Does Professional Reef Help Exsist?

[TheChad]

Hey All,

I Have been having trouble with Fish/Inverts survival.

I don't know if its where I'm getting them from (I've tried Several Places), Or If I am doing something wrong?

You can see my info for my tank specs. My tank has been up for just over 1 year now.

Thankfully My 2 Clowns, and 3 shrimp are all doing well.

But I have had a heck of a time with others.... I have had 2 sally light foot crabs, both have died. a handfull of hermits all have died. Fish wise, I have had 3 Copper Banded Butterfly's die, The Latest looked great one day, and was dead the next. I had a Watchman goby stop eating and die, 2 chromis's get sick and die (This may have been due to the 3rd chromis being bigger, and picking on the smaller 2).

I have about 6 snails, thus far all are still alive.

My water quality is pretty good, I usually don't get above 20ppm Nitrate, and all other pram's are 0.

I don't know if such a thing exsists, but is there a such think as Professional Reefers? You see all these beautiful tanks at the LFS's, and you know their's probably isn't 1/2 as well taken care of. I just wonder if I am doing something wrong, or of something in my system isn't right.

Thanks for the help..

-TheChad

 

[Steven Pro]

There are professional reefers. They are usually called aquarium service or maintenance companies. Check with some of the best local fish stores in your area and see if any of them have service deparmtnts and what a consultation would entail/cost.

 

[roka64]

I agree, but you should be able to keep them yourself. We just have to identify what is going wrong with your tank. If you have nitrAtes above 20ppm, that can cause problems.
How often are you doing PWCs?
Have you tested your source water?
How do you acclimate?

 

[melosu58]

Are you aerating your tank with surface aggitation? Can you post your water test results?

 

[TheChad]

I agree, but you should be able to keep them yourself. We just have to identify what is going wrong with your tank. If you have nitrAtes above 20ppm, that can cause problems.
How often are you doing PWCs?
Have you tested your source water?
How do you acclimate?

I try to change 3-6 Gallons a week, but it doesn't always happen. The R/O System is soo slow, so I can only really do about 2 gal at a time, and I don't always have time due to my work schedule.

I tested my tap water which had 20ppm Nitrates, which is why I bought an RO/DI, I have tested the RO/DI water and all show 0ppm.

I Drip acclimate for 2 hours. In a bucket.

Are you aerating your tank with surface aggitation? Can you post your water test results?

Yes, I have a Power Head breaking the surface, as well as My Sump Pump, and Canister Filter both break the top of the water.

I test Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia, and PH. My PH is usually 8.2-8.4. I started using powdered PH buffer vs a liquid one, and have been able to maintain my PH better.

My Ammonia is always at 0ppm, Nitrites are always at 0ppm. My Nitrates are between 0ppm-20ppm. I never allow the tank to get above 20ppm.


-TheChad

 

[roka64]

Ok, that sounds like a good schedule. How about pre mixing your water, you could make larger amounts and use as needed. I add salt/ph/water in a bucket and let it sit for at least 24 hours.
I would look at the buffering of your pH. A stable pH can be achieved by proper gas exchange (surface ripple). What type of covering do you have over your tank?
Looking at your "my info" a lot of fish have died from stress. What is your salinity?
Do you have constant temp swings, more than 2 degrees?
I'm not sure if 3-6 gallons of PWCs a week are enought. Can you try the premixing and do a larger PWCs, say every three weeks?
I have problems with my shrimp dying, but I only did PWCs once a months, and I beleieve they may have depleted the iodine/iodide needed for proper health.
Have you left your tank fallow for 8 weeks after the ich incidents?
I would also suggest soaking your frozen food in garlic extreem/zoe/selcon.
What/how often/how much are you feeding?

 

[Innovator]

What media, if any, is in the wet/dry sump and canister filter? You can also raise pH and keep it steady with a 2part ca/alk solution instead of a buffer, which isn't a longterm solution. Since you have problems with steady pH readings, have you tested your pH at different intervals to see if the pH is dipping low at night once the lights have turned off?

The orange electric hermit, Calcinus sp?, is an omnivore so don't be too surprised if snails slowly disappear. Also, Chelmon rostratus' (Copper Bands') do not have very good track records and although possible to keep alive, I don't recommend them for novices. How are your fish purchases being introduced, small additions over time or all at once?

 

[TheChad]

Ok, that sounds like a good schedule. How about pre mixing your water, you could make larger amounts and use as needed. I add salt/ph/water in a bucket and let it sit for at least 24 hours.
I would look at the buffering of your pH. A stable pH can be achieved by proper gas exchange (surface ripple). What type of covering do you have over your tank?
Looking at your "my info" a lot of fish have died from stress. What is your salinity?
Do you have constant temp swings, more than 2 degrees?
I'm not sure if 3-6 gallons of PWCs a week are enought. Can you try the premixing and do a larger PWCs, say every three weeks?
I have problems with my shrimp dying, but I only did PWCs once a months, and I beleieve they may have depleted the iodine/iodide needed for proper health.
Have you left your tank fallow for 8 weeks after the ich incidents?
I would also suggest soaking your frozen food in garlic extreem/zoe/selcon.
What/how often/how much are you feeding?

