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View Full Version : New Hobbiest Needing General Help



JE50769
Wed, 14th Apr 2010, 06:12 PM
Hey guys!

Just a bit about my current setup - got a 75g tank, about 60lbs of live rock, bout 2 inches of live sand/crushed coral - a nemo, rainbow dartfish, lawnmower blennie, three damsel's, and bunches of cleaner type snails and stuff. I have had this around 4 months now, had some interesting things happen which confused me and seein what the general thought is.

Bought the tank from someone who had it setup and running for around 3 years. When I got it there were no live fish, just the live sand and rocks. I got it home kept around 50% of the old water and topped it off. Let it cycle for about a month then added the Dartfish and two blue damsels. Two days later the damsels were dead. All through this time I was checking all the chems etc in the water and everything was within acceptable limits. The only difference was the damsels were from the stores tanks, and the dartfish was from a bag (not introduced to the stores tanks). Used a drip method of about two hours in a seperate tank to get aclimated. Now this has happened two other times with other fish. All the same and usually keeping one of the three or so I buy. Do yall think its something to do with the store's tanks? (since the only ones that have made it this far were never in thier stock) or could it be something like my tank doesn't have enough water flow? The waterflow is a bit on the low side, but can that kill fish? Dont have corals and stuff yet, but want to start when I figure out whats wrong with my setup...

jrsatx20
Wed, 14th Apr 2010, 06:32 PM
Posting your water parameters will give us a better understanding of what may be wrong. Please test and post results. Temp. Salinity. Nitrates. Nitrites. Ammonia. Ph. Welcome to maast BTW.

Neptune@gabesfish
Wed, 14th Apr 2010, 06:46 PM
How long was the tank with no animals? What kind of filters are on it?

ACE
Wed, 14th Apr 2010, 06:55 PM
What is your water source, RO, RO/DI, tap? otherwise posting water params like suggested will help us help you. you said you were checking water "chems", so I would guess you have a test kit of some sort. some kits have expiration dates as well

JE50769
Wed, 14th Apr 2010, 07:03 PM
Tap - bought a new chemical tester when I got the tank, no idea how long the orig was set up without fishies. I will work on getting the water conditions when I get home after work. :) thanks!

What I have stored in my phone was a bit ago and my first try at the kit.. lol so no promises or explinations are avail for my gooberness....

Temp: 76
ph 8.0
sg 1.021
mg 1000.0 (no idea about this one?)

stoneroller
Wed, 14th Apr 2010, 08:39 PM
Take your water to a reef shop and ask them to test it. Then you'll have a good start as you learn to test water accurately.

ErikH
Wed, 14th Apr 2010, 09:27 PM
We need to know your nitrates, trites and ammonia.

Stop screwing around with damsels, you will probably just end up tearing your tank apart to get them out later. What are you measuring your salinity with? If fish stores ONLY sold refractometers, I think life would be grand! :)

Stop adding anything you are adding. Test test and test again. Once a day, for the next week. Keep a log of it. It helps immensely.

tzhanks
Wed, 14th Apr 2010, 11:25 PM
What is creating your waterflow now? Is the tank getting enough O2?

JE50769
Thu, 15th Apr 2010, 12:07 AM
water flow and filtration at the moment is a Rena filterstar x2 and a single power head (unk size) two airstones. I'll test the water when I get home and get back with yall

hobogato
Thu, 15th Apr 2010, 06:41 AM
airstones? this may be part of your problem as the bubbles tend to stay in the water a long time with salt water and they get stuck in the fish's slime coat causing irritation.

paul
Thu, 15th Apr 2010, 02:44 PM
could be ph level not high enough, water temp if you have a broken heater, those are a few that bothered me when i started.