Newbie 24 gallon all-in-one reefer.

[3xplorer19]

Hi guys. I’m new to this hobby. I have a 24 gallons saltwater tank. I’d say little over a month now. Yesterday, I did. 15% water change and today my yellow tang has red marking by the gills. Both sides. My pH is 8.2. Amonia is .25ppm, Nitrite 0 and Nitrate is 20ppm. Any help would do. I’ll repost the photos in a bit. I am using purchased Nutri Seawater and RO water. I’m my 24 gallons I have the following:
4 green chromis
2 clownfish
1 firefish
1 neon dolly back
1 mandarin
1 blue damsel yellow tail
1 philippine yellow tang
1 white bta
4 hermits
5 corals

 

[lmforbis]

Your tank is way over stocked.
A 24 gallon maybe 4-5 SMALL fish. The mandarin doesn’t have a chance. The tang needs a much bigger tank so does the damsel. The chromis will kill each other off.
return the damsel the tang the mandarin and the chromes. At that point your stocked appropriately. I’m surprised your ammonia isn’t higher. Unless you have some very good (read as expensive) lights the BTA will die.
If your fish store said all this was a good idea find a new fish store.

 

[3xplorer19]

Thanks for responding. At this point I am way super attached to all of them. With a tight budget, what alternatives do I possibly have? Plus, I can’t return them anymore.

 

[lmforbis]

On a tight budget I’d return the ones i said. All of these are aggressive. There will eventually be a blood bath and likely only one or 2 will survive. If you are truly attached you will choose to do what is best for the fish not for you. On top of that, the ammonia from an overstocked tank is burning their gills, not pleasant. I’d also suggest returning the anemone. It will die if the light isn't adequate, on budget lighting, it isn't going to survive and could nuke your tank when it dies.

 

[3xplorer19]

By taking away what was mentioned, would it be possible to keep the mandarin? I removed 1 blue damsel yellow tail and 4 green chromis.

 

[lmforbis]

Not a chance in hell. It will starve to death. They need a very large tank (~125 gal) that has been up and running for a good year with a healthy sustain copapod population.

 

[3xplorer19]

As far as lighting goes I have the Hipargero LED. I actually have the fully built Aquatop 24 gallon pump and protein skimmer package. Currently got a live rock and live sand. I’ll try and return the mandarin and tang. If I can’t what would you recommend?

 

[lmforbis]

Re homing. The damsels have got to go too (chromis are damsels). Damsels are one of the most aggressive fish in the hobby. Don’t let their size fool you. They will eventually go after everybody else in the tank.

Those lights aren’t enough for an anemone. Anemones require a lot of very intense lighting. More than the majority of Corals.

 

[3xplorer19]

Thanks Imforbis. I appreciate you and your expertise. I hope I can maintain what’s left. I got excited and dove in without knowing.

 

[lmforbis]

You are very welcome. I think I’m safe in saying most of us have had similar bouts of excitement that have lead to bad decisions.

 

[3xplorer19]

Am I in critical level? Can I feed my fish?

 

[lmforbis]

I’d feed them a small amount and do a water change afterward.

 

[3xplorer19]

Ok thanks...how often do I perform water change? I purchase RO DI water and Nutri Seawater.

 

[lmforbis]

As often as necessary to get ammonia down

 

[3xplorer19]

ok thanks. I will work on them. currently my remaining fishes are:

2 spotcinctus clownfish
1 fire fish
1 neon dolly back
(sad) not a whole lot.... Inforbis... may i add just 2 more clownfishes?

also i have the following:

4 hermits

1 mushroom coral
2 tiny zoanthid coral
i'm not sure what the 4th coral is but kinda looks like an anemone ... i'll take a pic later on

 

[lmforbis]

No more clowns. Look at cardinal fish (bengai or pajama). Or a shrimp gobi. Nothing more for at least 1 month. Let your tank stabilize. They are Not too small not too big, beautiful. Don’t require a lot of swimming space.

In comparison to your tank as far as stocking level, I have 120 gallon with a 40 gallon sump.

1 cardinal fish
1 orchid dottyback
1 oscelaris clown
1 flasher wrasse
1 flame angel
1 tomini tang
1 rabbit fish
Miscellaneous hermits and snails.

8 fish total Except the rabbit fish they are all small fish as adults. I consider my tank pretty well stocked.

Salt water fish are very aggressive by nature. They need territory. If they don’t have adequate territory they get stressed which leads to fighting. Your clowns may be the worst once the reach sexual maturity. If they start laying eggs you may need to move them to a different tank they will protect their nest to the death.

 

[3xplorer19]

Thanks for the advice. I’ll try to stabilize it. Currently using Worldwide Imports AWW84130 Live Nutri Seawater, 4.4-Gallon from Amazon and purchasing RO from local pet store. Would you recommend me to by rodi system and make my own saltwater?

 

[lmforbis]

I’d buy an RO DI system. You have control that way and long term it will be way cheaper.

 

[3xplorer19]

What’s a good rodi system for 24g and how about the saltwater?

 

[lmforbis]

It depends on you a bit. Are you just using it for the tank or for drinking water too? I use mine for both, have the RO plumbed into my fridge ice maker, bypassing the DI portion unless I’m using it for the tank then I run it through the DI resin too. I bought mine from BRS. RO buddy is OK for small volumes but filters are pricy, it is available probably here at SWF..