Some advice on my params

[janastasio]

Hello, Just wanted to ask some quick advice on my current water params. Background information, I have 75 gallon tank reef (mostly softies), I do weekly water changes, 10 gallons, The tanks is mostly uncovered. It has 2 glass squares on each end of the tank that the lights rest on. I recently lost all fish and some corals in the NH icestorm in December. I did some regular water changes after and then decided to try a few fish. The fish were a black and white clown (small), coral beauty angel). Coral beuty angel was very stressed , never ate and died within in 3 days. I should not have purchased her, she was like that when I bought her. I swear I 'm learning here! Clown fish lasted 2 weeks, was eating, but just before he died, looked very bony. I saw him eat everytime I fed. He seemed to struggle quite a bit with the current of my tank, which is not that strong ( have 2 koralia 3's and a cannister filter. I am tech. slighly under what the turnover should be). So I am down to no fish once again. I am getting a rock from a private reefer breaking down his tank. It has 5 BTA's on the rock and a pair of false perc clowns. I some zoos in my tank that just do not open the way that they used to. They seem very closed today, although all other coral is opening. I did do a water change yesterday, so I'm unsure if they are just angry with that.
Params:
PH-8.2
Nitrate 5 (was 10 last change, so it is down)
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0 (this had slight possitive last week, but also had clown die and could not find body-simply did several water changes)
1.027 (just added more top off water, should bring it down some)
Alk 5.5 meg/L
Phos 0
Equip-75 gallon tank with about 100+lbs of live rock. Established 3 years. Live sand bottom, very thin only 20lbs. Very old fashion protien skimmer, tube in tank with woodlime stone powered by luft pump. Pulls stuff out, but I'm sure not the most effecient. Cannister Filter. Nova Pro t-5 fixture.
I just want everything to be perfect for when I get this new rock with the nems and the clownfish. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I have a calcium test

 

[tizzo]

This is a tough "question" because those parameters that you have listed would not be the reasons your fish died. Those parameters are all within optimum range minus the alk...
But you did have critters die and zoos that won't open.
If you still don't know why they died, I would hold off on adding new livestock until you do.
First thing I would do if I were you is double check your parameter results with another test kit brand, at least that way your sure its not that.
Also note that your alk levels, if that's correct, are incredibly high.
Go ahead and test your calcium, I'm curious where it's at, and if your adding buffer or two part, stop!

 

[janastasio]

I am using Seachem test kits. The range is within what their results say are ok for tank water. They list 4-6. I will take it out and re-read this again. If this is not the correct range, then what is? What would be a reason for high alkalinity? I'm not really convinced the fish died from tank params or just plain bad luck. I am not so good about seeing something that I want and saying, maybe its not in the best condition, I shouldnt buy it. I could quite honestly look back now with these fish and see that they may not have been in the best of shape. Now maybe had they been put into someone elses tank with more pristine water conditions, they might have been ok. My tank is not pristine, but also did not think it was bad enought to kill fish either. Prior to our power outage I had fish that lived in the tank long term

. Thank you for your help.

 

[janastasio]

Calcum is 480. Rechecked the Alkalinity again, still 5.5 meq/L. Test does show that to be an acceptable range. They do infact show 4-6 for the range to be within. I also looked up a Alkalinity chart in the archives and mine is what is shown to correspond with calcium. Their chart shows 470 for the calcium, so pretty darn close. Feeling very confused!

 

[iyachtuxivm]

Alk issues shouldnt kill fish unless its way outa whack, and thats not.Maybe a parasite came in on the coral beauty, you said it didnt look good when you got it. did you notice anything bumps or what not? If you saw the clown eat and it kept getting thin.....? How often did you feed it?

 

[janastasio]

Did not notice anything unusual on the angel, just very nervous and did not ever eat when I fed the tank. I generally only feed every two days, but with new fish I feed small amounts daily. I was feeding formula one flake and frozen mysis. I'm not as worried about params being due to fish loss, but zoos not opening as much does make me concerned. All other coral opening great, just zoos. Wondering if I should be getting an iodine test kit. I do have a bottle of kents essential elements that I do not use. I do regular water changes, so I figured I should be getting everything I need from the salt. I just swapped over to Seachems salt. Havent used enough of it yet to impact anything on the tank. Thanks for answering the alk question. Seemed like it was ok according to what I was reading. I think I will still plan on picking up this rock I'm getting the the anems. My params seem like they should be stable enough to support this decision.

 

[halamaya]

There are different measurements to read the alkalinity in. Like my KH is 8 which is alright. If your tank gets to low on calcium the ph can start to swing up and down from day to night. Wish I knew more for you.