Confused!

[Wildisme02]

So tanks been setup a few weeks. Added a peppermint shrimp, Acan, and 22 astria snails. Waited 2 weeks and added corals and fish this weekend.

Added a RBTA, green monti, Idaho red monti, frog spawn, green slimer and a Kenya tree.

Next day I added a lawn mower blenny and 2 green chomis.

Yesterday I found my peppermint upside down dead at the bottom of the tank, since I added him he never came out the LR other then during feeding time. He was found on the opposite side of the tank almost 1 ft away from any rocks.

Now today 1 of my chromis has a wound on its side like something attacked it. It also has a few small white spots on its fins. Doesn't look at all like ich tho. Looks more like a blotchy white spot.

Any ideas? I was wondering if the RBTA stung it could it take scales with? I doubt the blenny did it.

Last thing is the slimer... It is producing some kind of gas that is bubbling on its surface and occasionally breaking loose and rising to the surface. Is this a sign of good health or bad health?

 

[Wildisme02]

Best pic I can get of the wound for now.

 

[helitaiwan963]

How big is the tank? 22 asteria snails is a lot...

If its been only.a few weeks... U may wanna slow down and make sure things are stable before all the corals, especially sps. Gas on the green slimer sounds like it could be slime algae growing on the green slimer...so bad health. How's your flow in the tank?

Rbtas and sps should be kept in mature tanks... But as far as the fish, do u have a mean hitch hiker crab or something u dunno about? As far as pepermint shrimps go, I seem to go thru them pretty quick as well, never figured out why they always die on me but all ny other shrimps do fine so I don't worry about it. They're cheap so I just replace them when needed.

 

[Wildisme02]

Its a 46bow front. I used sand and rock from established tanks. I did have some hitchhickers but I haven't seen any crabs. The RBTA seems to be doing well. The slimer I know nothing about, I was told half of it was dead and half alive. Half is red half green and both are creating a slime and both are creating bubbles.

As for the fish I am soooo confused. I have seen nothing in there that would attack a fish and purposely got non aggressive fish so I wouldn't have any issues.

 

[helitaiwan963]

The green slimer sounds like its getting covered by cyano or slime algae. Use a turkey baster and blow it off... Make sure u have adaquite flow. Hard to tell from.the pic of the Chromis, maybe its diseased and should be QT'd.

But 22 snails is a lot in a 46...

 

[DaveWF]

The green slimer sounds like its getting covered by cyano or slime algae. Use a turkey baster and blow it off... Make sure u have adaquite flow.

As soon as you said it was creating bubbles, that's what I was thinking (cyanobacteria). +1 on the turkey baster for clearing it off and making sure you have adequate flow in the tank.

What are your water parameters?
If it's only been a few weeks into a new tank, I'm concerned that it may not have completed cycling.

 

[A Reef Scene]

Are you using tap water?

 

[Wildisme02]

It did cycle. Ammonia spiked up to around 4 and I waited till it and nitrates were at 0 for a few days.

Flow is around 1160gph all together.

Fish seems very active and doesn't seem effected at all by the wound. Still have no idea as to what could have took off so many scales.

 

[Wildisme02]

All top off is RO/DI and RO/DI salt at 22-24 for water changes.

 

[helitaiwan963]

whats 22-24? TDS readings? may wanna change the filters in the near future.

well, if your ammonia readings are good. What about nitrate/nitrite readings? How are your parameters overall?

 

[skunkmere]

Stay on top of you water changes, and ride out the algae. I think its part of the process. Don't add anymore stuff. Maybe you got a unich worm or a mantis shrimp?

 

[xtlosx]

+1 on a hitch hiker crab that is coming out at night... My Chromis sleeps in between a couple of my SPS colonies, and if there was a b**** a** crab trying to eat him, he'd be easy prey..

Do you have moon lights at all? Wait until lights out, and just sit and observe. I do this all the time (my wife thinks I'm a lunatic). I sit for quite a while at night and just observe. Our dogs randomly wake us up sometimes at night (2-4am) and when they are outside doing their business I park myself in front of the tank, walk around it, and just look at everything....

Reefs are like kids, and animals.. you have to learn what it is telling you even though the reef can't talk.... Maybe the ramblings of a mad man, but it works for me.

 

[helitaiwan963]

hehe, my mom thinks me and my dad a crazy for sitting and staring at the tank for like an hour as well. but so addicting. Best part of a reef tank, all the life in the tank that you can just sit there and admire.

 

[Wildisme02]

1.022-1.024.

I did miss my WC last week as I was in the hospital. Normal is top off daily or bidaily and 5g WC every mon or Tuesday.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate below 10
PH 7.6

As of right now that's all I have.

This is my first SW, lighting sux with a 48" 2x32w T8 6500k

Should be switching to a 36" 2x39w T5HO 10k and 2x39w T5HO Actinic lights with moon lighting. I currently do have moon lights on a separate fixture on a second timer.

I do often observe at night, usually only time I see the Bristol worms and amphipods.

I have never does calcium, am looking Into that now as well as looking to add a protein skimmer in the next 2 weeks.

 

[helitaiwan963]

what size tank do you have?

I don't think those sps are gonna last long with that lighting... kinda iffy if the RBTA will get enough lighting either... I'm not sure if you can have someone hold those for u or sell your sps and rbta till u get your t5ho lighting... if not, I'd feed your rbta every other day to kinda supplement the lack of lighting and hope it doesn't start to brown out/bleach...

 

[Wildisme02]

46 bow front. Should have T5 lighting by end of week. They do not seem to be reaching at all. I have fed the RBTA already.

From what I have researched they will appear stringy and reach when they need more light or are hungry and will shorten up and bulb once happy. He was stringy for a few days and last 2 days it has started to bulb more. Still not large bulbs but easily noticeable.

The SPS I think I will trade out for another softie. I'm a big fan of movement so I'd rather have something swaying then to have this thing.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Should be at 1.0256 is you plan on keeping SPS/Anemones/inverts.

 

[Wildisme02]

I have heard to go 25-26 for anemones but I try and stay around 23-24 for the fish.

Idk it's an on going debate.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Excluding the minor amount of money saved, there isn't a benefit of 1.023/24.

 

[OpTiCz]

1.023 would be good for fish only.
I keep my reef at 1.026.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk