mandarin dying somewhere.....

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AnnnetteM

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Jan 4, 2004
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I bought a mandarin 2 days ago and it was very healthy and was eating in my LFS, but when I put it in the tank it went and hid and I only saw it once today for a minute. It is dying for sure. It has not come out to feed at all. I have a problem, it is somewhere within 150 lbs of rock. Must I remove all my rock to find it? And my water was perfect 2 days ago...
ph 8.2
alk normal
nitrate 2ppm
nitrite .1 ppm (always since set up)
cal 450
amm 0
now it is bad......
ph 8.2
alk norm
nitrate 10 ppm
nitrite .5 ppm
amm .5
cal 450
Is it because of the dying mandarin? I am doing a 10% water change in the morning, is that enough in a 110 gal tank? And what about the LR? I have so many caves that I hate to disturb every piece of rock and try to get it to all fit back together again. It is stacked like a puzzle. Oh and will the mandarin poison the tank with it's slime if there is any? Thanks for any advice.
Annette
 

MonoSebaelover

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Apr 20, 2001
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What other tankmates do you have in the tank and how long has the tank running for? 1 little mandarin in a 120 won't cause a shoot in ammonia and nitrite. Something else is going on. So have any other tankmates gone missing or anything? Mandarins are known to scoot all over the rock and they won't come jutting out for food. They will eat all the little amphipods and copepods in the tank. It is not worth taking down your tank to get the little mandarin out even if he is dying. The detrivores of the tank (fire worms, copepods, and amphipods) will destroy the fish in less than 6 hours if you have a good team. Anyway, hope this helps and hope you see him soon.
 

AnnnetteM

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Phew! I thought I would have to take out the rock. I also bought a yellow tang at the same time, but he is so small 2" maybe. I'm really glad I have this site to go to for advice cuz the LFS gives me such different advice than a lot of people here. He is a marine biologist so I do tend to take in what he says, but here I gwet advice on what is WORKING! I don't have all these things to gobble up the mandarin, or maybe I do, but don't know it. How would I know? Do they come in the LR? I have in my 110 gal. 1-unicorn tang 5", 1-dejardin 4", 1-blue damsel, 4-perculas, 1-yellow tang, 1-pink square anthias 4", 2 sand sifting stars, 50 turbos, 50 hermits, 6 horseshoe crabs, 4 peppermint shrimp, 2 cleaner shrimp, 1 star polyp bunch, and a few mushrooms and polyps came on LR. The tank has been set up about 6 months. It was filled with ocean water by truck, live sand, 150 lbs. LR. I run the system with protein skimmer, trickle filter w/bio-balls, UV ster, chiller, phosphate sponge, nitrate sponge, carbon bags. I dose with many products all kent. Coral accel and liquid cal daily, Stron and moly every 4 days, tech 1 and tech M , coral vite weekly, feed evry few days phyto plex, zoo plex. Daily to fish frozen brine, and a combo frozen food with krull and a bunch of other stuff in it. I can't seem to keep it all stabalized longer than 2 weeks at a time. Nitrites have never been 0. Any suggestions? Thanks, Annette
 

DEmigh

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Yes, detrivores come with the liverock.

Six months seems a little young (as a tank) for a mandarin, as they are micropredators that depend on those 'pods for sustenance.

You describe a very high-tech, high-maintenance tank. Who/what is using all of those trace elements you're supplementing? Many of the more experienced members of this board ascribe to the policy of: "If you don't test for it, don't supplement it." It seems like you're doing right by calcium, but how do you know about the strontium and molybdenum etc?

How often/how big are your water changes? You describe a phosphate sponge, and a nitrate sponge, but there's just no substitute for regular partial water changes.

For your persistent nitrite level, my sense is that you may be overfeeding the tank.

I don't want my response to come across as all criticism, because I am frankly envious of your setup :)
 

AnnnetteM

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Dave,
I don't take your post as offending at all. I am looking to perfect my tank and sometimes need advice if I'm doing something wrong. Well, I solved my mandarin problem. He is alive and happy! He is out and about now. I sold my dejardin tang because I saw him picking on all his tank mates and now everyone is out and happy. As far as dosing my suppliments, I was told when constantly using carbon bags at all times I must dose the s&m, tech1 tech m etc....I change approx 25 gal a month of my tank water w/natural ocean water that my LFS has since we are close to the ocean here in FL. Lucky me:) I think you are right on the over feeding because I went to another LFS and not my usual one and they told me the same. I feed 4 cubes frozen brine, 1/2 tsp refrigerated zoo-plank, some seawees for tangs, and 1 cube of prime reef every day. I was told to cut my fish down to feeding everyother day. Yes or no? I don't want to starve them. Thanks for your advice.
Annette
 

DEmigh

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Bravo for the return of the mandarin! I've always thought those fish were proof that the Creator has a sense of humor. Truly a psychedelic beast :cool:

If putting the fish on short rations for a week or two brings down the nitrites, then you'll have some good evidence of (previous) overfeeding.

Here's a thought...

Since you're already aware that your activated carbon use and trace element supplementation are somewhat at odds with each other, you might re-examine the purpose for the activated carbon.
 
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