I have have very good luck with my shrimp.

I have glass tips on my tank, but I leave them Open, So only about 1/2 the tank is covered. I also have a Canopy over the tank, but I leave the top glass on that 1/2 open as well.

My salinity is 1.024 Sg. My Temp is pretty stable, I don't notice the temp changing really. Its at 82 degrees. The only time it really changes is when I do a water change because the RO/DI water is cold. But I add the water to the sump where the heater is to hopefully heat the water a little before going into the main tank, I will notice a 2-3 degree drop if I do a large water change.

All the fish I've lost, do good for a month or so, they look good, then die for no real reason.

The ich I had was in my 30g tank which is now my QT tank.

I do add 2 drops of Extreme Garlic to every feeding. I feed 1 cube of Mysis shrimp every other day.

I add seachem Reef Iodide once a week. The bottle says to add every other day, but I don't want to over dose, and haven't been able to find a Iodine test kit at any of the LFS. The bottle says Iodide is non-toxic though...

What media, if any, is in the wet/dry sump and canister filter? You can also raise pH and keep it steady with a 2part ca/alk solution instead of a buffer, which isn't a longterm solution. Since you have problems with steady pH readings, have you tested your pH at different intervals to see if the pH is dipping low at night once the lights have turned off?

The orange electric hermit, Calcinus sp?, is an omnivore so don't be too surprised if snails slowly disappear. Also, Chelmon rostratus' (Copper Bands') do not have very good track records and although possible to keep alive, I don't recommend them for novices. How are your fish purchases being introduced, small additions over time or all at once?

My Sump has Bio Balls, my Canister filter is a Ehiem Professional II Filter, and It uses it's own brand filter media which is like gravel, and course tube type.

I don't have any hermits anymore, except a couple blue leg, The hermits die at random, Not sure why.

I only introduce 1-2 fish at a time.

-TheChad

 

[roka64]

Hmmm, I would stop the dosing of Iodine, especially since you don't have a test for it, you will never know how much is in the tank. That specific test kit is Iodine/Iodide http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=13511&N=2004+113074.

 

[Guest]

You should be heating and aerating mixed S/W before it goes into the tank.

Also, you need a TDS meter to test your RO/DI. Inline meters are the best and run about $40.

 

[Innovator]

The problem with your nitrates might lie within the wet/dry and canister filter. Wet/drys can be effective if used as intended, to provide a highly oxygenated environment and help break down the nitrification process. Many large systems employing heavy fish-only bioloads can rely upon these filters to avoid any toxicity poisoning, but regular maintenance must still be a priority as in any system. The problem is that nitrate needs to be exported somehow and usually through efficient protein skimming, larger water changes, regular maintenance of mechanical filtration media, etc. You can either ditch the bioball media very slowly and replace with live rock (refugium perhaps) or perform larger water changes (20% or more every couple of weeks) to keep nitrates in check and regularly maintain the filter (pads, socks, etc). This should alleviate the problem, but it didn't help that some of your fish choices are sensitive to begin with.

 

[TheChad]

I maintain the Sump, and canister filters regulary. I do have a skimmer in the sump.

Arn't all the coolest fish sensative? But I seam to have problems with even more hardy fish.. The part that gets me is how they look great one day, no sign of stress or sickness, but are sick or dead the next.

This is why A professional would be a good thing for ahwile. So I can learn what I don't know, and get everything the way it should be. I'd love do have one of those beautiful reef's like some of the LFS's have.

I have more or less given up on the Copper Banded Butterfly.. I like a few other butterfly's but none seem to be reef safe.

Are Sally light foots hard to keep as well? I was shocked when my 1st sally died, but when the 2nd died, I began to wonder if they are going to be like copper banded butterflys...

-TheChad

 

[Guest]

Chad there is really a lot to learn in this hobby, a lot! But everybody started somewhere and it is just very frustrating when things do not go our way and we lose animals and money.
'
Just keep on reading and asking, and I promise things will get easier and more sucessful. It is a hobby that requires diligence and time but if you really have a love for it, you will suceed, it just takes time.

I just wanted to say that so you realize that everybody goes through mistakes in the begginng.

I think where things may have gone wrong is you may have gone a little quick and added species that may have been discouraged for the start.

Start fresh and ask about everything. As far as "professionals" I met a few that worked for one and I forgot more than he had in his head and I am 1,000 steps below some people I know. Doing it all yourself is half the fun in the end, trust me. Feel free to pm me with anything as well and the other mentors, mods are all great as well.