White patches on Sailfin. QT time?

[mike22cha]

Well I feel like crap. The tangs are now fighting, I don't know if this has to do with the cleaner shrimp, but whenever my purple tang visits the sailfin just fights. I know I should just stick with it and help them recover and all, but I'm so tempted to trade them in at the lfs and get a yellow and blue hippo later on. Man this is frustrating. I feel like a reefer failure!

 

[mike22cha]

Ok salinity was 38ppt and 1.028 specific gravity, which suprised me because the corals seemed to be doing fine. I guess they are hardy. I'm going to do tests on Ph nitrates, and ammonia.

 

[beth]

Are you using a glass float hydrometer? Or the plastic swing arm. Obviously you need to bring down the salinity a tad. Test your water from the LFS as well, before it goes into the tank. Are they producing it using an RO system?
You should definitely use a grounding probe for safety reasons, if you don't already have one. You equipment that is in water should be plugged into a Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI).

 

[mike22cha]

K as soon as I get money I'm going to invest in one.
I'm going to take some water to the lfs and test it, get some DI water from there and pick up some frozen food. Should I get like silversides? Shrimp? What?
I'm going to look for that food dip stuff online and order that soon.
Ok I'm testing my ammonia right now, but my other parameters are:
Salinity-Mentioned before
Ph-Low 7.9 (Should I place the buffer in my tank? Or my HOB filter? I don't know if that will hurt my corals and inverts?

)
Nitrates-Below 10

 

[mike22cha]

My ammonia is 0.2 mg/l

 

[beth]

You need to do water changes until you get the ammonia to zero. How old is your tank, and what equipment do you have?
Take a look at the sample recipe I have in the FAQ. I'm not saying you have to do this recipe, but it will give you an idea. You can supplement by placing algae sheets on a lettuce clip in your tank, and use quality vegetarian packaged hobby foods.
What are you using to measure salinity? Is it glass hydrometer?
Is your equipment connected to a GFI?

 

[mike22cha]

The equipement is not connected to a GFI. How could electricity cause it though?
I am feeding algae sheets and they love it. Should I soak that in the stuff?
I have a 125g that's been up for a year. I got two penguin HOB power filters that are rated gph to be good for 75g each so I got enough flow for 150g. I also have three powerhead, a heater, and 72" pc lights.
What kind of meaty foods should I be feedig? I'm giving them plenty of veggie stuff.
I'll read some more in your threads.

 

[mike22cha]

Ok well I'm looking at the ph buffer, did the calculations. It says I should add 75 teaspoons. To much? Should I add it directly to the tank?

 

[beth]

Don't add buffers yet, just do water changes to deal with the ammonia. You don't have a skimmer?

 

[renogaw]

How could electricity cause it though

to find out if you're problem is electricity related, take a volt meter and put the red probe into the water, and the black probe to the

[hr]
(LOL EDITED: erm, philips head sc rew) in the middle of your wall outlets (that should be grounded). if you have a reading, you have stray voltage going through your tank, from a heater, a powerhead, or something else, and it can cause HLLE.

 

[mike22cha]

I don't have a test meter and I don't have a probe. I think I told my dad and I added some but it was like 20 table spoons which is like 100g. Too mucH? I'll tell him to stop. What should I do? I'll get a thing for stray electricity and I'll get some meaty food.

 

[psusocr1]

you need to get a skimmer ASAP or your levels are going to go through the roof..do you have one?

 

[mike22cha]

Nope and don't have 125$ for one. I saw one at the lfs. Not sure on what kind but it was a HOB. As soon as I get my 20 and 10g sold to my friend I'll have enough cash but I realy kinda wanted to save some. The sailfin's tail is looking a lot better though. And he's always had some on his face. I'll be picking up some water and food tomorrow!

 

[lesleybird]

Originally Posted by MIKE22cha
Ok well I'm looking at the ph buffer, did the calculations. It says I should add 75 teaspoons. To much? Should I add it directly to the tank?
Don't add all that at one time unless you want to kill all your fish! Are you sure you are reading the directions correctly? Most buffers say to add something like 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons every day until the ph is where you want it. Be careful making drastic changes too fast can be more harmful than doing nothing.

 

[mike22cha]

Yep that was directions and I added about enough for 100g to raise it .1 and then I was told to stop so I did. I didn't do it all at one time either.

 

[psusocr1]

this is a bad hobby to get into unless you got the cash to back it up.. without a skimmer and large fish liek you have producing a bigger bioload i cant imagine that your tanks levels are any good. you might want to get some good test kits and keep an eye on them, especially your ammonia which must be high

 

[mike22cha]

Usualy my parameters are fine. Salinity has always been a problem, but I keep up with it. I'm going to purchase a skimmer soon don't worry.
Anyways my purple tang died. He used to be a very aggressive eater but hasn't been eating too much the last month. I tried everything like algae clips and live algae, but he wasn't eating. I unfortuanetly thought tangs were herbivores not omnivores so I didn't try meaty foods. I'm going to get some meaty foods when I get back from Minnosota. I think the sailfin will be fine since it is eating regularly.

 

[mike22cha]

Ok it's still there. You guys still haven't told me a sulotion.

 

[mike22cha]

Bump. What's the solution to HLLE?

 

[wattsupdoc]

They have given you the solution, but, unless you have started feeding quality food, installed a probe, done the water changes etc. you have ignored it.