I added a 5-pound piece of live rock two weeks ago, maybe it's still cycling and that's why my water tests are off?
I did acclimate the fish, adding 1/2 cup every 5 minutes, but I think I might've messed up with a few of the damsels - I remember forgetting to acclimate them. And yeah, the damsels are w/c.
Re: learning from failures
Many fish can adapt to different conditions when it comes to specific gravity and pH, as long as they're given enough time to acclimate properly. Your pH of 7.8-8.0 shouldn't be a problem for your fish. However, it's worth noting that coflakes do prefer a slightly higher pH, around 8.2-8.4.
The real issue could be sudden or frequent fluctuations in pH, which can be deadly for fish. It's also a concern that you're reading ammonia and nitrite in your tests - ideally, these should be zero. Was the new live rock you added cured beforehand? If not, it could be in the process of cycling, which would explain the unusual water test results. Additionally, your tank temperature is a bit high at 82 degrees - is it possible to get it down to around 80 degrees?
The real issue could be sudden or frequent fluctuations in pH, which can be deadly for fish. It's also a concern that you're reading ammonia and nitrite in your tests - ideally, these should be zero. Was the new live rock you added cured beforehand? If not, it could be in the process of cycling, which would explain the unusual water test results. Additionally, your tank temperature is a bit high at 82 degrees - is it possible to get it down to around 80 degrees?
Re: learning from failures
I'm guessing your tank isn't fully cycled yet, and adding that live rock might've messed with your nitrites, especially if it wasn't cured first.
How big's your tank, by the way? What kind of fish are you keeping, and how many? When did you add the first fish and live rock after setting it up? How many fish or pieces of live rock are you adding at once?
How big's your tank, by the way? What kind of fish are you keeping, and how many? When did you add the first fish and live rock after setting it up? How many fish or pieces of live rock are you adding at once?
Re: learning from failures
My tank's 30 gallons. I set it up a month and a half ago, then started adding fish. I usually add 2 fish at a time, so I don't overwhelm the tank. The most live rock I've added at once is 5 pounds.bould wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2024 6:51 am I'm guessing your tank isn't fully cycled yet, and adding that live rock might've messed with your nitrites, especially if it wasn't cured first.
How big's your tank, by the way? What kind of fish are you keeping, and how many? When did you add the first fish and live rock after setting it up? How many fish or pieces of live rock are you adding at once?
Took another test today. Nitrates are 0.20 mg/L, nitrites are 0.10 mg/L, ammonia's 0.25 mg/L, and pH's 8.2. The three wrasse are still alive, but they're always hiding under the sand. I haven't seen them out in the open since I got them a week ago. I drop in some food daily, but I'm not sure if they're eating it or the crabs are getting to it first. What's the best food for them? I've been using pelleted saltwater fish food, but is raw shrimp better for them?
Re: learning from failures
Blimey, your tank's not cycled yet, mate. To keep those fish alive, you gotta do regular water changes, couple of times a week.
Stop messing with the buffer, it's not helping. And for goodness' sake, stop adding live rock - it's just gonna make things worse and create another cycle.
If you've got another tank, I'd get the fish outta there and wait for the cycle to finish. It's a bit of a pain, but trust me, it's worth it.
We all make mistakes, and that's how we learn. Just remember, patience is key when it comes to the salty side.
Stop messing with the buffer, it's not helping. And for goodness' sake, stop adding live rock - it's just gonna make things worse and create another cycle.
If you've got another tank, I'd get the fish outta there and wait for the cycle to finish. It's a bit of a pain, but trust me, it's worth it.
We all make mistakes, and that's how we learn. Just remember, patience is key when it comes to the salty side.
Re: learning from failures
I'm still trying to figure out what the marine buffer does that's bad for my tank - can someone explain it to me?
I've stopped adding live rock, I know I messed up by not curing it first.
Tests are still showing pretty much the same results as before.
I've stopped adding live rock, I know I messed up by not curing it first.
Tests are still showing pretty much the same results as before.
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