Please Help.....Invert losses

[Jim D]

In the past month, have lost a bubbletip anemone and a starfish. Both seem to have met their end beside heater thermostat. Could this be my problem. All other occupants ok.

 

[hicmndr]

Can you post your water statistics? Size of tank? Other tank occupants? Any additional info would be helpful.

 

[jamal-188]

How long have you had your tank up and running for? Most suggest not to introduce an anemone into a tank that is less than 1 year old. Both of these animals are extremly sensitive to water conditions and must be acclimated every slowly. How do you go about acclimating new animals into your tank? If you don't use the drip line procedure I woudl highly recomend it especially for sensitive inverts. I can't find the link but I"m sure someone else has it if your interested.

 

[Jim D]

its only 20 gallon,setup for about 6 months.Water conditions fine. Just learning about hobby and looking into getting bigger aquarium.

 

[Jim D]

think what is happening is too much too soon. I got to be more patient

 

[hicmndr]

How stable is your temperature and salinity? I have a 20 gallon tank as well, and have noticed that it is sometimes difficult to keep the salinity stable due to evaporation.

 

[Jim D]

Got a couple of percula's, Scooter blenny, Yellow tang and scarlet shrimp

 

[Jim D]

Do regular partial water changes and top up as required. Salinity is approx 1021-23

 

[hicmndr]

It sounds like your tank could potentially be overstocked as well. I've seen several recommendations to keep Yellow tang's in at least a 55 gallon tank. How are your nitrite / nitrate levels?

 

[Jim D]

going by test kit...nearly zero levels. My local aquarist never tells me this is a problem..thats a problem. He just sells,no questions. Using undergravel filter, protien skimmer and live rock and sand

 

[jamal-188]

going by test kit...nearly zero levels. My local aquarist never tells me this is a problem..thats a problem. He just sells,no questions.

What are you testing for, and what are the exact readings?

Now you learning Most LFS's are run by kids or other people who just don't know what they are talking about. I learned the hard way that I cannot take anything they say as truth without doing some of my own research first.

Using undergravel filter

I would suggest you remove this asap. Undergravel filters are not a very successful filtration method in SW tanks. They will clog up sooner rather than later and are just a big mess to work with.

 

[jamal-188]

Do regular partial water changes and top up as required. Salinity is approx 1021-23

Most people on here suggest a SG of 1.025 especially for inverts. I would raise your gradually over the next week or so. And having a SG of 1.021-1.023 is not a very good measurment, you want to have the reading as exact as possibley especially when doing water changes when you want to add water that has the exact same SG as your tank.

 

[Doan]

I would also want to ask especially if your inverts are the ones having problems and That you have a yellow tang (very prone it ich) Have you ever used copper to treat it or dosed the tank with copper. Also if you got any water from the store in yours when adding something (the tang) he may have been treated with copper there.. Again These guys are the pros this is just me kinda stating the big potential problems..You may want to run a copper test especially if you are using tap water..
Just trying to help

Doan