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FAQs about Toxic Water Conditions: Endogenous;
Internal/Organic Causes
Related Articles: Marine Toxic Tank Conditions , General Marine Maintenance,
Related FAQs:
Toxic Situations 1,
Toxic Situations 2,
Toxic Situations 3, Toxic
Situations
4, Toxic Situations 5,
Toxic Situations 6,
Toxic Situations 7,
Toxic Situations 8,
Toxic Situations 9, & FAQs on Toxic Water Conditions
by: Unknown Causes, &
Endogenous (from inside, e.g.
Internal, Organic Causes):
Foods, Nutrients,
Venomous/Poisonous Tankmates,
Wipe-out Syndromes/New
Tanks e.g., Exogenous (from outside,
External, Inorganic, e.g. Metals),
Marine Algaecide Use/Chemical Control,
Toxic Copper Use Situations/Troubleshooting,
Insecticides, Cleaners,
&
Troubleshooting/Fixing,
|
... something toxic in this system... I
would move the livestock, or if this isn't possible, execute large water
changes, add carbon to your filter path/flow. BobF |
Re: Ammonia? 8/20/07
>Hi WWM,
>I think i have a slight ammonia problem. I feed my fish and 30 - 60 minutes later my fish start breathing for air at the surface.
><Yikes>
> I test the water and it shows 0ppm on my test kit.
><Might be low dissolved oxygen>
> The next day the fish are fine and no more breathing. It has been happening for about 2 weeks and it happens everyday after i feed my fish. But yesterday my Chromis' started to breathe at the surface and about 3 days ago one of my yellow tangs disappeared
<!>
> and i have a
>feeling he is causing the ammonia spike in my tank the last 2 days. Before he died the Ammonia was kind of like an on and off thing. But now most of my fish are gasping for air. Is it unusual to constantly have ammonia going up and down?
><Yes... insufficient biofiltration...>
>I have these pouches in my tank called 'Maifan Stones' by 'SUN SUN'. Have you
heard of them?
><Have now:
>http://www.google.com/search?q='Maifan+Stones'+by+'SUN+SUN'&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7PCTA>
>They are meant to lower ammonia and nitrite
><I would remove this material>
>and i think this might be what is lowering the ammonia every time. If you have
any idea what is happening i would really like to know urgently.
>Thanks, Maison
><... what re the set-up, size, history of this system? BobF>
Hi Bob,
My tank is 6 x 2 x 2 foot, Multi SL protein Skimmer, UV Sterilizer, Reef
Octopus Nitrate Reductor, 12,000l/h return pump, Tunze Pump in a Rock(9000
l/h of movement),
<5 Nitrate, 0 Nitrite, 0 Ammonia on my test kit (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals),
pH 8.2.
My fish are:
Convict Tang
Blue Tang
2 Yellow Tangs(1 now)
Desjardin Sailfin Tang
Lawnmower Blenny
Mandarin Dragonet
10 Chromis
Flame Angelfish
Longnose Hawkfish
1 Black Ocellaris Clownfish
1 Ocellaris Clown
Haven't had any filtration problems before, it only started 2-3 weeks ago.
Yesterday i noticed these grey blotchy patches on my black clownfish. His middle
white stripe has a transparent looking blotch on it. Would you have any idea
what it is?
<I suspect something amiss with your Nitrate Reductor... I would take this
off-line. Likely either the feeder stock is poisoning your system or some
co-factor here.>
I've been searching for it on the Internet and can't seem to find it. All my
other fish look perfectly fine. I just bought a new rotating powerhead yesterday
and i am going to put it in the tank today to see if it helps the oxygen level.
What would be the best and most accurate Ammonia test on the market? Because i
don't like the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Ammonia test kit.
Thanks, Maison
<Look to Hach, LaMotte brands/manufacturers... BobF>
Rapid breathing 08-16-07 SW
nitrogenous – 08/17/07
Hello, to whomever is responding at this time. Thank you for what you do for
all of us beginners! If you could direct me to the portion of your page dealing
with gill burn or something similar, I would be grateful. I guess I am not
typing in the correct search queries to bring me to the right page. I have a
green wolf eel and yellow striped maroon clownfish. My tank is stable with
Ammonia and nitrite at 0ppm, Nitrate at 5-10ppm, ph of 8.3, temp of 78 degrees
and SG of 1.023. All of these readings are very consistent. The two fish have
been back in my display for 7 days. I have had both since May 2007. They were in
my QT tank for 6 weeks before introducing them to the display due to an Ich
outbreak on a regal tang, which has been moved to a large system. These two
never showed any signs of ich, but moved them to QT to be safe and let the tank
fallow.
<Good move>
My concern is that the QT tank started to cycle while they were in it and they
were exposed to ammonia levels of close to 2ppm and then Nitrite of 2ppm.
<Yikes!>
Their breathing (more so the eel) still appears rapid and deep. That seems to be
their only problem. One time (yesterday) I saw the eel open his mouth very wide
(like my yawning) and push his gills outward. Do you know what he was doing?
<A mechanism for cleaning? A reaction to low DO? A "threat" display due to your
presence?>
They both are very active and eating great and otherwise appear normal. Is this
gill burn from the bad water quality (I did 50-100% daily water changes with
pre-mixed and aerated water while they were in QT to fight the high levels), or
possibly something else? Is there anything I can do to help them?
<Patience, good care otherwise>
Is it even possible for them to recover from gill burn (if that is what it is)?
<Oh yes>
Thank you for any advice or link you can direct me to. I try so hard to keep
them happy and healthy but seems I always, unknowingly, do something wrong, so
now I turn to you. I will continue to read and learn. Thanks!*~*April*~*
<Don't think we have a link per se... I would try a search here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm
with gill burn marine fishes... and read the colored cached versions to save
time... But gill burn from nitrogenous metabolites is very common as are dire
hemolysis from environmental challenges... But/and can be resolved/cured. BobF>
Toxics Water?...More Likely
Overcrowding, Lack Of Knowledge 10/15/07
I have a 40 gal tank that has been running for 3 months with a Three Striped
Damsel, False Clownfish, Yellow Tang, Scopas Tang, Mandarin Goby, 2 Diamond
Gobies, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, 2 Crocea Clams, Sun Coral, Frogspawn Coral, two Bubble
Tip Anemones. One assumption
<Assumption of what?>
was the Mandarin Goby, after buying and doing my reading. I realize I shouldn't
have it due to the lack of live rock (100lbs or more).
<And the fact that your tank is overstocked by a good margin.>
I have had her for about a week and she is doing fine, last night when the water
was cloudy she turned very white in color and would swim near the surface on the
water which I found to be very unusual for a Mandarin Goby. This morning I
checked the mandarin and she is fine, good color and size.
<and size??>
Just to sum up a few things here it is. Recently I noticed that my cleaner
shrimp was indeed pregnant, ok cool midnight snack. Second was the red slime
algae, I treated that with the proper dose of Blue Life Red Slime Remover. It
worked great. that treatment was 3 days ago, no more
red slime after one treatment.
