Bad Sand

[ak10up]

Hey everyone,

I've been in the hobby for about 1 year now and I have a well established 55g. No issues.
I recently started a 20 gallon to be home to a pair of clowns and coral. I have purchased a couple sets of clowns in the tank and unfortunately they do not go to the bottom of the tank and eventually die.
Is it possible to have bad sand in the tank?
I do my scheduled water changes. I have a couple inverts in the tank we well and they all seem fine.
Just the fish either stay at the top or by the glass.

 

[Doberman13]

What are your parameters(temp, Salinity, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)?
Is there enough flow on the top of the water for gas exchange?

 

[chuck]

I think smartest thig to do is a icp test. Just to be safe. Weirs how fish die but no inverts. Unles the fish were sick when you got them. But clows are so hardy.

 

[ak10up]

What are your parameters(temp, Salinity, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)?
Is there enough flow on the top of the water for gas exchange?

Temp 78
Salinity 1.023
pH 8.4
Ammonia 1.0
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5.0ppm

I have a HOB filter providing some flow as well as a 480gph wavemaker.
*Just tested.

 

[DiefsReef]

I think salinity is a little low and I dont like to see any ammonia. I would put some Bio-Spira or some sort of nitrifying bacteria and let it cycle more.

 

[ak10up]

I think salinity is a little low and I dont like to see any ammonia. I would put some Bio-Spira or some sort of nitrifying bacteria and let it cycle more.

Thank you. I actually just added some nitrifying bacteria and also moved my wavemaker higher so it moves the top of the water more. Hope it helps!!

 

[civics14]

fish at the top of water and 1ppm ammonia in the water, sounds like possible ammonia burn in its gills. if you have livestock in the tank, I suggest you go get some seachem prime and an ammonia badge. also, I suggest on reading up on the nitrogen cycle before you add anymore livestock.

here it is simplified by BRS

Cycle your saltwater aquarium. Step 1: A new reefer's guide to ammonia and the nitrogen cycle

This is the first of our two episodes created to show you how to successfully cycle your new reef aquarium. You will not only learn how to make the water safe for fish but also get valuable advice to avoid a slew of challenges new aquarists often run into. We split this up because there are two

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[ak10up]

fish at the top of water and 1ppm ammonia in the water, sounds like possible ammonia burn in its gills. if you have livestock in the tank, I suggest you go get some seachem prime and an ammonia badge. also, I suggest on reading up on the nitrogen cycle before you add anymore livestock.

here it is simplified by BRS

Cycle your saltwater aquarium. Step 1: A new reefer's guide to ammonia and the nitrogen cycle

This is the first of our two episodes created to show you how to successfully cycle your new reef aquarium. You will not only learn how to make the water safe for fish but also get valuable advice to avoid a slew of challenges new aquarists often run into. We split this up because there are two

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Thank you. Just purchased the the badge and added the prime also. Never heard of the badge! When I reference staying at the top, he's not gasping for air or anything. He's actually going midway down the tank. Just not to the sand bed or in the rocks.

 

[DiefsReef]

Thank you. Just purchased the the badge and added the prime also. Never heard of the badge! When I reference staying at the top, he's not gasping for air or anything. He's actually going midway down the tank. Just not to the sand bed or in the rocks

I had 2 clowns that did that for months. its not the sand..

 

[civics14]

Thank you. Just purchased the the badge and added the prime also. Never heard of the badge! When I reference staying at the top, he's not gasping for air or anything. He's actually going midway down the tank. Just not to the sand bed or in the rocks.

that's good to hear, cause ammonia burn in the gills is something tough to recover from. most don't make it.

just note, the ammonia badge is almost instant to show ammonia in the water, but can take several hours to show there is nothing after using prime. as long as you dosed prime, you should be good and the badge will reset itself after a few hours. so do not panic and add more prime if the badge is still showing signs of ammonia.

 

[chemaholic]

Ammonia is a bit high too I think. Should be 0 right?

 

[ActiveAngel]

I second all that @chuck @Doberman13 @DiefsReef and @civics14 have said above.

I see no signs of it being bad sand, and you've shared supporting evidence that it may not bs the sand. If it were (silicates, copper leaching,...) it would likely affect your inverts and corals first.

Follow their above advice, as you already have, and i think you should be good to go. Double check your salinity calibration, and boost it a tiny amount. Add more nitrifying bacteria, prime, and an ammonia badge.

... also, given that its a 20g, confirm your temperature "range" rather than a single point. 78 is not bad on its own. However, as example:

• 76 to 78 may be acceptable
• 78 to 80 is high. Maybe not the culprit of your issues, but still could be improved to reduce stress and future issues.
• 76 to 80 (average 78) is a wide swing, and may warrant replacing with a different model/size heater(s).