my nitrate is high and my ammonia is high (less than .25 though) even though i did a 75% water change around 12 hours ago... i don't have anymore water to switch out. my clown is lying on the sand and rocking back and forth and breathing heavily.... he also hasn't eaten in a few days... i lost my other clown last night due to high ammonia. is there anyway to save him at this point, or should i just let him go, clean out my tank and start over?
911!!! Clown about to die! I need help tonight.
- Thread starter bakestarr
- Start date
bassist6108
New member
I don't know how to save your clown, but you don't need to clean out your tank and start over, you need to let your cycle finish before you start adding fish. This is most likely why your clown(s) died. Until your tank has finished cycling, it is going to be nearly impossible to keep any fish alive.
You should change more water - use purified tap if you must. But my guess is that it is too little too late.
You should change more water - use purified tap if you must. But my guess is that it is too little too late.
Do you have a 24 hr. Petco or Petsmart? If you could get more salt and just make clean water...Or Amquel, a water conditioner.
You are having a recurrence of the cycle. Each fish you put in, individually, causes a mini-cycle, sometimes not easy to detect, but it happens, on a new tank. Add a little overfeeding and it's a much bigger problem. A 10gal is very precarious in terms of margins. What you need is bristleworms to take care of that overfeeding, and snails and hermits to help keep the tank clean: your inverts should always mass about 3x your fish load. Is there anywhere including calling friends at this hour that would get you some sea-salt? You could get distilled water at an allnight market and use 1/2 cup per gallon salt, remembering to mix extremely well [ a pump is the best mixer] and just put the fish into qt, even into a clean spare bucket with new salt water. Clowns are tough, and he might make it.
Do not think of starting over: there's nothing wrong with your tank except over-stress by too many fish too fast. They quit eating when ammonia/nitrate rose, and they're still suffering from it. Redoing the tank will just mean a whole new cycle. THis one is nearly complete.
some 24 hour groceries sell sea salt for human consumption in with the rest of the Morton's salt, etc. They also sell distilled water for steam irons and the like. I'm not sure it's the best idea, but if you have absolutely nothing else, use half a cup of that salt to one gallon of water, and be absolutely sure the salinity is equal in tank and in new water, and that the salt is completely mixed. I'm telling you something that I wouldn't do unless it was absolutely the last chance for this fish, and it may be. I can't stress enough: completely mixed until the water is clear again, and same temperature and same salinity. This fish is right on the edge of not making it.
Always have salt and fresh water and a spare container that can be used as a qt tank on hand: an old cd cylinder will do in a pinch: emergencies have a way of reaching crisis after all the stores have closed. I wish you luck, and hope he holds out til morning.
You are having a recurrence of the cycle. Each fish you put in, individually, causes a mini-cycle, sometimes not easy to detect, but it happens, on a new tank. Add a little overfeeding and it's a much bigger problem. A 10gal is very precarious in terms of margins. What you need is bristleworms to take care of that overfeeding, and snails and hermits to help keep the tank clean: your inverts should always mass about 3x your fish load. Is there anywhere including calling friends at this hour that would get you some sea-salt? You could get distilled water at an allnight market and use 1/2 cup per gallon salt, remembering to mix extremely well [ a pump is the best mixer] and just put the fish into qt, even into a clean spare bucket with new salt water. Clowns are tough, and he might make it.
Do not think of starting over: there's nothing wrong with your tank except over-stress by too many fish too fast. They quit eating when ammonia/nitrate rose, and they're still suffering from it. Redoing the tank will just mean a whole new cycle. THis one is nearly complete.
some 24 hour groceries sell sea salt for human consumption in with the rest of the Morton's salt, etc. They also sell distilled water for steam irons and the like. I'm not sure it's the best idea, but if you have absolutely nothing else, use half a cup of that salt to one gallon of water, and be absolutely sure the salinity is equal in tank and in new water, and that the salt is completely mixed. I'm telling you something that I wouldn't do unless it was absolutely the last chance for this fish, and it may be. I can't stress enough: completely mixed until the water is clear again, and same temperature and same salinity. This fish is right on the edge of not making it.
Always have salt and fresh water and a spare container that can be used as a qt tank on hand: an old cd cylinder will do in a pinch: emergencies have a way of reaching crisis after all the stores have closed. I wish you luck, and hope he holds out til morning.
redvipe2010
In Memoriam
In a 10 gallon tank you need to keep up with things like food laying on the bottom.
i added distilled water and i have the spec grav at 1.02 which is (as far as i know) is the lowest i should make it. this made the ammonia a whoooooole lot better and its almost at 0. i really don't think he will make it until tomorrow morning... even worse, i might not be able to do anything until after work. which will be 6:00 or later before i could go to my lfs and make it back home after work. i have a turbo snail, a cerith snail, and another snail (can't recall what at the moment)
i know such a small tank requires lots of upkeep and i really really want to upgrade, but i need to find something decently priced at the moment... i didn't realize the uneaten food would cause such a huge problem. i just need to figure out what to do to keep my fish alive until tomorrow.
i know such a small tank requires lots of upkeep and i really really want to upgrade, but i need to find something decently priced at the moment... i didn't realize the uneaten food would cause such a huge problem. i just need to figure out what to do to keep my fish alive until tomorrow.
redvipe2010
In Memoriam
Any local reefers on your local site still on-line that might have any already made saltwater they can donate?
