Hello,
I have recently come into the world of saltwater fish. More so by default. (My longtime girlfriend has a tank/fish). She has not been too diligent or knowledgable on the maintenance upkeep testing etc. So I took it upon myself to get educated on it and begin helping her. She currently has a 55gal tank with approx 50 lbs of live rock. Fish: yellow tank, porcupine puffer (9" long), Clown fish, picasso triggerfish, two blennys and a hermit crab. She is filtering it with a fluval 405. (I am currently researching sumps and have a spare 20 gal that my snapping turtle outgrew to use to build one as I am very crafty). She has crushed coral in the bottom, which I have found is a nitrate haven and I believe is adding to the issues. I am doing what I can to help, but there was a lot done wrong and not done at all that has brought this tank to a sad state and feel she is quite fortunate that the fish are still alive. Using simple dip sticks Ic an tell her nitrates are off the chart due to untimely water changes and filter cleanings/carbon refills. Even though it is serious I joke and say her live rock is dead, due to her Ex puting an antibacterial medicine for previous fish that had ich that eventually died. She restocked it with the current community, but the live rock never came back except for the brushworm and noodle worm inhabitants and green and maroon algae. While getting her on a routine and constantly testing it, we have yet to get the nitrates to even a good level. Now I look at the yellow tank who's fins are not flared and beautful as I have seen in many pics online, and is now pale and showing some hemorrahging which I hope is not hemorraghic septicemia and hopefully just stress. All of the fish are very active and very good eaters though. Wish us luck on the task ahead and any advice is most definitely welcome.
I have recently come into the world of saltwater fish. More so by default. (My longtime girlfriend has a tank/fish). She has not been too diligent or knowledgable on the maintenance upkeep testing etc. So I took it upon myself to get educated on it and begin helping her. She currently has a 55gal tank with approx 50 lbs of live rock. Fish: yellow tank, porcupine puffer (9" long), Clown fish, picasso triggerfish, two blennys and a hermit crab. She is filtering it with a fluval 405. (I am currently researching sumps and have a spare 20 gal that my snapping turtle outgrew to use to build one as I am very crafty). She has crushed coral in the bottom, which I have found is a nitrate haven and I believe is adding to the issues. I am doing what I can to help, but there was a lot done wrong and not done at all that has brought this tank to a sad state and feel she is quite fortunate that the fish are still alive. Using simple dip sticks Ic an tell her nitrates are off the chart due to untimely water changes and filter cleanings/carbon refills. Even though it is serious I joke and say her live rock is dead, due to her Ex puting an antibacterial medicine for previous fish that had ich that eventually died. She restocked it with the current community, but the live rock never came back except for the brushworm and noodle worm inhabitants and green and maroon algae. While getting her on a routine and constantly testing it, we have yet to get the nitrates to even a good level. Now I look at the yellow tank who's fins are not flared and beautful as I have seen in many pics online, and is now pale and showing some hemorrahging which I hope is not hemorraghic septicemia and hopefully just stress. All of the fish are very active and very good eaters though. Wish us luck on the task ahead and any advice is most definitely welcome.
