"My parameters are good" but my fish and coral are dying...

Sk8r · 01/31/2015, 12:12 PM

"My parameters are good" or "My lfs says my water is ok" instantly tells me the poster MAY have a water problem, because the real parameters involve the salinity, temperature, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, ammonia, nitrate...and not testing these, and relying on porting water to the fish store for answers, is an indication these are absolutely the first thing I want to check for problems. Fish and coral don't just spontaneously die when these things are in order. They will assuredly have problems if the water is 'off'. If the water truly isn't 'off' we can proceed to next likely cause of your problem. But we always, always, always need to start with those---which are as basic to the fish as oxygen and water are to you.

Please make a note and tape it to the inside stand door:
salinity 1.024 to 1.026, temperature at 79-80 degrees with very little swing day to night, alkalinity 8.3, calcium 420, magnesium 1300, ammonia 0, nitrate as low as you can get it---10 or less is nice, though fish-onlies can run higher.

And when you need help---give us the numbers for your tank compared to the numbers I've just given you---in addition to what you want to ask. That list of numbers is as important as the doc taking your blood pressure and temperature: says a whole lot about what's going on in your tank. If you want to know more, read the thread on Dirt Simple Chemistry up in the stickies: I think it's a chapter in the massive SETTING UP thread.

01/31/2015, 12:12 PM	#1
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	"My parameters are good" but my fish and coral are dying... "My parameters are good" or "My lfs says my water is ok" instantly tells me the poster MAY have a water problem, because the real parameters involve the salinity, temperature, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, ammonia, nitrate...and not testing these, and relying on porting water to the fish store for answers, is an indication these are absolutely the first thing I want to check for problems. Fish and coral don't just spontaneously die when these things are in order. They will assuredly have problems if the water is 'off'. If the water truly isn't 'off' we can proceed to next likely cause of your problem. But we always, always, always need to start with those---which are as basic to the fish as oxygen and water are to you. Please make a note and tape it to the inside stand door: salinity 1.024 to 1.026, temperature at 79-80 degrees with very little swing day to night, alkalinity 8.3, calcium 420, magnesium 1300, ammonia 0, nitrate as low as you can get it---10 or less is nice, though fish-onlies can run higher. And when you need help---give us the numbers for your tank compared to the numbers I've just given you---in addition to what you want to ask. That list of numbers is as important as the doc taking your blood pressure and temperature: says a whole lot about what's going on in your tank. If you want to know more, read the thread on Dirt Simple Chemistry up in the stickies: I think it's a chapter in the massive SETTING UP thread. __________________ 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%. Last edited by Sk8r; 01/31/2015 at 02:55 PM.