Unknowingly barbaric tankowner!

[teapage]

Just placed the order for a skimmer and refractometer

AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer w/Maxi-Jet 1200 Pump
Marine Depot Aquarium Refractometer

Going to pick up more RO water to get ready for my water change as soon as these two get here.

Thanks to everybody for all your help!

 

[leeveh99]

Might want to look into a RO/DI system. They arent too expensive and will save you from having to make trips to get your RO water. Not a necessity though..

 

[teapage]

Got me cleanup crew in today. We got a skunk cleaner shirmp, 3 scarlet hermit crabs, and 2 cleaner clams. So we'll see how this goes. The shrimp is fascinating to watch. He's just taken up shop and went straight to cleaning. My little shy chomris has taken right to him too. She's the only fish I have left.

The LFS guy suggessted we might add some plants now. Any suggestions?

 

[teapage]

My nitrates are still high. Here are my parameters for today. I tested a week ago and did a PWC on Friday.

pH 8.2
Alkalinity 7
Total Ammonia 0
Free Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 50
Salinity - gravity 1.03

I think my salinity is just a little high. Is there anything else I should be checking. I came to work this morning and my chromis was dead. So now I have no fish. Just have my hermits, cleaner shrimp and clams.

 

[thominil]

I would just do a 50% pwc to get those nitrates down. Get the sg down too as it's way too high, just add a few gallons of freshwater to get that down.

 

[teapage]

Ok, thanks! Am I going to lose my shrimp and hermit crabs too? Or are they going to survive?

 

[thominil]

I'm not sure whether they will survive or not. Just do the pwc, and they should be fine.

 

[teapage]

Looking at buying some Seachem Denitrate to add to my filtration. Will that help or am I just going to waste money on it?

 

[thominil]

Guessing from the name that it helps lower nitrates? Products like that usually end up causing more problems than anything else. IMO, it is better to find the problem that is causing the nitrates and fix it rather than mask it with something else anyway.

 

[thincat]

Since you don't have any fish in your tank anymore I would suggest that you do a series of 50% water changes until your nitrate is down to below 20ppms. Don't waste your money on any products at this time.

 

[teapage]

Ok, we'll try the water changes and get back with the parameters. The more I'm researching, I'm thinking the problem was there from the beginning. The tank was used. It belonged to the guy that owns the LFS. I don't think the tank was cleaned good before he came and set it up for us.

 

[thominil]

If it was just a bare tank, nothing in it when he brought it over, then that is not the cause. More than likely something either died, or you are overfeeding. Not much else that comes to mind other than those two.