Help Please!!

accline · 05/20/2015, 06:03 AM

Hi there,

I was a member years ago, but broke down my tanks when I had twins. We just started our new tank up about 2 1/2 weeks ago. We have had really good parameters pH:8.1, Amm: 0, NO 2: 0, NO 3: 0, and KH: 196. We added 2 baby clowns with great success as they are happy and eating well, and we last night added a Scarlett Shrimp and a Fire Dartfish. I dimmed the lights and we drip acclimated. This morning the Dartfish floated out (dead as a doornail) , but then floated back under the rock work. I can't find him, but I know I need to get him out. I don't want my great water quality to degrade, as I know it is as I write. Anyone had this issue, and what did you do (besides taking the rock work apart). Before, I had such old tank, my cleaners and other fish would take care of things. AHHHH!!

kfisc · 05/20/2015, 06:44 AM

Sorry for your frustration and welcome back. I think you need to bite the bullet and take the rock work apart if you really want to remove it. Conversely, how large is your tank? At 2.5 weeks, I'm not sure you've really cycled much as yet, and the decay of such a small fish in a 75 (?) or so gallon system is not going to do that much damage relative to the overall roller coaster of cycling still underway.

sschnelk · 05/20/2015, 06:49 AM

Try using a turkey baster. You might be able to blast his little body out of the rocks to a spot where you can net it. I would definitely get him out since your tank is so new. Good Luck.

scooter31707 · 05/20/2015, 06:54 AM

I recommend taking all your livestock out and returning them to you local fish store. Do not cycle a tank with fish. Your tank is only 2 1/2 weeks old, no impossible way your tank has cycled, reasoning your fish is dead.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...cycling+a+tank

CuzzA · 05/20/2015, 06:57 AM

And qt all new fish. You may now have a pest/parasite in your display.

lviva003 · 05/20/2015, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scooter31707

I recommend taking all your livestock out and returning them to you local fish store. Do not cycle a tank with fish. Your tank is only 2 1/2 weeks old, no impossible way your tank has cycled, reasoning your fish is dead.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...cycling+a+tank

I agree with this. Thisbis probably why your parameters are perfect. There should be flunctuation when tank is cycling.

anthonys51 · 05/20/2015, 07:33 AM

Also ask your local fish store what there salinity is at next time. I read an article from a marine biologist and he said no need to drip fish if the salinity is the same. Also just make your qt the same as the place you bought it Just float to adjust temp. Also if you ever buy fish online never drip for more that

anthonys51 · 05/20/2015, 07:34 AM

Than 30 minutes. Thanks
Ammonian turns to ammonia with the introduction of air

accline · 05/20/2015, 07:36 AM

Thanks so much for your help. He finally did float out and I was able to get him out of the tank. I probably should post this in the introduce yourself thread and I'll probably go ahead with a post there. The tank is 45 gallon nano, with the clowns being added 2 days after set up. We added live rock, live sand and a product called de-nitrate bags. I haven't found much information out there about these bags, but they are really porous rock that has been cured with beneficial bacteria and small critter like rotifers and copepods. I have three blue leg hermits and a snail (Gary as my son calls him). My ammonia did go up a little (b/n 0 - .25 ppm) last week, but then settled down and not I have my diatoms bloom. I know there is an ongoing debate about drip acclimation and quarantine, but I'm not wanting to stir that lightening rod. I failed to mention that my scarlet shrimp is great and already eating. I don't think my tank is stable, but I also don't think my dartfish died as a result of poor water quality. I had tanks until about 7 years ago, for over 20 years. I ended up having three tanks including a seahorse tank (only tank raised horses). Thanks for everyone who responded to help me, and hopefully my next question won't be so dim witted sounding. Oh, and my LFS is awesome!!! He ran the store out of his basement for years and then opened up his store in a neighboring city to ours. He has people from Va who drive hours to his store. He is very ethical and runs an internship program with one of the universities. I'm really lucky he is around.

uncleL · 05/20/2015, 07:36 AM

Did you add any bacteria to the tank at startup?

accline · 05/20/2015, 07:53 AM

LFS ones one system at 1.026 and one system at 1.024. We are at 1.024. We dripped for about 30 mintutes. May have had ammonia spike in that time, but the shrimp is fine (and eating

. When se started we added Dr. Tim's, so there has been a minor amount of fluctuation. The denitrate bags are what really have helped. We added 2 instead of the recommended 1 for our tank. I think these items have kept the water stable. I'm not saying that the tank is stable yet, but I do believe we haven't added anything to quickly. one of the clowns is an inch long and the other is about 3/4 in long. I've been feeding a small amount of pellets every day and testing the water with an API kit. LFS recommended against running a skimmer until the bacteria has really gotten established. My skimmer will be one of the original Aqua C Remora Skimmers. I ran it on a 45 gallon long, and it was great. Hope this gives a little more information on my set up, and thanks again for all the help.

Sk8r · 05/20/2015, 08:06 AM

There's a sticky up top of this forum, SETTING UP. Please dig into that. It probably would have saved the firefish. You need a qt tank, bare glass, pvc pipe, no light, but heater. Pull the clowns out to that and leave them there until the tank has cycled and been through the CUC operation for 4 weeks; and put any other critter you get through the same procedure. I'd also ditch the API kit...I'm reading nothing but trouble from those. Welcome back in, and good luck.

accline · 05/20/2015, 08:15 AM

What kit for testing would you recommend?

scooter31707 · 05/20/2015, 08:44 AM

Red Sea or Salifert are pretty accurate.

christopher7 · 05/20/2015, 08:48 AM

I've had pretty good readings from the Red Sea master test kit and reviews online are generally positive. For Ca, Mg, and PO4, I have Salifert, which also has very good reviews online.

05/20/2015, 06:03 AM	#1
accline Registered Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Winston-Salem, NC Posts: 5	Help Please!! Hi there, I was a member years ago, but broke down my tanks when I had twins. We just started our new tank up about 2 1/2 weeks ago. We have had really good parameters pH:8.1, Amm: 0, NO 2: 0, NO 3: 0, and KH: 196. We added 2 baby clowns with great success as they are happy and eating well, and we last night added a Scarlett Shrimp and a Fire Dartfish. I dimmed the lights and we drip acclimated. This morning the Dartfish floated out (dead as a doornail) , but then floated back under the rock work. I can't find him, but I know I need to get him out. I don't want my great water quality to degrade, as I know it is as I write. Anyone had this issue, and what did you do (besides taking the rock work apart). Before, I had such old tank, my cleaners and other fish would take care of things. AHHHH!!

05/20/2015, 08:06 AM	#12
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	There's a sticky up top of this forum, SETTING UP. Please dig into that. It probably would have saved the firefish. You need a qt tank, bare glass, pvc pipe, no light, but heater. Pull the clowns out to that and leave them there until the tank has cycled and been through the CUC operation for 4 weeks; and put any other critter you get through the same procedure. I'd also ditch the API kit...I'm reading nothing but trouble from those. Welcome back in, and good luck. __________________ 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%.

05/20/2015, 06:44 AM	#2
kfisc Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 2,020	Sorry for your frustration and welcome back. I think you need to bite the bullet and take the rock work apart if you really want to remove it. Conversely, how large is your tank? At 2.5 weeks, I'm not sure you've really cycled much as yet, and the decay of such a small fish in a 75 (?) or so gallon system is not going to do that much damage relative to the overall roller coaster of cycling still underway.

05/20/2015, 06:49 AM	#3
sschnelk Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 42	Try using a turkey baster. You might be able to blast his little body out of the rocks to a spot where you can net it. I would definitely get him out since your tank is so new. Good Luck.

05/20/2015, 06:54 AM	#4
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	I recommend taking all your livestock out and returning them to you local fish store. Do not cycle a tank with fish. Your tank is only 2 1/2 weeks old, no impossible way your tank has cycled, reasoning your fish is dead. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...cycling+a+tank

05/20/2015, 06:57 AM	#5
CuzzA Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Palm Harbor, FL Posts: 2,997	And qt all new fish. You may now have a pest/parasite in your display.

05/20/2015, 07:33 AM	#7
anthonys51 Registered Member. Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Kings Park, NY Posts: 2,789	Also ask your local fish store what there salinity is at next time. I read an article from a marine biologist and he said no need to drip fish if the salinity is the same. Also just make your qt the same as the place you bought it Just float to adjust temp. Also if you ever buy fish online never drip for more that

05/20/2015, 07:34 AM	#8
anthonys51 Registered Member. Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Kings Park, NY Posts: 2,789	Than 30 minutes. Thanks Ammonian turns to ammonia with the introduction of air

05/20/2015, 07:36 AM	#9
accline Registered Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Winston-Salem, NC Posts: 5	Thanks so much for your help. He finally did float out and I was able to get him out of the tank. I probably should post this in the introduce yourself thread and I'll probably go ahead with a post there. The tank is 45 gallon nano, with the clowns being added 2 days after set up. We added live rock, live sand and a product called de-nitrate bags. I haven't found much information out there about these bags, but they are really porous rock that has been cured with beneficial bacteria and small critter like rotifers and copepods. I have three blue leg hermits and a snail (Gary as my son calls him). My ammonia did go up a little (b/n 0 - .25 ppm) last week, but then settled down and not I have my diatoms bloom. I know there is an ongoing debate about drip acclimation and quarantine, but I'm not wanting to stir that lightening rod. I failed to mention that my scarlet shrimp is great and already eating. I don't think my tank is stable, but I also don't think my dartfish died as a result of poor water quality. I had tanks until about 7 years ago, for over 20 years. I ended up having three tanks including a seahorse tank (only tank raised horses). Thanks for everyone who responded to help me, and hopefully my next question won't be so dim witted sounding. Oh, and my LFS is awesome!!! He ran the store out of his basement for years and then opened up his store in a neighboring city to ours. He has people from Va who drive hours to his store. He is very ethical and runs an internship program with one of the universities. I'm really lucky he is around.

05/20/2015, 07:36 AM	#10
uncleL Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: NC Posts: 411	Did you add any bacteria to the tank at startup?

05/20/2015, 07:53 AM	#11
accline Registered Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Winston-Salem, NC Posts: 5	LFS ones one system at 1.026 and one system at 1.024. We are at 1.024. We dripped for about 30 mintutes. May have had ammonia spike in that time, but the shrimp is fine (and eating . When se started we added Dr. Tim's, so there has been a minor amount of fluctuation. The denitrate bags are what really have helped. We added 2 instead of the recommended 1 for our tank. I think these items have kept the water stable. I'm not saying that the tank is stable yet, but I do believe we haven't added anything to quickly. one of the clowns is an inch long and the other is about 3/4 in long. I've been feeding a small amount of pellets every day and testing the water with an API kit. LFS recommended against running a skimmer until the bacteria has really gotten established. My skimmer will be one of the original Aqua C Remora Skimmers. I ran it on a 45 gallon long, and it was great. Hope this gives a little more information on my set up, and thanks again for all the help.

05/20/2015, 08:15 AM	#13
accline Registered Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Winston-Salem, NC Posts: 5	What kit for testing would you recommend?

05/20/2015, 08:44 AM	#14
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	Red Sea or Salifert are pretty accurate.

05/20/2015, 08:48 AM	#15
christopher7 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 50	I've had pretty good readings from the Red Sea master test kit and reviews online are generally positive. For Ca, Mg, and PO4, I have Salifert, which also has very good reviews online.