<Not a cure, just a temporary band-aid. It will be back. Better to control the
source of the problem. Read here and linked files above.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm>
For the past few weeks the water quality has been good all except for nitrates.
<Not surprising with the load you have in that 40.>
It have been around 10-15 ppm. I added Algone
<Another band-aid and not a fix. Go here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm>
and have been doing 10% water changes every couple days to gradually bring them
down. Last night I came home to my tank being completely cloudy and I had
assumed it was maybe my cleaner shrimp giving birth so I left it as is. This
morning the tank was clear but my Xenia was dead, so I did a water test. The
first thing I checked was ammonia, it was way to high like 6 ppm. The Xenia is
the only thing that died. This morning I did a 25% water change and the ammonia
did not change. Any Suggestions?
<You definitely need to reduce your fish load. I'd would find homes for the
tangs, as your tank is much too small for
them to begin with. Next would be the Diamond Gobies, they are not going to
survive for long in that environment, and not a real easy goby to acclimate to
begin with. And, the Bubble Tip Anemones, not good mixing these with corals.
BTA's will move from time to time, and in the process, sting other animals along
the way. Without a source of copepods for the Mandarin's diet, it too will more
than likely perish. Never mentioned lighting, do not know what your lighting
consists of, but the Crocea clams do require high intensity lighting to survive.
It sure sounds like you have had very little direction or knowledge before
setting up this tank. You mention nothing about using a filter and/or protein
skimmer. This info does help us give a better answer to your query. In your case
though, it is quite obvious that overstocking is the major problem here. Reading
here and related linked files above, will give you a much better understanding
of
what is required to establish and maintain a healthy marine system.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marineSetUp.htm>
Thank you for your time.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog(>
Riley, Christian E.
HELP NEEDED... LR
introduction wipe-out...
I have a 55 gallon salt tank it has been up and running now for a few
months. everything has been fine until last night. I recently bought 16 pounds
of new live rock to add to my existing LR.
<Best by far to sequester, re "cure" this outside main systems...>
I also did a 10 gallon or so water change. everything was still fine for about
24 hours then it all happened. At the stroke of the new year, I seen the tank
was cloudy, checked my ph it was 7.0,
<Yikes!>
checked nitrates they were over 5.0,
<... likely Nitrites... deadly>
then I seen lots of bristle worms( I had never seen these in my tank before) all
the fish were dead including the sea urchin, however my red starfish, and
anemone are still alive, the anemone is not looking so good but is still alive.
I also seen some cocoon looking white sacks on a live rock. (what could these
be) now today I am doing water changes readily to try to get the nitrates down.
Am I doing this right and what happened to cause this. I don't want to cause
this again, ever.
<?>
I appreciate any information and help you can give me. I am a nurse who feels
like a murderer to these poor fish. last night it was almost like a code blue
call for me. I even had my husband assisting me in doing emergency cares for the
star and anemone until 5 am this morning.
Sam
<... much for you to read. Please start here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/lrh2oqualfaq2.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Plate coral poisoned tank?
Toxic tk. situation, endogenous, biol. 3/2/08
Hi,
First, thanks for this fabulous resource that I've used once or twice :)
<Welcome>
I've scanned your FAQ's extensively (and have been since March of '06) but am
not finding what I'm looking for exactly, so my apologies if this is a duplicate
question. I couldn't find it in any of the books that I have either (Calfo's and
*The Conscientious Marine Aquarist* the most frequently referenced ones).
I had a 72 gallon lovely (I thought) tank setup that was flourishing for quite
some time (well, about two years) containing some basic livestock- a six-lined
wrasse (a meanie who will not be replaced), a clownfish, 12 chromis, 1 Firefish,
2 perpetually pregnant cleaner and 1 peppermint shrimp, a lawnmower blenny, many
polyps and Palythoa, a mysteriously appearing (and multiplying) tree-type
coral,
<Please send a pic of this... could be a Hydrozoan... trouble>
mushroom corals, in addition to the usual feather duster worms (3 small), turbo
snails (24) and blue legged hermit crabs (30) with various 'pods in the rocks
and sump. Quite a few hitchhiker opihi's (don't remember the real name for
them), small stars, worms, an emerald crab, etc. came in on the 90+ lbs of live
rock that we had accumulated over time, and our deep sand bed in the sump and
display were full of little wormie guys who build the little calcified tubes.
<Sounds very lively>
A bout of hair algae prompted my husband to stop at a local aquarium store and
purchase a sea hare on the dealer's recommendation, much to my dismay- but there
was enough algae to keep the guy going and he seemed to be doing quite well in
there (based on his expanding girth). He seemed to be a good fit for our system.
<Mmm, too many of these are inappropriately placed... cold water... too likely
to be unhappy, toxify a system>
Emboldened by his previous success, my well-intentioned but poorly-informed
husband stopped at the same store that was now having a going-out-of-business
sale.
<Not a good sign...>
He purchased a couple of very small polyp-covered rocks at $5 apiece and a large
coral for a mere $10 :( The oh-so kind dealer assured him that his purchases
would be very easy to keep alive as long as the large coral was given a piece of
fresh fish once in awhile.
<...?>
By the time I had researched the coral and knew that I was dealing with a nearly
impossible to keep alive plate coral (it resembled an anemone),
<Heliofungia... actiniformis>
it was late into the evening and the store had closed for good; no other store
in town would take the plate coral. I drove myself bonkers trying to keep the
doomed fellow alive, but die he did, and everything else in the tank died
shortly after he croaked and exuded some kind of slime stuff.
<...>
The tank has run fallow since then, (July of '07) the only survivor a lone
hermit crab.
I'd like to get this tank going again. Attempt #1 was done after several small
water changes- testing the water looked ok, so I went out and purchased 6 small
blue-green chromis. They were all dead the next morning.
All of my basic parameters appeared ok- with the exception of slightly elevated
nitrates and high calcium (which is a constant problem no matter what we do). I
tested and retested and retested. I bought more test kits and tested again.
Still what I thought was ok (at any rate was what the previous population had
appeared to thrive in before the addition of the plate coral). I assumed there
was something in the water that I was unable to test for- a toxin or something
from the plate coral (grasping at straws, perhaps?).
<Maybe>
Attempt #2- I did a 100% water change, but did not change the sand in the tank.
I drained it a much as I could; in that process I noticed not one single living
thing other than the previously mentioned hermit crab. As I said, the tank was
previously teeming with 'pods and other critters who came in off the live rock.
Even after running fallow for six months or so, still nothing was showing up,
nor has it since the complete water change that we did four weeks ago. Three
weeks after the water change I purchased 3 more small blue-green chromis. One
was dead a few days later; a few days after that one was caught in the overflow.
That one died the next evening. I've tested the water weekly but again, nothing
looks weird to me except for the slightly high nitrates and very high calcium
that is typical for our tank.
Expected diatom bloom going on right now. I'm starting to see small bubbles
coming off the rocks which leads me to suspect a possible Cyano outbreak is in
my near future. During this water change, the rocks were exposed to air for
about an hour. I did not rinse them off but misted them with fresh saltwater
(not from the tank).
