This hobby can be heart breaking!

[spyderreef]

I seem to have hit a low for my tank. I lost a yellow tang, 2 neon gobies and 2 hippos to some mystery illness a couple of months ago. I bought a blue spotted jaw fish 3 weeks ago. He didn't even last 24 hrs. I found him on the floor the next morning. Yesterday my blue maxima died and now I went to check on the tank and my last blue hippo, that I brought back to health, I found him on my floor. I have a glass top but I don't want to put it on, my tank is getting too warm as it is. For those of you that have been doing this for a while, is this normal? I have lost just as many fish to jumping out as I have to them becoming sick. My water tests have been good except for my calcium level which I have been unable to get above 380. I'm discouraged but I'm not giving up.

 

[beth]

How long have you been in the hobby? It is kinda unusual for tangs to jump. What has the temp been in your tank? How big is the tank?
Loosing animals never gets easy.

 

[nm reef]

Definitely post all the current info on your system that you can...and keep the faith. This hobby can be cruel...but with patience and care all things can be overcome. Is there any way to use fans to help keep the temp under control...sounds like they may be looking for a cooler place to go! I feel your pain but don't give up...with time and dedication things can be brought under control.
NMREEF website
Ka is the wheel that moves the world...and the man or woman that rages against it will be crushed under its rim.
NMREEF pics

 

[spyderreef]

I had this tank for over 2 years. It is a 125gal. (2) 175 watt MH, berlin hangon skimmer and a 29 gal refugium (I am having trouble growing grape caulerpa) RO/DI water. It is not a DSB. I have about 150 LBs of live rock.
Last water test 6-19:
CA 360
Alk 3.09
no phosphate
nitrate less than 10
no nitrite
pH 8.2
I dose with ESV
I have a rose anenome that just split a hammer coral, trumpet coral, finger leather, umbrella leather, a rock with porities and christmas tree worms, tooth coral, different colored button polyps, mushrooms, pulsing xenias and a flat leather (don't know the name)
For fish I have a pair of maroon clowns, a purple tang, 2 green chromis, dottyback and a mandarin goby that I've had for over a year.
I also have about 7 large astrea snails, 1 cleaner shrimp and a sally lightfoot (new to the tank).
My high temp for yesterday was 84. Generally it will stay very close to 80.
If there has been anything that has been unstable about my tank it is the CA. I have been considering using something else to add calcium.

 

[y2says]

Sorry about all the deaths. This hobby can be tough, but rewarding.

 

[fishkid]

please, anyone with a reef, realize where your temp. sits before you go spend $300-400 on lights when really these lights (regardless of PC, VHO my fav., MH, or even reg. flor. bulbs) will warm your tank to that breaking point. I begin to kill org.(dusters, certain fish and coral) around 83-85f. Save the 400$ on lights and think about buying an $800 chiller first, lamps next. Reefs are by far the wildest wettest ride around. If you don't have the cash, i'd go fish (fish don't NEED light to live) and not even have to spend hundreds on lighting, no chiller needed either

 

[beattyr]

On the chiller, theres a thread going in the DIY forum about a cheap chiller using a small cube fridge . Would work in a pinch and I'm seriously considering incorperating such an idea when I build my tank into a room once we buy a house...
Good luck with everything
Rob