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FAQs on Marine Environmental Disease: Environmental Deficiencies...
Set up Issues Related
Articles: Environmental Disease,
Establishing Nutrient Cycling, Marine
Water Quality,
Maintenance, Related FAQs:
Environmental Disease 1, Marine
Environmental Disease 2, Marine Env.
Disease 3, Marine Env. Disease 4,
Marine Env. Disease 5,
Marine Env. Disease 6, Marine
Env. Disease 7,
Marine Env. Disease 8, Marine Env.
Disease 9, Marine Env. Disease 10,
Marine Env. Disease 11, Marine Env.
Disease 12, Marine Env. Disease 13,
& FAQs on Environmental Disease By Cause/Types:
Oxygen/Gas Problems, Poisoning,
Mis-stocking: Psychological Challenges,
(Aggressive
Behavior, Territoriality, ),
Physiological Challenges (e.g. Metabolites, Allelopathy, Stinging),
& Troubleshooting/Fixing, | 
A very common cause of trouble.
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Paracanthurus hepatus stuck
in power head! 4/4/09
Hi
<Hi Mick, Lynn here this afternoon>
This is my first time writing so I hope I do this correctly.
<Oh good, fresh meat! Heeee! Just kidding, everything looks fine.>
Yesterday I purchased a very small (approx. 3/4") Paracanthurus hepatus.
<Say hello to my little friend!>
I freshwater dipped and put directly into main tank. Within minutes he
was picking at algae on the back glass and rocks.
<Good>
I offered a small amount of flakes and he also was eating them. The
lights were turned down for an hour then turned off for the night. This
morning when I checked on him he was stuck to the intake grid of my
Maxi-Jet 1200 power head.
<Yikes>
I shut the power head down and he worked himself loose. He swam quickly
around the tank for a few minutes then slowed down and has been swimming
around slowly. His right side looked like a waffle.
<Poor little thing>
He has been loose for about an hour and a half and seems OK but
sluggish. He doesn't appear to have any open wounds.
<Ok, good>
The "waffling" seems to be getting better slowly. Is there anything I
can do for him? What are my options?
<The best thing you can do at this point is keep an eye on him and make
sure he's in stable/optimal water conditions, that none of the other
inhabitants are picking on/at him, and that he’s getting a good quality
food (no frozen brine shrimp – very little nutritional value there). If
you’ve got any vitamin supplements around (such as Selcon), use that (as
directed) with whatever food you’re offering (flake/pellet/seaweed
sheets, frozen formula foods, etc). If you don’t have any Selcon (or
similar) around, no worries, a good enriched/varied diet should suffice.
Hopefully, with continued good care, your little fish will pull through
just fine and learn to steer clear of intakes! By the way, if it looks
like the intake is going to be a continuing problem, you can always
cover it with a pre-filter sponge until the fish either figures it out
or gains a bit of size. One issue though, with those, is the need to
keep them clean. They can get clogged fairly quickly and significantly
reduce outflow. As far as where to obtain one of these pre-filters, you
might well be able to find them at your local fish store. If not,
they’re widely available on the ‘net. Just Google “Maxi-jet pre-filter
sponge” and you'll find a list of vendors.>
Thanks very much. Mick from St. Charles, MO.
<You’re very welcome. Take care - LynnZ from Everett, WA.>
Catastrophe, what next, electrical f'... env. dis... 8/13/08
Hi guys,
<And gals of course, hello.>
It is a sad, sad day that I
have to write this to you. And a terrible thing for me because, in an
admittedly short perusal of your site, I didn't come across anything
quite as terrible, and catastrophic as what has happened to me. Which
makes me feel like even more of a failure.
I won't belabor the lead
up to why this all happened, as I already feel terrible about the things
I should have done, or could have done to prevent this, but focus
instead what I need to do moving forward. I recently returned from a one
week vacation to find that my circuit breaker had popped and my tank
electricity had gone out. It was a soup. Everything, but everything had
died. It was terrible. Corals, Fish, snails, shrimp, stars everything
Even the worms that had come in either with the rock or sand). A
terrible terrible loss. The kids were devastated, I was devastated. All
our little critters, whom we had named and loved were gone. The time,
the dedication, all gone.
<I’m sorry to hear this, that’s horrible.>
I really want this to work again before I give up for good, it was such
an wonderful addition to our family. I called my local LFS and he said
that he thought my rock and sand would come back with some seeding.
