Problems in nano world

[Jarred Darque]

OK, spent the night out, got home this afternoon, one of the clowns is hangin out on the bottom...as in, looks like he is being lazy and tryin to sleep. He got up a bit when I fed the tank, and shortly went back.

I tested the water..and quite frankly..it aint great...the opsite really..and I dont know why.

ammonia about .15
NO2, .05
NO3, 50+ (maxed out on the chart)
Ph 8.0

this was a few minutes after I fed the tank (less than 5) so that may explain a little bit of the ammonia and NO2 (fed frozen brine shrimp)

The ricordia looks fine, actaulyl everoyne does except the 1 clownfish, the other slown looks normal (they are both just over an inch long, only fish in the tank) I am having a small problem with brown algae, and for a few days I showed signs of more cyano bacteria, but that is gone again.

The clowns are only fish in the tank, just some inverts other than them. good water flow, no dead spots, I havent suffered any invert losses

I am mixing up some saltwater right now, (I was already starting that since I do my 15% PWC on sundays) I am going to mix up a good but more though, since I think I may be doing PWCs for the next few days.

How much can I safely change out per day?

I posted a thread in the SW forum, I am leaving town for a week on tuesday night.

Also, the second clown seems to have a small patch of white film above his pecorial fins, like a slightly visible slime coat. He is not acting fully normal, yesterday, and every day before, they spent the time with the lights on swimmin at the front glass lookin at me, now the one is layin down, the other is swimmin about, but behind some rocks where I dont see him much.


(10 gallon tank, 20lbs LR, 15lbs LS atm, 8 pieces of ricordia, 40W 10k lighting, aobut 4-5 months old)

[Sadielynn]

Originally Posted by Jarred Darque

OK, spent the night out, got home this afternoon, one of the clowns is hangin out on the bottom...as in, looks like he is being lazy and tryin to sleep. He got up a bit when I fed the tank, and shortly went back.

I tested the water..and quite frankly..it aint great...the opsite really..and I dont know why.

ammonia about .15
NO2, .05
NO3, 50+ (maxed out on the chart)
Ph 8.0

this was a few minutes after I fed the tank (less than 5) so that may explain a little bit of the ammonia and NO2 (fed frozen brine shrimp)

The ricordia looks fine, actaulyl everoyne does except the 1 clownfish, the other slown looks normal (they are both just over an inch long, only fish in the tank) I am having a small problem with brown algae, and for a few days I showed signs of more cyano bacteria, but that is gone again.

The clowns are only fish in the tank, just some inverts other than them. good water flow, no dead spots, I havent suffered any invert losses

I am mixing up some saltwater right now, (I was already starting that since I do my 15% PWC on sundays) I am going to mix up a good but more though, since I think I may be doing PWCs for the next few days.

How much can I safely change out per day?

I posted a thread in the SW forum, I am leaving town for a week on tuesday night.

Also, the second clown seems to have a small patch of white film above his pecorial fins, like a slightly visible slime coat. He is not acting fully normal, yesterday, and every day before, they spent the time with the lights on swimmin at the front glass lookin at me, now the one is layin down, the other is swimmin about, but behind some rocks where I dont see him much.


(10 gallon tank, 20lbs LR, 15lbs LS atm, 8 pieces of ricordia, 40W 10k lighting, aobut 4-5 months old)

With the ammonia I would say something died off . I would set up and do a 10% h20 change for the next 3 -4 days . Then monitor your water for changes , up your h20 changes to 20 % weekly water changes ... Also the film is sounding like it may be Brooklynellosis. I would say to qt them if possible , as per reading on wwm this is the RX that I found to be used is place them in a ph and temp adjusted fresh water dip medicated with a
Methylene Blue/Formalin mix medicine. Stay in the bath for about 30 mins monitor for stress .I'd do two more dips. Wether they are symptomatic or not .HTH

[Jarred Darque]

ok thanks much


Well, the one that was on his side has died, looks like his gills wehre a bit inflamed, so possibly ammonia, NO2 or NO3 poisoning.

[Sadielynn]

Yes it very well could have been an ammonia burn. Is it one or both clowns that died ?
If it was both I would suspect something other than ammonia burn or in conjunction with such as brook , or ich I suspect brook tho at this point . I would also recommend waiting few weeks before adding anything else just to be safe

[Jarred Darque]

Just one died. The second one I did a FW did last night, will do another today.