inverts are dying

[FriedReef TV]

I have a 20 gallon reef tank that's been running for about 3 months now. All my fish and corals are fine, but my hermit crabs always seem to be in their shells and die after a few weeks. I have no idea why they keep dying as my peppermint shrimp is doing great and everything in the tank is fine. please help my tank is really dirty cause my cuc keeps dying.

 

[Japtastic]

What's the Nitrate level? Any chance Copper or heavy metals are getting in to the tank somehow?

 

[FriedReef TV]

What's the Nitrate level? Any chance Copper or heavy metals are getting in to the tank somehow?

nitrates are 0. I haven't had any copper or metals come into my tank that I know of, all I have that's metal in the tank is a wavemaker and its not rusted. My pH is 7.9/8.0 is this maybe the problem?

 

[Japtastic]

PH is fine. Are you sure there is enough food for them? I only have 4 shrimp and 2 hermits in 1300 litres to make sure they have enough food.

What is getting really dirty? I waited around 9-10 months before I put in any CUC because my theory was that the tank was too clean for them to thrive.

What’s your current fish stock list? Got a full tank shot?

 

[FriedReef TV]

PH is fine. Are you sure there is enough food for them? I only have 4 shrimp and 2 hermits in 1300 litres to make sure they have enough food.

What is getting really dirty? I waited around 9-10 months before I put in any CUC because my theory was that the tank was too clean for them to thrive.

What’s your current fish stock list? Got a full tank shot?

I have 4 fish and feed once or twice a day with mysis shrimp. What I meant by dirty was that detritus and crap collects all over the sandbed on one side of the tank and the crabs never eat it. every time I see them they are hiding in their shells nor just moving to another spot in the tank.

 

[Saltyreef]

Please post all testable parameters.
Were looking for cal, mag, alk, salinity, temp, ph, nitrate, phosphate and since your tank is new, please post ammonia and nitrite readings.
This may help us better determine what could be wrong and advise a next course of action.
What kind of water are you using to mix your salt and top off with?

 

[FriedReef TV]

Please post all testable parameters.
Were looking for cal, mag, alk, salinity, temp, ph, nitrate, phosphate and since your tank is new, please post ammonia and nitrite readings.
This may help us better determine what could be wrong and advise a next course of action.
What kind of water are you using to mix your salt and top off with?

I use instant ocean reef crystals. Ammonia:0 nitrite:0 nitrate:0 phosphate:0 pH:8.0 dkh:7 calc:510 mag:1320

 

[FriedReef TV]

I use instant ocean reef crystals. Ammonia:0 nitrite:0 nitrate:0 phosphate:0 pH:8.0 dkh:7 calc:510 mag:1320

also temperature is 79 degrees

 

[SDK]

Are you carbon dosing or using a large amount of GFO?

A three month old tank with zero nitrates and phosphates does not make any sense. What test kits are you using and can you post pictures of the test results?

 

[Saltyreef]

Possibly not enough food for them to survive. How many hermits? You should hold off on getting any more clean up crew until you start registering nitrates on a test kit. I recommend salifert or hanna.
The pepps also are pretty swipy when it comes to food too.

 

[mikenestle]

How are you acclimating them? If there is a big change in salinity between your tank and where you bought them you have to very slowly acclimate.

 

[Japtastic]

I agree, something is up with those test results. If they are actually not registering Nitrate and Phosphate on the test kits then you have no reason to worry about anything looking dirty in regards to polluting the tank.

Either way, I’d forget CUC for now, don’t add anymore for the time being. Siphon any dirt/detritus up when you do a weekly/bi-weekly water change. Give it a good few months before considering adding any more but to be honest 1 snail and 1 peppermint is probably all you need for a tank that size.

Take a look at the BRS video they did on CUC a little while back. It’s a good watch. Good luck.

 

[FriedReef TV]

Are you carbon dosing or using a large amount of GFO?

A three month old tank with zero nitrates and phosphates does not make any sense. What test kits are you using and can you post pictures of the test results?

I'm not dosing anything and I'm using seachem gfo in my hang on filter. I just got a hang on skimmer so I'll be turning the hang on filter into a refugium. I'm using the API test kits I know they aren't the most accurate but I tested multiple times and got the same results. my lfs tested too and same results

 

[FriedReef TV]

Possibly not enough food for them to survive. How many hermits? You should hold off on getting any more clean up crew until you start registering nitrates on a test kit. I recommend salifert or hanna.
The pepps also are pretty swipy when it comes to food too.

there's detritus all on the ground and little bits of algae don't inverts eat this?

 

[FriedReef TV]

How are you acclimating them? If there is a big change in salinity between your tank and where you bought them you have to very slowly acclimate.

yeah I acclimated them properly they've been in the tank for a while and salinity has stayed constant

 

[FriedReef TV]

I agree, something is up with those test results. If they are actually not registering Nitrate and Phosphate on the test kits then you have no reason to worry about anything looking dirty in regards to polluting the tank.

Either way, I’d forget CUC for now, don’t add anymore for the time being. Siphon any dirt/detritus up when you do a weekly/bi-weekly water change. Give it a good few months before considering adding any more but to be honest 1 snail and 1 peppermint is probably all you need for a tank that size.

Take a look at the BRS video they did on CUC a little while back. It’s a good watch. Good luck.

ok thank you