erichm20
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I have a 55 gal FOWLR that is 6 months old. 2 occy clowns, 1 royal gramma basslet, 1 diamond sleeper goby that I added a week ago and some crabs and snails.
Current API water test reads:
PH: 8 - 8.2
Ammo: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 40-60 ppm
SG: 1.022
I do not currently have a protein skimmer (my next purchase), or a sufficient filter so I buy salt water for 10% bi-weekly water changes and RO/DI for top offs from my LFS.
I was also considering getting an anenome for the clowns and possibly starting to consider some easy beginner corals so I wanted to prepare the tank and get the water as good as possible. According to my LFS I had phosphates a little too high and the water changes were not bringing them down so we added PHoslock about two weeks ago. I tested the water when I got the goby (last week) and they said it was looking really good, the phosphates were down to near zero- and they said the phoslock will continue to bring it down.
Ok so I bring the Goby home, acclimate him by floating him in the tank and slowly add my water to the bag every 15 minutes for about two hours. As soon as he came out he went right to work and started digging tunnels all over the place and doing his thing. Tank mates were fine and everyone was doing great- eating, swimming around, the whole 9 yards.
Then about 3 days later (last Wednesday) I noticed a turbo and a mexican turbo snail died. I didn't think much of it just figured because we lowered the phosphates and added the goby that they probably starved. Then the next day a scarlet hermit was dead so I went in to have the water tested and everything was apparently perfect.
Then yesterday I added two powerheads, korlia 1050 and 750. The tank previously had no flow except for the return coming in from the hob filter which is pretty much nothing. As soon as I put them I turned them on and played around with the positioning until I felt it was good and left them on the rest of the day. The clowns looked like they were struggling a little but seemed to be happy so I didn't change anything. Then last night I saw the gramma really struggling with the current and only coming out of her hole for a few seconds and going back in so I turned the 750 off for the night.
This morning the gramma was on her back in the corner, still breathing but looking bad. I turned off the other powerhead and the lights and she swam around the tank and into a hole in a rock. I fed the fish and the gramma didn't come out to eat, the other fish all looked great. For the brief moment I saw her there was either sand or white spots all over her top half. I've checked throughout the day (found where she's hiding and can just see the tail) and she's been resting in there all day.
Finally around 7 tonight as I was in the living room I saw her come out but she was swimming super erratic and breathing fast, twitching as well. Did not see any spots though. Then she swam back in her hole and hasn't come out. That's when I tested the water for the results above.
I guess I'm wondering if the new fish and the powerheads totally stressed the fish out? Were the white spots Ich? Any suggestions or advice is welcome. Sorry for the super long post I wanted to include all background information.
Thanks!
Current API water test reads:
PH: 8 - 8.2
Ammo: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 40-60 ppm
SG: 1.022
I do not currently have a protein skimmer (my next purchase), or a sufficient filter so I buy salt water for 10% bi-weekly water changes and RO/DI for top offs from my LFS.
I was also considering getting an anenome for the clowns and possibly starting to consider some easy beginner corals so I wanted to prepare the tank and get the water as good as possible. According to my LFS I had phosphates a little too high and the water changes were not bringing them down so we added PHoslock about two weeks ago. I tested the water when I got the goby (last week) and they said it was looking really good, the phosphates were down to near zero- and they said the phoslock will continue to bring it down.
Ok so I bring the Goby home, acclimate him by floating him in the tank and slowly add my water to the bag every 15 minutes for about two hours. As soon as he came out he went right to work and started digging tunnels all over the place and doing his thing. Tank mates were fine and everyone was doing great- eating, swimming around, the whole 9 yards.
Then about 3 days later (last Wednesday) I noticed a turbo and a mexican turbo snail died. I didn't think much of it just figured because we lowered the phosphates and added the goby that they probably starved. Then the next day a scarlet hermit was dead so I went in to have the water tested and everything was apparently perfect.
Then yesterday I added two powerheads, korlia 1050 and 750. The tank previously had no flow except for the return coming in from the hob filter which is pretty much nothing. As soon as I put them I turned them on and played around with the positioning until I felt it was good and left them on the rest of the day. The clowns looked like they were struggling a little but seemed to be happy so I didn't change anything. Then last night I saw the gramma really struggling with the current and only coming out of her hole for a few seconds and going back in so I turned the 750 off for the night.
This morning the gramma was on her back in the corner, still breathing but looking bad. I turned off the other powerhead and the lights and she swam around the tank and into a hole in a rock. I fed the fish and the gramma didn't come out to eat, the other fish all looked great. For the brief moment I saw her there was either sand or white spots all over her top half. I've checked throughout the day (found where she's hiding and can just see the tail) and she's been resting in there all day.
Finally around 7 tonight as I was in the living room I saw her come out but she was swimming super erratic and breathing fast, twitching as well. Did not see any spots though. Then she swam back in her hole and hasn't come out. That's when I tested the water for the results above.
I guess I'm wondering if the new fish and the powerheads totally stressed the fish out? Were the white spots Ich? Any suggestions or advice is welcome. Sorry for the super long post I wanted to include all background information.
Thanks!