I have had my 90 gallon tank set up for atleast 4 months now. It cycled in about 3 weeks or so. I transferred a hippo tang, flame hawk, yellow tail damsel, and a pair of percula clowns from my old 50 gallon tank. About 3 months into the new tank being set up I added a kole tang, lawnmower blenny, and a diamond goby. All looked great and really healthy and eating from the first day I put them in the tank. About 2 weeks later I came home from work to a dead blenny. Two days later a dead kole tang followed by a dead goby two or three days after that. and over the following week I lost both my clownfish that have had for about a year and a half. I tested my water like I always do, (using API test kits unfortunately) obtaining the same results that I always have:
Salinity: 1.023
KH: 10ish
Phosphates around .5-1.0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: about 20
PH: 8.2-8.3ish
Ammonia: 0
I think I will pick up some salifert kits or something different. I have been trying to get the phosphates to zero, as well as the nitrates. I have been trying to do 25% water changes every two weeks. The parameters have not changed at all. Before I lost all those fish, I was stirring up the sand once maybe twice per week, thinking I was doing a good thing and keeping it clean. After doing some research I am thinking maybe that is what could have possibly killed my fish, potentially releasing a bunch of nitrates and waste into the water.
I have roughly 100lbs of live rock in the tank along with a live sand bed of about 1.5-2 inches deep. I have a 30 gallon sump with a reef octopus 150 skimmer and a small refugium with a 1.5" sand bed, few pieces of live rock and some chaeto. At the time, I had a bunch calurpa in there as well. Four days ago I added a pair of percula clowns which seem to be doing great and eating well. I also added 10 green chromis over a 2 day period. I am somehow down to 4 chromis already! Some of them had and have what appears to be wounds on their sides. I dont know what's going on with them, I never have luck with chromis and not sure why I tried them again. I always start off with a school of them and end up with one or two. Anyways, I'm guessing I should leave the sand alone and let it do its thing. I have hermits and snails, I am thinking about getting a sand sifting starfish and or a sea cucumber to help clean up. Any ideas or pointers are greatly appreciated. I am learning something new with this hobby every day.
Salinity: 1.023
KH: 10ish
Phosphates around .5-1.0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: about 20
PH: 8.2-8.3ish
Ammonia: 0
I think I will pick up some salifert kits or something different. I have been trying to get the phosphates to zero, as well as the nitrates. I have been trying to do 25% water changes every two weeks. The parameters have not changed at all. Before I lost all those fish, I was stirring up the sand once maybe twice per week, thinking I was doing a good thing and keeping it clean. After doing some research I am thinking maybe that is what could have possibly killed my fish, potentially releasing a bunch of nitrates and waste into the water.
I have roughly 100lbs of live rock in the tank along with a live sand bed of about 1.5-2 inches deep. I have a 30 gallon sump with a reef octopus 150 skimmer and a small refugium with a 1.5" sand bed, few pieces of live rock and some chaeto. At the time, I had a bunch calurpa in there as well. Four days ago I added a pair of percula clowns which seem to be doing great and eating well. I also added 10 green chromis over a 2 day period. I am somehow down to 4 chromis already! Some of them had and have what appears to be wounds on their sides. I dont know what's going on with them, I never have luck with chromis and not sure why I tried them again. I always start off with a school of them and end up with one or two. Anyways, I'm guessing I should leave the sand alone and let it do its thing. I have hermits and snails, I am thinking about getting a sand sifting starfish and or a sea cucumber to help clean up. Any ideas or pointers are greatly appreciated. I am learning something new with this hobby every day.
