newbie help please

[cav414]

Hello all,
I need help a month ago I bought a saltwater aquarium that was already set up,running,and had fish. It is 40 gallons with a 75 gallon overflow filter pump and two current pumps, a day and moon light, and UV light. I have a Niger trigger, blue damsel,Saddle valentini puffer,a star fish and a brown fish with a yellow tail (haven't found the species yet).here is my problem when I first got it all my chem levels where good except for my nitrates they where over 180 I did a 10% water change with no effect I added prime water solution for nitrate and nitrite with no effect I was told to but back on feeding so now I feed them tree times a day enough for them to eat in two min (they got more aggressive). Finally I was told I was trying to hard to just let it sit for 6 to 8 weeks. I'm trying that but now my nitrate is still over 180 and my ammonia is 0.25 I can't get it right and im worried about my fish. Oh and I use an ro/di to make water I also have a few snails and crabs. Please help
Thanks
Cav

 

[dmanatee]

What test kit are you using. And feeding three times a day is in my opinion a little excessive.

 

[bang guy]

Feeding less will certainly help but you're right, the fish will become more aggressive. From your nitrate levels I'm going to guess that you are feeding some of the fish with flaked fish food. If so that's what I would recommend you stop doing.
I would do a 50% - 80% water change as well.
The only time I would suggest you use Prime would be in the emergency situation where Ammonia goes above 1.0ppm.
Ensure that your filter is clean of debris.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by cav414 http:///t/396155/newbie-help-please#post_3528962
Hello all,
I need help a month ago I bought a saltwater aquarium that was already set up,running,and had fish. It is 40 gallons with a 75 gallon overflow filter pump and two current pumps, a day and moon light, and UV light. I have a Niger trigger, blue damsel,Saddle valentini puffer,a star fish and a brown fish with a yellow tail (haven't found the species yet).here is my problem when I first got it all my chem levels where good except for my nitrates they where over 180 I did a 10% water change with no effect I added prime water solution for nitrate and nitrite with no effect I was told to but back on feeding so now I feed them tree times a day enough for them to eat in two min (they got more aggressive). Finally I was told I was trying to hard to just let it sit for 6 to 8 weeks. I'm trying that but now my nitrate is still over 180 and my ammonia is 0.25 I can't get it right and im worried about my fish. Oh and I use an ro/di to make water I also have a few snails and crabs. Please help
Thanks
Cav
Hi, and welcome to the site!
If your nitrates were actually that high, your starfish would be long dead, since they are super sensitive to nitrates over 20. I bet you a penny that you have API test kits. They read off the chart high and even after a water change it didn't go down, is a clue that your kit is way off. You should do a 30% water change once a month.
Salifert, Instant Ocean and Seachem, are the kits I trust. Prime is to bind ammonia, and won't do a thing for nitrates, and you shouldn't have any nitrite readings (ammonia and nitrite are poison to sea life, and again, the starfish can't survive under those conditions.
You are feeding your fish too often, once a day is plenty. If you cut back and now feed 3Xs a day...How often were you feeding them before???? In a SW tank with live rock, the fish have more to eat then what you feed them, they pick the sea bugs off the rocks all day.
Just so we know...How much live rock, and what kind of substrate do you have?
Gosh, I'm so slow at typing, when I began my post, nobody had answered yet....

 

[cav414]

I am using api rest kit im glad y'all told me that I've been freaking out lol and I was feeding them twice a day but larger amounts I will cut back to once a day though and all my filters Are new would a skimer be better? If so what kind? I hope y'all don't mind but I'll probably be asking slot of questions lol

 

[cav414]