<I would reuse it too.>
So I cleaned up the mess, sucked out all the
water and did a clean of rocks and glass (not in fresh water though) I
cleaned all pumps filters etc and filled it back up with fresh salt mix
water. Knowing I was going to have to cycle it again, and not wanting to
damage the rocks and sand any further by leaving them dry I just used
tap water (Pretty good but a little high in phosphates- but much quicker
than my little RO system can deliver)
<It’s fine for these purposes.>
Since then I have done a 25% water change every day, assuming that the
natural filters are dead too, so just to get the bad water that might be
left out. I ran some tests this morning and found my Ammonia to be 4.0
or better (can't tell the colors are so similar on the card) no Nitrites
no Nitrates, no surprise if the filter is indeed dead.
Salinity is
1.026. So my question is this. In order to seed the sand, can I put new
live
sand right in there now?
<I would just continue water
changes and give it time. Your biofiltration will come back, perhaps
adding some new live rock when your water quality has improved for
diversity.>
Or is the Ammonia too high and will just kill the
bacteria in the sand?
<The ammonia is too high, this level will
continue to kill whatever may not be dead yet on your rock, adding to
the problem. Water changes and likely quite a few of them. It is going
to be just like curing it all over again, perhaps a bit worse with the
sand. >
Should I also get a little new live rock and put that in
there too?
<I would wait to add anymore rock until the ammonia is
down, any life on that rock will be susceptible, adding to the problem.>
Should I keep up with the 25% water changes daily until the ammonia
comes down first? <Yes> (Though I assume stuff will keep seeping from
the sand and falling off the rocks for a while) I started with Carib Sea
Agra Live, can I just put more of that in? (I
was thinking another
20 LB bag)
<If you have not already you will want to scoop out what
sand you can and rinse.>
Also should I bother running the skimmer and
powerheads during the renewed cycling phase?
<Definitely, this will
only help your water quality.>
And lastly, do you have any
suggestions on how to bring this all back?
I know better now how to
circumvent the electricity and other issues I believe led to this crash,
but am unsure if I can start with this rock and sand, and not have to
start from total scratch. It is really depressing to walk into that room
now. What was once a robust and growing, colorful glowing reef system,
is now barren rock and sand.
<Just give it cleaning, water changes
and time. Once your levels are okay, you will want to consider a bit
more live rock to reseed some of the fauna that did not survive.>
Thanks for your help.
<Welcome. Scott V.>
(Tank is a 40 gallon
reef, 40 lbs of rock, 40 lbs of sand, a Millennium 3000 HOB filter, an
AquaC remora (not running currently) and 2 powerheads (not running
currently) and a Jager heater. I use Instant Ocean salt mix, and am
leaving the lights off during the renewed cycle phase.)
Puffer Trauma... another intake injury
I ve been referred to you
by to very smart people. Last night I arrive home late, to hear a loud
noise coming from my 45 gallon tank. When I tried on the light, my
puffer was caught in my uv sterilizer pump. normally he's around
4inches long, but when I first saw him he was the size of a baseball.
The pump caught about 2 cm behind his side fin, at first he was dazed
and messed up, then my lion came out and start picking on him, well I
solved that and the lion is no longer in the tank. Its been around 20
hours, he still swimming slow but is now back to normal color, only this
one side is all white, looks like necrotic tissue.
<May well be>
He wont eat and is apparently hurt, this fish means the world to me! I
have a 45 gallon, with some live rock and only 1 small star polyp, other
fish include small Picasso trigger, new yellow tang, and two damsels. I
have a 15 watt uv sterilizer, back pack protein skimmer and AquaClear
filter, lighting I have 440 watt ice cap with VHO's. Please help
Thank you very much
<The only real course of action is to keep the
system stable and optimized, and hope... plus of course put a screen
cover over that pump intake. In all likelihood, if this puffer is alive
at this point, it will heal... though it may not eat for several days
more. Bob Fenner>
David White
University of Michigan School of
Dentistry
Ann Arbor MI Low Salinity Stress?
Hello Mr.
Fenner,
<Anthony Calfo here...fellow Pittsburgher, and happy Steeler
fan today!!!>
I am new to the hobby and have about 6 months of
experience in saltwater and my 55 gallon tank is also approximately 6
months old.
I have read the WetWebMedia boards in search of something
related to this, but I could not find anything that I thought could help
me.
I had a problem a month and a half ago with a Yellow Tang who
developed, or was infected with parasites when I got him. I gave him a
freshwater dip and quarantined him for approximately 3 weeks and he
seemed to be doing good in the qt tank. One morning I woke up and turned
on the light and he was dead. Anyhow, the store I bought him from had me
do all the tests on my main tank where he originally was, and all the
readings were ok. They said to drop the salinity 2 pts per day until I
reached 1.10 S.G..
<Severe. Only acceptable in systems without
invertebrates/live rock and dubiously extreme. Just because some fish
are strong enough to survive it doesn't make it right. This methodology
has sprouted from an anecdotal article which included the support of a
the old Pittsburgh Aqua Zoo curator who does consult a local store. Very
controversial.>
They also said to hold it there for a month to make
sure that if there were parasites in the tank, they would not survive.
< conditionally, but not guaranteed>
Anyways, I did that and the fish
looked great, but the live rock looked like it was dying and all of the
worms were gone.
<not a surprise...obviously and visibly damaging to
everything but the fish>
At the end of the 1 month period, I started
on Wednesday slowly increasing the salinity by 2 pts per day. Everything
looked ok except now my Coral Beauty seems to be refusing to eat, but my
False Percula Clown is still chowing like a pig. The Coral Beauty will
not eat flake, freeze dried brine, Pygmy angel frozen food, of Sea
Veggies. When the clown starts to feed he swims around with him but will
not eat anything. I do not know if my rock is dead or dying and it is
causing ammonia to rise and that is affecting the Coral Beauty or what.
<surely damaged your biological filter...to what degree remains to be
seen>
I am also confused on why my levels are what they are. Could
you please try to help me out and tell what I should do.
<at this
point patience, resumption of normal routine and water changes>
Some
of the live rock has turned white during the drop in salinity. I thought
that the algae dying on the rock could also have led to the Coral Beauty
to stop feeding, because he grazed on it a good bit.
<a small
stress... the salinity was principal and more severe>
I don't know if
I should pull the rock, or it will come back on its own as the local
fish store says.
I would sincerely appreciate your professional
opinion on this matter.
Thank You, Jim. Pittsburgh, Pa
<it will
come back on its own. After the water chemistry is assuredly stable, add
some fresh live rock to inoculate the damaged rock and all will be OK in
time. Best Regards, Anthony Calfo> My problem is horrific brown
slime algae growth. Lava rock, not for marine aquariums
I have a
60 gallon tank with a sea clone skimmer, AquaClear 300, hot magnum, and
two powerheads running an undergravel system. I have a Percula clown, a
clarkii clown, a tomato clown, and a blue damsel. I also have two pencil
urchins, three hermit crabs, and three turbo snails. My problem is
horrific brown slime algae growth. I am curious to know if it is caused
by the lava rock in my tank. Some one told me that lava rock was okay in
marine aquariums because it is lightweight, porous, and can hold a lot
of bacteria. I also realize that much of the earth's crust (including
reefs) are basically lava rock correct? So is this a suitable rock to
place in marine aquariums? One pet store guy told me no because there
may be phosphates or other minerals in the rock. That would explain my
horrific algae having already attempted lava rock in my aquarium. I
would be grateful for any help!
Bryan Gabitzsch
>>
Interesting
query... Well, most reefs are made up of calcareous rock (principally
calcium carbonate, CaCO3) and even if there is lava rock at its base,
this is generally covered completely over... Some lava rock does
contribute to algae problems... and you could easily test for phosphate
in your system... but I suspect the nutrient levels in your tank may be
high just from feeding, and your type of filtration... If the rock has
been in there a long time, I wouldn't remove it... if you are curious,
you can boil some water with a piece in it and test for phosphate...
Otherwise, do look to other sources of algae food, and seek to control
them through filtration and maintenance.
Bob Fenner High
Nitrates
In my established set-up my nitrate levels are off the
charts. I' ve done a complete water change in hopes of improving these
levels. I have 3 small Damsels, a Cat shark, a yellow butterfly,
and 2 hermit crabs. All are completely healthy, and have been with me
for some time. I'm afraid to add any new plant or animal to my system
until I can get this problem under control. Thanks
>>
Do consider
using the following to lower your nitrates... a difficult thing to do
with big, messy eaters like the Shark providing the starter compounds of
ammonia:
1) Adding live rock in large quantity.
2) Adding
anaerobic filter media to your filter gear (like Siporax, Ehfi-Mech)
3) Making an natural nitrate reduction system in a sump or your main
tank.
4) Incorporating some macroalgae to use up the nitrates
5)
Removing your wet-dry filter media to reduce nitrification.