Should I purchase some 'pods in a bottle and put then in my sump?
<Mmm, I wouldn't just yet>
I do not want any more live rock in the tank, but I'd like to re-seed the tank
(only once I know it's safe). Is there something specific that you think I
should test for in my tank before anyone else goes to their doom in there?
<Mmm, you might try running some filter media... PolyFilter, GAC... for a few
weeks, ahead of the next trial... Or skip ahead to removing the Hermits... and
nuking/bleaching all... draining, rinsing (repeat) a few times with
freshwater... re-filling with marine, adding some new live rock over the old...>
My smart-alecky daughter has named the last three fish "dead fish 1, 2, and 3",
and I'm starting to feel like all the fish in the fish store are hiding behind
rocks when I walk through the store's door :(
I'd rather give up the hobby than keep killing fish... can you help? I'm feeling
very nervous for my hermit crab and lonely chromis.
Below are my test results and equipment on the tank:
Temp-78
SPG/salinity-1.023-33
ph-7.9 (taken in the afternoon)
alkalinity- 300 (KH 4.8 per Salifert)
ammonia-0
nitrite-0
nitrate-20
calcium- I've used three different types of kits; they all show the calcium
higher than 600.
<Something amiss here... you don't want the biomineral content this high... at
the expense of alkaline reserve>
I don't dose or add anything to the water other than Dechlor for water changes
so I don't understand this. No calcium precipitation but wondering if the Alk
and ph are somehow suppressing that.
<...?>
This reading has always been the case with my tank (since June of '06). Is the
sand a problem?
<Maybe>
Evap top-offs are done with R/O water.
I haven't been testing for magnesium, iodine, or strontium, since the big
wipe-out.
Equipment/setup:
72 gallon bowfront (Upgraded from 30 gallon in June 06)
15 gallon sump / refugium (below tank) with 6+ inches Oolitic sand and spaghetti
algae, rubble
Chemi-pure and Poly-filter in sump
Aqua C Remora Pro Skimmer with overflow box
Circulating 700-800 gallons per hour
Two powerheads (one rotating) for circulation
TEK T-5 Light 6 -54 watt bulbs (two actinic)
90+ pounds of live rock
Oolitic sand as substrate- 4 inches in display
Water changes are made with tap water, Dechlor, and Kent sea salt (mixed a week
before)
<I'd read on WWM re, try another brand>
Many thanks for taking the time to read this long email,
Stephanie in Santa Cruz
<The choice is up to you... to try the chemical filtrant, more time going by
route... or the biocide do-over. Bob Fenner>
Abandoned Toadfish 2/5/07
Hey guys, I'm sorry, I don't really have time to search through all the
forums but here is my dilemma:
<All?>
My friend owns some species of toadfish (don't know what)
<Batrachoidids?>
and he has not cleaned the tank, aerated it, or balanced it in any way in almost
a year.
<May he be reincarnated as a toad>
He has forgotten it was still alive and has barely fed it at all, although it
appears to be ok. I think it is about 2 yrs old. I decided to adopt it and I've
never set up a saltwater tank, so am doing a lot of research.
<A lot?>
I bought a Marine Chemical test kit, to test the current water so as not to kill
the poor thing as soon as I move him, but everything is off the charts. PH, Alk,
Nitrates... everything. I don't know how he's still alive! How can I slowly
integrate him into a healthy tank without killing him?
<Mmm, slow removal of old water (a few percent a day let's say), replacement
with "new" water>
Should I use 3/4 his water, with 1/4 new? It has a lot of algae in it. What can
I add that will slowly bring the levels back down?
<Just the water changes for a month or two>
What kind of things can I put in his tank that he won't eat that will keep a
balanced enviro and maybe some company?
Sincerely,
Josh
<Mmm, I'd try some live ghost shrimp... can be had/purchased from a LFS. Bob
Fenner>
Tank Crash, NO2 4/30/07
Hey guys,
<Craig>
Thanks so much for creating such a comprehensive site. Without it I'd
be nowhere. Here is an embarrassing who-done-it tale, that I thought
you might be able to solve.
<Will try>
I came home after having the tanks lights out for about a day and a half
in the attempt to cool the tank until I installed 2 fans in the canopy
to keep the temp down. I was running hot at about 84. Today I came
home and one of my larger fish did not look well and I noticed a dead
Damsel on the bottom (I'm cycling right now).
<Mmm, a bit of a/the cart afore the equine...>
The large fish was caught rod and reel from the ocean for cycling
purposes, though now I realize that fish are not necessary for this
purpose (I was following the LFS guy's advice, at the time).
<Mmmm>
I also noticed that my live rock did not look good. The macro-algae had
lost color. I immediately took measurements of Ammonia, Nitrite and
Nitrate, and everything was fine (high Nitrites (1.5 ppm),
<Not fine. Toxic>
no ammonia, 10 ppm Nitrate), but the nitrites have been there for about
a week). During the panic I managed to knock the carbon filter output
out of the sump, so as I tested, gallon after gallon of precious water
was spilling onto the floor (big mess before I noticed). So...
I ended up doing a water change, to replenish the lost water (about 10
gallons out of 120 + 55 sump). I put in some stability
<Proper noun; capitalized>
and now a few hours later things look a lot better. The fish are not
breathing heavy and the algae is regaining color.
What do you think may have caused this situation?
<Mmm, the dead fish, high nitrite... but who came/caused first?>
Here are the facts:
1) I was lowering the temperature - 84 - 78 over 48 hours.
2) I've been raising the pH - 7.8 - 8.0 over 48 hours
3) I added a 55 gallon tank pack of Bio Spira to help things along
<Good>
(though I had been using Stability for the prior 2 weeks before stopping
about a week ago.
4) I had the lights off for 48 hours
5) that was the first water change in 3 weeks (since the inception of
the tank)
Any ideas?
Thanks so much guys! I want to see if I can avoid this happening again!
Again - great site!
Craig
<Thank you. Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/no2trbfix.htm and the linked files above.
Bob Fenner>
Impatient Cycling Causes Fish Deaths 5/10/07
Greetings from Manila, Jason here. Hope you guys are doing good as usual!
:)
<Hi Jason, This is Jeni/Pufferpunk here today & I'm doing great, thanks for
asking!>
4 months ago, I had some fresh live rock from the ocean, transported it back and
placed it into my 30 gallon tank.
<Lucky you! We pay up to $9/lb for nice rock here.>
I only have the small powerhead, no filtration, no skimmer. Tank temps ranged
from 79F to
83F.
<83 is a bit high. I'd aim for no higher than 80-81. We're having a heat wave
here & I have 4 fans on my tank, trying to keep the water below 82.>
I thought the fresh live rock might not go thru a cycle process because I
transported it myself and was submerged in ocean water for several hours.
<Any exposure to air will kill off some of the life & start a cycle.>
My mistake was I did not use any aeration during transport.
2 days later, lots of die off. Everything died, worms, crabs, sponges, except
for the coralline algae.
