All my fish died...

[Brooklyn2la]

I'm a newby & I've had a 10gal salt water tank for about 1 1/2 yrs with sand snails, a cucumber?, hermits, clownfish, and a pseudo (purple). I recently bought a nano cube 28 & transferred everybody plus added more live rock, new sand, a damsel, and a bak pak skimmer- 3 wks ago. 2 wks ago a purchased a huma huma trigger which fit right in. I then decided to add a filter yesterday (fluval 306) which was creating havoc on water levels so I decided to leave it out. This morning all my fish were dead. Don't know what went wrong. What do you think & what to do now...

 

[Convict2161]

What are your water conditions? I'm sure that's gonna be first on everyone's mind. Can you give us a run down?

Sorry couldn't be more of a help to you, I'm new to the saltwater.

 

[Brooklyn2la]

On sunday I checked and also had my local store check my parameters. Everything was good maybe salt was a little high 1.023 so the guy told me. I think it was either the new filter or the fact that the trigger started eating the cucumber.

 

[Sniperhank]

1.023 is almsot on point for salinity...you want it at 1.025. Whoever told you that was high is way wrong. Know any of your other parameters?

Also, if your cucumber died in your tank it might have released toxins into your tank.

 

[rdnelson99]

1.023 is almsot on point for salinity...you want it at 1.025. Whoever told you that was high is way wrong. Know any of your other parameters?

Also, if your cucumber died in your tank it might have released toxins into your tank.

Depends on the type of cucumber but yes, that would be my guess. In addition, that is a awful big bio load for that size tank IMHO

 

[austinsdad]

A cuke and a trigger on top of a clown and a pseudo in a 10g tank is just asking for trouble. Sorry for your loss.

If the trigger ate the cuke, that likely killed everything. You did know they release toxins even if disturbed?

As a friendly piece of advice, pls research more on the inhabitants and their needs and cautions before you start buying again. That was way too much and the wrong stuff in a 10g tank. Maybe one fish, 2 crabs and 1 snail -that's it.

 

[ocminpin]

That was way too much and the wrong stuff in a 10g tank. Maybe one fish, 2 crabs and 1 snail -that's it.

OP stated he had upgraded to a 28g before adding more... Trigger included

---- OP I'm sorry for your loss!! :-(

 

[austinsdad]

I see now. Still, too much and the wrong things, even for a 28 IMO. Especially a trigger and a cuke.

 

[Brooklyn2la]

The trigger was really small & the cucumber was recommended. I guess live & learn.

 

[mr_X]

humu humu trigger was a terrible choice for a 28 gallon tank. Minimum tank size according to live Aquaria is 70 gallons.

 

[macman7010]

Well you have a soup of problems here:

1. A humu humu triggerfish is not only oversized for your tank from a physical size standpoint but also a waste generation standpoint. It will also eat your inverts and most of your current fish.

2. Even though you added live rock and transferred things from your previous tank there is no doubt you underwent a minor cycle. This combined with adding the trigger could have alone wiped everything out.

3. Bak Pak skimmers are, I hate to say it like this, practically worthless on two fronts. Unless you got the reef specific Bak Pak the blue plastic leaches nitrates due to additional bacterial filtration. I had one years ago and found on top of that it barely skimmed anything. Tunze makes a great skimmer for a tank your size.

3. Your salinty is low - try 1.025

4. Why did you put a new filter - (one that will only leech nitrates) on a nano-cube that should have built in filtration? If anything add an HOB UV sterilzer and turn the built in filtration into a refugium.

 

[EriksFish315]

It's all about research and not listening to Lfs they are just there to make a sale. Sorry for the loss.

 

[Brooklyn2la]

Thanks- I guess hindsight is 20/20

 

[Brooklyn2la]

Thanks- I guess hindsight is 20/20

I assumed that the built in filter didn't seem like much so I bought a better one.

 

[macman7010]

Well the built in filter is all in how you use it. Foam, ceramic rings, carbon bags. All this is very basic filtration. Although these units are designed to be integrated and used with the filtration provided or as your witnessed water level fluctuations will occur. I would recommend doing the following. Remove any foam blocks, ceramic rings and carbon bags from your filter. Also disconnect and return the Fluval to your LFS if you can, you shouldn't need it.

Replace the carbon, foam and ceramic rings with live rock rubble and cheatomorpha macro algae. JBJ makes a great clamp on refuge light called a Nano-Grow - pick one of those up, they are pretty cheap. Run that clamped over the live rock rubble and macro algae 24/7. If you want I would recommend adding Purigen by SeaChem and PhosBan by Two Little Fishies, you could add some ChemiPure pro if you like also.

I would attempt to return the Bak Pak skimmer and get a Tunze Nano DOC 9001. They are easy to install and super efficient, should be about the same cost as your Bak Pak as well.

 

[Brooklyn2la]

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Brooklyn2la]

Well you have a soup of problems here:

1. A humu humu triggerfish is not only oversized for your tank from a physical size standpoint but also a waste generation standpoint. It will also eat your inverts and most of your current fish.

2. Even though you added live rock and transferred things from your previous tank there is no doubt you underwent a minor cycle. This combined with adding the trigger could have alone wiped everything out.

3. Bak Pak skimmers are, I hate to say it like this, practically worthless on two fronts. Unless you got the reef specific Bak Pak the blue plastic leaches nitrates due to additional bacterial filtration. I had one years ago and found on top of that it barely skimmed anything. Tunze makes a great skimmer for a tank your size.

3. Your salinty is low - try 1.025

4. Why did you put a new filter - (one that will only leech nitrates) on a nano-cube that should have built in filtration? If anything add an HOB UV sterilzer and turn the built in filtration into a refugium.

Update: water has been cycling. Ammonia-0, nitrites-0, SG-1.025, nitrates- 5.
What kind of sterilizer would you recommend and how would I make the refugium? I started by putting LR and bought lettuce algae. JBJ glo light is coming.

 

[Brooklyn2la]

Update: tank is doing great . The only problem is the CPR Bak pak- too big. Guess I'll wait for $ to get something that will fit since I went with the refug