HELP ! Trouble keeping fish alive

[mrupprcut]

I started my tank two and a half months ago now and I am just starting to have issues. The tank cycled with Dr Tims and a clown fish and took about a month to complete. I have been testing daily with Hanna testers and have had stable similar numbers to what you see below which was yesterdays test results. Once the tank cycled I bought another clown and he only lasted about ten days or two weeks. I thought something was wrong with the fish as my original clown was doing great which was probably my fist mistake. Fast forward a week and one water change I went to the LFS (saltwater only) and I bought three zoa's and a frammer, a watchman shrimp pair as well as some snails. I drip acclimated everything and all seemed fine for only what seemed three or four days before the watchman was dead and then three days after that my original clown died. Feeling frustrated I let the tank sit for another week with just the coral and snails did a water change and still had stable testing. I went and bought the cheapest clown I can find because of my uncertain understanding of the situation and that lasted three days as well. All that being said I am at a loss....The corals seem to be fine but I am not sure If there is something in the tank that is killing them from something introduced from one of the fish or what but I am not sure what next steps would be. The tank is a 13.5 EVO and the only issues it has really had is the expected brown ugly stage that has been lingering. Maybe I should be testing for something else as well ? The water changes have been 2.5 gals each time....Should I go bigger ?

Alk - 7
Salinity - 35.7
Phos - .04
Nitrite - 10.1

 

[Fish Fan]

First of all, welcome to Reef2Reef! There's a lot of help here, so don't get discouraged!

You posted that your Nitrite is 10.1, did you maybe mean you Nitrate was 10.1?

Some members say that Nitrite is not toxic in saltwater system, but I'm a bit doubtful of that claim, and even still if you were reporting ~10 for Nitrite at this point, that would be an indication to me that your tank was not yet fully cycled.

Good luck!

 

[Formulator]

What do you have for flow? Are you running a skimmer? It kind of sounds like a low oxygen issue.

 

[Formulator]

First of all, welcome to Reef2Reef! There's a lot of help here, so don't get discouraged!

You posted that your Nitrite is 10.1, did you maybe mean you Nitrate was 10.1?

Some members say that Nitrite is not toxic in saltwater system, but I'm a bit doubtful of that claim, and even still if you were reporting ~10 for Nitrite at this point, that would be an indication to me that your tank was not yet fully cycled.

Good luck!

Nitrite is not toxic. Your “beliefs” are irrelevant. Its science. That said, if it is not a typo, I agree it is worth investigating and measuring ammonia again.

 

[Fish Fan]

Nitrite is not toxic. Your “beliefs” are irrelevant. Its science. That said, if it is not a typo, I agree it is worth investigating and measuring ammonia again.

OK dude, lighten up, I was just expressing a thought. And for science, I'd stack my BS in Biology up against most users here ;-)

 

[Formulator]

OK dude, lighten up, I was just expressing a thought. And I'd stack by BS in Biology up against most users here ;-)

I’m not trying to be mean. Sorry I can be blunt. I have a degree in biochemistry myself

 

[Fish Fan]

I’m not trying to be mean. Sorry I can be blunt. I have a degree in biochemistry myself

I minored in Chem, which would have been a double major if I had better advisement. No worries at all!

 

[mrupprcut]

First of all, welcome to Reef2Reef! There's a lot of help here, so don't get discouraged!

You posted that your Nitrite is 10.1, did you maybe mean you Nitrate was 10.1?

Some members say that Nitrite is not toxic in saltwater system, but I'm a bit doubtful of that claim, and even still if you were reporting ~10 for Nitrite at this point, that would be an indication to me that your tank was not yet fully cycled.

Good luck!

yes sorry my nitrate is 10.1

 

[mrupprcut]

What do you have for flow? Are you running a skimmer? It kind of sounds like a low oxygen issue.

I use an upgraded pump ( hygger 30W) as well as a wave maker but maybe I am not breaking the water surface enough ?

 

[Miami Reef]

This article is helpful for nitrite toxicity: http://www.petsforum.com/cis-fishnet/seascope/99SS1605.htm

Nitrite is toxic to freshwater fish, but is significantly less toxic to saltwater fish. It is very difficult to reach fatal levels in aquariums.

 

[Formulator]

I use an upgraded pump ( hygger 30W) as well as a wave maker but maybe I am not breaking the water surface enough ?

A video of the surface would help. No skimmer?

