Something's wrong with my tank. It,s cloudy. Tablets I tried didn't work. My invertebraes are not taking it well. My chocolate chip Starfish fell off the wall and curled up. I picked him up and put him up on top of something higher in the tank, but I noticed he had some little brown spots all over him that aren't usually there. The spots are fadind now and he appears to be doing better, but he looks like he's got tiny pin-holes all over his back as if something was eating away at it. Also the Flame Scallop was all sucked in for a little while but he also looks better. There's also a dead hermit crab who's no longer in his shell. My wrasse looks a little dark like he's stressed. Everyone else seems fine. Please help. Would appreciate any advice.
Please Help !!!
- Thread starter Nicole
- Start date
Nicole said:
Well we need more info. It sounds like your tank crashed.
WHat do you have in there?
How long has your tank being running?
Levels of amonia, nitrates, nitrites, ph?
What did you do before this happened?
Well I think what you should start doing is getting out everything that has died so far ( if anything). Do a big water change like 50%. But you can get a better answer if you post the answers to my questions.
Tested today Nitrates are a high and the pH was low. Added some Baking Sod to raise pH. Star fish is dead. Tank is still cloudy. Right before this all happened we added a little squirt of "Coral Life Invertebrate Smogasbord" to the tank for the starfish and the sea urchins. The tank contains a Flame Scallop, 2 small hermit crabs, 1 emerald crabs, 2 little white urchins, 1 little black urchin, a Blue Mandrin, 1 Wrasse, 2 Clownfish (the Nemo kind), 1 coral shrimp, 2 monkey shrimp, 1 Sally Light Foot Crab and several Blue Leg Hermit Crabs. I know it sounds like a lot but it looks like there's nothing in the tank. It's 29 Gallons has 2 filters and some current thing, Some Live Sand and Live Rock. Everything was just fine (crabs were a little violent though) until yesterday. First to go was an emerald crab(#2), then saw the hermit crab(#3) dead, then the starfish and scallop got sick. Starfish is dead, Scallops fine. Help.
For how long have you had this tank set? I sounds like it went through a cycle. You should take everything dead out of the tank, do a huge water change about 70% no more than that). PUt also some carbon in the filter to help getting off the amonia.
Was this an established tank? How long did you let it cycle?
Was this an established tank? How long did you let it cycle?
Set up at least 4 months. It alredy went through like 4-6 weeks of cycling, with some damsels when we first set it up. We have a variety of um...animals sowe feed them different foods, including live Brine Shrimp, Omega One Marine Flakes, Super Soft w/Krill, Seaweed and Hermit Crab Pellets. We don't feed them all at once, and we don't give them everthing at once. 1 Day we'll give them a pinch of flakes a couple days later we'll give them some Crab Pellets and so on... We have an Aqua Clear 150 30 Gallon Filter and an Aqua tech 10 Gallon Filter. And A 30 Gallon Power Sweep Filter. We bought a Protien Skimmer today , didn't put it in yet,. Do you think it will help ?
It will help improving water quality in the long term. Filters are not recommended, they are just nitrates factories. The best filter is you live rock and sand, they should be your biologial filters. Regular water changes will help, and the protein skimmer too. I wouldn't recommend using the skimmer right now, let the tank settle down again, the skimmer at this moments could bring more problems. Just do a lot of water changes.
"Filters are not recommended, they are just nitrates factories", "the skimmer at this moments could bring more problems"
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!
Use the skimmer, filters are needed for your tank ESPECIALLY if your having a problem now.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!
Use the skimmer, filters are needed for your tank ESPECIALLY if your having a problem now.
wastememphis said:
Well yes right now the filters are fine, but on an established tank they are no recommended. About the skimmer I say right now not to use it because introducing something new to the system is gonna alter things and can create more problems than solve them (bringing more stress to the fish). I would say wait to introduce the skimmer, use the filter with activated carbon, but when your problems is over remove esponges or any media from the filter cause those things are nitrate factories (unless you dont use live rock, then you need the filters).
im not saying its right, but i still use filters in my tank. i use two 330 biowheels. i also have about 180 lbs of live rock. changing water 1 to 2 times a month and my tanks doing great.