adding new fish?????

[sstanle4]

Hey we have a 14 gallon biocube right now with 2 clownfish and about 10 hermit crabs. We are wanting to add another fish but we have read that the clowns are territorial. Can we add another if so how do we do it where our clowns dont kill/pick on the new fish. Also when we got this biocube 2nd hand it has a intank media chamber and we have no clue why it is better than the media balls. Please help us. Thank you

 

[carey]

You could add a small blenny, a goby or maybe a firefish?

I have the in tank media baskets and LOVE them! I use chemipure elite, purigen and filter floss in mine. Makes maintaining the filter so much easier. It's considered an upgrade because you won't have the bio ball area storing nitrates or other harmful stuff. I manage to keep my nitrates under 10 using the media tray and fuge that they sell and I way over feed this tank. There would be alot of built up uneaten food and other stuff lodged in the bioballs balls if I had them still.

What are you running with your media trays?

 

[sstanle4]

we want something extra swimmy.. we had a total of 3 firefish and all of them died.. and they were super shy. so we want something that will swim around the tank constantly like our clowns do.

and we just nitrate pads right now.. our ammonia fluctuates really bad. but our nitrate and nitrite are always good. is there anything we can use in the media box that will keep our ammonia down?

 

[carey]

Not in saltwater unfortunately. You should not be getting any fluctuations in ammonia at this stage in the game, that can contribute to your fish not doing well. How often do you do water changes and do you do use ro/di water? Have you ever tested your source water for ammonia?

 

[sstanle4]

Well. ok let me rephrase my statement. haha our ammonia goes up to about .5 every day.. then we put stuff in it and it brings it down. we do a water change once a week. and yes we checked our tap water when we first started our tank and it came back normal (pH was high, but no ammonia)

 

[carey]

How did you cycle the tank? There really should never ever be any ammonia in a cycled and fully functional bio system. You may get spikes when you add a fish or if something dies or even if you overfeed but it shouldn't be a daily thing.

What are you adding to the tank each day?

 

[sstanle4]

Well first we had a 10 gallon tank. So we put about 3 lbs of live rock in it and let it cycle for about 3 and a half weeks with nothing in it. During this we checked our levels everyday and corrected the problem if there was one. Next we went to the LFS and got 2 starter fish (damsels). We let them cycle in our tank for about 2 weeks and again we checked our levels everyday and corrected the problem if there was one. Then we added 3 more damsels and did the samething (during this time our ph, nitrite, nitrate levels spiked once and then went back to normal but the ammonia would go up about to .25 to 1 about every other day ). Then our LFS told us we were ready for our clowns. So we did. Long story short everything in our tank died, went to another LFS, got 2 new clowns (that are still alive now). Now about one and a half weeks ago we got a biocube. But during this ENTIRE time our ammonia has gone up anywhere from .25 to 1 or 2 every other day. We do not know why this is happening. Please help lol

 

[carey]

Here is how I see it, your tank most likely isn't cycled. Theres no magic stuff you should have been putting into the tank to correct any issue. It should just have been let sit with an ammonia source, which in your case were the fish.

You have two options now, one is to return the fish and actually cycle the tank. Or two, which is to finish the cycle with the fish. This will require very frequent water changes, maybe a few times a week. Any level of ammonia is toxic to fish so it has to be changed out for fresh good water. In the meantime you shouldn't add any more fish as that will endanger the new fish as well as cause higher ammonia levels. Cycling with fish can take a ton of time though so be prepared.....It will take weeks for your biofilter to catch up to the fish's bioload.

 

[BallinCrew10]

So you had 5 damsels in a 10 gallon tank?? WAY overstocked. 1 damsel shouldn't be in a 10 gallon. The same goes for your clowns, they need a minimum of a 30 gallon tank. I agree with carey, your ammonia shouldn't fluctuate on a daily basis. You shouldn't have to add chemicals to "fix problems". I would take the clowns out and let it run its course.

 

[Greenturtle]

I think it depends on the type of clownfish. Maroons and Tomatoes need 30+ minimum because of their size, but occelaris, percula, and clarkii can be kept singly in a 10g, am a pair in a 20g. I think the clowns are overstocked in a 14.