Sorry I forgot to answer some of the questions I have 40ibs of live rock and I have sand it looks like crushed and small sea shells. Also what kind of bugs? Can I see them (because I don't lol) and what do you guys think of getting cleaner clams? Is it a good idea and what do I need for them?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by cav414 http:///t/396155/newbie-help-please#post_3529010
Sorry I forgot to answer some of the questions I have 40ibs of live rock and I have sand it looks like crushed and small sea shells. Also what kind of bugs? Can I see them (because I don't lol) and what do you guys think of getting cleaner clams? Is it a good idea and what do I need for them?
Hi,
What you have sounds like crushed coral. It's a little harder to keep clean then sand. Cleaner clams bury themselves in the "sand" they are filter feeders, and I have heard they don't live long. A feather duster fan worm would look really awesome and do the same thing.
LOL...we have "live" rock...it's called live rock because of the tiny sea critters that live in and on it. Copepods, amphipods, isopods, tiny brittle stars, bristle worms, sea slugs (snails without shells) and even tiny cleaner clams. I just call them sea bugs, I also consider shrimp to be sea bugs, and crabs I call sea spiders. (It's just me)
If you have moonlights you may spot some of them, they are nocturnal only showing themselves at night. However, I had to get a magnifier to see the copepods.
A skimmer removes organic waste (pollutions you can't test for), it isn't an absolute must have gizmo, but it's a good thing to have. However, it does nothing for keeping nitrates or phosphates away. Macroalgae, either Chaeto in a refugium, or the decorative stuff in the display... will over time remove the phosphates and nitrates from the system. If you have a sump, you can also make an algae scrubber. It's a plastic roughed up mat that has a little water fall cascading over it, with a light shinning on it. You wash it once a week to remove the top layer of algae, it works on the same principle as macroalgae.
Golf Coast Ecosystems sells all different kinds of macroalgae, some are some really pretty stuff. One pint costs about $10.00, and it grows and grows... so it's pretty cheap. Macros need to be "harvested", that means as it grows, you remove the older growth, and that exports all the phosphates and nitrates it absorbed to grow on, out of your system. Folks (myself included) give away the stuff, and let others just pay shipping, or just toss it out. I just did a harvest, so I won't have any to give away until maybe a month from now. Macros also absorbs ammonia and nitrite out as well, so you can put it in a new set-up right away...all it needs to grow is the yucky water and light.

 

[cav414]

Would the feather duster fan worm be okay with my fish? I should have started from scratch instead of buying from someone ells lol

 

[cav414]

Ok guys another question I just notice this brown crystal like stuff growing on my live rock can anyone tell me what it is?

 

[pixievixi]

hi, if your feeding three times a day then you should get some shrimp to help eat excess food. i heard you only need to feed once a day. i also heard that fish can go ip to six days with out eating. i would clean your filter more often, with more food and poop in the tank, its going to sit and fester in the fiter releasing amonia back into the tank

 

[flower]

Does it "feel" like plastic? Macros have a feel of plastic, if you take it out of the water, and dry it with a paper towel (pat dry, don't rub) it will make a crinkle sound like a plastic bag would. There are brown/gold, red, and green macroalgae. It's hard to tell what type because the little patch of it in your tank is still very small. Macros are great to have, it absorbs nitrates, ammonia, nitrites and phosphates from the water to be able to grow. As you remove it (because it will grow and grow so you trim it back) you export those nasty's out of your system (called harvesting).
If it's hard like crystal and not just "look" like crystal, then I don't know what it could be.

 

[cav414]

Ok I just took it out and it kinda feels like a short carpet.

 

[pegasus]

Feather dusters will go great with your fish, as well as adding another dimension to your tank. I have three Hawaiians, and they are huge and beautiful. It's always entertaining to watch them as they open up. They are easy to keep, and won't bother anything in the tank... except for plankton. They're filter feeders, and this is the bulk of their diet. I spot feed mine Marine Snow about once a week, and they have grown like crazy. Might want to start with one to make sure it doesn't get shredded by anything in the tank before adding a bunch.
One thing to keep in mind is to make sure there aren't any dead spots on the bottom of the tank where waste builds up. If your current pumps don't move enough water to keep things stirred up on the bottom, you can use a turkey baster to blow out the dead spots occasionally. Not a bad idea to use it on the rocks, either. Decaying matter laying around will cause your nitrates to go up.
Being a bit impatient, I would prefer to buy a good used system. If you properly tear down and set up an existing system, the beneficial bacteria that breaks ammonia into nitrites and nitrites into nitrates, is already in place. If you had "started from scratch" a month ago, you would (MAYBE) just now be reaching the point where you could slowly begin to stock the tank with fish.
Skimmers don't remove nitrates, but they can remove a lot of the organics that cause nitrates. You could easily add a hang on back (HOB) skimmer if you don't have room in the sump. You won't need a monster skimmer for a 40G, so it won't be that expensive. Adding plants to the tank will help, although you probably will be restricted to halimeda, shaving brushes, and pinecones with the fish you have. If your fish won't eat them, shrimp, hermits, and snails are great scavengers of excess food, as well as algae. Make sure you have enough of each, and a variety of each doesn't hurt. A small refugium works wonders, also. I can't seem to grow any macro algae in mine, but I'm not complaining. I rarely do a water change, so the bio system seems to be taking care of itself. Remember... your system was disturbed in the move, so it may take a little time for things to balance out. 25%-30% water changes for the first couple of months isn't a bad idea. Your Nitrate test solutions may be bad and need to be replaced. MAKE SURE you use them EXACTLY AS DIRECTED!!! Failure to completely agitate the solutions will render false readings as well as ruin the remainder of the solution. Just my 2c worth...

