Urgent help needed help new comer!

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sammijo

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I'm new to Marine tanks, I can't get the temp down, it is sitting on 27 degress C. Two of my new fish have already died, could it be that the lights are making the water too hot? I turned the thermo down to 18 and the lights off. What shall I do? what is ideal temp for marine fish? have a smallish starter tank...+/- 50l. Please help I don't want this to be a waste of money or time as I absolutely love myfish! Got a 250l freshwater one too:)
 
not the temp. how long has the tank been running? my guess is that your tank probably hasnt cycled. so its the ammonia that probably killed them.
 
cswhitehead said:
not the temp. how long has the tank been running? my guess is that your tank probably hasnt cycled. so its the ammonia that probably killed them.
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I agree.... 27 not too serious imo. I get that every other week... I haven't even connected my heater since I got my tank in December. There is def something else wrong. Have you tested your params?

Oh and although its a cruel way to get started, WELCOME TO MASA...:thumbup:
 
Hi thanks for all the info, if it's the ammonia surely all the fish would be dying! The majority of them except two are fine? Chatted to my fish guy and he said I should turn the heater off for a while to bring the temp down?? Gosh I really want this to work as I love having fish...this is becoming scary stuff:(
 
Welcome to MASA!
Dont turn the heater off nor turn it to 18 degrees. The heater should only switch on when the temp drops below what its set at.
Can you give us more info on your tank..like size, contents, equipment, how long its been running etc.
 
It's a Jebo R338 around 50l (small), got a submersible pump (HJ952) and Nano-cube protein skimmer. The guys from the fish store had the water made up for me which apparently has been "cultivating" over 6 weeks. The tank has been running for over one week, with live rock in. They said that it was safe to put fish in. I was hesitant but they said it would be fine...gosh I hope I haven't made a mistake:blush:. I have two clown, two hermit crabs, one blue devil (the other died) one bicolour angel, one royal something (pink and yellow) - it's a starter tank to see if I can do this...
 
Ok, well firstly, your LFS advice is nonsense! All tanks go through a cycle, unless you get special additives to help stop the tank cycle. I can almost guarantee that your tank is currently going through a cycle. It's a natural process. It happens in pretty much any tank. So that could be why you've lost some fish already. The fact that the water has been "cultivating" means nothing. It's all about the Live Rock. The live rock will have a little die off, which causes your ammonia and nitrites to spike. These are the 2 things that will cause poisoning your fish and could be lethal.

Now secondly, buying 2 blue Devils was also a really bad idea. They are extremely aggressive and the one probably killed the other one. Also, make sure that the "Royal Grammar" is in fact a Royal Grammar and not a Bicolour Dottyback. They are also extremely territorial and could kill some of your other fish. The Clowns could be in danger from the Devil and the Dottyback (if it is indeed a dottyback).

Also, that is way too much livestock to add to a tank that small. You are going to have some serious problems trying to keep the nutrients in check with so much livestock in such a small tank. The LFS in question should have advised you of this. This is the single reason that I only deal with the Sponsor LFS's that are on this forum. Their advice is always sound and they want the best for your livestock, not the best from your wallet...

If I was you, I'd take all your livestock out of the tank and return it to the LFS, or ask a friendly reefer in your area if they could stick your Livestock into one of their own quarantine tanks until your cycle has completed. Do it for the sake of your livestock.

But, we are all here to help you. Please don't take this too hard and just listen to what all the members advise you to do. We are all trying to help, not knock you down! It's poor advice from a pet store and not a true reflection on you. The name of this game is Patience, research and then some more patience after that.

Good luck dude...
 
Thank you for your input, I have advised them to come through tomorrow and see what is going on...how long is the cycle? This really peeves me off that they rushed me, I was quite willing to wait until I put any sort of fish into my tank...where do you get your livestock from?
 
Your cycle, generally, takes 4 - 6 weeks to finish. It's the basic Nitrogen Cycle. When your ammonia tests at 0 and nitrites test at 0, then your cycle is complete.

I buy from Idol Marine, Dorry Pets, Jungle Aquatics and Exotic Pets. And sometimes i ship stuff from Cape Town. I refuse to buy Livestock, or take advice from other LFS's.

Dude, where abouts in Joburg are you? If you need some help, and you're close by, I don't mind helping out.
 
I stay near Randpark Ridge...obviously this cycle hasn't been completed...this really annoys me...so in other words what I should of done is what I initially thought - is to leave the live rock etc in the tank for about 4 weeks before adding fish?
 
Welcome to Masa! You will need to test the water to be sure that it has cycled. Try and leave the fish by someone near you. There are alot of masa members near you:) .. You can use microbelift special blend to help the tank cycle. You can get that from jungle aquatics which is in roodepoort. Talk to Bryan there, he knows his stuff
 
sammijo said:
I stay near Randpark Ridge...obviously this cycle hasn't been completed...this really annoys me...so in other words what I should of done is what I initially thought - is to leave the live rock etc in the tank for about 4 weeks before adding fish?
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Yup, that's exactly what you should have done. Let the tank sit and cycle for 4 - 6 weeks.

Do yourself a favour and go buy a good quality test kit for measuring Ammonia, Nitrites and nitrates. Those are the important ones. Also, a good piece of equipment to test your salinity levels like a Refractometer or a GOOD quality hydrometer.

I'm out in randburg, but there are quite a few members in your area who may be willig to give you a hand. @fly* @rakabos

They might be able to give you a hand if you ask nicely. I know they are partial to beer as a reward! :tt2:
 
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Hello and welcome,
First thing, never ever go back to that same LFS. They only want the stuff in your wallet.

There are LFS that also are sponsors on this forum. And generally you would get the right advice from these guys. Always you have the option to run any "specialist advice" given to you, past this forum for comment.

The guys here got nothing to gain out of answering any of your questions. They gladly donate their time to be able to help. We all learned. Been through the process. So yes, ask away. There are a lot of information already available as well, so start browsing the forums page. Enough info to keep you busy until your tank did cycle.
 
Some great advice given so far

in summary i would not go back to the LFS you have bought from.
 
Welcome to MASA.
I've been a member for about 2 months. Been reading a lot and found a lot of helpful tips. I listen to LFS, but don't just "take" their word, I also compare it to here. Sometimes they talk so fast and they think you understand what the hell they are saying and you walk out of there with more questions and more doubt.

My tanks been running for 10 days and I cannot wait to add fish, but I have to. Just be patient and don't give up, I almost did, but am glad I did not.

PS, try to buy from shops that quarantine their live stock for a while before selling it to you. When you buy fish that have just arrived, they still suffer from shock and might have diseases, so they will die on you. Like the other guys said, don't support that LFS again.
 
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Meneer said:
Yes your tank MUST cycle.

As emergency measure - you can try going on a Seachem Stability program.
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I would use Seachem Stability on a Fresh Water setup, but to get the tank safe for Marine Fish, I'd use Prodibio rather... It's more expensive, but the results speak for themselves... But this is not an course of action I would recommend to any beginner aquarist.
 
Slagter said:
I would use Seachem Stability on a Fresh Water setup, but to get the tank safe for Marine Fish, I'd use Prodibio rather... It's more expensive, but the results speak for themselves... But this is not an course of action I would recommend to any beginner aquarist.
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+1 on this and welcome to MASA , you will get it all in check soon dont stress to much, there are plenty of gurus here to help
 
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