Losing fish, floating upside down

[femmeartist51]

So sad, this fish of mine is going to fish heaven. He was a great eater. Guess the rise in Nitrates did him in. So sad. Today he just didn't want to eat. I put him in new salt water, with all zero cts. Air stone, to just see what would happen, nothing good so far. Guess it was the sudden rise in nitrates did him in. It was a young sweet lips. Nitrates went up to between 20-40, ph 8.2-8.4, ammonia 0 nitrite 0 90 gallon tank, almost 4 weeks old.
Have a skimmer, trickle filter. Just put in new rock, live one. Been putting in rocks occasionally. Also just put in stress zyme, and prime. I know I cannot save this fish. Oh the fish I have in the tank are 3 small blue green chromies, ****** triger, maroon clown and an eel. So not sure if it is crowded for a 90 gallon tank.
this sweet lips, I know he will get huge, but we where planning to give him away when he got to big for a 90 gallon tank, now I dont have to worry about it.
Guess it was the nitrates that caused this. I have been fighting the nitrate issue with water changes. Once a week. The pet store said to cut back the water changes. Let me know what I should do to prevent this in the future. Thanks. Lynda

 

[Tmyboy]

Sorry to hear about your fish loss.

Did you say your tank is only 4 weeks old? Total?

I wonder why your lfs would say to cut down on the weekly pwc? Once a week is not much at all.

 

[spoonman]

Sounds like maybe too many fish too fast in a new tank? Sorry for your loss.

 

[Holygral]

first you need to figure why you have Nitrates, also high nitrates usually do not do fish in in the short run. Tank husbandry, water changes and how much and how often are you feeding. Are you using any type of filter media. Tells us more about your set up and we can point you in the right direction. I would also stop dosing a mixture of magic potions to fix conditions.

 

[femmeartist51]

Hi,

90 gallon,
Trickle Filter with bio wheels
Protein Skimmer
1 wave maker, have another but didn't like it

water info: PH 8.2-8.4 color is between both It seems
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate between 20-40
Weekly water changes about 2-25 percent
Temp went from 80 to 70
Salinity 1.023
Feeding once a day. What they will eat in 3 minutes

Been up running well for 3 almost 4 weeks. Well actually 4 weeks now.
Been doing water changes once a week. As I said, the store said to cut that back. Not sure why. Asked him about removing the trickle filter he said no keep it running. I have this brown algae problem, all of a sudden on the sand also. I have seen worse, I do not have much. Been removing some hair algae from the wave maker. One fish was doing so great for several weeks, then looks like it got swim bladder. I had just put in a live rock. New one from pet store. Lights I leave on for a few hours a day and turn it off. No sun in from any window. I get a lot of brown stuff in the skimmer. I plan on getting a RO/DI have to wait until I get some money in. So what causes swim bladder, this fish wasn't bloated at all, nor where it's scales raised. It just looked normal. So I don't want to have any other fish pass away, so what is wrong with this sytem.
Fish in tank is Maroon Clown Fish, Blue Green Chromies (put them in cause they are hardy little fish) One Trigger fish, have a eel, hardly ever see him. Some live rocks, not alot. As they are like $8 a pound.
So help please, I do not like my nitrates to be that high. thanks Lynda

 

[femmeartist51]

I do not put in much for quick fixes. The pet store told me to use prime and stress zyme. If that is a no no, let me know thanks

 

[leftyfish]

Nitrates of 20 are not high for a fish only tank and definitely not going to kill fish. What do you mean your temperature went fom 80 to 70? What is your temp?

 

[femmeartist51]

It is now down to 70. That is too low right?? Not sure what is with my heater. Oh my nitrates look closer to 40 than 20. Thanks

 

[Holygral]

Well to start, it will take your tank 3-6 weeks to cycle, after that you may only want to add 1 new fish a month. You have stocked too soon and too heavily. Temp is way too low, should be in the 78-80 degree range, how quickly did it drop, with a 90 gallon tank, you need more than 1 heater. I would look for the eel, he may have died and causing the spike. Need to get the temp thing fixed asap, do water changes and do not add anything else. Keep in mind the lfs is in business to sell you live stock, the more he sells you the more he makes.You also really need to slow down and work on the basic, water changes and let the tank mature a little and even maybe finish cycling.

 

[Schism]

70 is way to low. Get it up now or fish are going to start declining rapidly and die. New heater asap!

Also you added fish way too fast. Cycle was not completed. Nitrates rising rapidly is the end result of the cycle. Cycle is not complete until nitrates level out. When they level out you do a series of big water changes to remove them and then you have your starting point to maybe add a fish or two. It should have taken you months to get that many fish in there so quickly not weeks. Not good happens fast in saltwater.

