Hi Everyone!
I’m completely new to owning a saltwater nano aquarium and did so much research and googling before taking the plunge and getting it all set up. I let the tank cycle and added two Trochus snails and an emerald crab when the diatom bloom kicked in and three months later the emerald crab and one snail is still alive.
My water parameters have been consistently at:
pH - 8.2
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - 0
Salinity - 1.023
I was hesitant because I’m really scared of doing something wrong and losing fish, but I decided I was finally ready to add a clownfish! We went to one of the LFS which are known to quarantine their fish before putting them on the floor for sale and they pride them on being healthy. This little guy seemed to be doing well in the display tank.
We also got a fire shrimp and an additional trochus snail along with a 3 lb piece of live rock making total amount of live rock in the tank around 10 lbs.
We put in the rock first, which came in a bag along with the water from the LFS’ tank. We made sure not to add the water, just the rock.
Meanwhile I was acclimating the fish, shrimp and snail to temperature before gradually adding some tank water to get them used to the new tank. I took extra long with the snail because I hear they’re really really sensitive.
After the snail finally went in hours later, he immediately flipped on his back. We righted him several times but each time he made sure to flip right back on over! I thought it was odd, because the other two snails went right on to moving around the tank when I put them in three months prior, but decided to leave him alone and see what happens.
The next day, I felt like the clownfish was a bit less active and the water was ready for a change so I performed a 20% water change, making sure to keep salinity the same. I didn’t warm the water up before adding it to the tank and I wonder if the temperature shock is what affected my new guy
Two days later, I have a dead clownfish, a (seemingly) healthy and active fire shrimp, and a new snail that has been on its back since we put him in the tank. He’s still alive but hasn’t righted himself at all and I’ve tried two more times to do it for him but he keeps on flipping back over immediately as if throwing a stubborn tantrum.
As soon as I saw the dead clown I took him out of the water and rechecked my water parameters for a possible spike in anything, and nothing! The water parameters are as they’ve always been which I have seen as ideal online. I also checked them the day before because I was worried adding three live creatures at once might be too much but they were fine yesterday as well. So the total of two days I’ve had new additions, the parameters have been ideal.
We went back to the LFS and I gave them a sample of my water. They couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Sold me another bottle of Dr. Tim’s, thought maybe the clown dying was a fluke and told me I was most likely okay for giving fish another shot so I got a pair of perculas along with an anemone which he said really shouldn’t be a problem because the water looks great.
I get home, take even more care acclimating the fish and anemone, and after 10 minutes of finally getting the fish in the tank, they’re 95% dead and the sea anemone is closed up. Immediately pulled out the fish and got the water testing kit out. Same parameters again showing no spike in anything.
I’m so disheartened, literally cried, and have been wracking my brain as to what is wrong. This is the scenario that has kept me from adding new things even though the tank has been cycled and seemingly ready for so long. My old snail which has been alive for 3 months also seems to be lethargic since the addition of the new guys two days ago.
Any feedback or help would be appreciated Please go easy on me, a complete newbie to the hobby and pretty heartbroken right now.
I’m completely new to owning a saltwater nano aquarium and did so much research and googling before taking the plunge and getting it all set up. I let the tank cycle and added two Trochus snails and an emerald crab when the diatom bloom kicked in and three months later the emerald crab and one snail is still alive.
My water parameters have been consistently at:
pH - 8.2
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - 0
Salinity - 1.023
I was hesitant because I’m really scared of doing something wrong and losing fish, but I decided I was finally ready to add a clownfish! We went to one of the LFS which are known to quarantine their fish before putting them on the floor for sale and they pride them on being healthy. This little guy seemed to be doing well in the display tank.
We also got a fire shrimp and an additional trochus snail along with a 3 lb piece of live rock making total amount of live rock in the tank around 10 lbs.
We put in the rock first, which came in a bag along with the water from the LFS’ tank. We made sure not to add the water, just the rock.
Meanwhile I was acclimating the fish, shrimp and snail to temperature before gradually adding some tank water to get them used to the new tank. I took extra long with the snail because I hear they’re really really sensitive.
After the snail finally went in hours later, he immediately flipped on his back. We righted him several times but each time he made sure to flip right back on over! I thought it was odd, because the other two snails went right on to moving around the tank when I put them in three months prior, but decided to leave him alone and see what happens.
The next day, I felt like the clownfish was a bit less active and the water was ready for a change so I performed a 20% water change, making sure to keep salinity the same. I didn’t warm the water up before adding it to the tank and I wonder if the temperature shock is what affected my new guy
Two days later, I have a dead clownfish, a (seemingly) healthy and active fire shrimp, and a new snail that has been on its back since we put him in the tank. He’s still alive but hasn’t righted himself at all and I’ve tried two more times to do it for him but he keeps on flipping back over immediately as if throwing a stubborn tantrum.
As soon as I saw the dead clown I took him out of the water and rechecked my water parameters for a possible spike in anything, and nothing! The water parameters are as they’ve always been which I have seen as ideal online. I also checked them the day before because I was worried adding three live creatures at once might be too much but they were fine yesterday as well. So the total of two days I’ve had new additions, the parameters have been ideal.
We went back to the LFS and I gave them a sample of my water. They couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Sold me another bottle of Dr. Tim’s, thought maybe the clown dying was a fluke and told me I was most likely okay for giving fish another shot so I got a pair of perculas along with an anemone which he said really shouldn’t be a problem because the water looks great.
I get home, take even more care acclimating the fish and anemone, and after 10 minutes of finally getting the fish in the tank, they’re 95% dead and the sea anemone is closed up. Immediately pulled out the fish and got the water testing kit out. Same parameters again showing no spike in anything.
I’m so disheartened, literally cried, and have been wracking my brain as to what is wrong. This is the scenario that has kept me from adding new things even though the tank has been cycled and seemingly ready for so long. My old snail which has been alive for 3 months also seems to be lethargic since the addition of the new guys two days ago.
Any feedback or help would be appreciated
Please go easy on me, a complete newbie to the hobby and pretty heartbroken right now.
