everything is dying and my levels suck!

[Poor Boy]

What happen?!

My salt level is 1.024

Ammonia .75
Ph 7.5
Nitrates 15

This is using the API SW Master test kit.

I'm going to run to the store now and get some water to do a 40% water change.

Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Big_Pun]

can't tell you without info, any changes in tank, dosing anything, what water do use, stir anything up?

maybe it was slowly happening

[jcnkt_ellis]

What big pun said, plus it may be a bad kit. Did you run the tests more then once? Are you taking a sample to the store your getting water from for them to test? Patience is a virtue in this hobby and rushing to fix a problem before your absolutely sure about it can hurt the tank and your wallet...

[Dean]

How often do you do water changes? How much do you feed? Have you recently stocked more fish?

[350gt]

My refractometer went out of calibration the other day... I caught it though... I can see where someone wouldn't though..

My second refractometer confirmed it and lastly my hydrometer was the one on point!.....

[Poor Boy]

Only 2 things have changed in the past 2 months... The lights and the salt. I went from a basic pc light fixture to a T5 fixture. I also changed to the instant ocean reef salt.

I usually do a 15% water change every 2 weeks. Its a 30g tank

My pep shrimp has been missing, my curly que nem has been MIA for a couple days now, my kenya trees are whittled and rusty looking at the tips... My leather toadstool seems fine along with a couple other softies... My purp mush seem to be doing fine as well.

I feed the fish once a day and I havnt added anything new to the tank...

We did get a kitten this past month... Not sure if he has anything to do with it though. Maybe he's getting into the sump?

[Dean]

Find the nem. If its dead it will trash the tank.

[Poor Boy]

His is prob what happen...

The shrimp and the nem got into it, the shrimp lost, but took a few critical shots on his way out. Slowly but surely the nem was counting the last of his days so he decided to crawl off and die.

Ill look for him now.

[Poor Boy]

Okay, so I had to flip over every rock, but I did eventually find him. He is very much alive, but small and shriveled up. I did move some rocks around so he can catch some more light and allow me to keep an eye on him. I was able to reposition a few rocks so the kenya trees could get more light as well and did a 30% water change. In a couple more hours ill re test everything.

[Big_Pun]

what's filtration for this system consist of

[Poor Boy]

An over flow that drains into a filter pad which then drains into a sump with maybe 15lbs of LR and some macro algae.

[Bill S]

Take a sample to your LFS. Those kits are notorious. As are swing arm hydrometers, if that is what you are using.

[Poor Boy]

a pic of the nem and the kenya tree...

2496724968

sorry for the crap quality

[Big_Pun]

I think you nem stressing may have been first signs of stress. something caused that ammonia spike

[ktipp]

Whats latest tank status? Did you figure it out?

[Poor Boy]

i did not figure out what happen, but everything seems to be doing better, minus the curly que nem. hes gone, gone. do peppermint shrimp eat the incapable? i did buy them to eat the aptasia.

oh, my large kenya tree completely died off too.

heres an updated pic...

25001

[cbianco]

i did not figure out what happen, but everything seems to be doing better, minus the curly que nem. hes gone, gone. do peppermint shrimp eat the incapable? i did buy them to eat the aptasia.

oh, my large kenya tree completely died off too.

heres an updated pic...

25001

Need to test for that ammonia again!

Christopher

[Poor Boy]

ill check the levels after dinner and report back.

[Poor Boy]

The amm level is below .25 but not 0.

[cbianco]

The amm level is below .25 but not 0.

I'm gonna give you two things off the top of my head.

1. Your test kit may off. Assuming your tank is mature and cycled, you shouldn't see any ammonia.

2. Something major has died in your tank throwing it off.

What things have happened/have you done to your tank in the previous week or two?

Either way, I would do another water change. Ammonia is enemy #1 in this game.\

Christopher

[ktipp]

We'll PoorBoy, I recommend you get this --> http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/microbacter7t.php
and dose it as instructed on the bottle. Use it as an additive.

I use this and have great results with it.

[Bill S]

As I recall, you have an API Ammonia kit? They seem to never say "0". Get another kit - it's way to critical an item for a cheap kit.

[cbianco]

As I recall, you have an API Ammonia kit? They seem to never say "0". Get another kit - it's way to critical an item for a cheap kit.

Bill (and other members), what brand ammonia test kit would you recommend?

Christopher

[Bill S]

I'm a Salifert fan. I had a problem with Seachem once, and they acknowledged that they had a problem (Alk). But I haven't bought one since.

[LuckySingh]

Bring a water sample tag my place. We 'll run a test. I got all kind of test kits

[ktipp]

+1 Salifert