OMG 16 gal tank, all fish dying
- Thread starter Christy W
- Start date
so very sorry to hear of your losses and troubles, you didn't mention or I missed it, what is your water change schedule, something that no one has mentioned, most lfs keep their salinity low, always check with where you are buying the fish and ask if their tanks are being treated...keeps their losses low and their profits high..
flower
Well-Known Member
Hi,
30 nitrates is not sky high...and fish can handle nitrates into the 100s, inverts to 40...corals kept in the dark will die because they open and feed when it's daylight, unless they are the nocturnal corals. API test kits read high on nitrate...4Xs higher, you should be doing water changes to reduce nitrates, not dosing the tank willy-nilly in a panic ...what is aquel for? I have never heard of it, and I can't find it looking it up either.. Jay has an excellent idea, you should take his advice.
flower
Well-Known Member
Bang Guy, Isn't that for ammonia??? It won't help high nitrates at all. If Christy is using API test kits, the nitrates aren't high, since those kits read 4Xs higher than other kits, and make the hobbyist THINK something is wrong when it isn't. if Nitrates are actually at 30, it isn't really anything to freak out about either.
Christy, Water changes...that cures just about every water problem. As for high or even low salinity, as long as it was a slow process to climb or lower, the critters can handle it. You need to take a deep breath, and not panic. Get a larger tank to hold the fish you want to keep, and take your time getting the tank where you want it, it's a hobby, not a chore to just get done. Saltwater tanks are a living thing, they shift and change, you will notice something new every time you look into the tank...
flower
Well-Known Member
Macros are not an instant fix either. It helps by feeding on the nasty stuff in the water... it removes it as it grows, and gets harvested out of the tank...which takes time.
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
Gee I don't have to say it.
Have you gotten serious about a larger tank? I just bought 2 55g tanks for ***** in the infrequent $1 per gallon sale. So I got 110g of aquariums for $110. One will be a planted display refugium and the other a coral reef display. And I plan to circulate the water between them.
Sounds like you're kinda doing the same manually with the 20g and 16g.
Joking aside, If you start a tank with macro algae (new tank) or add macro algae (existing tank) you balance out and stabilize operation making it healthier for the livestock.
my .02
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
the important thing is that macros are being mentioned to new people. When I setup my old 55g back in 2003 I went to several lfs's and web sites and no one mentioned macros until one person "slipped up". It was all skimmers, filters, water changes, and deep sea beds back then.
FWIW I only took 3 days from pH to recover after I added the macros. So not instantaneous but almost.
Still only worth .02
flower
Well-Known Member
You told me about macroalgae, I will be forever grateful, it made keeping my seahorses a breeze. However, a coral reef needs a refugium to house the macros...or they will cover over the coral if you are not right on top of it. The more nasty in the water, the faster it grows. If your nitrates dropped that fast, you must of had one nasty tank, and the macros must have been really fast growers.
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
that was a pH recovery. My in tank refugium with extra lighting took 3 weeks for nitrates to drop down and a few months for phosphates.
In this particular thread the subject was fish dying. the macros or other algae breaking up the cycle by consuming ammonia directly while reducing carbon dioxide and creating oxygen and fish food will do nothing but result in healthier happier fish.
And you are correct that even a fo tank would need a refugium as the fish would eat the macros as well. But all that needs to be is a simple partition to keep the macros and fish separate.
In this particular thread the subject was fish dying. the macros or other algae breaking up the cycle by consuming ammonia directly while reducing carbon dioxide and creating oxygen and fish food will do nothing but result in healthier happier fish.
And you are correct that even a fo tank would need a refugium as the fish would eat the macros as well. But all that needs to be is a simple partition to keep the macros and fish separate.
Christy W
New Member
Well, bottom line, the old 16 gal tank has been completely dumped and cleaned out - over and done with. Amazingly, our two clown fish are still alive in a backup 20gal tank and we're working a plan to go to a 75gal tank. We are watching lots of videos (Bulk Reef Supply - those are great), reading threads like these and planning the move very carefully.
flower
Well-Known Member
I used Red Sea, I think they are pretty good. I like SeaChem best, they come with a regent to be able to double check that the test is accurate. Clown fish a pretty hardy, they should be fine in the 20g until you set up the 75g.