<To be expected.>
After week 3, my water was now pretty clear because of the algae growth and
ammonia and nitrates were heading low. My readings were: Ammonnia-5mg/L,
Nitrates-5mg/L, pH 7.6.
<Actually, still quite toxic.>
Is there anything else I should really check for? I don't know why my pH was
acidic.
<You are testing for the correct things. Ammonia, caused by die-off will cause
the water to become acidic.>
Anyway, at week 3, I decided to do a 80 percent water change to take care of the
nutrient export and then get a baby Scopas tang and a couple Turbos.
<Did you test the water beforehand?>
After a week, the tang died. It started off swimming/nipping/eating for the 1st
two days. Then it got spooked out all the time and towards the end, would
always be hiding in the rocks and never came out. I checked my Ammonia went
back up to 5mg and nitrates back to 5mg.
<Quite deadly--tank was not cycled.>
I did another 80 percent water change and introduced another tang.
<Without testing the water?>
He did the same behavior but died after 2 days. I checked the water properties,
nitrates were at 40mg/L! It increased to 40mg after I introduced the new
tang.
<Why do you keep putting these animals lives at risk? You cannot introduce
animals to a tank that shows even the smallest amount of ammonia/nitrites &
nitrates should be below 20 for fish.>
The first tang 2 days before it died started to develop an ulceration around
it's eye and also its color started to get dark, with small white spots (but it
didn't look like ich).
<Ulceration probably caused by ammonia burn.>
I thought it might have been HLLE, so I checked the water: ammonia, nitrates,
pH.
<What were the results?>
I also unplugged the lights, fan and used a different pump. But then the next
tang died too. :( What could have happened here? Are my rocks not cured enough
to support even one fish?
<There is no such thing as "cured enough". Either the rock is fully cured or it
isn't.>
Should I remove my 3 Turbos, which are happily munching away?
<There is nothing nastier than a dead snail in your tank.>
What do I do moving forward, do I still continue to do water changes?
<Suggested reading:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i3/Live_Rock/live_rock.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lrcurefaqs.htm
Please do not add any more livestock until your rock is fully cured. ~PP>
Jason
Oops. Protein skimmer waste back into the system! 5/22/07
Hi crew,
<Elizabeth>
While in the process of cleaning out my protein skimmer, all of the waste in the
collection bin spilled over into the tank. Of course my ammonia level shot up
through the roof.
<Yikes!>
I treated the water as soon as I noticed the problem (unfortunately 4 hours
later since someone else cleaned it for me). One of my damsel fish acts like
nothing happened, while the other (the shy blue) was lying on his side on the
bottom of the tank gasping for air. The ammonia is fine now, and the fish is
trying to swim, but not really succeeding. Is there any hope of saving this
poor fish. Thanks!
Elizabeth
<Well, there is always hope... I would try another dose of an anti-ammonia
product here (my choice? Amquel)... and try to stay light on feeding for a week
or two. Bob Fenner>
Re: Chrysurus angel sick...
poisoned... 8/14/07
Well Bob I have read everything on your site on this and now I have lost my
lionfish (who started whirling around towards the end like he had no balance),
my male yellow stripe maroon clown, and now my Female is whirling like her swim
bladder is affected?
<Some sort of poisoning>
Conspic still not eating and has a cloudy eye, (if this was HLLE why are eyes
cloudy on this fish?.
<See above>
My passer and imperator are doing ok still eating but their heads look terrible.
This am I was able to catch all fish and move them into holding talk with
sharks. Should I start over? I was contemplating bleaching tank. let me know
your thoughts on this please, and then returning sharks to clean tank, and
treating fish with erythromycin or neomycin with Metronidazole in holding tank.
Thanks again bob.
Kelly
<... something toxic in this system... I would execute large water changes, add
carbon to your filter path/flow. BobF>
Restarting a Tank 10/16/06
Love you guys' work... I have told dozens of friends about your site.. Thank
You in advance for everything you guys have done for the hobby.
<Thanks for the compliments.>
Now onto the unpleasant question.... A few months ago my unstable ex girlfriend broke
into my house and dumped bleach in my small nursery nano cube (6 gallon) and
killed everything... <Hope you called the police and changed the locks for your
safety.> I dumped it out and let it sit empty up until 2 nights ago... I
cleaned it out thoroughly (just rinse no chemicals) and then filled it (with the
sand still in) with fresh water.. dumped in a healthy (kinda big) dose of
NovAqua (to hopefully remove or neutralize any remaining chlorine left in there)
let it sit for a few hours. flushed it out and repeated this process 3 times...
Filled it up with Seawater (store bought ocean water) let it spin with the
filter running overnight and some more NovAqua (smaller dose)... <Sounds good.>
This afternoon I went out and bought 5 lbs of live rock, 2 blue leg hermits, and
a damsel fish.. Everything seemed ok (aside from cloudy water) but the Damsel
wouldn’t come out from beneath the rocks and after a couple hours he was on his
side and breathing very rapidly and lost most of his color... I caught him and
placed him in my other nano (JBJ 24g) and he seemed to improve rather rapidly..
breathing slowed down some and color came back quite a bit... The small anemones
and crabs seemed fine but I moved them over as well just in case...
My question is (finally right? sorry heh) Is it possible there is still
dangerous bleach/chlorine amounts still in there (obviously possible :) ) and
what can I do to salvage this situation? Should I throw everything out and start
fresh or will letting it run for a week or two clear it up?
Thanks in advance for your help.. Oh and BTW.. I just purchased a Tenecor 1340G
tank with a 300G sump. It's in storage now until I can get a place to put it but
I CANT WAIT! :) I'd love to send you guys some pictures when it's up! <Please
do.> Here is what it looks like on a forklift :) http://gconsier.smugmug.com/gallery/1846208
<Nice!>
Thanks again!
Greg
<Your tank needs to cycle, please read http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marsetupii.htm
for more on cycling a tank.>
<Chris>Restarting a Tank Part II 10/17/06
Thanks Chris!
<Sure>
I tried to cheat.. About 20% of the filter media in the 6 gallon came out of my
JBJ 24G as did some of the water... (They sit right next to each other)
<Will help speed up the process, but the cycle still needs to be allowed to
occur.>
I figured one Damsel and some transplanted rock would basically help cycling
along? <The Damsel does not help as long as there is live rock, this will add
all the ammonia you need.> Did I do too much to fast (nano cubes are such a
pita... but.... so is moving 200+ gallon tanks from apartment to apartment...)
<You got it, right plan, but to ambitious of a time frame. Give it some time
and you will be fine.>
Thanks for your help!
Greg
<Anytime.>
<Chris>
|
Cursed Tank... Anomalous SW... 1/24/07
Hello!
<Hi there>
I've really enjoyed reading your site, there is so much great info.
