So after monitoring levels in my tank and seeing that everything seemed to be in good order, I purchased two damsels to start the tank off due to their hardy nature. One is a yellow tailed damsel and the other is a regular generic blue damsel. Up until yesterday the blue damsel was dominant. It's prbobably 125% the size of the yellow tail. It was always nipping at the yellow tail whenever feeding ocurred and it got too close to the food it was going after. Today, the blue damsels' behavior changed and now he is hiding near the bottom all day. I just went to feed them, and he will not eat anything, upon more careful inspection I noticed he has a white dot that is above his gill. Immediately I thought it was Ich. However, due to my experience with previous FW tanks this does not look like ich. Does anyone have a clue what this is? This white dot was not there yesterday. And he now has a couple other white dots that are very small on the back of him. What should I do?
First Fish Problem
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DrBDC
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How long have you had the tank going and what levels did you monitor?
FWIW I'd pull the damsels while you can catch them and take them back. They're a nightmare to catch. You can do the same thing with a little flake food each day or even a piece of shrimp from the grocery store.
FWIW I'd pull the damsels while you can catch them and take them back. They're a nightmare to catch. You can do the same thing with a little flake food each day or even a piece of shrimp from the grocery store.
Tank has been running for about 2 months now, maybe a little less? LR was added 4 weeks ago. Fish got added a week ago today. The one fish died. The other has ich, which is what I figued out it must be, but he has a very small case of it. I've been doing water changes, increased the temp, and lowering my salinity. Something else new happened. (this is my inexperience showing up) my two pieces of live rock have started to get VERY colorful. I now have purple all over the larger piece along with this brown stuff that is growning on it. What are these?
Also what's my next step in this process? I think the damsel will live and be ok, but basically I just need to track my Nitrogen levels and see when the process is completed? Then I can start doing what I want with the tank correct?
Also what's my next step in this process? I think the damsel will live and be ok, but basically I just need to track my Nitrogen levels and see when the process is completed? Then I can start doing what I want with the tank correct?
How big is your tank? How much live rock in pounds? Two pieces may not be enough, or may not be cured enough to make your water safe for fish. What is your salinity?
There is no reason to use fish to cycle a tank. As DrBDC says, daily flake food, or a single piece of raw shrimp from the seafood counter will accomplish the same thing without death involved.
I would take the remaining fish back to the store, and pick up an Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite test kit(s) instead. Moniter these levels everyday or every other day. When ammonia and nitrite are gone and nitrate has risen, do a large water change, and you can add fish then. The fish you want to keep for 30 years. Find out which of the fish you want are appropriate for the size tank you have.
Meanwhile read some good books. The Consciencious Marine Aquarist comes to mind.
Good luck.
There is no reason to use fish to cycle a tank. As DrBDC says, daily flake food, or a single piece of raw shrimp from the seafood counter will accomplish the same thing without death involved.
I would take the remaining fish back to the store, and pick up an Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite test kit(s) instead. Moniter these levels everyday or every other day. When ammonia and nitrite are gone and nitrate has risen, do a large water change, and you can add fish then. The fish you want to keep for 30 years. Find out which of the fish you want are appropriate for the size tank you have.
Meanwhile read some good books. The Consciencious Marine Aquarist comes to mind.
Good luck.
Im Lon 2
Premium Member
We really need this info to give you better advice.
Need to know your,
Temp
Salinity
PH
Ammonia
Nitrate
Nitrite
That is what you should really be checking for right now starting a new tank.
IMO - Once the tank is up and running with those at the correct levels you can move onto Calcium, ALk/Dkh, Phosphate, Magnesium. But for now you need to get the 1st levels correct to even worry about the rest of them.
My tank is 29g. It's the Oceanic BioCube. The LR I got was cured when I purchaed it, I only have about 15lbs right now of LR I was waiting to get more until I had the tank ready to go. Also it's so expensive, (yes I know what I got into) but I had a hard time spending $65 on a single rock. I already cycled my tank originally using the piece of flake food. I put BioZyme in daily for the first week, and about every other day now. I watched the levels change a little, but not as drastically as I thought it was going to be? Never really went over the higher level. I have been checking my levels (PH, Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite) daily or every other day since I purchased the tank.
I was told that the LFS would take the fish back but would toss it in the plant tank where it will probably die anyway. My Ammonia is somewhere between 0-.25PPM, my Nitrate is somewhere bewteen 0-5.0ppm and the nitrite is about .50ppm. My PH is right between 8.2-8.4
Everything I read on how to treat Marine Ich was to lower my salinity, do water changes and raise the temperature. Salinity is about 1.019. My temperature is currently at 81degrees. I had been keeping it at 74degrees.
I think I identified the brown stuff as brown hair algae? The purple is definitely coralline.
The other fish now shows no remnant of ich. Where do I go from here? What am I missing? Why do I have to cycle the tank again? How often do I need to take out the bio balls and clean them? What else do you need to know to help me out?
I was told that the LFS would take the fish back but would toss it in the plant tank where it will probably die anyway. My Ammonia is somewhere between 0-.25PPM, my Nitrate is somewhere bewteen 0-5.0ppm and the nitrite is about .50ppm. My PH is right between 8.2-8.4
Everything I read on how to treat Marine Ich was to lower my salinity, do water changes and raise the temperature. Salinity is about 1.019. My temperature is currently at 81degrees. I had been keeping it at 74degrees.
I think I identified the brown stuff as brown hair algae? The purple is definitely coralline.
The other fish now shows no remnant of ich. Where do I go from here? What am I missing? Why do I have to cycle the tank again? How often do I need to take out the bio balls and clean them? What else do you need to know to help me out?
Im Lon 2
Premium Member
Raise your Salinity to 1.025 very slowly.. Maybe top of with Saltwater for the next couple of days.
I'm guessing with out seeing a pic the brown is Canyo(sp) algae, with out a pic it is really hard to tell.. Most all new tank starting up will have some type of Algae, it is a Algae cycle that usually takes care of it's self.. How much flow do you have in the tank? How often do you feed? Water Changes? Those are 3 other question that could help feed or help get rid of the Algae?
I'm guessing with out seeing a pic the brown is Canyo(sp) algae, with out a pic it is really hard to tell.. Most all new tank starting up will have some type of Algae, it is a Algae cycle that usually takes care of it's self.. How much flow do you have in the tank? How often do you feed? Water Changes? Those are 3 other question that could help feed or help get rid of the Algae?
I was told that to treat the Ich I should lower the Salinity. Everything I read about naturally treating ich said to go low on your salinity. Flow is high I want to say 240g an hour? It's what ever the built in pump is on the Oceanic Biocube. I'm not at home with the manual so I'm not sure. I feed once a day. Water changes I do every other day about 2 gallons. I know it's a small amount but I thought it would best to do set small water changes than drastic ones. The issue with the LR is just expense, $7.50 a lb adds up.
The reason I think my tank has cycled is becuase I watched it go through the ups and downs of the process after I put the flake food in each day. I probably put a about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch square piece each day.
I was told BioZyme would add some of the good bacteria that was needed. It was in the salt water section.
I only have one tank right now so a quarantine is not an option.
I read that Damsels like 74-78degrees, when I first got them not true?
I was told BioZyme would add some of the good bacteria that was needed. It was in the salt water section.
I only have one tank right now so a quarantine is not an option.
I read that Damsels like 74-78degrees, when I first got them not true?
74 is a bit low, in my estimation. The live rock and the air have all the bacteria you need. Until your ammonia and nitrite are zero, your tank has not finished its cycle.
If I were you, I would remove all fish from the tank. Take them back to the store. Bring the salinity back to normal sea levels, and continue to feed the tank the flake food daily, monitering ammonia until it's zero, then monitering nitrite until its zero, then wait one more week to add the coral and fish of choice, continuing the flake additions. Also throughout, I would use twice the amount of flake you had been using.
This is what I would do, for what its worth.
Also, you might, while you are waiting for the cycle to end, set up a little air driven sponge filter in the tank to provide you with a biological filter for the quaranteen tank that you will need. A cheap 10 gallon tank and a 3 dollar sponge filter, and a cheap small powerhead are all you will need. Perhaps a light and something to prevent fish jumping. And a heater.
After the display has finished the cycle, the sponge filter will be ready too, and you can move it to the quaranteen tank and be ready to quaranteen your new fish as you get them. Then if they get ich or whatever, you can treat them in the QT and avoid poisoning your reef.
No one said this hobby is cheap, but there is nothing more expensive than losing a fish to disease and stress, especially if it can be prevented.
We are all wishing you good luck!
If I were you, I would remove all fish from the tank. Take them back to the store. Bring the salinity back to normal sea levels, and continue to feed the tank the flake food daily, monitering ammonia until it's zero, then monitering nitrite until its zero, then wait one more week to add the coral and fish of choice, continuing the flake additions. Also throughout, I would use twice the amount of flake you had been using.
This is what I would do, for what its worth.
Also, you might, while you are waiting for the cycle to end, set up a little air driven sponge filter in the tank to provide you with a biological filter for the quaranteen tank that you will need. A cheap 10 gallon tank and a 3 dollar sponge filter, and a cheap small powerhead are all you will need. Perhaps a light and something to prevent fish jumping. And a heater.
After the display has finished the cycle, the sponge filter will be ready too, and you can move it to the quaranteen tank and be ready to quaranteen your new fish as you get them. Then if they get ich or whatever, you can treat them in the QT and avoid poisoning your reef.
No one said this hobby is cheap, but there is nothing more expensive than losing a fish to disease and stress, especially if it can be prevented.
We are all wishing you good luck!
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