Maswired
New member
I have a 20gal high tank in my kitchen. I am running a Berlin Airlift Skimmer by RedSea that is rated for 90gal, a 20-40 gal HOB filter by Marineland with a biowheel - I added a 1/4 bag of Chemipur charcoal with phosohate removing "stuff" and I do 1/4 (4 gal) water changes once a week. I have 16 pounds of live rock from our local PetCo, along with 16 pounds of calcarous base rock from Fiji. I have 16 pounds of live CaribSea fine "live" sand and 16 pounds CaribSea "live" reef sand. I have a hang on inside of tank acrylic box with a few pieces of live rock and some Ulva sea lettuce in it, along with a good size, healthy mat of Cheato in my tank. My tank is 22 days old (reconstructed from older tank), has cycled, and has parameters that have remained somewhat stable the past two weeks. By somewhat, I mean that my pH has fluctuated between 8.0 and 8.2 every few days and my calcium is fluctuating between 380-400ppm each week. I have consistently had zero ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, for 22 days - after the first cycle. My dKH goes between 8 and 9 weekly. I use Instant Ocean salt and mix it 24-48 hours before using it. I keep an airstone in the bucket and a lid on, as well as a heater in there to keep the temp up. My tank temp has been stable at 75 F. I keep the salinty/SG at 1.025 - 1.026.
I recently added 4 Nerite snails, 3 cerith snails, 7 thinstriped hermits and 2 scarlet reef hermits. I have one yellow tail Damsel that has lived happily in the tank for three weeks, added after the cycle ended. I added three cerith snails, waited a week, added 7 hermits, waited another week, then added the scarlet reef hermits when I came home from my trip. I had a large diatom bloom which is receding, and I am now getting green algae and coralline growths.
Here is the issue:
I came home from a 24 hour overnight trip. I had checked my parameters before I left and everything was stable. I checked my parameters when I got home, and the following morning, and everything is stable. My new Magnesium test kit told me my Mag levels were at 1480-1500 and my new Phosphate test kit (Hannah) told me I had zero Phosphates. All good and good.
So why is my Damsel hiding under its rock? It dug a significant little cave out for itself and has slept in it for two weeks. The Damsel is now not eating, breathing heavily, and lays a little on its' side, resting on its ventral fins, on the bottom of the tank. I have been feeding mysis shrimp and saltwater entree frozen meal (small portions). I have not fed the entire "block" of frozen food - I cut it into 1/4's and feed sparingly, cleaning up the detritus afterwards. The hermits now do that for me. I tested the water this morning before I did my water change, and tested the bucket water of fresh mix, and then tested the tank parameters after the water change. I changed the filter cartridge in the filter and readjusted the Chemipur bag so that it did not interfere with the water flow of the HOB filter. I cleaned the Skimmer, which gives me about a 1/8- 1/4 inch of greenish/brownish goo every two or three days. My damsel shows no white spots, no injuries (I used a magnifying glass to stare at him for about five minutes), and no other visible signs of damage. So what gives? He is obviously in distress, but no outward signs, and the tank parameters are fine.
The only thing of note is that when I got home, Next morning, I found a little Aiptasia anemone on a piece of Ulva. I gently lifted the entire piece of Ulva out of the tank, being extremely careful not to disturb the little anemone. I threw the whole thing away. I know I will now have to watch for aiptasia, yay me!... will aiptasia poison my Damsel? Could it have? I can find no other cause, other than my tank is really new.
Any thoughts on this would be deeply appreciated!
I recently added 4 Nerite snails, 3 cerith snails, 7 thinstriped hermits and 2 scarlet reef hermits. I have one yellow tail Damsel that has lived happily in the tank for three weeks, added after the cycle ended. I added three cerith snails, waited a week, added 7 hermits, waited another week, then added the scarlet reef hermits when I came home from my trip. I had a large diatom bloom which is receding, and I am now getting green algae and coralline growths.
Here is the issue:
I came home from a 24 hour overnight trip. I had checked my parameters before I left and everything was stable. I checked my parameters when I got home, and the following morning, and everything is stable. My new Magnesium test kit told me my Mag levels were at 1480-1500 and my new Phosphate test kit (Hannah) told me I had zero Phosphates. All good and good.
So why is my Damsel hiding under its rock? It dug a significant little cave out for itself and has slept in it for two weeks. The Damsel is now not eating, breathing heavily, and lays a little on its' side, resting on its ventral fins, on the bottom of the tank. I have been feeding mysis shrimp and saltwater entree frozen meal (small portions). I have not fed the entire "block" of frozen food - I cut it into 1/4's and feed sparingly, cleaning up the detritus afterwards. The hermits now do that for me. I tested the water this morning before I did my water change, and tested the bucket water of fresh mix, and then tested the tank parameters after the water change. I changed the filter cartridge in the filter and readjusted the Chemipur bag so that it did not interfere with the water flow of the HOB filter. I cleaned the Skimmer, which gives me about a 1/8- 1/4 inch of greenish/brownish goo every two or three days. My damsel shows no white spots, no injuries (I used a magnifying glass to stare at him for about five minutes), and no other visible signs of damage. So what gives? He is obviously in distress, but no outward signs, and the tank parameters are fine.
The only thing of note is that when I got home, Next morning, I found a little Aiptasia anemone on a piece of Ulva. I gently lifted the entire piece of Ulva out of the tank, being extremely careful not to disturb the little anemone. I threw the whole thing away. I know I will now have to watch for aiptasia, yay me!... will aiptasia poison my Damsel? Could it have? I can find no other cause, other than my tank is really new.
Any thoughts on this would be deeply appreciated!
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. ) i noticed was appeared to be greyish cloud like accumulation on his pectoral and ventral fin areas. I am guessing that this was some sort of bacterial or fungal infection. It looked like his scales had lost color- a smooth sanded appearance. He was from Petco, so no surprise, as I have never had success with their fish. Mt worry now is that something is in my tank, and I plan on leaving it to the crabs and snails for 30 days more before considering fish. I am not in a hurry there either since the main purpose of the tank was a sort of detached refuge for any fish or invert that might be in distress but not diseased, in my other 20 gal. I keep getting the "gotta have ...." Bug, though. I am considering easy corals but time will have to pass now that I fear velvet or other some such. Thanks for your reply and information. I am worried about the alk and ph stability. My mag seems high also at 1480-1500ppm, calcium goes between 19-20, 380-400 ppm and my alk is bumping between 8-9 dkh. Those fluctuations migt settle down with age. With the bumping around of parameters, it would make since that the Damsel developed a stress related disease. Small tank, bumping params, yeah, makes sense. Too bad! Should have could have scenario, so .... Wisdom for next time.
