Need some opinions

[sealife09]

ok my 5 gallon tank has been up and running for about 5 mos. now and it has already cycled and I've done alot with it..... first run around I had the following in it.....
~~~~~2 gobies (one black and one yellow) ~~> yellow died soon after i got him...no reason as to y?
~~~~~Purple Nudibrach
~~~~~2 snails
~~~~~1 brittle star (MY BEAUTY!!! ;( )
~~~~~1 perc
~~~~~1 Emerald Crab
~~~~~3 Blue Leg Hermits
So I was sick one day and stayed home from work....everything fine.....looked at tank before I walked out of door.....everything fine.......came home from taking test found everything dead or dying! (except the blue legs the only suvivors!!).......within 9 hrs!!!!!!! OMG! ok so checked EVERYTHING! (well what I thought was everything!
SG-1.021
PH-8.0
Amm-.25 (I know there was a trace but that isn't enought to demolish everything!?!?! esp. that quick!)
Nitrate-10-25
Nitrite-0
Ok so all "bodies" were recovered except the Nudibrach, I wondered what if the nudib. had toxins because sea apples do and can wipe out a whole tank if not careful (correct me if im wrong?!) so I didn't have the money to put anything in the tank and so I decided better this way until I can really figure out whats going on.....
well a couple of weeks ago I decided it was time so i bought 2 damsels, a porcelin crab, and 3 more hermits (one of the 3 before died), and I just lost the 2 damsels and now im just down to inverts.....last week I bought 2 feather dusters.......so heres my question after such a LLLOOONNNGGG intro!!! (sorry!

) In the next few weeks I will be ordering or getting calcium and alk tests and set up a qt tank.....Im not going to add anything until then.....but I would like at least one fish in there.....any ideas would be much appreciated!!!!! I don't know I feel bad cause Ive hurt so much!
My equiptment: built in filter in 5gal bowfront acrylic tank, mini jet 404 powerhead on lowest setting, thermometer, g.p., light is mini coralife compact fluoresent 50/50 10 watt bulb (is this any good??)
caribsea arigonite sand, about 7lbs lr
please any ideas on what i could do?????

 

[sealife09]

How do you lower nitrates...mine just shot up... a lot.....about to do a water change.....and wanted to ask... Thanx!

 

[harial]

you had two gobies and a perc?

I am not trying to be rude but bluntly did you do ANY research at all into the hobby before starting? The common rule is 1 INCH of fish for every 4-5 gallons of water. IF I was to put a fish in a tank that small would have only been ONE fish and it would have definitely just been a clown gobie, not two gobies and CLOWNFISH
also after adding LR you lose like a gallon and a half a of water off your 5 gallons so not you are down to 3.5 gallons of water and I know people who would not keep ANY fish in that small of an amount of water.
And then you killed more fish and got TWO damsels! I am still a relative newb as I have only had my tank up for about 5 months also, but I also have to point out that I researched this idea for over a year before buying the tank and I have ONE little fish in my 12 gallon.
to me this sounds like it was doomed from day one and I feel bad for the fish.
My advice to you is to stick with the dusters and inverts. NO FISH

 

[feixjai]

Originally Posted by sealife09
How do you lower nitrates...mine just shot up... a lot.....about to do a water change.....and wanted to ask... Thanx!
just keep doing weekly water changes about a gallon would be good.

 

[sealife09]

Yes I KNOW that it was a stupid move now................I KNOW! K? My LFS has a 5 gal just like mine has an anemone, mushrooms and 2 percs!!!!! they've had it up and running for 2 years now and I personally know the people so I do think that you can if you keep up with all the changes, yes I didn't know enough about this before I got a nano and thats why I joined this site so I could get help! So sorry Im new, Im learning and there will be mistakes so Its not going to happen now.......I will upgrade here soon hopefully but Thanks anyway for the.........comments!

 

[sealife09]

THanks feix (sp?) I appreciate the......advice

 

[sealife09]

my yellow clown gobywas only about 1/4'' long my black clown goby was about 1/2'' long and maybe a little smaller with the perc.........Then further down the road the damsels were about 1/2'' if not smaller. so.........