I have a 265 gallon tank that I can't get fish to live in. It has 4 inches of
aragonite substrate,
<Mmm... may be too much or too little... possibly "not the right stuff"... Have
you read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marsubstr.htm
and here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm
and the linked files above? You should>
200 pounds of live rock, a euro reef CS 12-1 skimmer. The water is fed to the
euro reef system 400 sump by an overflow box and returned with a Sedra 5000. In
the tank I have 4 Hagen powerheads to circulate the water. It has been set up
for nearly three years now.
<Mmm, again, a comment re your substrate... I'd reduce the depth to an inch or
so... or ditch and replace>
I also have a 29 gallon tank and a 75 gallon tank that I have been using as
holding tanks.
<Good>
In the 75 I have had a beautiful Emperor Angel for just over two years. This
fish is like a dog, he follows people around the tank and eats out of my
hand. I don't want to add him to the big tank until I'm sure he will live
there. In the 29 I have had a clown for about 8 months ago.
Water changes all come from a 100 gallon tub with RO/DI water.
<Also good>
For the first year and a half that the 265 was in operation it had a clown in it
for a majority of that time. I would have fish to be added in the 29.
The fish would live happily in the 29 for a month and then die within a week
of being introduced to the big tank.
<Mmm, "something's rotten in Denmark">
Most of the fish died without any symptoms of disease, just rapid breathing and
lethargy. The last straw was an ich outbreak and the fish I had added and the
clown died. At that point I was completely fed up and I just left the tank
alone for almost a year.
When I say I left it alone I mean I wouldn't even look at it I was so
frustrated. I continued to care for the emperor and put a clown in the 29 about
8 months ago. Both are doing great.
About six months ago I decided to give the 265 another try. I turned the lights
off 24 hours a day for about 4 months until all the algae died. Then I started
doing 70 gallon water changes weekly until I got the Nitrates to between 5 and
10 and the Phosphate to 0.1. I turned the lights back on for six hours a day at
that point. I adjusted the Alk to 3.2 and have been using products called
Purple Up and Reef Builder to get coralline to grow.
<Okay>
I have been putting carbon in for a few days at a time. About a month ago I had
the tank looking great. It now has crystal clear water and nice purple growth
on the live rock. I was certain that this time was different. I added the
clown from the 29 about a month ago. The clown lives happily in the 265. I put
a falcula butterfly in the 29 about the same time. The butterfly lived happily
in the 29 until a week ago when I introduced him to the 265. He looked great
for six days. On the seventh day I came home from work and he was laying on the
bottom breathing heavily. He died literally right before my eyes. Before that
he had eaten formula one daily and was very active. There were no signs of
disease. The clown is still alive with about 30 hermits. The tank still looks
great. I have been testing the tank like crazy for the last couple months. The
readings have been: Ammonia-0, nitrite-0, nitrate-10, alk-3.2, Ph-8.2,
Calcium-350. phos-0.1, ORP-350.
I am really at a loss here. I can't figure out what the problem is. Sorry to
be so long winded, I just wanted to give as much info as possible.
Thanks,
Brian
<Well... that "something" alluded to above is some sort of chemical anomaly...
I'm guessing that it's biochemical, arising from an organism/population in situ
(like an algae)... though it could be inorganic (some missed bit of toxic metal
let's say)... the latter you might try discerning with the use of PolyFilter
(again, see WWM re)... the former might be removed with "succession", the use of
activated carbon... but... For me... skipping ahead here... I would do as also
referred to previously, and either reduce or switch out the substrate... AFTER
nuking this tank... removing the LR to a much darkened setting for a month... or
bleach washing it in place along with all else (yes... see WWM re) and placing
some new material over this to re-seed/colonize the old. In the future, I'm very
sure aquarists will have diagnostic tools that will aid us in determining such
"anomalous" situations... For now... reacting to symptoms blindly is about "it".
Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Re: Cursed Tank 1/25/07
Thank you for your response.
<Welcome>
When you say Nuke the tank it sounds to me like I'm at the start over point,
which is ok.
<This is one, the most extreme, option...>
I'd like to re-do the plumbing anyway. I'm a little confused about taking the
rock out and placing it in the dark. Should I store it in saltwater, or let it
dry out and rinse it really well.
<Mmm, if you were to hope for recovery of some of the biota the former... I am
simply encouraging you to consider the possibility of ending the life of what
may be biologically poisoning your system>
There is no algae growth that I can see other than coralline. For what its
worth the substrate is Carib Sea Aragonite. I think you hit the nail on the
head when you said its too deep. I have the same stuff in the 29, but its only
an inch deep.
<Mmm, much to consider (am feeling, and maybe looking, quite Yoda-ish today)...
I would do a bit of reading on WWM... re Marine Toxic and Environmental
Disease... Bob Fenner>
Re: Cursed Tank, and plumbing now... 1/28/07
Hi Bob,
<Brian>
I have been doing a mind numbing amount of reading on your site (thanks for all
the great info)
<Mmm, welcome... and a (standard) comment here... re the amount of
perusal/reading... not necessary or required to scan all... but maybe the more
recent (higher numbered) FAQs file/s in any given subject area... WWM is
"copy/cut-paste" made (not database driven, but BobF devised)... in this way...
Just read till you understand your options, the rationale behind them...>
and am concocting a plan for my 265 gallon tank. At this point my clownfish and
Inverts are in my 29 gallon tank (see previous e-mails below). I removed the
live rock to tubs in the dark with a powerhead in each. When I removed the rock
there was a lot of "gunk" which I rinsed off with tank water.
<Good>
I'm sure that was a big source of my toxic tank conditions.
<It might well be> ....
|
Unexplained fish deaths - 01/03/2006
Hi Wet Web Media, <Hello Chris>
I have a Aqua One 850 fish tank that has been running for 5 months. It has 25
kilos of live rock and I have a small snowflake eel, Coris wrasse and a damsel
was going to be food for the lion fish that died]. The fish are all doing great
But every time I put in a new fish it die's within the night. I have taken my
water to 2 aquarium shops for testing and was told that the water was 100%. I
have tried 3 fish at different times: Bi color angel, Small lion fish, and a
Sailfin tang. All fish were eating and swimming fine during the day but sometime
at night things take a turn for the worst and they turn up dead in the morning.
I change 25 ltr a week and a big 30% Water change a month and do testing once a
week. From what I can see the eel has no interest in the new fish that I put
in. Please help. <You didn't mention the size of your tank, quite possibly you
are getting a ammonia spike with the new addition. Most likely though may be
your acclimation process. I am assuming you have a functional biological filter
in your system. Read here on acclimation. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acclimat.htm James
(Salty Dog)
Thanks. <You're welcome>
Regards Chris.
Re: Unexplained fish deaths 1/4/06
Hi wet web Media <Hello Chris>
The tank is 3ft by 2ft by 1.5ft.
The acclimation process that I do is: Put the bag in the water for 15min then
open the bag and pour in a glass of
tank water in, wait 2min and then let the fish go in the tank, I don't put the
water in from the shop.
I thought of the 12 hour ammonia spike you can get after the first fish died
so with the second fish I tested about 4 hours after and all ok.