 

[BallinCrew10]

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+27+137&pcatid=137

IMO I think 10 is too small for a clown. I personally wouldn't do it, but obviously everyone has different opinions.

 

[sstanle4]

We dont want to return our fish so we are just going to have to cycle it with them in it so what should we do? Do a water change 2 times a week or what?

 

[all4wheels2]

We dont want to return our fish so we are just going to have to cycle it with them in it so what should we do? Do a water change 2 times a week or what?

My opinion, since it sounds like you are in a bind and your tank is not cycled, go to your local store and buy a product called Stability (I know, another product, but I think it works well). It's basically the beneficial bacteria in a bottle (aerobic, anaerobic, and both). Use it per the directions - it'll take a few days. Not sure how you are feeding, but you should probably cut it back to maybe once a day.

I always add a capful of it whenever I add a new fish to the tank, just in case. I don't like any ammonia spikes

Don't add another fish until you can keep the ammonia at zero for at least a week. You should not have any ammonia spikes in a cycled tank, unless of course something is decaying. Then maybe add one more fish.

That's my best advice. Good luck

 

[all4wheels2]

Oh, and you might want to try a different fish store. Some are just trying to make a quick buck. One of my LFS told me I could put 11 or so fish in my biocube 14 and I shouldn't have any problems (I don't go there anymore)

 

[BallinCrew10]

We dont want to return our fish so we are just going to have to cycle it with them in it so what should we do? Do a water change 2 times a week or what?

Cycling with the fish will take longer and much more time and effort. You're going to have to do water changes atleast once a week but yes probably twice. Adding another chemical isn't necessary and IMO they're mostly a gimmick. The way I see it is how could there possibly be something alive in there for the weeksand months it sits on the shelves. If I were you, and boarding the fish at your LFS wasn't an option, just test a lot and do water changes to keep the ammonia from spiking too high, and hope for the best.

 

[BallinCrew10]

Oh, and you might want to try a different fish store. Some are just trying to make a quick buck. One of my LFS told me I could put 11 or so fish in my biocube 14 and I shouldn't have any problems (I don't go there anymore)

Definitely agree. This weekend take some time to do some LFS hunting haha. Some people just want to make money off you and don't care how they have to do it.

 

[sstanle4]

Ok well I am a biology major and when I think of bacteria I think of bad things (lol). Why does a saltwater tank have to have bacteria? And if we were to do the water changes, how many gallons should we do each time? Also are you saying that because ammonia is spiking, we dont have enough bacteria in the tank? Thank yall all very much for all the help

 

[BallinCrew10]

Ok well I am a biology major and when I think of bacteria I think of bad things (lol). Why does a saltwater tank have to have bacteria? And if we were to do the water changes, how many gallons should we do each time? Also are you saying that because ammonia is spiking, we dont have enough bacteria in the tank? Thank yall all very much for all the help

Bacteria in this case is a good thing. Its what makes your nitrogen cycle go round. Not cycling your tank is why everything has died and why your ammonia continues to flare up. In a nutshell, fish waste, decomposing food ect. breaks down and produces ammonia. The bacteria turns ammonia into nitrite, which is turned into nitrate. When your tank is finished cycling you shouldn't have any trace of ammonia or nitrite, and a small amount of nitrate.

 

[all4wheels2]

Ok well I am a biology major and when I think of bacteria I think of bad things (lol). Why does a saltwater tank have to have bacteria? And if we were to do the water changes, how many gallons should we do each time? Also are you saying that because ammonia is spiking, we dont have enough bacteria in the tank? Thank yall all very much for all the help

Precisely. The point of cycling the tank is to let the ammonia build up high, which in turn will create the beneficial bacteria that will consume the ammonia. It would seem that your tank missed that lol and does not have the beneficial bacteria to control the high ammonia your tank has. You didn't let muther nature run her course

As far as the product I was talking about - it's about the only one I would ever buy and add to a fishtank. Although you can't use it to start/cycle the tank, you can use it in a somewhat emergency and as a precaution.

 

[BallinCrew10]

As far as the amount of gallons per water change. Generally its 20-25% of the volume of the tank depending on the bioload of the livestock. Though in this case you may need to do more to keep the ammonia down and keep what's left alive.