Fish Dying need Help!

[eareyes]

Ok my name is Eric i'm US Military "Ärmy" my girlfriend wanted and aquarium so here i am lol: I’m new in the hobby and after cycling my tank for a month and all the parameters were in the right place I added my first Fish and slowly kept adding some more with corals… After the first bloom of brown algae everything was great then bright green started to show up wish some said it was coralline and nothing dead… In the last week 1 Linckia Sea Star, 1 algae eater that I don’t know the name, 1 clownfish”nemo” and 1 cleaner shrimp: ALL Dead!!!...
Tank: 37g Bow Front+ 15g sump, 150 eshopps in sump skimmer, 112D Ecoray leds at 24 ingh high, 45 pound live rock, 2= 1050 Koralia Pumps, 1= 1/10hp resun chiller, 1= UV Sterilizer
Fish left: 1 clown, 1 hippo tang, 1 yellow tang, 1 Stripe Damsel, 1 goby, 1 cleaner shrimp, 2 Spotted Cardinals, 1 Electric Crocea Clam, 1 red serpent
Corals: Buttom Polyps, Finger leather and colt, Closed and Dented Brain, Bubble coral, Hammer, Plate Coral, and probably some more that I don’t remember! “some names from google don’t know if they are right.
Parameters:
PH= 8.0, Ammonia =0ppm, Nitrite= 0ppm, Calcium= 400ppm, (KH)= 8, Phosphate= 0ppm, Nitrate=30ppm
I know my nitrates are a high but they have been like this since I started the tank!!
WHAT IS WRONG?

[Hzuiel]

How often are you doing water changes? Nitrates can definitely hurt invertebrates and coral.

I hear Stars can starve to death pretty easily because they require a lot of food and a well established tank.

You have a blue and yellow tang in a 36 gallon bowfront? Plus 6 other fish and 2 stars?

I'm pretty sure your problem is related to the overload of livestock, maybe someone else can be more specific.

[eareyes]

My tank is now almost 3 month old and i did 2 water changes about 10g each..

[danil]

most likely you had 'tank crash' due to livestock overload. You added too many too fast so your biological filtration didn't have time to adapt (expend). Check the sticky on the top http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1946007

[eareyes]

Just did a 3g change that is all the RO/DI water left i have to go buy some more!

[Cymonous]

Tangs need a minimum of a 75g tank. What kind of test kits are you using? Your bio load sounds a bit high. 30ppm nitrates could be what is killing your livestock and it just took a toll on your currently dead fish and still is on what's still alive. You should also be doing water changes more often. 10-15% water changes every 7-10 days. I would do a couple large water changes this next week to try and get those nitrates down.

[eareyes]

Im using the API Saltwater Master Test Kit and the Reef Master test kit!! The thing is that none of the fish ever look bad the always eat and everything but dead in the morning! im planing of doing more water changes this week maybe it help!! but I have seen aquarium with nitrate higher than mine with no problems...

[kenc87]

Well I would have to agree with everyone that you have way to many fish in that tank. I have less fish in my 65 reef. In addition you're clam was prolly put in too soon but hopefully it will be ok. I would really recommend slowing down and reducing your bioload by losing the tangs. Good luck

[Dapg8gt]

Way too many fish way too fast. Too much fish = too much food/poo put that together with a new tank it's a recipe for disaster. Take your time a three month old tank is not established enough to support what you added. Let alone an established tank of your size would have serious issue supporting the fish load alone for an extended period of time.

Did you quarantine new fish.? One could have brought a parasite into the tank and it's killing livestock also. Nitrates are pretty high have you accounted for all dead animals. A snail dead in that small of a tank newly established can do a lot of damage. Good luck and slow down if you don't want to be frustrated and loosing money constantly.

[kenc87]

Oh also if you didn't qt which I assume you didn't you very possibly have a parasite or other issue in your tank

[eareyes]

I did not qt but my fish were from local store my plans are to stop adding anything new because taking anything out is not an option since i have no where to take them and change my water normally until my tank gets older what do u guys think?

[Gregs138]

Two things I see:

1. That is Alot of fish/stuff for a 35 gallon. I'm sure you are overloaded.
2. No mention of alkalinity that I saw. If you are using RO/DI water, you need to add in some reef buffer to keep your alkalinity up or you PH will crash.


Too much too fast I agree. If nitrates are high, the only way to get rid of them quickly is water changes. You should be doing way more water changes imo, especially for the first 5-6 months. I would say at least a 5-10% change a week after the first month. Either that or 20-40% every 3-5 weeks. That is what will get rid of nitrates.

[eareyes]

thank u all!!