I'm running the water at about 25c its summer in Australia
so the water dose jump from 25c to 29c in no time. (I turn the aircon on
after that) New fish is stressed then temp goes up or down 4c and dies.
That's the only thing I can think of. Test are, Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0, Ph 8.4,
Nitrite 0, salt 1.020. <Chris, your acclimation process is horrible to say the
least. The fish are going into shock as they cannot tolerate sudden changes in
ph and other parameters, salinity etc. Please read here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acclimat.htm I would get the salinity up to
1.023.>
Thanks Wet Web Media <You're welcome. In future queries please do a
spelling/grammar check before sending. Correcting text for posting on the
dailies takes up too much time that is needed to answer other queries. Thank
you. James (Salty Dog)>
Regards Chris
|
Reef Tank Troubles PLEASE HELP ME
Hello Guys,
<Hi, JasonC here...>
My name is Eric, I'm 15 and have a 26 bow front mini reef. It
contains 36 pounds of live rock, a colt coral, some blue mushrooms, and a bubble
coral. Filters are a little hang on Eheim, a whisper 1 (DIY refugium) and
PowerSweep
powerhead. Lighting is 150 watts of PowerCompacts. I've been reading
your forums for a long time now, and they have helped me out a
lot. Now I have a problem that I just can't get rid
of and I need your help! Recently I went on vacation for a
week. I returned to brownish cloudy water, nitrates of 50 and a dead anemone. I was devastated. The rocks were covered in red slime
(Cyanobacteria I'm sure) and a lot of bubbles (some kind of algae) <Also
Cyanobacteria I would think.> I stepped up big time on the additives, (liquid
calcium, molybdenum, phytoplankton, and iodine), after a red slime treatment (I
wasn't sure what else to do!?!) <Lay off the additives... in a tank of this
size you should only be adding drops of the stuff and nothing that listed will
help get rid of BGA except for that red slime treatment which I wouldn't
recommend. Likewise, you should always test for things you are adding to make
sure they need to be added at all.> I've done tons and tons of water changes,
using gravel vacs, and trying to get rid of the algae. Every day the
brown water returns and so does the algae, sometimes it taunts me and goes away
for 2-3 days, then it returns, my Caulerpa in the whisper 1 is under a 12 inch
fluorescent, worked the nitrates down to 20, but the corals seem to
do good/bad depending. PLEASE HELP ME. <I think you may want to consider
breaking down the system to make sure you've gotten all the dead material from
the anemone, and perhaps anything else it took with it. Likewise, you could
rinse the live rock in some clean saltwater and return it to the system. You
might also consider a 100% water change at the same time. Small tanks are the
most difficult to keep stable, and sometimes once they've gone the wrong
direction, you're just better off starting over.> Your thoughts
are needed badly.
Greatly Appreciated
Eric Denemark
<Cheers, J -- >
Emergency
Hey Bob
I went to town to get some sea salt and distilled water and the smell went
away.? The smell may have lasted a couple of hours. But that is it all
gone. Strange huh. Maybe it has something to do with the undergravel
filter. Maybe kind of a burp or something. All inhabitants are doing fine.
Even stuck my nose to the water, nose smell. Wetted a paper towel with the
water. No more smell. Not even the slight algae smell. The smell was
there my wife even smelled it. It started kinda suddenly and stopped by the
time we got home. What thoughts do you have here on this? Maybe a stinky
burp from the undergravel???
>>
The root cause of the anaerobic glycolysis is still in your system... and will
be back... I would still do the water change, gravel vacuuming... next time your
livestock may all go...
Bob FennerRe: figured it out emergency
I figured out what was causing the problem.
The pump I have running the UV sterilizer has quit. Goes off and on when it
is ready to.
replacing the pump this afternoon.
apparently the bad stuff came up out of the U.V into the tank earlier this
morning.
disconnected it and euw what a smell came out of it.
I only run the sterilizer light about twice a week.
because of raising the water temp. But usually leave the pump running. The
reason I haven't notice the pump not working is because of all the other
powerheads pretty much cover up that water flow.
Thanks again for the help.
Kevin Johnson
<Ah, what a relief... good to know.
Bob Fenner
|
Mysterious deaths
Hi!
I have had a 55 gal. reef tank set up for over a year and the end of last month
had all my fish die within a week. They were all just short of a year old. The
first was my very large blue tang, he got kind of a "patchy" look to
him and within a week was almost falling apart. Next came my neon Goby which
went the same way, then my maroon clown. None of my corals or snails or crabs or
shrimp have suffered. I also had a Firefish that has lasted thru the whole
ordeal. I waited two weeks and did my normal 5% change twice, then added two
percula clowns I had in another tank and within the week they did the same
thing. My Firefish is still fine. I have not changed a single thing, not my
feeding, not my lights, not my water change cycle, nothing. What could of gone
wrong. My levels are all great, no ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, temp. is good,
salt level is good, nothing has changed. How do I know what happened and how do
I know when it will be safe to add more fish? Thank you so much for your help.
Rene'e
<Thank you for writing... two prominent possibilities loom here...
considering what died, what didn't and the order of loss... Either some sort of
dissolved oxygen limiting situation exists here, or an internal toxic one... Let
me explain the reasoning behind my thesis. Larger, more active fishes perished
first, and the new ones lost are in possession of a large gill surface area...
Also, a microdesmid (Firefish) which lives in lower D.O. situations and in
closer proximity to organisms which produce (naturally) toxic materials
persists...
At any length, if you'd like to pursue the "real, root cause" of your
losses we can discuss the means of testing for this... But, I'm sure you'd
rather focus on what can possibly be done to "solve" the cause of the
problem... A few things might well help: a large water change, or series of
same... Use of chemical filtrants (PolyFilter, activated carbon)... Placement of
new live rock, Macroalgae... addition of mechanical aeration (an airstone,
powerheads...)... addition of a UV sterilizer, ozonizer.... All these and a few
other technologies might be employed to improve your water quality, increase
gaseous exchange... Please read over the marine "Toxic Tank
Conditions" section and associated FAQs posted on the site:
www.WetWebMedia.com for more, and return to me for clarification, expansion on
any of these ideas.
Bob Fenner>
Question: I have a 150 gallon tank with U.V., Skimmer, W/D and a Chiller. I have
had the tank for 17 months. In it (for 13 months)
- 2 Tangs (Sailfin 3in.- Blue 3in)
- 3 Angels (Majestic 3in-Singapore 2in.-Coral Beauty 1.5in.)
- 7 Dam. (1 strip 2in.-3 blues 1 in. -3 unknown 2.5.in. each)
- 1 Tomato Clown 2in.
- 3 Butterfly ( 2 Raccoon 2 in. - 1 falcula 1.5in.)
- 5 Fire Shrimp
- 3 Cleaner Shrimp
I add Boyd's vitamins as recommended weekly, change 30% and clean the tank every four
weeks. My fist question is, can I add 1 small Auriga Butterfly or two small Pacific Cleaner
Wrasse? My water is crystal clear. Yet, my two Tangs have developed discoloration around the
head and the Sailfin looks like he has tail rot and the upper fin seems like someone has
bitten it off. Both are still eating and very active. Help, what can I do?
