Stabilizing a 10g aquarium

[Rluka]

Hi All,

I've started my new hobby with a 10g tank that I had from before, and I've purchased the right lighting and a good biowheel filter to get started. I started with new Caribbean sand, a couple of dead rocks and few live rocks, some with corals on them. I also bought different corals. The corals are doing really great, but I can't get a fish to live in the tank for more than a couple of weeks. I already lost 6 fishes so far, and the current small yellow boxfish just developed Ich.
I monitor the water quality almost daily, do PWC every 2- 3 weeks, however I had my major losses immediately after the water change.
Can any one advice please what I can do to stabilize the situation and have fish live longer in this tank?!
Here is a picture attached
Thanks
Rand

 

[melosu58]

Looks pretty nice. Because of the smaller water volume you`ll need to be dilligent on water tests. Smaller volume tanks are less forgiving on issues.

 

[Rluka]

Looks pretty nice. Because of the smaller water volume you`ll need to be dilligent on water tests. Smaller volume tanks are less forgiving on issues.

Thanks Mike,

I do water tests almost everyday, and the confusing part is that every thing looks normal, the only mild shift I have is the PH which reads between 7.7 and 8.0, which I don't think it's deadly.

 

[Mrc8858]

What kind of fish are you trying to keep in there because boxfish can not be kept in a 10g...add fish to a tank much to small and they will become stressed and develop illnesses

 

[Rluka]

What kind of fish are you trying to keep in there because boxfish can not be kept in a 10g...add fish to a tank much to small and they will become stressed and develop illnesses

Before I get the box fish I had three small clowns, 2 ocillaris and one black. They were quite healthy, bright colours and open appetites.
The black died first, then a week later, I lost the two ocillaris in one night.

Before those I had a royal grammy and a blue damsel, again the royal grammy was fine at the beginning then started to hide all the time until died, followed by the damsel few days later.

 

[sim1killa]

for a 10g its probably the bio load that is causing the crash.

in a 10g even if you do water tests daily you could still miss a quick swings. also how big of a water change do you normal do. how about doing a small water change weekly instead?

 

[spoonman]

Was the tank ever cycled???

 

[Rluka]

Was the tank ever cycled???

Yes actually, however, I've added more corals before the cycle is finished. I have watched the ammonia levels spike in the 1st couple of weeks then falls back to zero and remained there.

 

[Rluka]

for a 10g its probably the bio load that is causing the crash.

in a 10g even if you do water tests daily you could still miss a quick swings. also how big of a water change do you normal do. how about doing a small water change weekly instead?

I do about 20% of the tank usually. I don't have a reverse osmosis filter, but I use the fridge water dispenser filter in a bucket, put the tetra water conditioner, mix the salt, leave it sitting for few hours and then add it gradually to the tank.

 

[Rluka]

The box fish is dying now ((. He is laying in a corner and sometime reaches out to the surface like he wants to breath some air?!

 

[EmperorFish]

awesome tank and sorry for your lost ...I hope everything works out for you :/

 

[scottayy]

Are you topping off (replacing evaporated water) regularly (daily) with RO water?

I've done several very large water changes on a 10g (probably about 70% or more) and didn't have any problems.

How's the gas exchange.. is the surface water agitated or getting good flow from your filter?

Any other flow besides the filter?

 

[Rluka]

awesome tank and sorry for your lost ...I hope everything works out for you :/

Thank you so much

 

[Rluka]

Are you topping off (replacing evaporated water) regularly (daily) with RO water?

I've done several very large water changes on a 10g (probably about 70% or more) and didn't have any problems.

How's the gas exchange.. is the surface water agitated or getting good flow from your filter?

Any other flow besides the filter?

I usually measure the salinity and top it up if needed, I didn't want it to be over diluted.
It seems to me that the surface is getting a good flow that always moves the surface, however, sometimes I see an oily film on the surface.
I have no other flow besides the filter.
Could you provide some ideas, or maybe pictures about your 10g tank that I can benefit from?

Thanks

 

[scottayy]

Sounds to me like a few problems you might have are:

* Oxygen saturation
Fish need to breathe air. If you're not getting good gas exchange (carbon dioxide releases from the surface of the water and allows oxygen in) your fish may suffocate.