[Sk8r]

You are beyond overstocked. 3 of your fish take over 100 g and you have 39. Oxygen shortage is a serious consideration. Fighting is another. YOu can pack in as many corals as you like, but that tank would be full with two clowns and a couple of gobies or small blennies.

[matt9190]

Overstocking would show in his chemistry. Nitrate 30 ppm is not that high and can be controlled with water changes and/or macro.

[MinnFish]

Originally Posted by eareyes

Im using the API Saltwater Master Test Kit and the Reef Master test kit!! ...

U might want to double check those test. API is known to read high. I found mines off by 30 or more. Just find another reputable brand to check against. Good luck.

[Dapg8gt]

Originally Posted by Gregs138

Two things I see:

1. That is Alot of fish/stuff for a 35 gallon. I'm sure you are overloaded.
2. No mention of alkalinity that I saw. If you are using RO/DI water, you need to add in some reef buffer to keep your alkalinity up or you PH will crash.


Too much too fast I agree. If nitrates are high, the only way to get rid of them quickly is water changes. You should be doing way more water changes imo, especially for the first 5-6 months. I would say at least a 5-10% change a week after the first month. Either that or 20-40% every 3-5 weeks. That is what will get rid of nitrates.

JMO but buffer will not help you. It is just a bandaid that really has nothing to do with RODI. If you keep your ALK in check PH will follow. Don't worry too much about the PH. Buffer will just build up in the tank and cause issues I advise not to use it. Baking soda if anything for the alk consumption.

And just my opinion but a 20-40% waterchange is not a good idea either. If you do a 40% water change it will shock the system and you will most likely have issues. in a dire straights emergency to get rid of some toxins but to do that as maintenance is not a good idea. You would be better off staying in the 10-15% range for maintenance and just increase the frequency to fix issues. Again just my experience and research and most important just my opinion. Good luck and def don't add anything else till you get your water in check and trade in the tangs or that will just be more death and money lost on your part.

[MinnFish]

Originally Posted by eareyes

I did not qt but my fish were from local store?

all the reason to QT. LFS are like puppy mills. Quick in and out. The quicker they get a suspected fish out the better for them. And then they blame everyone but themselves. As u can tell, I'm not a LFS fan. Been biting too many times. I tell what I will do have the fish special ordered without it ever touching their tanks. They can get fish faster than I can. I was just in one the weekend, just browsing not buying. I asked the sales clerk about a item price. It had one of the biggest glass anemone ( golf ball sized) in tank. I commented about it, she gave me a dirty look. An inexperience person would had taken a piece from this tank home. And guess what would happen next. Sorry for the rambling.

[Hzuiel]

Originally Posted by MinnFish

all the reason to QT. LFS are like puppy mills. Quick in and out. The quicker they get a suspected fish out the better for them. And then they blame everyone but themselves. As u can tell, I'm not a LFS fan. Been biting too many times. I tell what I will do have the fish special ordered without it ever touching their tanks. They can get fish faster than I can. I was just in one the weekend, just browsing not buying. I asked the sales clerk about a item price. It had one of the biggest glass anemone ( golf ball sized) in tank. I commented about it, she gave me a dirty look. An inexperience person would had taken a piece from this tank home. And guess what would happen next. Sorry for the rambling.

I'm not contradicting you at all, if it comes from an lfs, you need to quarantine, however I've watched my lfs actively combating parasites. Some lfs are better than others.

[Lagoon monkey]

reading and researching living animals you purchase will also help with their longevity. Its like having a kid, than finding out how to take care of it, you have to read about it before you buy. Nothing good happens fast in this hobby

[aandfsoccr04]

You added way too many fish too fast. You have fish that are way too big for your tank and you didn't qt any fish for 6 weeks to make sure no disease get into your tank.

[All6Fish]

Did you tell your LFS your size tank and what you already had in it? Theres no way they should have sold you TWO tangs with all you had plus that tank shouldnt even have ONE! Sorry you lost some residents, chalk it up as experiance now since its too late.

[MrTuskfish]

Originally Posted by matt9190

Overstocking would show in his chemistry. Nitrate 30 ppm is not that high and can be controlled with water changes and/or macro.

Huh? Water parameters just indicate the present state of the water and that can change in an hour. They certainly are not a reliable way to "test" overstocking. A good, established bio-filter can take care of an incredible load. The fish list in this thread (or a look at the tank) should tell anyone that the tank is overstocked. Just common sense, research and experience will tell most folks when a tank is overstocked. There isn't any test for "overstocked".

I agree on the nitrate though; 30 ppm is not dangerous to fish at all. This would actually be on the low side for many successful FOWLR tanks.