Mike_Wald
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I have a 40 gal. salt water tank. Filtration includes a Whisper bio-wheel, an under gravel filter system hooked up to a Tetratec Deep Water pump, and a 30 gal. air pump hooked up to some oxygen tubes to help circulate water and air. This is a fish only tank with coral substrate and no live rock or live plants.
I always do a 50% water change about once a month with a good rinse and cleaning of everything in the tank. I also do a 25% change sometime in between cleanings to remove fish waste. Right now I am just using tap water with Prime water conditioner because it seems to be working fine for now. Levels in the tank seem to be ok, except for nitrate. pH is about 8.0, Alkalinity is 200ppm, Nitrite is at 0ppm, Ammonia is at .25ppm, and Salinity is at 1.021-1.022 and the temp. is steady at 80 degrees.
In the tank is a Red Volitians Lion Fish, a (Panther) puffer, and a yellow tang. I have had the Lion Fish and the puffer in the tank for about seven months, and I introduced the Tang last, about six weeks ago. I'm sure this seems alot for a 40 gal, but they seem happy and active.
Everything has been going great, up to last week. I noticed that green alge has been growing under the hood where the light sits. I usually just clean this twice a month, everything still seems great. At this time Nitrate levels are around 10-20ppm, this is also why I try doing several water changes a month. Well, last week the Lion Fish started to worry me. He usually eats three nice sized silversides three times a week. Usually he becomes verry active and aggressive when it is feeding time. He defineatly is the first to eat over the others, no choice about it. Last week he only ate 2-3 silversides in total. He seemed to have diffuculties getting them down too. I had to leave them alone for the first time last weekend, when I came home, the nitrate levels were at 80 ppm! The tang was sickly pale in color and the Lion Fish's eyes seem to be a bit cloudy. I immediately did a 30% water change, used Prime water conditioner, and started adding Biozyme, bits at a time. The puffer seems to be fine through all this and the tang is now back to color, but the Lion Fish still won't eat, and the eyes are still a bit cloudy. He seems to still be moderately active , and I don't notice any strange behavior. I'm keeping an extra close eye on everthing, But I need some help in what I'm doing wrong or what I need to do to help the Lion Fish.
This is my first salt water tank, I love my fish and thought I was doing an alright job. Can you guys help?
I always do a 50% water change about once a month with a good rinse and cleaning of everything in the tank. I also do a 25% change sometime in between cleanings to remove fish waste. Right now I am just using tap water with Prime water conditioner because it seems to be working fine for now. Levels in the tank seem to be ok, except for nitrate. pH is about 8.0, Alkalinity is 200ppm, Nitrite is at 0ppm, Ammonia is at .25ppm, and Salinity is at 1.021-1.022 and the temp. is steady at 80 degrees.
In the tank is a Red Volitians Lion Fish, a (Panther) puffer, and a yellow tang. I have had the Lion Fish and the puffer in the tank for about seven months, and I introduced the Tang last, about six weeks ago. I'm sure this seems alot for a 40 gal, but they seem happy and active.
Everything has been going great, up to last week. I noticed that green alge has been growing under the hood where the light sits. I usually just clean this twice a month, everything still seems great. At this time Nitrate levels are around 10-20ppm, this is also why I try doing several water changes a month. Well, last week the Lion Fish started to worry me. He usually eats three nice sized silversides three times a week. Usually he becomes verry active and aggressive when it is feeding time. He defineatly is the first to eat over the others, no choice about it. Last week he only ate 2-3 silversides in total. He seemed to have diffuculties getting them down too. I had to leave them alone for the first time last weekend, when I came home, the nitrate levels were at 80 ppm! The tang was sickly pale in color and the Lion Fish's eyes seem to be a bit cloudy. I immediately did a 30% water change, used Prime water conditioner, and started adding Biozyme, bits at a time. The puffer seems to be fine through all this and the tang is now back to color, but the Lion Fish still won't eat, and the eyes are still a bit cloudy. He seems to still be moderately active , and I don't notice any strange behavior. I'm keeping an extra close eye on everthing, But I need some help in what I'm doing wrong or what I need to do to help the Lion Fish.
This is my first salt water tank, I love my fish and thought I was doing an alright job. Can you guys help?