Please Help

[dab4u2]

I have an aquarium that is roughly 3 months old. It cycle about a month ago. All of my levels look good but I keep losing fish. 0 ppm on Nitrite and Ammonia and 10 on nitrate. About 8.1 on PH. My temp is roughly 88 and salinity at 1.023. What else could be causing me to lose fish?

 

[bang guy]

What fish are you adding and how are you acclimating them?

 

[dab4u2]

I am acclimating like this website suggest, the drip method. Although I have not purchased any from this site it looked like the best way to acclimate. I am adding a variety of tangs (Naso, Hippo, Fox) as well as a Pygmy Angel, a Pecula Clown, and a damsel. I have lost them all. Thanks for you help.

 

[latino277]

Not sure?? bump for you

 

[scott420]

did you add them all at once or one at a time?

 

[bang guy]

I would suggest starting out with very hardy fish and only add one fish every 2 or 3 months. The Damsel or Percula would be a good choice for your first fish.
Basically you overwhelmed your biological filtration system.
Test your water for ammonia. If it's back down to zero then feed your tank a little bit of flake food for a week. If Ammonia is still zero then go ahead and add the Percula.
What size tank is this and what is your filtration system?

 

[dab4u2]

I am using a sump system with biological balls. The tank is a 55 gallon. You know what is odd is that my levels never spiked at all. They stayed at 0 because I tested every day multiple times a day. Is there anything else I need to look for?

 

[reefraff]

88 degrees is a little toasty IMO. I'd get the temp back into the low 80's at least.

 

[toughguy80]

I second that reefraff. That 88 degrees kinda jumped out at me too. I think most of us keep our tanks around 80.

 

[dab4u2]

Okay, I guess this is a dumb question then: How do you cool you tank?

 

[dab4u2]

I'm sorry, not 88......78.

 

[bigarn]

At 78 you don't need to cool it.....I'd keep it around 80.

 

[bang guy]

I should add that I don't believe the fish you have selected will live long term in your 55 gallon tank.
Adding livestock slowly is imperative though.