HELLLLLLLPPP!!!!!!!!!!

[macman7010]

I bought a 55 gallon tank that I planned to make a small fish only saltwater tank out of. I have over 15 years with freshwater and even write for several magazines regarding keeping freshwater fish, though I have no saltwater expierence.

I set up an undergravel filter with Dual Aqual Clear 401 powerheads. I also installed an Aqua Clear 500 filter and a Whisper Power 30-60 filter. I added 38 pounds of crushed coral as substrate and used Oceanic Sea Salt to reach a salinity of 1.021.

I used both Cycle and Seachem Stability to cycle the tank and 15 pounds of live rock to start. I let the tank cure fishless for 3 weeks. Inserted 2 damsels for another 3 and continued dosing with Stability for one week. I returned the damsels and got a

2 inch Porcupine Fish
kept him in tank for one week then got
1 yellow tang
kept him for one more week
got 1 Volitan Lionfish

Right now my Porcupine Puffer is covered in some form of external parasite requiring him to be removed from the tank for treatment. My Lionfish and tang both were stuck with Ich which has cleared though now my lionfish's eyes are clouded over and he cannot see.

What should I do.

Should I

a. Return all fish to thier stores and start over
b. Scrap the whole thing and return to freshwater
c. Continue to treat fish and attempt to accomplish stability???


I am about ready to give up.

 

[austinsdad]

How has your water tested over the weeks since you've cycled and added fish? I'm trying to imagine if anything is stressing the fish. Either water issues or you got an infected fish from the LFS.

The quarantine/hospital tank may help you in the future as you add new fish and QT them for 2 -3 weeks to ensure you don't introduce parasites. As for now, you've either got to treat the infected fish with copper - which will prevent you from having inverts in that tank in the future.

I'm sure someone will chime in and tell you more about treating the fish, but don't scrap the SW thing just yet. It's a wonderful hobby when done right. Maybe starting over with more caution about adding new fish directly to your main tank might be a good thing to do.

Back to the QT. It's a very necessary thing to have in this hobby IMO.

 

[dralarms]

1. get all fish in QT. Never return a sick fish to the lfs unless they have proper QT's. Cycle is junk for SW, I don't know about Seachem stability. Can you give us the reading off your tests so that we can try and help? need to know temp, sg, ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, At the very least. Never give up, we are here to help.

 

[austinsdad]

By the way, where are you in MD? If you're buying from an LFS near me, QTing is essential.

 

[macman7010]

My location in Maryland in Deep Creek Lake, roughly 4 hours from Baltimore City. My readings are as follows

Ammonia = .002
Nitrate = .008
Nitrite = .008
Ph = 8.4

 

[austinsdad]

Not that I'm the one to help you with the diseases, but what is the salinity level? When I first got started, I was topping off with salt water and had bad salt levels which contributed to the stress.

When you cured/cycled the tank did you watch your ammonia and nitrite levels peak? Seen Robert Fenner's "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist"? Other than his suggestion about cyling with fish, it's a good read for starters. A lot of folks here recommend cycling with raw shrimp. I'm wondering if you cycled properly.

 

[dralarms]

With a tank that has roperly" cycled you should have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites. Need to do a massive water change, get the fish in QT, and add garlic to their diets, and since both of the other fish had ick to start with you need to start treating them for ick.

 

[macman7010]

I have spoken with a variety of sources and will be testing my water tonight, although I think what has caused this problem is a spike in Nitrite from the destruction of a biological filter from Ich medication (DAMN ICH)!

My plan is for a water change to reduce this although my question is should I continue to treat him with Pima and Mela Fix?

 

[dralarms]

So you used ich meds. in the main? You don't want to ever put any crabs, snails, ETc in the tank, unless you dump the cc, all filters, and do a 100% water change. Most ich meds. use copper as a main ingrediant. this does not bode well with inverts at all. Never treat your fish in the main unless absolutely necessary.