I can't seem to keep anything alive :-(

[cvcdrk]

Ok, so I'm not exactly new to Saltwater Aquariums. Still, though, I'm at a loss as to what is wrong here.
I recently (about a month and a half ago) set up a 10 gal tank for saltwater. I used about 20 lbs. of standard white sand and 10 lbs. of white live sand. It has 15 lbs. of live rock.
Now, the tank has been cycling since I set it up. These are the specs right now:
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: ~25ppm
PH: ~8.2
Filtration: Carbon filtration pushing 400gph and a protein skimmer.
Flow: Small powerhead that is on only when the (loud) filter is off for about six hours a day (while I sleep).
When the levels became like this (good!), I introduced an Emerald Crab, a couple of small snails and a large turbo snail. That was about two weeks ago. The Emerald Crab lived about a day and a half and then I came home from class to see him lying on his back with his legs in the air. Dead. I was upset, but the snails seemed ok so I thought maybe I just got a sick one. I waited a day or two and everything seemed fine and then yesterday I bought a small light blue damsel. He, however, was dead when I woke up this morning. In addition, the turbo snail is definitely sick as he isn't moving and just lying on the sand. The little snails haven't been on the glass for days.......
So yeah, all my levels have remained the same, my rock is growing standard algae and stuff but I can't keep a single thing alive in this tank. I don't know what is wrong.
I am thinking that there must be something harmful in the water, but I can't think what it might be. I used tap water, but I wasn't worried about using it at the time because I don't have normal tap water, I have a well and pump system (because I live in the middle of nowhere) and my pipes are not copper or anything. I'm not sure if there could be something else in there.
So does anyone have any ideas as to what could be wrong? I am really sad and disappointed right now. I don't want to add anything else to the tank until I know what is wrong....
Help? Please...?

 

[nietzsche]

Originally Posted by cvcdrk
Ok, so I'm not exactly new to Saltwater Aquariums. Still, though, I'm at a loss as to what is wrong here.
I recently (about a month and a half ago) set up a 10 gal tank for saltwater. I used about 20 lbs. of standard white sand and 10 lbs. of white live sand. It has 15 lbs. of live rock.
Now, the tank has been cycling since I set it up. These are the specs right now:
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: ~25ppm
PH: ~8.2
Filtration: Carbon filtration pushing 400gph and a protein skimmer.
Flow: Small powerhead that is on only when the (loud) filter is off for about six hours a day (while I sleep).
When the levels became like this (good!), I introduced an Emerald Crab, a couple of small snails and a large turbo snail. That was about two weeks ago. The Emerald Crab lived about a day and a half and then I came home from class to see him lying on his back with his legs in the air. Dead. I was upset, but the snails seemed ok so I thought maybe I just got a sick one. I waited a day or two and everything seemed fine and then yesterday I bought a small light blue damsel. He, however, was dead when I woke up this morning. In addition, the turbo snail is definitely sick as he isn't moving and just lying on the sand. The little snails haven't been on the glass for days.......
So yeah, all my levels have remained the same, my rock is growing standard algae and stuff but I can't keep a single thing alive in this tank. I don't know what is wrong.
I am thinking that there must be something harmful in the water, but I can't think what it might be. I used tap water, but I wasn't worried about using it at the time because I don't have normal tap water, I have a well and pump system (because I live in the middle of nowhere) and my pipes are not copper or anything. I'm not sure if there could be something else in there.
So does anyone have any ideas as to what could be wrong? I am really sad and disappointed right now. I don't want to add anything else to the tank until I know what is wrong....
Help? Please...?
how about salinity, whats that like? what are you measuring that with

 

[cvcdrk]

Oh, I guess I should have mentioned that.
Salinity is fine it is at 1.023 and its measured with a standard hydrometer. I know that works fine cause I used it the other day to check out the tanks at my LFS so see if I could match their salinity.

 

[michaeltx]

R U topping off the tank on a bi-daily basis with a 10 gallon tank a small amount of water can swing the salinity high with a massive drop when topped off and that can kill fish and inverts.
you could also have gotten something out of the well iron or any number of pesticides especially if you live around farm land.
Mike

 

[nietzsche]

Originally Posted by cvcdrk
Oh, I guess I should have mentioned that.
Salinity is fine it is at 1.023 and its measured with a standard hydrometer. I know that works fine cause I used it the other day to check out the tanks at my LFS so see if I could match their salinity.
and youre positive that you cycled? what did you use to start off the cycling?
i'm not familiar with well water at all, but have you tried doing your water changes with r/o water? specific gravity should be around 1.026, your hydrometer might be way off and be lower than you expect or higher.
how did you acclimate the snails/crab? same for the fish?

 

[cvcdrk]

Of course it cycled properly. The live rock and sand was sufficient for me to get a serious ammonia spike, then I tested every day and watched as the nitrites went away and both fell to 0 while nitrates climbed to about 20 and then leveled off.
In my experience, hydrometers are sufficiently accurate to measure salinity. Like I said, too, it is working fine because my LFS uses the same one and I took mine there the other day to check their salinity.
I acclimated everything using drip acclimation for two hours, dumping the water in the bucket out.
When I tap off the tank, I mix the saltwater and let it sit for a day or two, the salinity levels are always constant as I check them everytime I top off the tank.
It could be something like Iron, and actually there is a farm right behind me so that could be it too. Although, its a feed farm so I doubt they use many pesticides because their cattle have to eat it.

 

[perfectdark]

Just a quick question you said when you top off your tank you check the salinity of the water? and let it sit for 2 days? If your topping off that usually means your replacing water that has evaporated. If you use salt water to replace that evaporated water you are going to throw your salinity off the chart. Salt never evaporates so top offs should be done with fresh RO water. Dont know if thats your problem or not but in a 10 gal tank if you are using SW to top off it could very well be an issue.

 

[clay12340]

I'd change out most of the water with new aged salt water mixed from RO/DI water and try something cheap from there. As cheap as water is it seems like a needless risk to use your well water.

 

[peef]

IMO a nitrate level of 25 is way too high also, should be no higher than 10 preferably. And I also agree that topping of with salt water is a baaaad idea, unless you are considering topping off a water change. Well water is also a bad idea to use, it contains TONS of minerals and thing that are terrible for a SWF tank. Unless you are a crazy scientist with thousands of dollars worth of testing equipment you can tell what is in well water. I lived off of it also for about 10 years. Only use RO or RO/DI water. If I were you I would empty all the water and start over....won't be that expensive to do. And use good water this time.

 

[janastasio]

I would be curious about the sand. The 20lbs of standard white sand. Where did you get this from. The live sand should be fine, but its the other stuff that you mentioned that makes me question it. Is it from a petstore made for aquariums or was it playsand. Arent there some types of sands that you are supposed to stay away from? Someone else might know about this.

 

[oceansidefish]

There are alot of variables here but my best bet would be the water. There are a gazillion parameters from well water that would kill your tank. Also why have that much sand in a 10g? Sounds a bit excessive to me. 10-15 pounds in a 10g is most sufficiant. Personally I would axe about half the sand empty the tank out and start over with all RO/DI water.

 

[babyb]

it could very well be your well water, i am on well water and it sucks i cant keep corals alive, there is to much phosphates and somthing eles that i cant remember, and im to broke to buy water (but here soon im gona hve to )
there could be copper in your water, pesticides(sp?) phosphates..... any number of things
like it has been mentioned above, i tho=ink your best bet would be to buy water from somewhere like walmart, you could buy it aqt the lfs but around here its far to expnsive for me