HELP HELP HELP!!!

hitropics09

New Member
I am lost in words, this is the second salt tank i've had and is actually a better set up than the previous one, it has been cycled through for awhile, in the past 24 hours i have lost a thread fin a cleaner shrimp, and came home from work today to see that i had lost my yellow tang!!!!!!!!!!! i'm afraid i'm going to lose my pride and joy anemone and other clowns, any idea of what it may be? running my water to get tested!!
 

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
what are you running? Tank size? how long has it been set up? others might chime in with any question i missed.
 

tangclownfish

New Member
tank size? how long has it been cycled? what kind of filtration system do you have? are you using r/o water or tap water?
 

meowzer

Moderator
You have a 45G bow....with a YT, Threadfin (butterfly)?????
2 hermits...and 2 clowns......FIRST OF ALL....tank is way too small for the tang and butterfly....and If I had to guess, I'd say too new.....
you have a penguin filter....too small....a belkin protein skimmer????what is that....and one powerhead?????
what are your water parameters
 

flower

Well-Known Member

Welcome to the site, sorry you have such troubles. You said this is your second attempt at a saltwater tank???
First you should have your own test kits, as you now know running to get water tested in an emergency delays getting things on track.
Anyway...get the number readings from the tests, not just an …all is okay from the store guy…post them with your tank size, all equipment and critters. You came to the right place to get some help.
 

hitropics09

New Member
I have a 45 bow front with a marineland emperor 400 bio wheel power filter, a sea clone 150 protein skimmer and a hydor power fan , the tank has been set up for about a total of 8 months and the two clowns and tang have been strong since I got them I aquired a green anenome here in hawaii (very rare here) as corals are illegal, I have test kits and a hydrometer, I took it in to see if there was something I missed , the only thing I can think is the stress? Cause I just moved but used all the same water.... just don't to lose everything for a reason that can't be explained
 

hitropics09

New Member
about a week ago! i just got back from the hawaii specialty fish store, he showed me the test sorry flower i didn't copy them down, everything read perfect, it is still a mystery as to why i lost them?
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by HItropics09
http:///forum/post/3297862
about a week ago! i just got back from the hawaii specialty fish store, he showed me the test sorry flower i didn't copy them down, everything read perfect, it is still a mystery as to why i lost them?

You may have stirred something up in the sand or maybe a contaminate, do you make sure and wash your hands before you mess with the tank? I lost almost everything once because I had a cold and was using those puffs with lotion to blow my nose.
 

btldreef

Moderator
I've been replying on your other threads, but now I see that you actually lost the threadfin (Meowzer, this is a Threadfin Lookdown) and the yellow tang.
My thoughts:
Tank got stirred up and went into a mini cycle during the move.
Yellow Tang and Threadfin shouldn't have been in that size tank to begin with, and if your LFS sold you these fish knowing what size tank you had, then I wouldn't trust another word that comes out of their mouths, including what your water parameters are. Go get yourself test kits, API is the standard and usually available everywhere and easy to use. Stay away from Red Sea kits. API has two salt water kits, a reef master and a salt water master, you're probably going to need both. Or you can just buy individual tests of whatever doesn't come in the one. Make sure you have a test for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH (high range), Calcium, Phosphate and Carbonate Hardness (alkalinity). Salifert also makes good test kits, but they're harder to find and more expensive.
What water and salt are you using for water changes and how do you perform said water changes?
My thought here is that the fish were too large for the tank and between the stress of a small tank and the stress of a move, they could not take any more.
I don't care that your LFS told you that your water was perfect, if you lost two fish and a shrimp in less than 36 hours, your water is not perfect and that should be a red flag not to trust them.
You need more filtration and water movement, which can be a challenge in a bow front tank. What size is the Hydor power fan?
You mention rock, which you need more of. What about substrate, is this a bare bottom tank?
You need more of a CUC if you're going to have more fish.
Get a refractometer, hyrdrometers are inaccurate. If you're going to keep inverts, you MUST know the exact salinity level, not a guesstimate of what your hydrometer is going to give you. If it's a swing arm, THROW IT OUT.
Please keep an eye on your anemone, if you've had fish and shrimp die unexplainable deaths in a short period of time, your anemone could be in trouble. They require pristine water quality and if it dies in your tank, you're going to have an even bigger mess on your hands. IMO, 8 months and then a tank move is not good for an anemone, the tank is really not stable enough for you.
 

meowzer

Moderator
That's what I said.....LOL....Only a lot shorter

Good job Btld....and I wasn't sure on the Threadfin...hence the ????'s....I googled them and got Butterfly's
 

btldreef

Moderator
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3298006
That's what I said.....LOL....Only a lot shorter

Good job Btld....and I wasn't sure on the Threadfin...hence the ????'s....I googled them and got Butterfly's

LOL, sorry meowzer, I'm on my phone, and when I am, I do a quick skim of what others have already said and then just start typing.
 

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by BTLDreef
http:///forum/post/3298009
LOL, sorry meowzer, I'm on my phone, and when I am, I do a quick skim of what others have already said and then just start typing.
LOL...actually I was saying you DID A BETTER job at explaining....
 
Top