 

[cav414]

Ok thank you very much

 

[cav414]

Ok just did a 10g water change. I stored up the sand first and got as much of the stuff out I could but good God there was so much.I am definitely gonna get a feather duster! I hope my fish don't kill it.I think they are even starting to nip at my chocolate star fish he has spots on his arms that look like they have been bitten. Unfortunately I have developed a new symptom while storing up my crushed coral I notice that I have red, hard deposits on my glass dose anyone know what it is?
I'm really sorry I am having so many problems but I am new and evidently the guy I bought this from did not take very good care of it.
Thanks to everyone here that is helping me

 

[pegasus]

You have nothing to be sorry about. It's good to ask questions, because that's how we learn. I had a feeling that crushed coral was holding a lot of poop and other nasty stuff. I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, but you might want to vacuum the crushed coral just like you would vacuum gravel in a tropical fish tank. That will help remove a lot of the gunk without covering your rocks with the stuff. Turkey baster between the rocks, and siphon the rest. You don't want to remove everything in the crushed coral... just the heavy deposits. Beneficial bacteria live in there, too.
Red, hard deposits on the glass sounds like red coralline algae. It's good that it's there, but it looks better on the rocks than on the glass. You can scrape it off the glass, but don't worry about removing it from the tank. It's good algae.
One thing you can look for when someone is selling their system: neglect. Most people who part with their systems have grown weary of the hobby, and they tend to pay less attention to it. It is a hobby that requires commitment. It requires a lot of research, time, and effort in the beginning. There is, and will always be, maintenance and upkeep. Feeding, water changes, and the list goes on. The good part is there aren't many other hobbies where you can discover something new nearly every day. I believe you will be one of those people, because you are here looking for answers. That's a very good start. Never be afraid to ask about something you don't know. The day we stop learning is the day we die...

 

[cav414]

Amen and thanks a lot do y'all have any idea on how to stop my fish from eating my chocolate star fish or if maybe it's something ells that is causing the marks on him?

 

[pegasus]

You probably won't be able to stop the fish from nipping at the sea star (technical name). Your best bet would be to see if your local fish store will take it (or the fish) as a trade-in for something else. Triggers and puffers are pretty fish but they are aggressive, and not reef friendly. This means you will never be able to have corals or invertebrates as long as they are in the tank. These types of fish should be kept in a FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock) system. Here's a little info on your fish:
The Niger Triggerfish requires a 180 gallon or larger aquarium with rocks and caves for hiding, and may rearrange the landscaping and rocks. It vocalizes using a "grunting" sound. They are a great active fish for the more aggressive, fish-only display. The Niger Triggerfish needs a varied diet of meaty foods including; squid, krill, clams, small fish and hard shelled shrimp to help wear down their ever growing teeth. They can grow up to 1'.
The Saddle Valentini Puffer needs a varied diet of meaty foods including; squid, krill, clams, and hard shelled shrimp to help wear down their ever growing teeth. A 30 gallon or larger, fish-only aquarium is suitable. It may eat invertebrates found in a reef tank. Its teeth are actually a fused beak-like structure.

 

[cav414]

Ok thank you the local fish show is very nasty but I have another a couple hrs away I am gonna plan a trip there and take my fish with me im goring I can have them stock some things I won't and buy them I have talked with them and they won't trade they will only take donations but at this point im ok with that lol

 

[pegasus]

It would be better to donate them than to watch the trigger become very unhappy when it runs out of room. Now you will be able to stock the tank with smaller, peaceful community fish as well as add shrimp, snails, and crabs. If you stock the tank with "reef friendly" fish, you can add a few plants and corals. Since it's only 40 gallons, you won't be able to put too much in it, but you can still make it very beautiful. Since space is limited, I suggest you don't get fish that grow longer than 4". This will allow you to put more varieties of fish and add lots of color to the tank. Here is a chart that will help you learn which fish are compatible:
http://www.***********.com/general/compatibility_chart.cfm