Help the tank

[mytank]

I recently started a new saltwater tank 80 gallon, not reef, and the fish all look like they are hyper ventilating. Checked the water readings and everything is normal. They are slowly dying off also. Anyone know what am I doing wrong???? Help a newby.

 

[rbmount]

Post your water parameters, also how long have they been in your tank and how long you acclimated them.

 

[kittykitty]

Do you have a lot of water surface agitation? Your water needs to be well oxygenated. Could be the problem, along with many other possibilities.

 

[mytank]

My tank is an 80 gallon glass tank with a Fluval 404 and Red Sea Protien Skimmer,
Temp is 90
Amonia is high at 0.5
PH is 8.2
alkinity is 1.024
This is all I know off the top of my head, last night I have lost 3 fish the yellow tang had a slight red ring around his mouth
all the fish look like it may be either amonia poisoning or not enough oxygen.
How do you bring down the amonia level to zero????? (when I did the Red Sea amonia test it came out at .20 right from the tap)
What is a good test kit for water? Every book has different water conditions to go by, what is actually ideal water conditions? I only have fish in the tank with no live rock.
How do you get more oxygen in the tank?
I had a smaller saltwater tank that was 20 gallons with no problem and very little maintenance and had a Neon Damsel in there for 3 years.
Only having problems with the bigger tanks.

 

[mytank]

The fish that are dying have been in the tank for 10-12 days. The tank has been set up for one month. So I probably introduced the fish to the tank way too soon.

 

[nflnutswif]

Does anyone else think the tank is too hot??? :notsure:
Pam

 

[dicemanj]

I am hoping that 90 was a typo, and meant 80. If it is 90, ouch, those fish may be cooking.
Other than that, I think you made the same mistake as many others including myself, adding too many fish too fast.
Good luck

 

[nflnutswif]

I'm new also, and don't usually give advice, but in this case, IMO, I would slowly start dropping the temp down to around 75-79! But slowly as not to shock your already stressed situation!
Good Luck!:yes:

 

[pacopetty]

90 degrees is cooking them!

 

[kittykitty]

Your ammonia is probably high because your tank has not cycled yet. You should have waited a few months to put the tangs in.

 

[mytank]

thanks for all the advise, as soon as I get home I will slowly turn the temp down and then start the water moving by moving the out take of the fluval to the water surface, so that the water moves.
Hopefully I can save the ones that are still alive. I don't want to be known as the "Fish Killer".

 

[rbmount]

How did tank get so hot??? Is your heater bad? What kind and how long are your lights on? That may be the reason also.

 

[mytank]

the tank is so hot, because I followed the advise of someone, who I thought knew what they were talking about in regards to saltwater aquariums. little did I know, live and learn I guess.
The heater is a 300watt, which I think is enough for an 80gal tank.
I only keep a light on during the day, and from now on will monitor the temp alot better.
The evening/night I have no light on the tank at all.

 

[tizzo]

Your not supposed to bring the temp. down rapidly, but if its not going down at the rate of approx. 1 degree per hour, you can help it along by putting ice-cubes in a zip-loc baggie and floating them in a current. Don't put them into the tank directly, they will melt to fast, and they probably aren't R/O'ed.