New Tank - Help Needed

chelmon

chelmon

Joined
14 Jul 2007
Posts
44
Reaction score
0
Location
Centurion
Hi Guys,

My tank is 10 weeks old and everything were looking good, but boom...a total mess.

Here is some info:

Approx 250L with 14 kg of LR

Readings on 11/05.
pH - 8.3
Alk - 9
NO2- 0
NO3 - 1
Amm - 0.05

Readings on 15/05
pH - 8.3
Alk - 9
NO2 - 0.04
NO3 - 10
Amm - Somewhere between 1 & 2

I had 1 clown, 1 boxing & cleaning shrimp, a starfish and a pipe worm.

Only the clown and the cleaning shrimp have survived so far. I am not sure about the pipe worm. The feathers came off, but the tranparent part which has grown into the LR still show some movement.

These babies were growing on the LR...
IMG_5800.jpg



IMG_5808.jpg



A week and a half ago I discovered that they were shrinking and looked like raisins. The CA level was way below. I followed the instructions on the Topic Marin Bio Calcium and added 6 scoops. Obviously to much at one time. Looks like a have burnt everything to death, even the LR. After that the ammonia level just went up.

Tank.jpg



Sump.jpg



Side.jpg



Any suggestions?

Chelmon
</IMG></IMG>
 
Hey chelmon

Ammonia is a huge killer. I am assuming your ammonia level has gone up because you just killed everything in your tank. Have you got any life in your tank at all?

What is your calcium level at the moment and what test kit are you using to test calcium?

Are you using Natural Sea Water or Synthetic Salt?
 
Wow, looks like you are caught in the middle of a cycle here, after 10 weeks your tank was still completing its cycle. Personally i would leave all water parameters like CA and alk for the time being and let the tank cycle properly first, as even slight levels of ammonia are toxic and certainly what has caused a lot of the deaths in the tank. Leave everything for now and watch the ammonia, No2 and NO3 levels, do not add any live stock to the system at the moment and feed very sparingly. Your tank will cycle and your ammonia will start to drop and the NO2 will rise, after a while your NO2 will peak and the NO3 will start to rise. Once the Ammonia and NO2 both reach 0 then your tank has cycled. Have you got a Deep Sand Bed[DSB] at all. Please read up on the DSB as they are a great way of reducing NO3. Patience is needed here my friend, this cycle thing cannot be hurried once it has cycled we can start working on the correction of CA and ALK as any mishaps here could cause more deaths and add to the cycle again and we get caught in a loop. In the mean time research the DSB's and refugiums. Alot of the folk are going to tell you to get rid of the bio filter in the sump and i do agree with them but not just yet first let it help convert your ammonia and NO2 to NO3 as NO3 is not toxic.
 
Viper

The Ca = 416 and the test kit is a Tropic Marin
I use Synthetic Salt - Tropic Marin Pro-Reef
What is your oppinion on the Tropic Marin products?
 
Tropic marine is a very good product. SG is Specific Gravity of the water ie How much salt is in the water.
 
All parameters check out ok for now, just let the tank cycle and get the ammonia and NO2 under control.
416 for ca is spot on esp with a Dkh of 9.
 
Alan said:
Wow, looks like you are caught in the middle of a cycle here, after 10 weeks your tank was still completing its cycle. Personally i would leave all water parameters like CA and alk for the time being and let the tank cycle properly first, as even slight levels of ammonia are toxic and certainly what has caused a lot of the deaths in the tank. Leave everything for now and watch the ammonia, No2 and NO3 levels, do not add any live stock to the system at the moment and feed very sparingly. Your tank will cycle and your ammonia will start to drop and the NO2 will rise, after a while your NO2 will peak and the NO3 will start to rise. Once the Ammonia and NO2 both reach 0 then your tank has cycled. Have you got a Deep Sand Bed[DSB] at all. Please read up on the DSB as they are a great way of reducing NO3. Patience is needed here my friend, this cycle thing cannot be hurried once it has cycled we can start working on the correction of CA and ALK as any mishaps here could cause more deaths and add to the cycle again and we get caught in a loop. In the mean time research the DSB's and refugiums. Alot of the folk are going to tell you to get rid of the bio filter in the sump and i do agree with them but not just yet first let it help convert your ammonia and NO2 to NO3 as NO3 is not toxic.
Click to expand...

im 100% sure this is your answer.did you perhaps have any live rock,water,substrate from a mature system to help speed up your cycle chelmon?
 
mekaeel
I just bought the live rock from the local petshop and he took out some dirty filter wool and told me I should shake it in my tank. That's about it.
 
chelmon, you are most likely going threw a cycle, where did you purchase this tank. it looks familier??
 
ok never mind then, just looked like a tank near a durban petshop. all i can say is let the cycle continue
 
chelmon said:
mekaeel
I just bought the live rock from the local petshop and he took out some dirty filter wool and told me I should shake it in my tank. That's about it.
Click to expand...
what you shouldve done is place the rock in a sepereate drum/tank and let it run with a skimmer for atleast 3 weeks before adding.thats what i usually do
 
Hi welcome Celmon

Ha Ha Why did you choose such a funny name
I told you the guys here would sort you out.
Best of luck
 
I will definitely not add any more livestock at the moment. Thank you all for the advise:)

Any comments on the pipe worm that lost its feather.

"I am not sure about the pipe worm. The feathers came off, but the tranparent part which has grown into the LR still show some movement."
 
They are known to shed their 'feathers'. If he is healthy he will grow a new crown of feathers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom