Fluval edge collapse

[Pvillarraga]

I have a 6 gallon fluval edge that has been running for about 6 weeks. I went on vacation and came back to a collapse. I had someone do a water change while on vacation. I lost 2 peppermint shrimp and a clown fish. The Sandbed was filthy when I came back. I plan to add some clean up crew this week. All my parameter were normal and don't understand why it collapsed. I have a clown fish and snail remaining.

I have a few questions to ask. Should I vacuum the sand bed weekly when doing water changes. Should I rinse the filter sponge and carbon bag. Should I blow the detritus off the rocks if so with what? Do you recommend filter floss? I want a clean, healthy good looking tank. Also my LFS store said feeding every other day would be sufficient. Thank you for all your help. I look forward to answers.

 

[thebanker]

That sucks. Sorry for your livestock losses.

I'd rinse the filter sponge, replace the carbon bag entirely, and blow the detritus off the rocks with an eye dropper or turkey baster (might be tough with a baster). I would suggest using Chemi-Pure Elite, since it is an activated carbon product with a phosphate remover mixed in. It really is perfect for the Edge.

As to why it crashed, who knows, but going on vacation, as we all know, is always bad luck for a tank. Was your tank sitter an experienced reef keeper?

Also: 2 clownfish may be a lot for a 6 gallon Edge. Clownfish move a lot, expend a lot of energy, and poop a lot too. It is tough to support them in the Edge confines.

 

[Pvillarraga]

I just switched the carbon to chemi pure elite how often should that be replaced. And what about vacuuming Sand bed?

 

[thebanker]

Not sure about the sand bed. Can you post a few pics of your tank? Vacuuming the sandbed is something I don't do on reef tanks, it tends to stir up nasty things you don't want in your water.

 

[St.Pete_Reefer]

What salt did you use?

 

[Pvillarraga]

I was planning to put coral in this week but then all of this happened.

 

[Nemos Boss]

Your pics look like typical diatoms. They should go away after all the silicates are gone. is this tank new? Hows your temp? I ask because if your sitter fed too much that coulda done it. If your temp rocked up then your dissolved oxygen would dive. Im not quite sure if you have a biofilter strong enough for two clowns. I have twenty lb of lr in my nuvo with one fish. Do you plan to add an ato? Have you tested your water? old test kits can give false readings. hopefully you figure it out. good luck

 

[Pvillarraga]

How long does this take to go away

 

[Pvillarraga]

Temp is 79 tanks is 6 weeks

 

[Nemos Boss]

it depends on your water change schedule. you just lost a fish so i would focus on testing the water rather than buying livestock. Whats your ammonia and nitrate at? A tank this small with less than a few lb of lr and a new filter will take a while to cycle. because you added too many fish and inverts so quickly you have slowed it down. you should test then decide if you need a water change. if ammonia is high. then do a waterchange for your remaining clowns sake. Nitrate isnt nearly as toxic but still not good. If you read no ammonia and no nitrite, you maybe be cycled.

 

[Nemos Boss]

Getting back to some day to day stuff with my old edge. you will want an auto top off unit on this tank. second, consider cree leds with a little square heatsink. finally, trash the ac20. get an ac30 and add filter floss. I blow off the sandbed and rocks just before i do my waterchange. I rinse the filterpad a few hours later.

 

[Pvillarraga]

Ammonia is 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 10 I got the dead live stock within 5 mins. I was keeping a close eye.

 

[thebanker]

1. Your tank may have been overstocked for being so new.
2. Your sand looks fine, I would not touch it or vacuum it. It will only hinder the establishment of your beneficial bacterial population. The brown stuff you see looks like diatoms on the sand, which is a normal part of the cycle.
3. I think what you saw was the result of an ammonia spike in the tank, which = death.

Keep the remaining clownfish in there, feed sparingly, and take it slow. Don't put any more animals in there for another 1-2 weeks. Especially fish. In two weeks, try a hearty coral, like common branching frogspawn (euphyllia paradivisa).

Good luck, if you have other questions just ask.

 

[Pvillarraga]

OWhen you say filter pad that is the sponge right. Does ac30 fit on the back just like the stock one. Where do I find an AC30? Thanks for all the help guys!

 

[thebanker]

Yes, filter pad = sponge.

I don't think an AquaClear 30 will fit, to be honest. It's made by the same company, Hagen-Fluval, that makes the tank and components.

 

[Pvillarraga]

Thank you well I just put Chemipure elite, I will do a water change this weekend and blow the surface of the sand and rocks before then take out all the junk. I plan on rinsing the filter pad one a week. Someone said to rinse it in old water that was taken out is this correct?

 

[thebanker]

Don't mess w/ the sand, just blow the "dust" off the rocks. The sand is going to be a crucial part of your biological filter, and if it keeps getting disturbed it will never mature properly.

Rinse the junk out of the filter pad now, but then leave it alone for a month. Right now you need to establish the biological filtration. Once your tank is cycled I'd consider leaving the filter pad out entirely.

 

[Nemos Boss]

im sure the ac 30 will fit. i have had it in there. you need to keep that filterpad clean. be sure with only six gallons that you rinse it will tap then with ro/di. like thebanker said before. your not trying to syphon sand from the sand bed. use your turkey baster and gently blow your rocks and the diatoms if you like. otherwise only more time will solve this problem. Try to keep your hands out and monitor that cycle. your second clown should be homefree as long as no more bioload is added.

 

[St.Pete_Reefer]

Did you buy instant ocean salt from drsfosterssmith.com?

Reason why I ask is the same thing happened to a friend of mine we went away for the weekend and the tank has been up for years and all of a sudden everything died. Only thing he did different was use this salt. He has used it in the past no problems but we tested water everything is perfect. No sure if you used this salt from DRF&S but just was wondering since it was same time frame he lost everything along with only doing a water change before leaving almost like you.

 

[thebanker]

He needs to keep the filter pad clean, but that only makes sense once the tank is mature, and it is not. He has virtually zero biological filtration and he needs something to turn ammonia & nitrites into nitrates. Having that pad in there might provide some stability, I'm thinking.

Keeping it squeaky clean (or better yet, removing it if you don't need it) is good when the tank matures.