big problem!!! =( plz help

[saltcreep1025]

hey guys and gals.... i got a problem but have no idea what it is...

my tank has been going for about 5 weeks

all the lvls look normal 0, 0, 0

what a good ph lvl? mine is at 7.8 probably to low?

salinity 1.023

the sand i bought first and put the live sand over is turning black in one area =/ anyone know what thats from and if its bad?

couple days ago my blue hippo tang died =/ he had been in the tank about a week and was doing fine.... swimming around... eating... ect. and one morning i woke up and he was just lying down on the sand and he was dead about an hour later.

the next day my spotted damsel (er whatever its called) i found in half in the back of my tank.

today my maroon gold striped clownfish is looking rather sickly and hasent eaten for 2 days, also looks like he may have a little bit of fin rot on one fin.... he looks like he is gonna die soon =(

is there anything i can do to help him?

also my striped damsel lookes like he is breathing very hard.

i have a descent amount of inverts... 1 serpant star, 1 cc star, 2 emerald crabs, bout 10 snails (who seem to be multiplying rather fast) about 10 little crabs, and the other day i got this little slug thing that looks like walking algae and a decorator crab (not sure if thats his real name, just what the lfs called him) he looks very camoflauge and sorta like a spider.

is there any way the decorator crab could have anything to do with this?

i think ive been feeding them the right amount.... i got these little packets called tetranatures delca whole brine shrimp and bloodworms which i feed about 3/4 of the pack a day. they gobble it up pretty fast, probably in about 3 mins but there is always some left on the sand.

also , do feather dusters need special light?

thx so much guys/gals

 

[saltcreep1025]

oh yea... i also did about a 2/5 water change today

 

[steve-s]

what a good ph lvl? mine is at 7.8 probably to low?

That is most likely your problem right there. MArine aquaria requires a ph of 8.2-8.3 on average. If after doing a water change you have seen no possitive results, then I would suspect inadequate water flow (GPH) and/or a covered tank. Sometimes if the room does not get a fresh supply of air, ambient CO2 can also lower ph. Opening a window will cure that.

the sand i bought first and put the live sand over is turning black in one area =/ anyone know what thats from and if its bad?

At 5 weeks it is most likely a diatom or other nuisance algae. If it's vevelty and slimey to the touch, it could also be cyanobacteria. What is your source water?

couple days ago my blue hippo tang died =/ he had been in the tank about a week and was doing fine.... swimming around... eating... ect. and one morning i woke up and he was just lying down on the sand and he was dead about an hour later.

The tang, damsel and clown have most likely succumb to the low ph and quite probably low O2 levels. FWIW , a tang is not a very good choice for a new tank. They are best added after 6-12 months to allow the tank to stabalize and mature.

is there anything i can do to help him?

More info about the tank set up and your routines would be good

is there any way the decorator crab could have anything to do with this?

If the fish where not able to defend themselves and get away, then yes but otherwise healthy fish should be of no concern.

i think ive been feeding them the right amount.... i got these little packets called tetranatures delca whole brine shrimp and bloodworms which i feed about 3/4 of the pack a day. they gobble it up pretty fast, probably in about 3 mins but there is always some left on the sand.

IME, these foods are a very poor diet for marine fish. Bloodworms, brine and water fleas are not the greatest source of nutrition. I would suggest a high quality fortified marine flake food, sinking pellets and other foods designed for marine aquaria.

also , do feather dusters need special light?

They can live in a dark cave providing they get enough water flow to provide food.

Cheers
Steve

 

[saltcreep1025]

is there any around the house material that would be safe to add to raise the ph?

 

[steve-s]

is there any around the house material that would be safe to add to raise the ph?

None that I would recommend at this point. Before trying to "add" to the problem I would suggest some additional feedback from you about the points I made above.

The solution may be simple, but not without some more info from you.

Cheers
Steve

 

[saltcreep1025]

im pretty sure my water flow is ok, i have one powerhead that says it good for a 50 gallon tank and mine is 35, i also have some sorta filter i picked up that looks like its helping to add to the flow. i have about 8 lbs of live rock, about a 3" dsb, and a heater.

i know thats not a very good setup but im only 17 and make about 60 dollars a week hehe.... i plan on getting a protein skimmer next, and some more live rock.

i know its bad but ive been using the filter on my tap water for the water... i add the dechlorinator. soon as i get some money im gonna go buy the ro water from my lfs and do a big water change but i dont get payed til' thursday =/

 

[steve-s]

im pretty sure my water flow is ok, i have one powerhead that says it good for a 50 gallon tank and mine is 35,

Is this pump located at the surface or near the bottom? IME this is very very low for a marine tank. The GPH of the tank should be a minimum of 210-250 GPH for a 35 gal tank

i also have some sorta filter i picked up that looks like its helping to add to the flow

Hang on or canister? Do you know the GPH ?

i know thats not a very good setup but im only 17 and make about 60 dollars a week hehe.... i plan on getting a protein skimmer next, and some more live rock.

Been there LOL

i know its bad but ive been using the filter on my tap water for the water... i add the dechlorinator. soon as i get some money im gonna go buy the ro water from my lfs and do a big water change but i dont get payed til' thursday

Great choice

You still have not said if the tank is covered/sealed in any way?

Cheers
Steve

 

[saltcreep1025]

the filter is a hang on, not sure about the gph.... it isnt covered=/ are there covers i can buy for it that will fit it?

the powerhead is at the top.... is it safe to bring it down to the bottom and submerge the cord in water? it has a little thing to hang it on the top so i just assumed thats what i do.