* Flow
Corals need it (don't know about fish). Flow will improve the health of everything in your tank. It will also help agitate the surface water to allow for gas exchange

* Top offs
Mark a line somehow where the water level is. Marker, tape, whatever. Every day add RO or RO/DI water (or dechlorinated tap water if you must for some reason - ammonia in tap water will kill fish and corals) back up to the line to replace water that has evaporated. In a ten gallon tank this can mean a huge difference in salinity. Big fluctuations in salinity will kill fish and corals. Salt doesn't evaporate, only water does. So when evaporation occurs, the water has higher salnity. Replacing the evaporated water with pure water brings the salinity back to normal. Doing it daily prevents huge fluctuations.

I would get a powerhead to move water around and agitate the surface of the water. I'm not saying it will solve the particular problem you are having (it could always be something else) but it will improve the overall health of your system.

I have two koralia 240gph powerheads in my 10 gallon and a 100gph return line from the sump. This is a lot of flow, you could get away with way less.

 

[Rluka]

Sounds to me like a few problems you might have are:

* Oxygen saturation
Fish need to breathe air. If you're not getting good gas exchange (carbon dioxide releases from the surface of the water and allows oxygen in) your fish may suffocate.

* Flow
Corals need it (don't know about fish). Flow will improve the health of everything in your tank. It will also help agitate the surface water to allow for gas exchange

* Top offs
Mark a line somehow where the water level is. Marker, tape, whatever. Every day add RO or RO/DI water (or dechlorinated tap water if you must for some reason - ammonia in tap water will kill fish and corals) back up to the line to replace water that has evaporated. In a ten gallon tank this can mean a huge difference in salinity. Big fluctuations in salinity will kill fish and corals. Salt doesn't evaporate, only water does. So when evaporation occurs, the water has higher salnity. Replacing the evaporated water with pure water brings the salinity back to normal. Doing it daily prevents huge fluctuations.

I would get a powerhead to move water around and agitate the surface of the water. I'm not saying it will solve the particular problem you are having (it could always be something else) but it will improve the overall health of your system.

I have two koralia 240gph powerheads in my 10 gallon and a 100gph return line from the sump. This is a lot of flow, you could get away with way less.

Thanks Scott,
I will follow your advice in terms of the water top ups, but I don't have an RO system, I only use the normal drinking water filter which I think is a 2-stage filter, but I treat it with aquarium water conditioner. (Do you think this is a problem?!!)
Would you think the power head will solve the oxygen saturation problem as well?
I can see that you support your 10g by a sump system, any suggestions for the design? especially that I'm putting the tank in decorative spot in the living room.

Thanks

 

[scottayy]

As long as the conditioner removes chlorine and chloramines it is fine. SeaChem's Prime is a good water conditioner. With tap water you may experience problems with algae, although you also may not.

The powerhead could solve the problem if you have it close enough to the surface that it ripples the surface water (or aimed towards the surface). Get a koralia 240 or two you won't regret it.

I don't think many people run a sump on their 10 gallon system. I just did it because I wanted the challenge of doing it, lol. But if you do want a sump, a 3 chamber design is pretty standard. Water intake section, refugium, water output section.

 

[Rluka]

Thanks Scott,

I will try those tips and will post the result. For now I'll keep the tank without fish for a couple of weeks (as my boxfish died last night), and will do a couple of water changes, before I get a new fish. I think this time I'll just keep 2 small clowns.
Any other suggestions on fish for this 10g tank?

 

[scottayy]

Keep the tank cycled while it is fishless. Add a small pinch of fish food every few days and let it rot in there.

A 10 gallon is way too small for a box fish or clown fish. Try looking at a few nano fish: Nano Fish

Good luck!

 

[sim1killa]

if you want clowns I would upgrade to 29g. It is recommended to have a 30g for a pair.
Clowns fish grow too large and are much to active for a 10g sadly. Their are some good fish in the link below for fish that would do ok in your tank. you need to keep in mind open water/active fish typically don't do good in a 10g tank.

take a look at the link these are good fish for a tank that size.
Nano Fish