Restarting my tank, seeking advices

kLc · 09/23/2014, 05:31 AM

Hello, this is my first post here. Currently I'm running my tank (15gal, 2ft x 1ft x 1ft) with 2 nemo and 1 yellow tail damsel with Boyu Protein Skimmer WG310 with a Jebo canister 838 for 2 years already.

About a year ago, I bought an infected yellow tang and it died a day after then all my fish got infected with white spots. I immediately cure them by adding copper into my main tank

and now when I add in invertebrates, they will not survive despite large water change. Also, my nitrate level is quite high (80ppm) since my water source itself is at that level and recently I've bought an Ionized alkaline water filter and think that might help me on reducing nitrate level along with some grape caulerpa like algae. I also notices that my fish breathe quite fast. Perhaps by reducing nitrate level it will be solved? If can't maybe I'll get some wave maker and adjust my canister output above the water level or even get some bubble maker/ airstone.

So, am I able to solve those problem by restarting the tank all over again by moving the livestock to a temporary tank, suck up all the live sand and wash it with freshwater and wash the live rock with my tank water then soak and rinse my tank with vinegar? Any comments are much appreciated and thanks in advance!

rsz_1img_20140923_190756.jpg rsz_img_20140923_190812.jpg rsz_img_20140923_190945.jpg

Vilas · 09/23/2014, 05:52 AM

The copper will have leached into the rock and sand. Rinsing it won't do much. I would throw it away and start fresh.
And this time, please do not attempt to add a tang to a 15g tank. It is pretty easy to look up any fish before buying and see size requirements.
But I'm sure others will elaborate on this point.
There are some great sticky threads on the new to the hobby forum! Even for someone who isn't new, they're a wonderful resource.

shesacharmer · 09/23/2014, 06:42 AM

By adding copper to your tank you have contaminated everything in it. You should throw out the rock and the sand or only use them in your QT tank. You should add some copper absorber after removing the rock and sand and beginning again with new salt water. I'm sorry you have to go through all this but it's the only way you are going to get it straight. Sounds like you didn't have a QT tank...this is a great size for that. Maybe you should keep this tank complete with rock and sand as your QT and get another bigger tank to begin again with fresh rock and sand?

Also canister filters are notorious for building up nitrates. Try taking that apart for a thorough cleaning.

Fishy 1 · 09/23/2014, 06:53 AM

Like the others have said the copper has contaminated all the rock and sand, best start with fresh stuff. May I ask why your source water is so high in nitrates? I suspect you'll have major algae problems with that water. Also its not good for fish to be in nitrate levels like that. Sorry for all the bad news but were trying to help you start on the right track

pyithar · 09/23/2014, 06:56 AM

i would also use the old rocks for quarantine tank only and restart with new rocks. clean the tank and equipments really well and throw away the old sand. 15G is too small for any tang. it's at the maximum limit with 2 ocellaris and a damsel in a 15G IMO. use Rodi water. if you don't wanna use Rodi for some reason, use prime for saltmix water and top off water since your water source is very high in nitrate. you'll also need to clean the canister filter quite often.

TreyK · 09/23/2014, 07:15 AM

I wouldn't even reuse the tank. A tank that small can be had for CHEAP.

kLc · 09/23/2014, 07:56 AM

Thanks for all the feedback, appreciate it. I guess I'll start a new 80-90 gal tank and probably gonna start reading up again as a newbie to prevent the same thing happens again! Thanks once again

Vilas · 09/23/2014, 10:42 AM

Wonderful idea! The stickies on the new to the hobby forum are invaluable to me, for one, and I first filled a reef tank in 2001. Lovely to see folks who are eager to learn.
My personal philosophy is to let other people make the mistakes for me...!

09/23/2014, 05:31 AM	#1
kLc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 2	Restarting my tank, seeking advices Hello, this is my first post here. Currently I'm running my tank (15gal, 2ft x 1ft x 1ft) with 2 nemo and 1 yellow tail damsel with Boyu Protein Skimmer WG310 with a Jebo canister 838 for 2 years already. About a year ago, I bought an infected yellow tang and it died a day after then all my fish got infected with white spots. I immediately cure them by adding copper into my main tank and now when I add in invertebrates, they will not survive despite large water change. Also, my nitrate level is quite high (80ppm) since my water source itself is at that level and recently I've bought an Ionized alkaline water filter and think that might help me on reducing nitrate level along with some grape caulerpa like algae. I also notices that my fish breathe quite fast. Perhaps by reducing nitrate level it will be solved? If can't maybe I'll get some wave maker and adjust my canister output above the water level or even get some bubble maker/ airstone. So, am I able to solve those problem by restarting the tank all over again by moving the livestock to a temporary tank, suck up all the live sand and wash it with freshwater and wash the live rock with my tank water then soak and rinse my tank with vinegar? Any comments are much appreciated and thanks in advance! rsz_1img_20140923_190756.jpg rsz_img_20140923_190812.jpg rsz_img_20140923_190945.jpg

09/23/2014, 05:52 AM	#2
Vilas Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Blythedale Beach, South Africa Posts: 1,419 Blog Entries: 4	The copper will have leached into the rock and sand. Rinsing it won't do much. I would throw it away and start fresh. And this time, please do not attempt to add a tang to a 15g tank. It is pretty easy to look up any fish before buying and see size requirements. But I'm sure others will elaborate on this point. There are some great sticky threads on the new to the hobby forum! Even for someone who isn't new, they're a wonderful resource. __________________ 320 gallon tank, lots of locally collected stock. Yes, I have the permits. Took ten years off, happy to be back! Current Tank Info: 320g custom tank with 80g sump. Using local natural sea water.

09/23/2014, 06:42 AM	#3
shesacharmer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Central NH Posts: 1,241	By adding copper to your tank you have contaminated everything in it. You should throw out the rock and the sand or only use them in your QT tank. You should add some copper absorber after removing the rock and sand and beginning again with new salt water. I'm sorry you have to go through all this but it's the only way you are going to get it straight. Sounds like you didn't have a QT tank...this is a great size for that. Maybe you should keep this tank complete with rock and sand as your QT and get another bigger tank to begin again with fresh rock and sand? Also canister filters are notorious for building up nitrates. Try taking that apart for a thorough cleaning. __________________ 75 gal, LR w/refugium, 79 deg, PH 8.0, sg 1.025, amm 0/nit 0/nit 0, Calcium 420, dKH 8.3, mag 1300, Phos 0 Current Tank Info: A work in progress...

09/23/2014, 06:53 AM	#4
Fishy 1 The Reefer From Downunder Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Western Australia Posts: 2,256	Like the others have said the copper has contaminated all the rock and sand, best start with fresh stuff. May I ask why your source water is so high in nitrates? I suspect you'll have major algae problems with that water. Also its not good for fish to be in nitrate levels like that. Sorry for all the bad news but were trying to help you start on the right track __________________ Rory "The day that I stop learning will be the day that I die" Current Tank Info: Newly Born Regency 220 "The Impulse Reef"

09/23/2014, 06:56 AM	#5
pyithar Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: yangon,burma(myanmar) Posts: 1,786	i would also use the old rocks for quarantine tank only and restart with new rocks. clean the tank and equipments really well and throw away the old sand. 15G is too small for any tang. it's at the maximum limit with 2 ocellaris and a damsel in a 15G IMO. use Rodi water. if you don't wanna use Rodi for some reason, use prime for saltmix water and top off water since your water source is very high in nitrate. you'll also need to clean the canister filter quite often. __________________ take it easy, pyithar Current Tank Info: 150G display, 50G sump, mixed reef

09/23/2014, 07:15 AM	#6
TreyK Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 596	I wouldn't even reuse the tank. A tank that small can be had for CHEAP. __________________ Rimless 60 Cube

09/23/2014, 07:56 AM	#7
kLc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 2	Thanks for all the feedback, appreciate it. I guess I'll start a new 80-90 gal tank and probably gonna start reading up again as a newbie to prevent the same thing happens again! Thanks once again

09/23/2014, 10:42 AM	#8
Vilas Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Blythedale Beach, South Africa Posts: 1,419 Blog Entries: 4	Wonderful idea! The stickies on the new to the hobby forum are invaluable to me, for one, and I first filled a reef tank in 2001. Lovely to see folks who are eager to learn. My personal philosophy is to let other people make the mistakes for me...! __________________ 320 gallon tank, lots of locally collected stock. Yes, I have the permits. Took ten years off, happy to be back! Current Tank Info: 320g custom tank with 80g sump. Using local natural sea water.