Remember that all changes should be made very slowly: a fish's tissues have to adjust to the new salinity. Prime [brand name] is like Amquel. It's a good thing to have on hand with a sumpless tank. Just cross your fingers at this point and hope: you've got a really precarious situation on your hands for the whole tank. Good for lowering the ammonia---but the hypo is going to impact your inverts, too, and remember they adjust slower than fish do, because of their shells. Lethal ammonia on one side, hazards of hypo and parameter change on the other. I wish you all kinds of luck.
WHen you get to your lfs next, buy the following: either Amquel or Prime; carbon [removes toxins including ammonia---I think---and I should have recommended that: that's always the first recourse if you're having a tank-pollution problem]; polyfilter [expensive, but if you have any metals contamination it's a lifesaver]; extra salt, enough for a 20% water change; Start bringing that salt level back up very slowly, and mix the water before it hits the tank. Consider getting a spare maxijet 400 for water mixing. And beg or buy an old salt bucket [7g] if you can.
Whatever happens, don't buy another fish until you're through this crisis and your inverts are all all right. I'd get enough to total about ten microhermits and as many snails, plus a couple of bristleworms---give it a week and you'll have a lot more. They'll help your sand break down the excesses and process it into nitrogen gas.
If you get a tax refund, consider a nano skimmer---I think they do make them; they'll get protein waste out of your water and help you keep the tank stable. A nano is a very touchy kind of tank, but that is one piece of equipment that can help you out a lot.
WHen you get to your lfs next, buy the following: either Amquel or Prime; carbon [removes toxins including ammonia---I think---and I should have recommended that: that's always the first recourse if you're having a tank-pollution problem]; polyfilter [expensive, but if you have any metals contamination it's a lifesaver]; extra salt, enough for a 20% water change; Start bringing that salt level back up very slowly, and mix the water before it hits the tank. Consider getting a spare maxijet 400 for water mixing. And beg or buy an old salt bucket [7g] if you can.
Whatever happens, don't buy another fish until you're through this crisis and your inverts are all all right. I'd get enough to total about ten microhermits and as many snails, plus a couple of bristleworms---give it a week and you'll have a lot more. They'll help your sand break down the excesses and process it into nitrogen gas.
If you get a tax refund, consider a nano skimmer---I think they do make them; they'll get protein waste out of your water and help you keep the tank stable. A nano is a very touchy kind of tank, but that is one piece of equipment that can help you out a lot.
redvipe2010
In Memoriam
If you get another ammonia rise, try carbon. A filter cylinder such as they use for Brita or Pur water filters would have it, if you can't find just a bag of purifying charcoal [DON"T use cooking charcoal: it has fuel oil in it!] and you can get that at an allnight grocery. Just set the filter so your water passes through it.
cschweitzer
New member
A cycle is not only the cycle of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. It is commonly used to refer to the time it takes for your tank to establish. The reason a new cycle broke out and ammonia was present, besides the critters mentioned above, is because the nitrifying bacteria that live in the rock, sandbed, and water column need time to regenerate and recure. Without the nitrifying bacteria, keeping nitrates in check will be impossible. Three months without anything but sand and rock should do the trick, giving the rock pleanty of time to establish. I also hypothesize that this helps with the fishes natural slime coat.
Candi
Member
If your fish is still alive this morning, call around and go immediately to buy some Marineland BioSpira for Saltwater... this is LIVE bacteria, it has to be kept refridgerated until ready to use... accept NO substitute. A good LFS in your area should carry it, usually around $12 for the small packet. This will cycle your tank... I've used it before when setting up new tanks (fresh & saltwater) and also when we moved 12 hours away when I set them back up as insurance incase of any bacteria dieoff during the move.
In the future PLEASE read up more on keeping nano tanks, there is a whole site dedicated to nanos. With such a small volume of water you need to be extremely conservative in adding fish. I'd say you were already at your limit with those three fish and your tank is only a month old? After a few weeks of ensuring you are cycled, being careful to only feed what your fish will eat and what your cleanup crew will cleanup you can add one more fish... never more then one fish a month in a tank that size IMO. You should always also have at least 5g premixed sw on hand for emergencies. If you don't have a refractometer and your own salt mix then buy premade and always keep some on hand... then all you'd need to do is bring it to temp and do a water change.
good luck
In the future PLEASE read up more on keeping nano tanks, there is a whole site dedicated to nanos. With such a small volume of water you need to be extremely conservative in adding fish. I'd say you were already at your limit with those three fish and your tank is only a month old? After a few weeks of ensuring you are cycled, being careful to only feed what your fish will eat and what your cleanup crew will cleanup you can add one more fish... never more then one fish a month in a tank that size IMO. You should always also have at least 5g premixed sw on hand for emergencies. If you don't have a refractometer and your own salt mix then buy premade and always keep some on hand... then all you'd need to do is bring it to temp and do a water change.
good luck
