!!!help Major Problem With My Tank!!!

[hermitkrab]

Okay, I was at my mother's house for X-mas and I cam back a couple days later and my almost 5 week old tank look like hell. There is nothing that is alive in my tank besides 6 turbo snails, so I didn't have to feed anything (I over fed my "invisible" fish so I decided a couple of days with no food would be okay. First I will describe the problem... Okay my tanks water was always a little murky but now you can barley see through it (the image on the other side is very distorted in color and shape. Also a while ago (like 3 or almost 4 weeks ago) I added a thing of brine shrimp eggs... of course the eggs hatched and all died. Also there is a brown scum on my sand and rocks (all which of are lr and ls). Also as I before mentioned the brine experiment there are eggs similar to those of the brine shrimp (in shape) floating around in my tank. Also my once most active snail, "Mr. Snaily", has ceased his usual half way around the tank in a day journey and has remained by my wave maker four several days, but his head was once out of his shell and is now hid back in. Although I hold no high hopes four his continued health. Also my Bak-Pak 2 has been strange lately. I mean that usually the "scum" collects in the collection cup which is no surprise and of course some "scum" does appear bellow it. But lately A LOT of this scum has appeared bellow the collection cup and at the bottom in the compartment where the water overflows back into my tank there is a collection of smooth brown scum (there was once a couple of food pellets in the bottom there that got sucked in and where they once where this scum I have just lightly described has taken its place. PLEASE TELL ME THE SOURCE OF THIS DIASASTER AND HOW I MAY FIX IT ASAP. Also I haven't yet to do my 50% water change (my tank is a 40g with and 65 lb. of lr and 70 lb. of ls. Thank you very much for the future responses and a merry X-mas.

 

[wax32]

I'm not the most experienced guy, but sounds to me like you seriously overfed your "invisible fish".

 

[hermitkrab]

It is certainly not just the over feeding. Because this stuff is like a layer of goo. Also the things I described earlier have now seemed to hatch! And they are on the glass of my tank and move all the time and are very very small white worm like creatures. Also some good news is my snail is alive, I know this because he has most more than a foot from his last position. Still need help with what these things are on my glass and whether I need to get rid of them or what?! Any help is greatly thanked.

 

[clarkiiclo]

Most likely they are pods of some sort which is good. I would leave them there.

 

[benj2112]

What are some readings from some water tests? Nitrite, Nitrate?
What exactly do you have in your tank...powerheads and such...how much water turnover?
Just start listing everything in your tank...
what kind of water do you use?
How much have you been feeding you "invisible" fish?

 

[dedwards]

Sounds like a bad case of diatoms. I would beef up your inverts/cleaner crew. Your snail is probably just sitting there eating all of the algae in the area before moving. If you are concerned about your snail, pick him up and smell him. If he smells dead then he is and you can either discard him or toss him back in the tank for food. Good luck and list all of your parameters that you test for so we can get an idea of your tank. Also list any filters, powerheads, light cycle, and lights as well as listing how long everything runs each day. If you are running your powerheads and filters where are they directed?

 

[hermitkrab]

Well I don't have any fish I'm going to get some a week after I do my 50% water change too make sure all my levels are ok (my tank will be 5 weeks old then). Plus I only have 6 turbos in my whole tank and I only see 2, also I added a Saron shrimp but I thought it looked like a monkey shrimp. Also all I have is a Bak-Pak 2 and a wavemaker that makes bubbles and I have a carbonfilter that will clear up my water but I'm going to add that in after I do the water change. And I'll take my parameters tomorrow because my salt was like .002 or so high to I added some water. By the way I use distilled water only. Last time I checked my parameters was either week 1 or 2 of my tank. The tests where OK but my pH was a little low and either my nitarte or nitrite was 0 and the other one was low. And I don't recall my ammonia but I believe it was either low or 0. I will post my parameters tomorrow. Oh and I haven't been using my flourescent lights because of possible algae explosions. And I have been over feeding my invisible fish but have stopped for like a week so the food already in there can get "digested". Thanks for the help and some good news.

 

[dedwards]

First off, your turbos and shrimp may have died if they were in there during the cycle. Cleanup crew and fish shouldn't be added until after the tank's cycle. Shrimp are sensitive to water parameters and changes in their water. If your water is looking brown or cloudy then I would run your carbon filter to clear it up. There is no need to do a 50% water change. I would aim around 10-20% change after the tank has cycled.

 

[benj2112]

I don't quite understand why you were feeding your tank? Shouldn't you just toss a cocktail shrimp in the tank at the start to get the cycle going and that is it. If you are feeding an empty tank regularly then there isn't anything to consume the food except for algae/bacteria and such. It is good to hear that you have stopped feeding your tank.
Also,
Originally posted by HermitKrab
Also all I have is... a wavemaker that makes bubbles...
Pardon my ignorance, but are you saying you have bubble maker in the tank? You don't necessarily want this in your salt tank. If you want to oxygenate your water better add a powerhead directed up toward the top of the tank.
Also, you haven't mentioned any powerheads (or is the bubbling wavemaker covering this...(sorry, I really don't know what you mean by a bubble making wavemaker). How much water movement do you have in your tank? You should have at least 10 times the size of your tank...so at least a total of 400 gph of water movement in your tank.

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by benj2112
I don't quite understand why you were feeding your tank? Shouldn't you just toss a cocktail shrimp in the tank at the start to get the cycle going and that is it. If you are feeding an empty tank regularly then there isn't anything to consume the food except for algae/bacteria and such. It is good to hear that you have stopped feeding your tank.

Feeding your tanks is actually even better than just the shrimp rotting.
Because that is more likely gonna be in your tank...Also some if it will get sucked into the filter causeing more bacteria to grow in your filter media.