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03/31/2010, 07:21 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: West Fargo, ND
Posts: 2,161
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First Tank Death
Well, this doesn't bode well, but, I believe I had my first death today, possibly.... 9 weeks into this...
I came home and my sally light foot was wedged between two rocks unmoving. Sunday I picked up two fish: royal grama and lawnmower blenny. Fed brine shrimp for the last 3 to 4 days. I've only seen the grama eat but the blenny is alive and full of personality, so, I don't know what he's eating, but seems fine. Neither the grama nor the blenny seem to be breathing hard. All of my LPS, featherdusters, and soft corals seem healthy. I ran a full regiment of tests today: SG: 1.025 - 1.026. -- been holding steady at that with my ATO. Temp: Has raised slightly from 77 for the last two months to around 80 due to increased atmospheric temp and the heater being able to keep up now. Rest of the parameters: Calcium: Holding at between 360 and 400. Nitrates: Undetectable Nitrites: undetectable. Alkalinity: Around 2.5 - 3.0 (slightly low). Ammonia: Slightly detectable --- between 0 and .2. The color range is definately less than .2 but, could be slightly above zero. All of my snails, hermits, asterin starfish, show no signs of any danger. If there is detectable ammonia, is it because of the dead sally lightfoot or did the ammonia kill the sally lightfoot? My royal grama is venturing out, and being very brave, feeding well, there's no signs of breathing stress. The other possibility is that my lightfoot molted, and the slight increase in ammonia is just the natural biological process catching up due to feeding. so, what is the reccomendation? continue testing for ammonia? Water change? Let the biological process do it's thing? Amquel? Thanks for any suggestions! |
03/31/2010, 08:16 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Garden Grove, Ca
Posts: 17,023
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I would suspect the ammonia did him in, crabs do not take ammonia well. Adding two fish into the tank at one time may have been more bio-load than your new system could handle and caused a spike in ammonia. I don't think a dead crab would cause a spike in ammonia in just one day. Another possibility is that the rock moved and crushed it, but I would still be concerned about the ammonia. Go very slowly with your fish introductions for the first 4-6 months (well really always go slowly), as your tank is still maturing. One last question, are you sure the crab is dead and it was not a molt you found?
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03/31/2010, 08:51 PM | #3 |
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 58
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If you find your crab is dead then before you buy another do a search on them.
As they get larger they are known to attack and kill your fish as they are resting in the rocks at night. I am a crab freak and have a crab only 40gl tank and as much as I love crabs I would not put a sally light foot in my display tank. |
03/31/2010, 09:08 PM | #4 |
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Wills Point,Texas
Posts: 925
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I would guess on molting. I wish mine would get wedged between rocks so I can get him out. Mine went from tiny to almost 5 inches in the last year.
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03/31/2010, 09:52 PM | #5 |
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: West Fargo, ND
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I am in, a way hoping he's dead, not for the ammonia, but, for the fact, yeah I was afraid of what he might do to my fish after I learned more. Him and my grama have been fighting over food. It's possible my grama did him in too. Either way, I am hoping it wasn't a molt. He was very agressive and freaky.
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03/31/2010, 09:55 PM | #6 |
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Wills Point,Texas
Posts: 925
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Mine isnt aggresive,it's just big and ugly. Looks like a mutated spider. And it's fast as lightning.
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03/31/2010, 09:55 PM | #7 |
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: West Fargo, ND
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I forgot to ask, should i be checking ammonia daily now? to see if it 's continuously rising or falling. Like I said it was barely detectable.
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03/31/2010, 09:58 PM | #8 |
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Garden Grove, Ca
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I would keep an eye on it. Definitely hold off on any additional livestock until the levels drop back to zero. If it climbs any more, make a water change.
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03/31/2010, 10:13 PM | #9 |
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: West Fargo, ND
Posts: 2,161
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Yeah, I'll check everything out tomorrow evening.
Thanks grun for the suggestion. |
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