Newbie Question

[greg_m_o]

Alright, I've started up a saltwater tank and my friend has been helping me along with it so I've got a fairly good idea of the basic everday procedures. This may sound like a dumb question, who knows, but ive got a clownfish and he's not looking too great. Ive got 2 in total, one of them is pretty lively and he swims around all day, the other one though sits behind a rock and doesnt look too healthy compared to the other clown. The healthy one will swim up to him and try to like coax him out i guess, then he'll follow the other clown out but he'll go back to hiding behind his rock again. He wont eat either. Is he having a bad day maybe? Or should i be worrying and trying to fix the problem?

 

[jesses89]

What are your water parameters?
pH?
ammonia?
nitrite?
nitrate?
Specific gravity/salinity?
How long has the tank been set up?
is it cycled?

 

[greg_m_o]

Well,
My Nitrate is like 200 and a bit
Nitrite is like 0
Alkalinity is like 80
pH is 7.8
Doesnt exactly look good right now. My specific gravity meter thing has gone MIA on me so im gonna have to go lookin for it. I bought the tank off someone from the buy and sell and we saved all his water, he had an eel in the tank when we bought it. Hes had his tank set up since 2000.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by greg_m_o
Well,
My Nitrate is like 200 and a bit
Nitrite is like 0
Alkalinity is like 80
pH is 7.8
Doesnt exactly look good right now. My specific gravity meter thing has gone MIA on me so im gonna have to go lookin for it. I bought the tank off someone from the buy and sell and we saved all his water, he had an eel in the tank when we bought it. Hes had his tank set up since 2000.
Your nitrate is well beyond safe parameters. That is a major issue with your fish. You need immediate water changes done. And if you can't find the instrument (hydrometer or refractometer that measures salinity then you should go buy a new one ASAP!!!!) His water sounds like it was crappy when you got it. If you havn't had the tank long. What is your substrate?

 

[cymbal67]

i am way too new to be giving advise but check into this.....there are bacteria additives you can get that reduce nitrates. i know we try to limit what we put in the tank but with your trates that high and fish already in. you may want to look into that. check it out first, as i am still learning all this. or, a phos reactor with nitrate removing media in it, but that will cost more $$$.

 

[greg_m_o]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
Your nitrate is well beyond safe parameters. That is a major issue with your fish. You need immediate water changes done. And if you can't find the instrument (hydrometer or refractometer that measures salinity then you should go buy a new one ASAP!!!!) His water sounds like it was crappy when you got it. If you havn't had the tank long. What is your substrate?
Yea water changes are a must im thinkin. Does anyone know what the like salt to water ratio or whatever it is for water changes is? Ive never done one. (35 Gallon Tank by the way)