Dead Tang, Sick maroon Clown. Help..

[ronin33]

Set up a 90 gallon tank about 5 weeks ago. Cycled w 90 lbs of cured live rock from an established tank. Used Coralife salt, Carib alive sand (80lbs, 4 inch base) have a Megaflow 3 sump w a Rio 2500 watt pump (594 gallons/hr) and a Coralife Needle Wheel Protein skimmer (125 Gallons/hr). Also have a second powerhead in the tank cycling about 294 gallons/hr. Used tap water initially and used Prime Day #1 and Stability daily for 7 days. Also have Chempure and Chempure elite filter pads in my Sump. Bioballs removed. After my cycle, I added a Dwarf Lionfish, Maroon Clownfish and a Yellow Tang. OK, I didn't Quarantine

. Diatoms came out about 1 week ago (About the same time I added a 9W Uv filter to my sump). Since purchased 10 Black snails, 10 blue leg hermits, 1 Red Leg Hermit, 4 Turbo Snails and 4 Nassarius snail. Tested SG, pH, Ammonia, Nitrites and nitrates almost daily for 1 month. Temp 78 degrees, pH 8.3, SG 1.020, 0ppm Ammonia/Nitrite and Nitrate. Three days ago I went to a local aquarium to pick up the blueleg hermits and was told I should also be testing alkilinity and Calcium and use a buffer daily. Day 1 I tested both (DK 7, Calcium460. I added the buffer and ......My Yellow Tang died the following day. Now the Maroon Clown has white spots on his side that look swollen. Retested all my parameters and they're all the same. Performed a 25 gallon water change today. Any suggestions? Is this Ich.

 

[austinsdad]

There is no need to add anything to your tank that partial water chnages won't do. Your calcium reading wss fine - before the "local aquarium" advised adding some. Could be ick with all the stress of being new to the tank, using prime and stability (I'm not a fan of additives at all), then adding calcium and Ph buffers. That's a lot for those fish to go thru in that short time.

What is the calcium reading since the buffer?

 

[ronin33]

pH 8.3 DK 8.0 Ca 460 SG 1.020 Temp 78F 0Amm 0Nitrite 0Nitrate It was the owner of the local aquarium store. Told me I should be treating my FOWLR Tank as a Reef Tank and the Buffers and testing of DK and Ca was a must. The Prime and Stability hadn't been in the system for over 2 weeks and the fish were not present during the addition. Should I buy a QT Tank and take the Clown out? PS The Buffer is B-Ionic Calcium Buffer System.

 

[melosu58]

If you plan on treating him then you`ll need to QT him. I`m really wondering about your numbers. You should have some nitrates in a fairly new tank.

 

[andysam]

Im with austinsdad no need for all the additives, they can cause more harm then good. Looking at your clown that does not look like ich to me.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Remember, it's more than 'buying a QT tank'. That tank needs a cycled filter of some sort as well or you are just going from bad to worse.

I agree though, based on the picture, that looks like marks from scratching or something else.. not ich though I it's just a guess based on the pic. Also agree with the 0 nitrate number.

You never really said, how is the lionfish doing? They tend to me much less tolerant of bad conditions IMO

 

[austinsdad]

So the calcium reading never changed. You might wann read up at the articles section here onhow to set up a quarantine tank - which by the way is something I'd recommend strongly to anyone setting up a new tank with new fish additions to exisiting stock.

All it takes is "one bad/sick/diseased apple" to kill the tree. Just made that up. But it could easily happen.

Check those nitrates with the fish shop maybe to validate your test.

And in the future, just do the water changes and forget the additives. Unless you start with hard corals, then that's another thing. With just fish. Don't add.

 

[thincat]

I agree, It looks like the clown has been scratching itself against somthing. How much of the "Buffer" did you add?

 

[andysam]

Also how did you add the buffer into the sump or directly into the tank?

 

[ronin33]

The first day I added it to the sump and the next I added it directly to the Tank. It precipitated a little the second day. I only used it twice. So, could it be a Chemical irritation of sorts? The Lionfish looks fine. I used 20cc of both Solution #1 and #2. Soln. #1 Carbonate Alkalinity 2800 mEQ/Liter (1ml/gallon raises alkalinity by 0.74). #2 62,752 mg/L Calcium (1ml/Gallon raises Calcium by 16ppm). Added them seperately. So, doesn't look like Ich?.. No need to QT the fish? Don't want to stress it anymore. The Lion is Tiny so I don't think he was the culprit. Could it have been those spikes on the rear of the Tang? How shall I proceed? Stopped using the buffer. Will continue testing Temp, pH, SG, DK, Ca, Ammonium, Nitrite, Nitrate 2-3X/week w water changes 10-20% per week. No more new fish. Continue with the Protein Skimmer, UV Filter, Decrease the amount of light exposure. Anything else?

 

[thincat]

sounds okay, remember the only thing that goes fast in a saltwater aquarium is "Money".

 

[austinsdad]

Add zoe and garlic guard to the food to help them get stronger.

 

[ronin33]

So should I add anemones now? Just kidding. The fish appear in good spirits. Will stop w the additives, continue water changes, continue monitoring Temp, SG, pH, Amm/Nitrite/Nitrate, Ca, Alkilinity etc.. Decrease the amount of time lights are on. The snails seem to be cleaning the tank up nicely. Added another powerhead tonight. No more fish for a while. Pick up a QT tank, but won't further stress the Clownfish by adding him since we do not think this is Ich. Continue w varying feeding and err on the side of underfeeding. Any other suggestions?

 

[austinsdad]

Sounds like you're on the right track.

 

[melosu58]

So should I add anemones now? Just kidding.

I know you are kidding but just so you`ll know that your tank needs to mature another 6 to 8 months before you can add one. They need a very stable and mature tank.

 

[ronin33]

Thanks!