6)
Putting in a algae and mud filter in a lighted sump.
Bob Fenner
Cloudy water... bio. anomaly
Hi there. How are you doing? I hope
that you are doing well and that everything is going well for you.
I
have a question about my saltwater fish only tank. It's 110 gallons
in size and is now 10 weeks old. Ever since I set the tank and have had
it running it has never completely cleared up. I have never had this
problem with my other saltwater tanks at all (37 and 75); they have
always cleared themselves up after a few days of start up and remained
crystal clear. My 110 is now 10 weeks old and nitrites are zero, ammonia
is zero, not exactly sure of nitrates, salinity is 1.022, and the pH is
right at 8.3. The temperature stays anywhere from 76 to 79 degrees. I
only have a flame angel, a raccoon butterfly and 4 damsels in the tank.
I feed them once a day only as much as they can eat in a few minutes. I
did a partial water change of 23 gallons just yesterday and premixed the
water days in advance to allow adequate salt mixture, water clearing,
and pH stabilization. I thought that by doing a partial water change I
would remove some of the haze or at least "dilute" out some of the haze.
Well, my tank still has a slight white haze to it and I just do not
understand why! Since the tank has never really cleared up from the
beginning it has me thinking that it's not nitrates or overfeeding
but then again I could be wrong. As far as the decorations in the tank I
have a three artificial pieces of coral that I bought from the fish
store I work at and the rest are all what at one time were live corals.
If you have any suggestions as to what might be causing this haze
then PLEASE let me know...It's getting very frustrating and annoying.
Thanks a bunch!
Brian
>>
Sounds like a biological anomaly to
me... some little critters having a field day in your water... And I
would just wait them out at this point... and NOT do any more water
changes till the water clears. If you want to optimize your chances and
shorten the time to clearing, do place some live rock in the tank (yes,
even though it is fish-only).
Bob Fenner Cloudy water,
re-cycling event
I have a 75 gallon aquarium. I have live rock,
live sand, an Emperor 400 Bio-Wheel, a CPR Bak Pak II skimmer, and two
power heads. My livestock includes 1-Kole Tang, 1-Desjardin Tang,
1-Clown Tang, 1-Clown Fish, 1-starfish, and 4-Gobies. My tank has been
up and running for a little over a year. Also, I have 2-110 watt VHO for
my lighting.
I added the live rock about 3 weeks ago. I purchased
cured rock from a local fish store where I have purchased my fish.
Here is my problem. When I checked my ammonia yesterday morning before
leaving for work, it was off the charts (a dark, dark green color). I
came home at noon and put 10 gallons mixing with an air pump and air
stone. At about 7 p.m., I changed 10 gallons of water. I moved my live
rock around a bit to make sure none of the Gobies were dead because 3 of
them only come out when the lights are off. I added my calcium
supplements, changed my bio-wheel filters, added Cycle and did all my
usual weekly maintenance procedures (wiping down the from glass, rinsing
the air stone, checking the power heads to make sure they are working,
etc). This morning, my water was extremely cloudy. I checked my ammonia
level and nitrite level and they are both off the charts. And on top of
that, my Desjardin Tang is looking extremely ill. (He's been that way
for about 3 days.)
What am I doing wrong? The water change should
have brought it down, right? I don't have anything dead because all my
creatures are present and accounted for.
Any help or advice will be
greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Audrey LeLeux
>>
Nothing you
are doing is wrong... your live rock (new, cured or so-so) is "re"
cycling... At this point, if you have the flexibility I would move all
your livestock and leave the rock et al. to re-center itself... If you
can't move the livestock... you will have to risk metabolite
poisoning... as you've been doing with water changes... holding off on
most all feeding... and letting time go by... Do move at least the
larger fishes (to a hospital/quarantine system? Friends tank?)
Bob
Fenner Noise?
I am curious to know if noise off of a
powerhead and the water coming from the pump noise hurt fishes ears?
Does all that noise under water bother them? Also since I put a
powerhead in the fish seem to stay in its current ALL THE TIME. Is that
bad? Thanks
Tim
>>
Good observations, and good question... Some
powerheads and other gear can become quite noisy... But I doubt if much
of the ongoing "tank noise" is of much concern, problematical for
marines... The oceans are actually quite a noisy place as well...
And
about the current "hanging"... You may have a situation of poor gaseous
exchange... and need more aeration, circulation... or the animals may
just "like" to swim against and in the current... I'd add another
powerhead, internal pump.
Bob Fenner
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