 

[mrupprcut]

I started my tank two and a half months ago now and I am just starting to have issues. The tank cycled with Dr Tims and a clown fish and took about a month to complete. I have been testing daily with Hanna testers and have had stable similar numbers to what you see below which was yesterdays test results. Once the tank cycled I bought another clown and he only lasted about ten days or two weeks. I thought something was wrong with the fish as my original clown was doing great which was probably my fist mistake. Fast forward a week and one water change I went to the LFS (saltwater only) and I bought three zoa's and a frammer, a watchman shrimp pair as well as some snails. I drip acclimated everything and all seemed fine for only what seemed three or four days before the watchman was dead and then three days after that my original clown died. Feeling frustrated I let the tank sit for another week with just the coral and snails did a water change and still had stable tel that being said I am at a loss....The corals seem to be fine but I am not sure If there is something in the tank that is killing them from something introduced from one of the fish or what but I am not sure what next steps would be. The tank is a 13.5 EVO and the only issues it has really had is the expected brown ugly stage that has been lingering. Maybe I should be testing for something else as well ? The water changes have been 2.5 gals each time....Should I go bigger ?

Alk - 7
Salinity - 35.7
Phos - .04
Nitrate - 10.1

I started my tank two and a half months ago now and I am just starting to have issues. The tank cycled with Dr Tims and a clown fish and took about a month to complete. I have been testing daily with Hanna testers and have had stable similar numbers to what you see below which was yesterdays test results. Once the tank cycled I bought another clown and he only lasted about ten days or two weeks. I thought something was wrong with the fish as my original clown was doing great which was probably my fist mistake. Fast forward a week and one water change I went to the LFS (saltwater only) and I bought three zoa's and a frammer, a watchman shrimp pair as well as some snails. I drip acclimated everything and all seemed fine for only what seemed three or four days before the watchman was dead and then three days after that my original clown died. Feeling frustrated I let the tank sit for another week with just the coral and snails did a water change and still had stable testing. I went and bought the cheapest clown I can find because of my uncertain understanding of the situation and that lasted three days as well. All that being said I am at a loss....The corals seem to be fine but I am not sure If there is something in the tank that is killing them from something introduced from one of the fish or what but I am not sure what next steps would be. The tank is a 13.5 EVO and the only issues it has really had is the expected brown ugly stage that has been lingering. Maybe I should be testing for something else as well ? The water changes have been 2.5 gals each time....Should I go bigger ?

Alk - 7
Salinity - 35.7
Phos - .04
Nitrite - 10.1

A video of the surface would help. No skimmer?

no skimmer no and I will get a Vid as soon as I can

 

[eliaslikesfish]

apologies if this was already said and I just missed it but, are your inverts all dying as well or just your fish?

 

[Fish Fan]

This article is helpful for nitrite toxicity: http://www.petsforum.com/cis-fishnet/seascope/99SS1605.htm

Nitrite is toxic to freshwater fish, but is significantly less toxic to saltwater fish. It is very difficult to reach fatal levels in aquariums.

Thank you for your reply! I have always been looking for a solid read on this nitrite question (at least, question in my mind). Thanks again!

 

[mrupprcut]

A video of the surface would help. No skimmer?

 

[mrupprcut]

apologies if this was already said and I just missed it but, are your inverts all dying as well or just your fish?

only fish inverts are ok

 

[Zeefishies]

I ran one of my tanks for a while with just corals and re introduced fish
a few months later,
i lost quite a few fish in the beginning also
dont go chasing numbers be patient. That's the key

 

[NanoNana]

Welcome to R2R. What’s your ammonia level? Should be one of the first things to check with sudden fish death.
Do you have any inverts in the tank other than the shrimp? Are the inverts okay? If so it’s probably not oxygenation.
How were the fish behaving before they died? Were they gulping air at the surface, were they swimming erratically , rubbing on glass or rocks or the sand, were they eating well?
Do you make your own saltwater, RODI or tap water?

Do you have pics of them just before or just after death?
Skimmer in a 2 month old nano isn’t necessary unless is just serving as an air stone and air stones are cheaper.

 

[NanoNana]

only fish inverts are ok

Just saw this after I posted. It’s not an oxygen problem.

 

[Formulator]

Skimmer in a 2 month old nano isn’t necessary unless is just serving as an air stone and air stones are cheaper.

Yea, I was just trying to understand oxygen inputs on the system. It doesn’t sound like there is an airstone. I didn’t know that was a thing for nano tanks. Makes sense though. But the salt creep…