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[plumb4u2]

Hello all this is my first time on the board I have been just watching for awhile. I have a 36 gal reef tank that has been set up and cycled for alittle over a month. I have 3 small clowns and 1 small hippo tang, 1 cleaner shrimp, 12 blue leg and 12 red leg hermits, 1 sally lightfoot, 1 sebea anemone and several corals. My problem which just started a couple nights ago is that my turbo snails are starting to die one at a time I have about 5 left out of 12, all other inhabitants seem to be doing just fine. I dont know if it has anything to do with it but last week I finally started to get coraline algea growing through out the tank.
I appreciate any opinions anybody has on my delema :help:

 

[mandarin w]

We need info. From what you posted, It looks like you moved to fast. 4 fish, and anemone, crabs, shrimp,ect in a tank that is slightly over a month old. From that infor all we can suggest is you overloaded the tank way too quickly. The added bioload is too much for the tank to handle, and your fish and inverts are starting to suffer from the tank not being able to handle them.
But we need more info to know if that is infact what is going on.
Give us:
temp, Salinity, Amonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, PH,
ALK, Calcuim,
What type filter, skimmer, How many powerheads, Type of substate - crushed coral or sand, How many # of Live Rock, How many # live sand,
We can't help you figure out what is going on in your tank until we know everything about your tank.

 

[plumb4u2]

I just tested the water and everything is 0, ph is 8.4, temp 82, I may have found a problem I keep the salinity at 1.021 but for some reason it is at 1.025 I may have mixed to much salt at last water change a few nights ago, I dont know if this salinity change will have effected the snails.
Skimmer is a hang on prizm which is woking well, my filter is a hang on bio-wheel type sized for 50 gal tank. I have one ph sized for 50 gal which provides lots of circulation. I use ro water for changing and keep it stored in rubbermaid container with ph and heater

 

[plumb4u2]

sorry forgot to mention I have LS and about 20lb LR

 

[mandarin w]

for a reef type aquarium, and since you got the anemone, that is what you go by, the salinity should be at 1.025, So keep your salinty there now that it is there.
You salinity might have gone up from the waterchange, or just water evaporation. Make sure to top off the tank. If you changed the salinity changed suddenly that may have done your snails in....But I am still concerned that you added so much to your tank so fast. So down and give your tank time to catch up to where it needs to be. If not you are headed for a crash.

 

[garnet13aj]

I could be wrong, but I don't think you are supposed to have 3 clowns in a tank, 2 will pair up and gang up or maybe even kill the 3rd.
Also, a 36 g tank is WAY too small for a tang, I'm sure there is no disagreement there, the need atleast 6 feet of swimming room and people usually suggest a 125g tank or larger for them. In the size tang you have him in, he will get stressed out and probably get ich.

 

[plumb4u2]

According to this site hippo tangs are fine in a 40 gal tank, and I have two occalaris clowns which are inseperable and a seabea clown that hosts the seabea anemone all of which get along great

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by plumb4u2
According to this site hippo tangs are fine in a 40 gal tank, and I have two occalaris clowns which are inseperable and a seabea clown that hosts the seabea anemone all of which get along great
Hey Plum4U2, Welcome to the boards! I am curious to know where on this site that you saw that a hippo tang would be fine in a 40 gallon tank. That is incredibly inacurate. The hippo's especially because not only are they extremely active (most-all tangs are) but this particular breed of fish gets very large as well. As for your snails, you had too many in too new of a system. If they don't have enough to eat, they simply die. The stronger, healthier ones will survive, the weaker ones will just drop off of the glass and die. Your water parameters seem ok. How long ago did you add these new additions?

 

[f14peter]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
Hey Plum4U2, Welcome to the boards! I am curious to know where on this site that you saw that a hippo tang would be fine in a 40 gallon tank. That is incredibly inacurate. The hippo's especially because not only are they extremely active (most-all tangs are) but this particular breed of fish gets very large as well. As for your snails, you had too many in too new of a system. If they don't have enough to eat, they simply die. The stronger, healthier ones will survive, the weaker ones will just drop off of the glass and die. Your water parameters seem ok. How long ago did you add these new additions?
Well, indeed on this site it says for a BHT that 40g is minimum tank size. However, it must be noted that the recommendation is for a small BHT that is currently "1-2 inches" and presumably a young fish (Sizes noted on this site are size when purchased, not maximum size). Please note that for a medium BHT ("3-4 inches"), minimum size jumps to 90g. Show-size ("4-5 inches") and suddenly we're looking at a 150g minium.

 

[otfurball]

take it slow going forward - check your water daily and adjust as needed but do this via small water changes. you might want to think of moving to a cannister filter - they work much better than the hang on and you won't see your equip. the prism is a good skimmer and will provide air by breaking the surface of the water. the hang ons get all gunky and smelly after a while and usually only last a few years.
Eheim 2213 is a good one for your size.
Good luck and congrats on ur first post.

 

[ice4ice]

Yep - gotta get rid of the tang. Also read books on reef fishes and they will tell you what size tank they require. NEVER assume what they seller says is the minimum size tank for certail fishes. Always know your fish before purchasing. Take things slow when starting out in SW set-up.