New Biocube What's My Mistake

edpete97

edpete97

Member
Almost three weeks ago, I downgraded my 90gal to a 24 Gal Biocube. The day I broke down my 90 gal, I transferred 30lbs of sand and close to 35lbs of live rock and water from the old tank into my brand new BioCube. Nitrates were a little high, so I did an immedate 10% water change to bring them down. Stock I transferred is 2 brittle star fish, snails, hermit and emerald crabs, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 CB Shrimp, 1 Maroon Clown, 1 lawnmower blennie, and two small fish I don't remember the names of. Up until today, all were eating well and playing well together. I was actually quite impressed with the system. Tonight at feeding I noticed all the fish were dead. Snails, crabs, stars, and shrimp all fine. Fish....all dead. No spots could be seen and they never showed signs of stress. Nitrates are at 5-10. Everything else looked good. I was told by LFS I didn't need to cycle because I was pullting sand, water, and rock out of my old tank so I didn't need to. Any suggestions? Thanks.
 
flricordia

flricordia

Active Member
how is ammonia level? Have you been feeding daily? Did you ever smell any rotten egg ordors, though you sat the tank has been going for 3 week now. Puzzeling. Sounds like ammonia though. DOn't think the inverts would respond as fast as the fish. What is salinity? ph?
 
edpete97

edpete97

Member
I'll check levels. My SG is is 1.023. I don't have any corals. I'll check ammonia. What could cause an ammonia spike if that is the case. I used water from my 1 1/2 year old tank. I do feed once per day. Is that too much now that I'm in a small tank? I'll check PH here in a little bit.
 
flricordia

flricordia

Active Member
And the 4 fish were eating OK you said just the day before? And there were no fast gill movements you noticed? Seems that if it were a disease or parasite they would have died at different times, not all at once. Really seems there was something with water parameters for them to have all gone together. Probably not a preditor such as a mantis or the inverts would be dead before the fish.
 
flricordia

flricordia

Active Member
If you don't find what it was for sure go a month or so fishles and if the parameters are all stable in that time and the inverts stay alive maybe try 1 fish for a few weeks at a time before adding any more.
 
edpete97

edpete97

Member
Ammonia is maybe .25 to .50, which I don't think is enough to kill all my fish. My PH is just hair under 8, I could even call it 8 it was that close. Any further thoughts?
 
edpete97

edpete97

Member
I'm reading that a lot of people pull the bio-balls and the filter media out as well as change the pump. What are the reasons for this and is it necessary?
 
paintballer768

paintballer768

Active Member
The transfer probably stirred up the sand bed, and caused things to rot which were previously not. Ammonia spike and bam, bye bye fish. Thats my guess.
 
edpete97

edpete97

Member
Day 3 of my 'problem'. Smell is slightly reduced. Ammonia is reading less than .3. Trites are 0 and trates are <5. Like I mentioned, the water came from my 90 gal when I took it out as well as my rock and sand. I do think I figured out my probem, maybe...this is where you guys come in. I used 1 BIG piece of rock from my 90gal. I mean this thing as got to be at least 30lbs. In my 90, it had the big flat part of the rock down in the sand. Now the big flat side is toward the back of the tank. Do you suppose that since this part of the rock was down, it never cured? If so, how long do you suppose it might be before this part of the rock is cured? To bring the ammonia down, I've done 3 water changes since monday, 5, 3, and 5 gallons. Should I attempt livestock? My shrimp that are 1.5years old are fine as well as my brittle star, snails and crabs. Here are some pictures. BTW, I switched out my pump yesterday with a MJ1200 and removed my bio-balls. I still have the blue filter sponges in there but not sure how to put floss filter in where they are? I also added a chempure bag.

 
sigmachris

sigmachris

Active Member
Originally Posted by edpete97
I'm reading that a lot of people pull the bio-balls and the filter media out as well as change the pump. What are the reasons for this and is it necessary?
Thi Bio Balls are a hot debate...basically the question is are they a nitrate factory from the detrius getting clogged in them. Does LR rubble do a better job in the second chamber? I side (FWIW) to the answer of bio balls are OK...IF you have a mechanical filter in chamber one or going from #1 to #2 then detrius shouldn't get to the bio balls. That said, I have removed half of the balls and replaced with LR rubble.
Bottom line, it all comes down to preference.
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
I have tried them all...I am now running nothing back there but the new oceanic cube skimmer in the middle chamber. In the first chamber is my heater, and in the last chamber is a bag of carbon and the blue sponge that I rinse out every 3rd water change. When I rinse the sponge out I stick my syphon in the middle chamber and suck out any sediment that may settle in there. I let my DT do my biological filtering.
 
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