 

[saltcreep1025]

also, what is the ideal temp for the tank to be?

 

[sokhamik]

somewhere around 78-82 degrees...

 

[steve-s]

the filter is a hang on, not sure about the gph.... it isnt covered=/ are there covers i can buy for it that will fit it?

If possible you want nothing impeding the gas exchange, so having no cover over the tank is best. You really need to find out the GPH of the PH and the filter, it is important. If possible post the brand and model of each.

the powerhead is at the top.... is it safe to bring it down to the bottom and submerge the cord in water? it has a little thing to hang it on the top so i just assumed thats what i do.

No leave it at the top. The more the suface is aggitated (ripple effect) the better. Judging by the way you describe it though, it does not have much GPH and I think this is a majority of the ph problem.

Do a test. Take some tank water out and let it sit near an open window in a glass for about ½-1 hour. After the time has passed, take some new tank water out and do a test on each sample and compare the results. Post that once it's done.

As stated the temp should be in the 78ish range. As long as the temp is not always changing and constant, that the most important.

Cheers
Steve

 

[saltcreep1025]

ok thanks.... ill try that water test soon as the sun comes up =)

 

[steve-s]

Do not test the ph first thing in the morning. Always wait a few hours after the tank gets light for the O2 level to come up and aid the ph.

It's best to wait until noon or later.

Also don't forget about the GPH questions...

Cheers
Steve

 

[saltcreep1025]

oh yea... ill check the boxes tomarrow and reply. thx again =)

 

[BrianH]

IMHO your tank was way overstocked. A new 35gal. tank is not big enough for a hippo tang much less 1hippo, 1 damsel & a maroon clown. Are you sure the tank was fully cycled? It sounds like they died from ammonia or nitrite. I would cycle the tank, make sure it is cycled, then add fish appropriate for a 35gal tank at a slow rate. It is much more expensive to replace dead fish than to take it slowly from the start.

Brian

 

[saltcreep1025]

ok i did that test w/ the water in the sunlight... both were the same. I read off another forum that you can add baking soda to raise ph.. is that safe?

my gph on my powerhead is 174 and the filter im not sure but probably about 25-50. when i get payed on thursday im gonna go get a protein filter w/ a powerhead so that will help.

also... whats the watts per gallon you need for coral... i forget, and damn those fixtures/lights are expensive

 

[steve-s]

ok i did that test w/ the water in the sunlight... both were the same. I read off another forum that you can add baking soda to raise ph.. is that safe?

I would not recommend the use of soda's at this point. If you are not 100% accurate, you can cause more damage than anything else. Once some more info is provided, it will be much easier to determine the best solution.

I did not mean for the test to be done in sunlight, It was meant to be placed near an open window to increase the ambient O2. If that's what was done, what was the ph reading. Still 7.8?

I would also suggest doing the test on a batch of salinated water you use for the tank.

my gph on my powerhead is 174 and the filter im not sure but probably about 25-50. when i get payed on thursday im gonna go get a protein filter w/ a powerhead so that will help.

The skimmer will do little as far as circulation in the tank but it will help somewhat with aeration. You are definately on the low side of for GPH. An addition power head similar to the one you have now will do wonders.

also... whats the watts per gallon you need for coral... i forget, and damn those fixtures/lights are expensive

The (very) loose guideline is 3-5 watts per gallon but I would suggest doing alot of research first. Decide the type of tank you really want your's to be. Types of corals you wish to keep as well as any other light dependant animals. All require different levels of care and different light requirements. Once you know "what's, why's, and where's", a better recommednation can be made about specific light set ups.

Cheers
Steve

 

[saltcreep1025]

ok, was just wondering about the lighting. wanna get a little to help w/ coraline algea growth and ect. havin enough trouble as it is just w/ fish hehe

yea i did the water next to a window and it was still 7.8

also i just went to the lfs and bought some marine fish flakes... the most expensive there were

also got some green algea that u clip on the side... is that helpful?

also.. hehe... at the lfs there was a PH 50% percent off.... so ill get that asap =)

thanks so much for the help... what other questions do ya have???

 

[saltcreep1025]

also, was my fishload to big? the tang was small.... smaller than the clown.

 

[steve-s]

also, was my fishload to big? the tang was small.... smaller than the clown.

3 fish in a 35g tank is by no means "overstocked" however a tang of anykind or size is a poor choice for that size tank. Tangs are very tireless swimmers and very active at "rummaging" around the rockwork. The minumum recommended tank size is 75g (48") tank. When choosing fish, you should research the max. adult size prior to purchase. The general rule is 1" of fish for every 5 gal of tank size. It also depends on if the fish are active, agressive and/or benthic.

also i just went to the lfs and bought some marine fish flakes... the most expensive there were

Cost does not always equate good or bad. You are better off looking at the label and determining by the ingredient list how good a product is. You may simply be paying the LFS's shipping costs. What brand was it?

also got some green algea that u clip on the side... is that helpful?

For herbavors yes, but most likley the clown will ignore it.

also.. hehe... at the lfs there was a PH 50% percent off.... so ill get that asap =)

Great, that should help alot.

what other questions do ya have???

What was the ph of the makeup water your using. If at the accepatable range (8.2-8.3), I would do a few 10% water changes between tomorrow and next week.

Cheers
Steve