NanoReefWanabe
Active member
Instant ocean salt runs about 1000-1100 when mixed to 1.025-.026
so that is why your calcium is so low..plus the clam depending onthe species will be sucking at that really quick...it isnt too likely that your clam is growing under 380ppm of calcium..
i dont know where dreckis lives but my water...along with the water of every other municiple source in canada and the US has chlorine in it, so yes.....if you have to use tap water be VERY sure to add dechlorinator to it...i if i have to add double the recomended dose of it...
it is really disheartening that LFS would tell and instruct people to do so badly in this hobby only to sell more products and live stock...i would take thier advice from now on with a grain of salt..
it has been discussed that ICH is a stress induced disease, fairly common and presumably allways present in the fish especially tangs..(just ehat i have read) a high stress situtation, such as over stocking, bioload shock, poor water quality, etc..will induce a case of it...once present and water bourne all fish are subject to it...left alone it may pass if the conditions are corrected...likely not possible and the fish will die...creating more water quality problems...
which brings about dying anemones...these can and will wipe out entire tanks...likely the main cause of your problem...high toxicity...
i dont think you have near enough flow in your tank...i have almost double that flow in my tank and it is only a 20 gallon...you should have atleast a bare minimum of 1500 GPH...and i would say 2000 would be closer to optimal....this can be easily achived with a couple koralia3 or 4 power heads they are very inexpensive and move a lot of water in a very turbulant way...
you will likely need a cleanup crew of some sort prior to adding fish....since you already have fish it is due time to add some snails or crabs...i generally like to add a snail or two with every new fish...and then maintain that number of crew while those fish are in there...
so in conclusion....
1st fix your water parameters...use buffers or water changes..get things right..my instant ocean salt mixes at...
cal 360, alk10, mag 1100 ph 8.0 at sg 1.026 (with a refractometer) dont trust a swing arm...the rest of the parameter check out to zeros...
2nd fix your water flow....
3rd...be sure you havent set up a nitrate factory in those penguin filters...any media in them likely isnt needed once the rock and sand are seeded with bacteria...
4th...SKimmers ARENT necessary....just very helpful...some say they may also be detrimental...
5th ...slow down a wee bit...this is supposed to be a fun hobby...
6th...dont think you are alone with what is going wrong in your tank...many many other have made the very same mistakes you have, myself included...just dont panic and do a bunch of crazy stuff to your tank...
7th...regular water changes will be sufficient to keep your parameters stabilized provided the parameters of the wc water is where it should be....instant ocean salt should be buffered...
how much rock do you have in your tank...you should have about 60 pounds or so...it doesnt all have to be in your display tank but should be somehow present in the system...(sump , refuge) this will insure you have enough space for the bacteria to colonize and do thier jobs...
so that is why your calcium is so low..plus the clam depending onthe species will be sucking at that really quick...it isnt too likely that your clam is growing under 380ppm of calcium..
i dont know where dreckis lives but my water...along with the water of every other municiple source in canada and the US has chlorine in it, so yes.....if you have to use tap water be VERY sure to add dechlorinator to it...i if i have to add double the recomended dose of it...
it is really disheartening that LFS would tell and instruct people to do so badly in this hobby only to sell more products and live stock...i would take thier advice from now on with a grain of salt..
it has been discussed that ICH is a stress induced disease, fairly common and presumably allways present in the fish especially tangs..(just ehat i have read) a high stress situtation, such as over stocking, bioload shock, poor water quality, etc..will induce a case of it...once present and water bourne all fish are subject to it...left alone it may pass if the conditions are corrected...likely not possible and the fish will die...creating more water quality problems...
which brings about dying anemones...these can and will wipe out entire tanks...likely the main cause of your problem...high toxicity...
i dont think you have near enough flow in your tank...i have almost double that flow in my tank and it is only a 20 gallon...you should have atleast a bare minimum of 1500 GPH...and i would say 2000 would be closer to optimal....this can be easily achived with a couple koralia3 or 4 power heads they are very inexpensive and move a lot of water in a very turbulant way...
you will likely need a cleanup crew of some sort prior to adding fish....since you already have fish it is due time to add some snails or crabs...i generally like to add a snail or two with every new fish...and then maintain that number of crew while those fish are in there...
so in conclusion....
1st fix your water parameters...use buffers or water changes..get things right..my instant ocean salt mixes at...
cal 360, alk10, mag 1100 ph 8.0 at sg 1.026 (with a refractometer) dont trust a swing arm...the rest of the parameter check out to zeros...
2nd fix your water flow....
3rd...be sure you havent set up a nitrate factory in those penguin filters...any media in them likely isnt needed once the rock and sand are seeded with bacteria...
4th...SKimmers ARENT necessary....just very helpful...some say they may also be detrimental...
5th ...slow down a wee bit...this is supposed to be a fun hobby...
6th...dont think you are alone with what is going wrong in your tank...many many other have made the very same mistakes you have, myself included...just dont panic and do a bunch of crazy stuff to your tank...
7th...regular water changes will be sufficient to keep your parameters stabilized provided the parameters of the wc water is where it should be....instant ocean salt should be buffered...
how much rock do you have in your tank...you should have about 60 pounds or so...it doesnt all have to be in your display tank but should be somehow present in the system...(sump , refuge) this will insure you have enough space for the bacteria to colonize and do thier jobs...