Bob's Answer: Chris, you may well have a combination. of "bad fish
interactions" and semi-poor water quality going on in your system. I'd leave off on
the proposed additions and put my big bongo bucks into some decent live rock. Your tank is
pretty crowded and the Live Rock will help improve water quality and give livestock
something else to nibble on. And consider taking the media out of the Wet/Dry.
2 month old tank w/ ich
Help!! I have a 55 gal tank and its been running for months. I checked my levels and quickly my ammonia level is very high (6,8) all other levels are normal. I have 3 damsels, Camel shrimp, scooter blenny, and a emerald crab, also
I have noticed a case of ich on 2 of the damsels and I don't have a sick tank yet. Please help!!!
<Six or eight ppm of ammonia? Yikes, do a very large water change, fast... and do not feed the tank... Do you have another tank, or a friends that you can borrow/beg some used substrate and maybe old filter material. Do so, and place it in your tank ASAP... Usually anything over 1.0ppm and anything near "normal" pH will kill marine fishes... and most invertebrates.
Bob Fenner>
2 month old tank w/ ich
Help!! I have a 55 gal tank and its been running for months. I checked my levels and quickly my ammonia level is very high (6,8) all other levels are normal. I have 3 damsels, Camel shrimp, scooter blenny, and a emerald crab, also
I have noticed a case of ich on 2 of the damsels and I don't have a sick tank yet. Please help!!!
<The "ich" is no doubt part of the response to the poor water quality... Let's get the ammonia down to zero, then find out what died, who threw the whole can of food in, what Cleaner with Ammonia was poured in...
Bob Fenner>
Cured live rock
Recently I received a shipment of live rock that wasn't cured all the way. I have done water changes for 5 weeks to get the water crystal clear again.
Ammonia tests at 0, nitrite tests at .1 ppm, nitrate is at 5, pH looks good. However, I can get small fishes to live in the tank, (mollies, damsels) but larger fish die within 12 hours. All fish have an erratic gill
function. My only guess would be a toxin in the water, but why would smaller
fish live?
<You'd make a fine scientist... on the way to becoming a good mystery writer... I agree with your hypothesis re the poisoning factor... And all live rock is only "cured to a point"...
The smaller fishes have a greater tolerance for a few real reasons... The most fun/easy to point out is their gill surface area per size of body ratio... Just like young dogs with large feet... fishes that are going to be bigger, have more "exposure"...
More to a/the point, what to do now? I would get my hands on a pad of
PolyFilter, do a very large (almost 100% water change), put the PolyFilter in your filter flow path... and then try culturing some macro-algae... and wait a month to try another fish.
Bob Fenner>
Hi Bob:
Everything seems very happy in my 90 gallon reef tank. After it had been established for approximately 6 months I added a fine reef sand to the bottom of the tank, it had been bare up till this point. I have vacuumed it once and stirred it a couple of time sense putting it in. The sand has been in the tank for about a month now. I noticed it has little bubbles all over the top of the sand and the bubbles slowly come up to the surface. I assume the this is nitrogen, but what should I do about it or for it?
Thanks for you time...........Lin Smith
<Not much, IMO... the bubbles are probably "biological" in origin... getting trapped and coalescing under more "biofilm" material at/near the gravel's surface... Unless you see some sort of blackish material accumulating around the substrate base near the viewing panels... or detect a "rotten egg" sort of smell... I would just periodically stir, vacuum much/most of this stuff away... And do consider the possibility of some sorts of stirring livestock...
Bob Fenner>
Funny smell in water...
I have a question dealing with a strange smell in my
saltwater tank. When ever I clean the
tank and change the water I smell a foul odor that comes
from the water and it smells like vinegar or a rusty steel
wool pad. What is this and how can I get rid of it? I use
carbons but it seems not to solve the problem? I also have
question about algae control. What kind of equipment can you
recommend for me to keep algae from growing in my
aquarium? I can't afford an ultraviolet stabilizer, but I
could afford a protein skimmer. Will
this do the trick. I was going to buy a Sea Clone Protein
skimmer from Aquarium Systems. Is this a good protein
skimmer and will it solve my algae problem?
Thank You,
<Hmm, you are right to be concerned about the smell of your system water... Healthy tanks smell sort of like, well, seawater... a little musty like earth... and salty.
A few things will definitely help to improve the smell, and overall viability of your water... A skimmer is a very good start. Though I consider the SeaClone to not be a very efficient make/model, it is adequate for a small fish only system (let's say up to forty gallons) or a very small reef (let's say twenty gallons)... Otherwise, if your system is larger, there are other "hang on" models to consider.
There really is no "gear" that will do away with algae entirely, but adding live rock along with the skimmer will do a lot of good in combating your algae problems... You might benefit from reading the articles on algae and their control in marine systems I have stored at the URL: www.wetwebmedia.com
Do get the skimmer, and try some live rock and possibly macroalgae in your tank...
Bob Fenner>
Thanks for the help w/coral selection, but now I have a new problem. My
nitrates and phosphates are real high and they haven't been a prob
before. I will describe my set up and maybe you can help. I have a 29
gallon eclipse has been set up a year or so. I have about 1/2 inch of
crushed shells on bottom, limestone base and about 30 lbs atop that.
The live rock is mostly covered w/coralline algae. I don't have a protein
skimmer since hood is enclosed. I have 4 fish, a shrimp, colt coral,
green star polyps, and mushrooms, all doing well. When I clean the tank
I can only get vacuum into a few places due to the rocks, therefore most
of the substrate isn't vacuumed. Is this the problem and how do I correct
it? The pet store told me to set it up this way then when I started to
have prob.s w/phosphate they told me I set it up wrong. They said there
shouldn't be any substrate around the base rocks at all and said to take
it out. Should I believe them this time? Is this the thing to do and is
it good to have a bare bottom tank? I'm taking another water sample in
tomorrow and I just wonder what they will tell me and that's why I need your
opinion. corals don't like phosphate or nitrates right? Thanks
again...PS.. A different pet store is holding a nice coral for me, but I'm
sure I need to fix this prob before picking it up...
<Hmm, well all corals... and all living things need some "nitrates and phosphates"... but too much is a bad thing depending on species of livestock... even corals... much more than 10 and 1 ppm respectively should be avoided... for most species kept.
How best to limit these materials? In a 29 Eclipse... the best thing to do is to retrofit a skimmer (it can be, is done all the time... something like a CPR
BakPak or even a SeaClone...) by cutting the top...
The gravel around the rock has a minimum effect... in fact, under propitious circumstances, the anaerobes living there may be helping to utilize available nutrients... By and large, I like substrates in marine and reef tanks... for looks and function.
Bob Fenner>
And more questions - and an update!
Okay, I follow you, it appears to be cycling just as it did before.
I will also remove the lettuce and stop the feedings for a few days. But
don't you find this an extremely fast cycling period? I haven't seen one
person who doesn't think I'm full of it. My readings are my readings, what
can I say.
