Frustrating, are Water Changes Killing My Inverts?

[HawkeyeDJ]

I'm doing weekly 10% water changes in my 24 gallon AIO cube.

The fish are all fine, however, I've lost a emerald crab, a cleaner shrimp, and now possibly a tiger conch. The only link appears to be each death comes shortly after a water change. I have trochus snails and cerith snails, which are doing fine (so far).

I'm new to this. I got no explanation from my LFS, my parameters appear to be stable and within normal acceptable range.

The water for the water change has always been the same, from my LFS. I test it for SG and pH beforehand.

What am I missing?

 

[T-J]

my parameters appear to be stable and within normal acceptable range.

What are your parameters? Are you topping off your tank with fresh water?
Are you testing your water from the LFS for anything besides salinity?
Do you temperature match your fresh water to your tank before doing the waterchange?

 

[Uncle99]

What are the parameters for the DT?
what are the parameters for the newly mixed salt?

 

[Paul B]

How old is the tank

 

[HawkeyeDJ]

What are your parameters? Are you topping off your tank with fresh water?
Are you testing your water from the LFS for anything besides salinity?
Do you temperature match your fresh water to your tank before doing the waterchange?

Parameters:
SG: 1.025
pH: 8.2
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: .5ppm
Phosphates 5 ppm
temperature: 78F

New water is within 1-2 degrees of the tank.

I top off with RODI water.

 

[HawkeyeDJ]

How old is the tank

3 months old.

 

[Uncle99]

Phosphate at 5ppm is crazy high

 

[Uncle99]

Should be say 0.05-.15ppm

 

[T-J]

Phosphate at 5ppm is crazy high

If this is correct, that's not good.

 

[HawkeyeDJ]

Phosphate at 5ppm is crazy high

My bad, typo .5ppm. Never been higher than 1ppm.

 

[T-J]

How many/what kind of fish are in the tank? Can we see a pic of the setup?

 

[Paul B]

3 months old.

That is the problem. Those creatures depend on detritus, algae and other food items not found in a 3 month old tank.

 

[Uncle99]

My bad, typo .5ppm. Never been higher than 1ppm.

That still way, way way high unless thugs tank is more than 2 years old and full of coral.

 

[HawkeyeDJ]

How many/what kind of fish are in the tank? Can we see a pic of the setup?

Currently, 7 total fish: 2 ocellaris clowns, 2 cardinals, 3 firefish. FOWLR.

 

[Thespammailaccount]

Have you tested your product water for ammonia could be chloramine

 

[HawkeyeDJ]

That is the problem. Those creatures depend on detritus, algae and other food items not found in a 3 month old tank.

You're saying the CUC is starving.

 

[T-J]

Ok, could be a number of things.
Test ammonia.
Test for copper.
Looking at that pic, your tank looks really clean/white. Yes, your CUC could be starving.

 

[Jenntell]

Your tank is too clean still. A friend suggested to place some Nori band to a rock in the bottom of the tank after the lights go out. I lost a Blasto to a hungry hermit so now I make sure they are fed as well. All the inverts get a snack and the Nori is gone in the morning! No more deaths!

 

[Paul B]

You're saying the CUC is starving.

Yes

 

[RyanHoan]

When my tank was younger than 8 months or so I’d lose inverts for no apparent reason.