What is my problem?

[lynetteww125]

I can not for the life of me keep a fish in the nano reef I have set up. In the last month, I lost 3 tomato clowns. Did weekly 10% WC before, during, and after having the clowns. Everything tests out in the normal range (at least I think it does, but being pretty new still I could be wrong)

Nitrite 0
Nitrate 15-20
Ammonia 0-.25
Alk 1.8-3.0
SG 1.024-1.025
Salinity (I guess this is a little high) 33
pH 8.3
Ca 450+ (is this too high?)
Temp 79.4

People have said it may be an oxygenation issue, how do I test for this?

Now I am about to lose a Damsel...so I know that if I can't keep a Damsel, something is definately off.

Is anyone able to or willing to stop by here and check things out? Maybe my test kits aren't working correctly? Maybe my hydrometer is off and I don't even really know what the salinity is?

All I know is I have been doing great with corals. They are thriving like crazy...I just can't keep a fish.

If anyone can help, please call me to let me know 815-997-9578.

Thank you so much in advance!

Wendy

 

[jdieck]

Ammonia might be an indication of troubled or not completely cycled tank. It must absolutely be zero.
Other than that but not related directly to the fish deaths:

Nitrates are high, ideal <5ppm this may indicate that Phosphates might be high also

Alkalinity if meq/lt is low at 1.8 and given the range you give there could be issues of stability.

Calcium 450+ is not reliable, is it more than 500 ppm? Target 420 ppm

Salinity you can bump up to 35 ppt (natural Sea Water) SG around 1.027

In summary it does not seem you have a stable system yet.

Having said that it might be that the fish are comming sick from the store. You can try sourcing from another store just in case.

 

[lynetteww125]

Alkalinity if meq/lt is low at 1.8 and given the range you give there could be issues of stability.

The reason for the range with 1.8-3.0 is due to the test kit I use for that. It does not give me specific results, such as 2.0, 2.4, etc...it just has it grouped together as 1.8-3.0 being in the normal range. I guess that test kit is not as accurate as I need it to be.

With the calcium issue being too high, how do I lower calcium? Just water changes?

Thanks for the help so far,
Wendy

 

[jdieck]

I think you answered yourself regarding the alkalinity kit.

regarding calcium it will eventually get consummed but you need to find out how it became to be high... Is it a testing error? Does the salt mix contains excessive Calcium? (Oceanic salt does) Did you added Calcium supplement in excess of the requirment?

 

[lynetteww125]

I am using Coralife salt. I have to check the Ca levels in that.

I have been putting in 1/4 Tsp of Purple Up daily.

Is that the problem with my Ca levels?

What would be a good test to use for the Alk levels that is more accurate? I am using the Jungle Test Strips and the Red Sea Ca test kit. Neither one appear to be as accurate as needed though.

 

[jdieck]

Try Salifert they are one of the most widely used for reef aquariums and precise enough.

Purple up is not the issue with the Calcium so check your salt or test.
By the way you can save your money on the purple up, it seems to be nothing else but basically ground aragonite (calcium carbonate) which will not dissolve to provide calcium or alkalinity in your tank unless the PH is below 7.5 (which never is in a marine aquarium) so you can stop adding sand to your aquarium

 

[Rod Buehler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7940328#post7940328 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jdieck

By the way you can save your money on the purple up, it seems to be nothing else but basically ground aragonite (calcium carbonate) which will not dissolve to provide calcium or alkalinity in your tank unless the PH is below 7.5 (which never is in a marine aquarium) so you can stop adding sand to your aquarium

Dont forget the iodine (poison) that is in the purple up .

 

[lynetteww125]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7942511#post7942511 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rod Buehler
Dont forget the iodine (poison) that is in the purple up .

Iodine is a poison? Don't inverts need it in moderation to be able to molt?

Wendy

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7945121#post7945121 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lynetteww125
Iodine is a poison? Don't inverts need it in moderation to be able to molt?

Wendy

Yes, you are right, the issue is that in excess it is a desinfectant and bactericide. The problem is that iodine test kits are very unreliable (virtually useless) so it is extremely difficult to dose accordingly. In addition when it is tied to the addition of another supplement that may be required in larger amounts then the issue compounds.
To make things more interesting, salt mixes already contain proper amounts of iodine which gets replenished by water changes making additional iodine supplementation redundant.

 

[Rod Buehler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7945121#post7945121 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lynetteww125
Iodine is a poison? Don't inverts need it in moderation to be able to molt?

Wendy

Some/most say that they molt to rid themselves of excess iodine.

As Jose has said, there is plenty in tha salt mixes, and more than enough in many/most foods. Any extra additions is (IMO) a waste of money and can be detrimental.

 

[examiner]

Were all 3 clowns in the 12g nano at one time? If so, you might consider stress-related deaths. One would be the max for that tank.

Many other things to consider....even though your #'s don't appear terrible (lotsa room for improvement, but not terrible)...you have to take them with a grain of salt given the test kits you are using. Ditch the strips, get good kits like Salifert.

Age of tank? Type of filtration? Any protein skimming? Circulation (since you are wondering about an oxygenation problem - unlikely if you have a powerhead breaking the suface, impossible if you have a skimmer)? R/O water or tap water?

Still, with proper acclimation, clowns (and especially damsels) are pretty resilient and shouldn't have any trouble in the parameters you report. I don't know the source of your livestock, but if it's a big-box store on E. State Street..well.....you may end up going through several fish before you find a healthy "keeper". Good luck.

 

[lynetteww125]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7958151#post7958151 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by examiner
Were all 3 clowns in the 12g nano at one time? If so, you might consider stress-related deaths. One would be the max for that tank.

Many other things to consider....even though your #'s don't appear terrible (lotsa room for improvement, but not terrible)...you have to take them with a grain of salt given the test kits you are using. Ditch the strips, get good kits like Salifert.

Age of tank? Type of filtration? Any protein skimming? Circulation (since you are wondering about an oxygenation problem - unlikely if you have a powerhead breaking the suface, impossible if you have a skimmer)? R/O water or tap water?

Still, with proper acclimation, clowns (and especially damsels) are pretty resilient and shouldn't have any trouble in the parameters you report. I don't know the source of your livestock, but if it's a big-box store on E. State Street..well.....you may end up going through several fish before you find a healthy "keeper". Good luck.

Not all 3 were in the nano at the same time. The first one was in there by itself, then the next 2 were in there together since they were babies and they were in the same tank together at the fish store.

Andy came over and tested my water with his test kit.
With his kit, my results were:
Ammonia 0
Nitrate <10
pH 7.8
didn't test for phosphate, nitrite, alkalinity based on looks of tank and other test results.

He thinks I have been getting fish captured with cyanide.
tank is 5-6 months, built in filtration (w/ overflow) with carbon added, no protein skimmer since the fission I had put in it doesn't work at all...which is why I do weekly 1.5 gal water changes. I have a hydor flo on the return pump that stirs the water at the top of the tank. R/O water.

I have gotten the fish from stores out of rockford.

Wendy

 

[examiner]

hmmm, well nothing looks to out of whack.

maybe try a captive bred clown, eliminate the cyanide possibility.