I'll get back to you once anything develops... Spikes, deaths,
whatever. I've also got a water quality issue I'm wondering about (regarding
RO's/bottled water versus tap... What about the GOOD stuff in there that
could get filtered out? If I just had it without so much NITRATE I'd be
happy (20PPM is straight from the tap).
Thank you again, very much.
Bruce
<Hmm, and you'd be shocked and dismayed to find how much nitrate is typically introduced into marine systems via lettuce feeding (often ppt, yes... not a typo... parts per thousand)... Much of the nutrient input of tap is overblown by folks... but a whole bunch more
undesirable material is easily and cheaply avoided by utilizing an RO device... and IMO most everyone is a fool for not having one for their own drinking, cooking use... let alone ornamental aquatics... Well off the shoe box.
And, am I surprised at the rapidity of cycling....? No!, and adamant about "what I would do in your circumstances"? Yes! Things will/are working out... No worries.
Bob Fenner>
I have a 55 gallon tank with 2 Fluval 403's, a protein skimmer, and a UV
sterilizer. I also have a bio-wheel running on it (for some wet/dry
action?). I have 50 lbs. of live rock & crushed coral for substrate. I only
have one fish, an 8 inch Fiji rainbow parrot (a beautiful fish). I also have
some inverts; a crab, an arrow crab, 3 starfish, a leather coral and a
flower pot coral. I have a major problem with my nitrates. every fish in
my tank has died over time but the inverts and the parrot (they all seem
very healthy). I do weekly water changes of about 5 gallons and have added
Acquamarine's nitrate reducer for 3 weeks, with no effect. my nitrates are
still off the scale. I have a dry tab test kit and it has the same result
every time, the nitrates are the highest rating, my nitrites are somewhat
high, but not bad. HELP!! what am I doing wrong!!
<Hmm, glad to offer my opinions... and am concerned with the last bit of your message... that you have "nitrites that are somewhat high"... You should have none.
And the loss of fish life... likely has not much to do directly with your nitrate situation... And am glad you listed your gear...
I would like to know what additives/supplements you use, if any... but besides that possible input, I fully suspect your tank is under-aerated... Yes, something this simple (a lack of gas exchange) can bedevil a system... the microbial and macrobial life on your rock and sand, and filters are being "gas starved"... You certainly have enough aerobic (the 50# of rock and other surfaces) and less than aerobic (the contents of your canister filters) to support more oxygen-using life... And the "finishing clues" of what you still have that lives are tell-tale... the Parrot, though large-appearing, has a lot of gill surface area per unit volume (sort of like a puppy dog that is going to be big having large paws)... and is also a relatively sedentary species... The other fishes, especially if you had any
tangs/surgeons/Doctorfishes... probably perished on the basis of their "gas-demand" requirements... highest to lower...
Now, more important than all this "Sherlock Holmes" input, let's get to some solution. I wouldn't pull any of your existing filtration, but would add a power head or two with some air intake into them and their discharges aimed toward the bottom and sides to render better/complete circulation... Barring this, do consider adding a simple mechanical aerator (bubbler with an air pump) in a low corner spot.
For you browsers, yes, a dissolved oxygen, RedOx meter would be nice...
Bob Fenner, who says, get that added aeration/circulation going and keep measuring the nitrate and nitrite... the latter should go to zero, the former to less than 10ppm in a few weeks.>
Ammonia Spike
Bob,
I have written to you a few times in the past month, and I certainly appreciate your timely and useful responses.
I have been cycling a 72 gallon tank for the past 30+ days. I initially started with 12 Damsels and lost all but 4. Yesterday I added 46 pounds of Premium Cured Fiji to the tank.
This morning I lost one more Damsel. Tonight the ammonia reading is way off the scale......the darkest green I have ever seen (prior to the live rock, ammonia had gone to 0 for the past week or so). The nitrites are at .4 (where they have been for 8 days). I can imagine I will lose the remaining 3 Damsels with this type of ammonia activity.
Sanity check: Does this seem normal? I have a wet dry and an Eheim mechanical. My protein skimmer was supposed to arrive today but UPS says it
will be two more days (is that cause for concern?).
What should I expect in the coming few days?
Thanks Again
<Hmm, yes, all this is well within a consideration of "normal"... And would dearly like to have started with you "at the beginning"... Let's see, at this juncture, what is the better way of making known... what otherwise you might have done. For one, I strongly advocate people "curing" their own rock in a new tank like yours... without fishes, other living things... and at the same time, this process will "cycle" the system...
At the "recycling" stage you're at, the rock's living component is continuing to devolve, with many organisms dying, being supplanted... and yes, a great deal of ammonia will be released... overwhelming the little-established nitrifier population the damsels/tank had going...
If you have the flexibility, do move the damsels... to another system, back to a/the store... And pretend you're starting from the get go now... Run the skimmer full blast, and do massive water changes if your ammonia or nitrite spikes off the chart...
The system (with the live rock) will soon "cycle"... a few weeks to maybe a month... and "all will be much better".
I am with you,
Bob Fenner>
Appended: Unexplained Fish Deaths?
Bob,
I sent you another message this morning (attached) asking about some unexplained fish deaths. At lunch today as I looked into the tank and saw a greyish/white translucent slug looking thing with
antennae perched on a rock spewing something into the water. I left the room for just a minute and when I came back it was gone. Do you know what this could be and could it be my fish killer.
Thanks again, John
<Not a/the fish killer you might believe... But likely some sort of snail, worm reproducing (or maybe just eliminating), in response to (one last gasp) to poor environmental conditions... ADD NOTHING MORE TO THIS TANK for a few weeks... it will settle down... Then we'll talk about spiffing up your water quality... Maybe take a look at this issue, skimmers.... at my site: www.wetwebmedia.com
Bob Fenner>
Within about two hours, every fish in our tank died (Firefish, Percula clown, Mandarin). We also lost all the snails, almost lost our shrimp and polyps and mushrooms too, but we got them out in time. None of the fish had looked sick. No spots, discoloration, or any weird behavior. If you would have looked at the tank, the top of the water almost looked like it had suds on it and our protein skimmer was bubbling over. We had our water tested and everything came back perfect. I was wondering if you have any ideas as to what could have happened and what we need to do to get our tank back up again.
Nicki Kubes
<Something, very, acutely toxic... either started from outside (an ammonia based cleaner, soap/detergent on a hand, a cigarette butt...) or inside... A cascade of events... from the organisms you list, likely the mushrooms... poisoning their tankmates... A type of chemical warfare that goes on "in the wild" regularly... but with a much larger dilution salvation....
To prevent or forestall such future problems, regular water changes, the use of chemical filtrants periodically, keeping the mushrooms clearly separated from other sessile invertebrates... plenty of circulation, aeration, growing macro-algae in the system or a specialized sump (mud/rock/algae) filter... all help.
Bob Fenner, who is sorry to hear of your losses and directs you to the "Toxic Tank Conditions" and "Environmental Disease" areas of www.wetwebmedia.com for more information.>
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