My tank has been cycled and going for 8 months

[kaileykari]

I am getting really frustrated! My tank has been cycled and going for 8 months. All my tests are good, except the nitrate a little high. I am doing weekly water change. I get a couple clownfish, and they are great for a few days. They are swimming and eating great, then one morning they are dead on the bottom! What is going on? I have a small blue-head wrasse, two snails, and two skunk-cleaner shrimp. They all seemed fine together. Any suggestions please?

 

[slitherbomb]

Maybe they were bad stock? I've had fish that I got from my lfs that do fine then just die for no reason. Unless your store has some guarantee, I would just buy fish online since, at least for me, they are higher quality at the same price.

 

[carey]

Also, of you buy online you usua;;y get at least a 2 week guarantee on the fish.

How do you acclimate your fish? What about salinity and temperature? Maybe it's just something youre missing....

 

[melosu58]

If you have nitrates only then your cycle is complete. Nitrates are the end result of the cycle. They can be lowered by PWC`s, denitraitors or macro algea in a refugium. They can also lowered by less feedings also. But if your ammonia and nitrite rose and then lowered back to 0 then your cycle is complete.

 

[kaileykari]

I will try ordering online. Are clowns more likely to die suddenly? This has happened three times. The LFS really push "cycle" to add to the tank. They tell me you can never add enough of it. Is this true? It is kind of expensive. Thanks!

 

[kaileykari]

Maybe they were bad stock? I've had fish that I got from my lfs that do fine then just die for no reason. Unless your store has some guarantee, I would just buy fish online since, at least for me, they are higher quality at the same price.

I have a twenty gallon. Temp is 82.

 

[carey]

If you are cycled there is no need to add any more chemicals to your water than is absolutely necessary.

Clowns are supposed to be pretty hardy and don't usually die out of the blue. Thats why I think maybe we're all missing something, your tank should be stable after so much time.

Good luck though!!

 

[slitherbomb]

The temp is a little high but that's really it.

 

[SHARPiE]

Clowns are very hardy (a member of the damsel family). For them to mysteriously die without any change in parameters, leads me to believe they were bad stock.

Can you post the exact figures of the below parameters?
It'll help us narrow down what went wrong. It's frustrating when they mysteriously die, but eye opening when you know what went wrong.

Ammonia -
Nitrite -
Nitrate -
pH -
Salinity -
Temp -

Also, are you using any "additives"?
The only thing you should be adding to your tank is food, and prepared salt water for water changes.

 

[jsmith]

If you are cycled there is no need to add any more chemicals to your water than is absolutely necessary.

Clowns are supposed to be pretty hardy and don't usually die out of the blue. Thats why I think maybe we're all missing something, your tank should be stable after so much time.

Good luck though!!

Agreed...clowns are super hardy I know poeple who have cycled with them

 

[kaileykari]

Clowns are very hardy (a member of the damsel family). For them to mysteriously die without any change in parameters, leads me to believe they were bad stock.

Can you post the exact figures of the below parameters?
It'll help us narrow down what went wrong. It's frustrating when they mysteriously die, but eye opening when you know what went wrong.

Ammonia -
Nitrite -
Nitrate -
pH -
Salinity -
Temp -

Also, are you using any "additives"?
The only thing you should be adding to your tank is food, and prepared salt water for water changes.

I am using the test strips that you dip in the water. Ammonia-0. Nitrite-0.5. Nitrate -80. pH-7.8 Salinity-300 Temp-80-82. Gravity-1.022. I do add "Cycle" every few days, My LFS guys keep telling me "you can't add too much". I don't want to kill anymore fish!!!

 

[carey]

You are in need of a desperate water change. The ammonia and nitrite should be 0 at all times and the nitrates shouldnt be above 20.

You might consider using the API test liquid kit, it's a heck of a lot more accurate than the strips.

I would also stop using this cycle stuff it isnt helping. If you let your tank do it's thing with proper water changes you won';t need any chemicals.

 

[kaileykari]

Ok..................my wrasse was deceased this morn. Why do they seem fine during day, and die overnight? I have two skunk cleaner shrimp, doing ok. I will go get more RO water and do fifty percent water change. And get liquid test kit. Thank you

 

[carey]

Good luck!! So sorry about your wrasse but you can still save the other fish if you work at it.

 

[jsmith]

Ok..................my wrasse was deceased this morn. Why do they seem fine during day, and die overnight? I have two skunk cleaner shrimp, doing ok. I will go get more RO water and do fifty percent water change. And get liquid test kit. Thank you

You need to do some serious water changes like carey said empty out about 50% of ur water and do a good 15% in two days and another 2 or three days after that... are you using to water or tap...



Edit sorry didn't read the get more... u should test ur to water for phosphates and nitrates..

 

[DJLiquid]

Lower that temp to 79 degrees...your making fish soup at 82!

 

[jsmith]

Lower that temp to 79 degrees...your making fish soup at 82!

82 isn't horrible in my opinion.. its not really the heat as much as the lack of oxygen in the water... I've been scuba diving in the caribbean when water was close to 86 degrees.

 

[carey]

82 is fine as long as it's consistent. The water changes are your top priority now.

 

[SHARPiE]

You have nitrites, change water ASAP - change twice a day until nitrites dissapear.