hippo tang/ percs

[p00num3lli]

i have a blue hippo tang about 2 inches, along with 1 false perc. and im strugling with high nitrates and cant seem to bring them down at all. i dont have a refugium sump or skimmer. im getting a skimmer soon though. do you think that my hippo tang is keeping me from lowing my nitrates?


and instead of starting another thread...


another question...

i had origanally bought a pair of false percs along with the hippo tang. one of my percs all the sudden dissapeared after about 1 month in my tank, couldnt find him/her anywere(this happened months ago). so i was wonder if i bought another perc would -if there already

the same sex- change gender so they would b a pair?

thanks

[ErikH]

1.) if you can take your fish back to the store that you brought them from and spend that money either towards a skimmer or a sump. You need both, really.... A skimmer should be one that sits in your sump, although there are a few decent Hang On Tank (HOT) skimmers that are good, nameably Deltec. Did you get sand an a clean up crew yet? If you still have rocks get rid of them and keep your tank siphoned free of any fish waste or excess foods.
2.) Maybe....

[Mr Cob]

i have a blue hippo tang about 2 inches, along with 1 false perc. and im strugling with high nitrates and cant seem to bring them down at all. i dont have a refugium sump or skimmer. im getting a skimmer soon though. do you think that my hippo tang is keeping me from lowing my nitrates?


and instead of starting another thread...


another question...

i had origanally bought a pair of false percs along with the hippo tang. one of my percs all the sudden dissapeared after about 1 month in my tank, couldnt find him/her anywere(this happened months ago). so i was wonder if i bought another perc would -if there already

the same sex- change gender so they would b a pair?

thanks

I think you need to give more history on your tank such as how long it's been up...size..live rock? Filtration used? What's your feeding schedule too?

Clowns will morph. The stronger will be the female. Note: If your clown that is in the tank now is a mated male and is larger than the new fish it will stay the male and the new clown will simply become the female and grow rapidly and eventually become larger.

[p00num3lli]

I think you need to give more history on your tank such as how long it's been up...size..live rock? Filtration used? What's your feeding schedule too?

Clowns will morph. The stronger will be the female. Note: If your clown that is in the tank now is a mated male and is larger than the new fish it will stay the male and the new clown will simply become the female and grow rapidly and eventually become larger.

been up for about 8 months. around 70ib of live rock. umm well my water is pumped through these teeth things at the top left, goes down, then back up through a sock like filter to get big stuff, then is pumped across a long plastic thing with carbon on it(there holes in it) then the water goes through the holes onto bioballs, then is pumped out through little oles on the right side. not sure what kind thats called?

[p00num3lli]

1.) if you can take your fish back to the store that you brought them from and spend that money either towards a skimmer or a sump. You need both, really.... A skimmer should be one that sits in your sump, although there are a few decent Hang On Tank (HOT) skimmers that are good, nameably Deltec. Did you get sand an a clean up crew yet? If you still have rocks get rid of them and keep your tank siphoned free of any fish waste or excess foods.
2.) Maybe....

yes i have a clean up crew, and get rid of my rocks.. i spent so much money on them. and i dont know how to do the drilling involved in doing a refugium.. im only 15. great this is just what i need...

[profntbtr]

i don't get your explanation do you have any pics?

[p00num3lli]

dont know how to put pictures up

[coffey]

Nitrates are probablly not your problem. Check your PH first then the Nitrites if your fish are not doing well. Fish can be quite happy with 100 meq nitrate.Do you have good internal water movement at the surface of your tank?

[fjr_wertheimber]

Ummm, why are you telling him to get rid of his rocks?

[p00num3lli]

Nitrates are probablly not your problem. Check your PH first then the Nitrites if your fish are not doing well. Fish can be quite happy with 100 meq nitrate.Do you have good internal water movement at the surface of your tank?

yea, i have 2 koralas #3, and my ph is around 8.0. ive had my same fish for 8 months and there fat and healthy. just cant seem to bring the trates down, gues i need to do more water changes

[marshall.read]

i think he suggested losing the rocks as he assumed the tank was new and the rocks were a source of nitrates, i'm sure the idea was to move the rocks to a holding tank until the they were cured and the display tank was under control. Check the filter sock to see if it needs replaced, a polyfilter will also help remove unwanted waste. Also 15% water changes every other week would also help lower your nitrates and improve the water quality. I would definately invest in a good skimmer first, refugium later. There are also hang on back refugiums which don't require any drilling or anything like that.

[SABOB]

What Test kit are you using for Nitrates?I had an API kit that showed Nitrates off the chart.Took a water sample to LFS to verify and found out my API Nitrate test was bad.Might take a sample to a LFS or have someone else test with a different kit to see if your results are accurate.

[p00num3lli]

no, i think its fine, i test my freshly mixed water be4 i change it and it shows 0 nitrates, just when i bought the tank it was in bad condition, and for the 9 months its been up ive been trying to lower it

[p00num3lli]

wen i got the rocks i was a real newbi beginner and didnt knw to *cure them so i didnt. but it was only a 45 min trip, so would that have been bad just to put them in if it was only 45 mins?and there covered in coralline algea now, so its still not dead and giving off nitrates is it?

[jessie71763]

Hello, this saltwater hobby is not as complicated as most people think it is, actually it's very simple if you follow some real simple steps. First, your tank size is not important, what is important is that you have at least two pounds of live rock for every gallon of water. Second, your live rock has to be cured because if it's not then you need to cure it. Don't worry if you bought at a pet shop usually it's cured. Third, you need to get rid of any bio balls or bio mesh in your wet&dry filter and just put some live rock in there if possible, then simply by putting a small compact light on your filter area and that should do the trick. Also, do not over feed, you should only feed once a day and a little at a time so the fish eat everything. Also, a good rule of thumb is that one fish for every four gallons of water is good. If you want send me your dirrect e-mail address and I will send you pics of my tank which happens to be nitrate free, I mean zero nitrates and I don't have a refugium, just what I told you. Good luck and don't hesitate in asking any more questions.

Jessie
jcjma@worldnet.att.net

[Mr Cob]

Don't worry if you bought at a pet shop usually it's cured.

Not true, especially if it's a popular saltwater store or a store that does not stock a crud load of it. Which means the live rock is not in the store long enough to cure.

What happens when they get a shipment....they add it to their tank (the top of the tank) and then you walk in an hour later and buy it. That's not cured live rock.