Your fish store is retarded. Water changes are the most beneficial thing you can possible do for your system. So they basicly told you why do waterchanges when you can buy these products off us to dump into your tank instead. Stop listening to that fish store or your going to continue to get the bad information and they will drain your pockets.

 

[femmeartist51]

Thank you both and others. I found the eel he is doing ok. found my two shells empty of their little critters. Got them to eat the algae. They just didn't get enough to eat, so says the pet store. Anyway, I am doing a good water change today and going to see what the nitrates are. I know from FW that the nitrate rise is definitely the end of the cycle. I hope I am right. Also not listening to the store guy, I am back to doing weekly water changes. Thanks alot. Love the help. The store guy said how do I know these people of the forum. I don't think they like forums much. Thanks again, Lynda

 

[Schism]

Lol no problem. Yes they dont like anyone cutting into them making money. If everyone had a healthy and problem free tank with no losses then they would be out of business. Often times they push ideas and products at you to create those problems so that they get you returning over and over agian. This can cause many people to get very frustrated and quit the hobby entirely.

 

[femmeartist51]

LOL I do remember this from the fresh water tank we had for years. I seemed to have forgotten this issue with them, thank you for reminding me

 

[Holygral]

Lynda, you are on the right track, it is so easy to get in a hurry in this hobby because we want great beautiful tanks, but the more you rush, the more it will cost you and the more dishearten you will become. I have a 125 mixed and outside of salt and bulbs I spend very little on it, and i am bad as I only test 3-4 times a year, but thats because I know my tank, I do not dose anything and do weekly water changes. Once you tank is set up and mature it is not longer a labor of love, I have not lost a fish in 5-7 years, my original fish are still with me thru 3 upgrades, it does take some money to start but it goes down as your experience goes up. Best thing you can do is take your time, the oceans were not created in a month, it took thousands of years, and we are dealing with a much smaller environment, so when things go bad they go bad quickly, slow down, water changes and realize that it will take you 2 years to have the reef you want, no magic, no potions, time and patents are a reefers best friend......

 

[Holygral]

also what kind or eel is it, he will eat anything and everything in your tank as he gets bigger, also the bio load to keep him fed will be very large, they normally belong in a predator tank, they are cool and I had one but he ate my clowns and that was the end of the eels.

 

[Schism]

Lynda, you are on the right track, it is so easy to get in a hurry in this hobby because we want great beautiful tanks, but the more you rush, the more it will cost you and the more dishearten you will become. I have a 125 mixed and outside of salt and bulbs I spend very little on it, and i am bad as I only test 3-4 times a year, but thats because I know my tank, I do not dose anything and do weekly water changes. Once you tank is set up and mature it is not longer a labor of love, I have not lost a fish in 5-7 years, my original fish are still with me thru 3 upgrades, it does take some money to start but it goes down as your experience goes up. Best thing you can do is take your time, the oceans were not created in a month, it took thousands of years, and we are dealing with a much smaller environment, so when things go bad they go bad quickly, slow down, water changes and realize that it will take you 2 years to have the reef you want, no magic, no potions, time and patents are a reefers best friend......

+1 million great advise to any reefer

 

[Holygral]

The store guy said how do I know these people of the forum. I don't think they like forums much.

Because the people on the forum want you to be successful, we want you to stay in the hobby, we want you to help other newbes in the future, because we are not trying to sell you anything, LOL Plus he has probably never kept a fish longer than a couple of weeks, they are a burn and turn them type of retail store, he probably gets offended because the more fish that die on you, the more he gets to sell, sad but true

 

[Flreefer]

+1 million great advise to any reefer

Agree 100%!!!

My reef tank has taken over 7 years to become what it is today after 1 upgrade. (135-180).
I feel it's never done and I love that about this hobby. Slow and steady is always the way.

 

[bavass]

I bet the cycle hadnt finished everytime u added rock you started cycle again. Thats a lot of fish for that young of a tank moving way to fast

 

[bavass]

The store guy said how do I know these people of the forum. I don't think they like forums much.

Because the people on the forum want you to be successful, we want you to stay in the hobby, we want you to help other newbes in the future, because we are not trying to sell you anything, LOL Plus he has probably never kept a fish longer than a couple of weeks, they are a burn and turn them type of retail store, he probably gets offended because the more fish that die on you, the more he gets to sell, sad but true

+1 I belong to 2 forums this one and another one. I love them both, I have learned so much and my tank is so much better than it was. Listen to people here and only buy fish from LFS if they have quality fish. Most of the dry goods you can order offline a lot cheaper.