need help......

dnp416 · 04/16/2016, 08:23 AM

I have a 125g tank,ammonia,nitrates,nitrites are at 0.salinity is 1.024,alkalinity is between 180-300,temp is 79.tank has been running for 5 months.My problem is i have two small clowns,shrimp,clams that have been in tank for two months and are doing fine but when i add new fish they die within a few days i check water parameters and they are fine earlier this week i lost a flame angle blue tang and couple of gobies but the other fish are fine.thanks for any help.

donut0079 · 04/16/2016, 08:29 AM

Have you been using a qt?

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Sk8r · 04/16/2016, 08:34 AM

If not, do not add any more fish. You may need to put the clowns through tank transfer and leave the main tank without fish for 72 days for parasite removal.

dnp416 · 04/16/2016, 08:55 AM

I do not have qt tank.I did put in a Royal Gramma with the angel and the Gramma is doing fine.

JammyBirch · 04/16/2016, 11:52 AM

Did you put all of the fish in at the same time? Wondering if ammonia spike killed the wimpy fish.

dnp416 · 04/16/2016, 05:22 PM

No the angle and gobies where just added and i checked first couple days and no spike,this is also a fish only tank.i had two large clowns also that where a mated pair been in a friends tank for five years no problems one died monday and the other is laying around on bottom on its side,this morn the salinity was 1.28 so i did a partial water change to get it to 1.24.

theatrus · 04/16/2016, 08:28 PM

What's your water circulation like?

And I assume your specific gravity was 1.028, as 1.28 would be a wet salt slurry.

leviburns89 · 04/16/2016, 08:47 PM

I agree, 1.28 is astronomically high. You want 1.025 for most reefs.

Honestly, if a healthy adult pair of clowns died, you, not the tank, are doing something horribly wrong.

Since the tank is fish only, you probably don't have anything notifying you that you've messed up other than the fish dying, which is rough to swallow.

What brand of testing supplies are you using? If API, throw them out and get some real test kits.

Also check the expiration dates on them.

Sorry for your loss.

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dnp416 · 04/17/2016, 08:13 AM

I am using api strips and master test(test tubes) was told they where best.I did getsalinaty down to 1.024 which it normally stays.I am stopping adding fish till i find the problem,two of the three new fish i purchased died but the third fish (royal gramma) is doing fine.I have tried twice with blue hippo tangs and they don't make it.I check everything and it comes out ok.this has been going on every since i started adding fish.

bat21 · 04/17/2016, 08:14 AM

Are you acclimating the fish at all?

leviburns89 · 04/17/2016, 08:28 AM

API kits are probably the worst. Most of them are wildly inaccurate, or don't work altogether.

Red sea, and salifert make great testing supplies. Hanna has some nice digital meters as well, but are a little pricey.

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dnp416 · 04/17/2016, 09:11 AM

I acclimate fish as directed most time around a hour and half drip method.I have a double power head on one end and a single on the other.noticed green locking algae on rocks.Going to check into the other test kits.

jraker · 04/17/2016, 09:19 AM

To acclimate, you should not do the drip method. You should match the salinity and put the fish in the tank. Sk8r has a very nice post about this, explaining it in further detail here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1939508

04/16/2016, 08:23 AM	#1
dnp416 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 7	need help...... I have a 125g tank,ammonia,nitrates,nitrites are at 0.salinity is 1.024,alkalinity is between 180-300,temp is 79.tank has been running for 5 months.My problem is i have two small clowns,shrimp,clams that have been in tank for two months and are doing fine but when i add new fish they die within a few days i check water parameters and they are fine earlier this week i lost a flame angle blue tang and couple of gobies but the other fish are fine.thanks for any help.

04/16/2016, 08:34 AM	#3
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	If not, do not add any more fish. You may need to put the clowns through tank transfer and leave the main tank without fish for 72 days for parasite removal. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

04/16/2016, 11:52 AM	#5
JammyBirch Aquaria Engineering Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Elkland, PA Posts: 1,182	Did you put all of the fish in at the same time? Wondering if ammonia spike killed the wimpy fish. __________________ 25g cube, split 10g sump with refugium, Jebao RW4, reefbreeder value Livestock adds: Osc Clowns, Royal Gramma, Pygmy Cherub Angel, Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, Serpent Brittle Star Current Tank Info: 25 gallon cube

04/16/2016, 08:28 PM	#7
theatrus 100-mile-commuter Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: almost nevada Posts: 4,721	need help...... What's your water circulation like? And I assume your specific gravity was 1.028, as 1.28 would be a wet salt slurry. __________________ Custom electronics purveyor. blueAcro.com Current Tank Info: 90g SPS+mixed reef (10 yrs): LEDBrick LEDs, 40g custom sump, Ca reactor, chiller, Vortech, lots of custom electronics

04/17/2016, 08:14 AM	#10
bat21 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 701	Are you acclimating the fish at all? __________________ --- Current Tank Info: 65g fowlr

04/16/2016, 08:29 AM	#2
donut0079 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Wyomissing, PA Posts: 226	Have you been using a qt? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

04/16/2016, 08:55 AM	#4
dnp416 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 7	I do not have qt tank.I did put in a Royal Gramma with the angel and the Gramma is doing fine.

04/16/2016, 05:22 PM	#6
dnp416 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 7	No the angle and gobies where just added and i checked first couple days and no spike,this is also a fish only tank.i had two large clowns also that where a mated pair been in a friends tank for five years no problems one died monday and the other is laying around on bottom on its side,this morn the salinity was 1.28 so i did a partial water change to get it to 1.24.

04/16/2016, 08:47 PM	#8
leviburns89 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 652	I agree, 1.28 is astronomically high. You want 1.025 for most reefs. Honestly, if a healthy adult pair of clowns died, you, not the tank, are doing something horribly wrong. Since the tank is fish only, you probably don't have anything notifying you that you've messed up other than the fish dying, which is rough to swallow. What brand of testing supplies are you using? If API, throw them out and get some real test kits. Also check the expiration dates on them. Sorry for your loss. Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

04/17/2016, 08:13 AM	#9
dnp416 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 7	I am using api strips and master test(test tubes) was told they where best.I did getsalinaty down to 1.024 which it normally stays.I am stopping adding fish till i find the problem,two of the three new fish i purchased died but the third fish (royal gramma) is doing fine.I have tried twice with blue hippo tangs and they don't make it.I check everything and it comes out ok.this has been going on every since i started adding fish.

04/17/2016, 08:28 AM	#11
leviburns89 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 652	API kits are probably the worst. Most of them are wildly inaccurate, or don't work altogether. Red sea, and salifert make great testing supplies. Hanna has some nice digital meters as well, but are a little pricey. Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

04/17/2016, 09:11 AM	#12
dnp416 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 7	I acclimate fish as directed most time around a hour and half drip method.I have a double power head on one end and a single on the other.noticed green locking algae on rocks.Going to check into the other test kits.

04/17/2016, 09:19 AM	#13
jraker Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 1,421	To acclimate, you should not do the drip method. You should match the salinity and put the fish in the tank. Sk8r has a very nice post about this, explaining it in further detail here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1939508