Inverts Won’t Survive

[ethanbear111]

I have a Reefer 350 that has been running for about five to six months, with three fish, a mini angel, a royal gramma and a damsel fish. I have tried all sorts of invertebrates and they just won’t survive. Snails, coral, an anemone and cleaner shrimp. My only living invert is a tiny blue hermit crab. I added six a while ago and I am only now seeing one, however they are very tiny, and recently it has appeared to of switched shells. So, now I don’t know if it is the same hermit or a different one...

Anyhow, I have checked consistently ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and have found 0, 0 and less than 10. I checked pH and it seemed a bit higher than 8.3, so I lowered it, waited a day or two and added a snail, which instantly died. I am kind of annoyed at this point! I have good lighting (not that the snail cares) a refugium which until now was running 24/7, as I hadn’t got a timer, and I only add distilled water (though I am in the process of buying an ro/di unit.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[James M]

How are you acclimating them?

 

[Brew12]

I have a Reefer 350 that has been running for about five to six months, with three fish, a mini angel, a royal gramma and a damsel fish. I have tried all sorts of invertebrates and they just won’t survive. Snails, coral, an anemone and cleaner shrimp. My only living invert is a tiny blue hermit crab. I added six a while ago and I am only now seeing one, however they are very tiny, and recently it has appeared to of switched shells. So, now I don’t know if it is the same hermit or a different one...

Anyhow, I have checked consistently ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and have found 0, 0 and less than 10. I checked pH and it seemed a bit higher than 8.3, so I lowered it, waited a day or two and added a snail, which instantly died. I am kind of annoyed at this point! I have good lighting (not that the snail cares) a refugium which until now was running 24/7, as I hadn’t got a timer, and I only add distilled water (though I am in the process of buying an ro/di unit.

What am I doing wrong?

What are your magnesium levels? And have you tested your water for copper?

 

[Jlyons]

Did you purchase your tank new? I would check copper levels asap!

 

[Rcpilot]

I only add distilled water (though I am in the process of buying an ro/di unit.

What am I doing wrong?

Where does your saltwater come from?
Tap?
Local Fish Store?

 

[ethanbear111]

I mixed tap with instant ocean, I also cycled with Indonesia ocean cultured live rock.
If there were copper, how would I go about removing it?

 

[Brew12]

I mixed tap with instant ocean, I also cycled with Indonesia ocean cultured live rock.
If there were copper, how would I go about removing it?

Either Cuprisorb or Polyfilters would work.

You should consider getting a RODI unit. It is likely that something is in your tap water that is killing your inverts.

 

[MTBake]

I have a few more questions;

What's the salinity?

Is there chlorine or chloramine in the tap water? Are you using something to detoxify either?

 

[ethanbear111]

Either Cuprisorb or Polyfilters would work.

You should consider getting a RODI unit. It is likely that something is in your tap water that is killing your inverts.

I literally am setting up a rodi unit from bulk reef supply right this second, lol. Also, my salinity is between 0.25 and 0.26. My area doesn’t use chloramine and chlorine leaves water as a gas in around 48 hours, but I did dose the tank with Seachem prime just in case. I also have only used purified water for water changes and replacing evaporated water.

 

[Brew12]

I literally am setting up a rodi unit from bulk reef supply right this second, lol. Also, my salinity is between 0.25 and 0.26. My area doesn’t use chloramine and chlorine leaves water as a gas in around 48 hours, but I did dose the tank with Seachem prime just in case. I also have only used purified water for water changes and replacing evaporated water.

I hope you mean 1.025 and 1.026.

Glad to hear you are getting a RODI filter set up. That should help greatly.

 

[ethanbear111]

I hope you mean 1.025 and 1.026.

Glad to hear you are getting a RODI filter set up. That should help greatly.

I do.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

How are you acclimating them?

+1

 

[ethanbear111]

+1

I drip acclimate for about an hour and a half to two hours.

 

[cracker]

Pleaes tell us how you acclimate. I used to drip them for 1/2 hour & always had dead snails in a short time. Now I "slow" drip for hours probably over kill but I have" very" few deaths. Usually none at all.
Overkills most likely but why not not hurting anything. That being said I heard some shippers wrap in wet paper & have a much different method. Is this still true?
Anyway, good Luck & You will like the rodi !

Ps Oh Sorry Ya beat me to it ! Please disregard my post ! Most likely something in the water then.

 

[ethanbear111]

Pleaes tell us how you acclimate. I used to drip them for 1/2 hour & always had dead snails in a short time. Now I "slow" drip for hours probably over kill but I have" very" few deaths. Usually none at all.
Overkills most likely but why not not hurting anything. That being said I heard some shippers wrap in wet paper & have a much different method. Is this still true?
Anyway, good Luck & You will like the rodi !

Ps Oh Sorry Ya beat me to it ! Please disregard my post ! Most likely something in the water then.

Yea I tighten the tube or the point that acclimation is very slow.

 

[artieg1]

I had this same issue. I thought it was water quality. Here was my problem: my Queen angel and dwarf angel were harassing them when I was not looking. When I would come by the tank, they would eagerly swim to me for food. But if I sat for 20 minutes and watched the tank, they would get bored of me, and immediately start nibbling on the urchins, shrimp, sea hares, etc. Even my dwarf angel. Queen has gone in the sump, and I am hoping the midnight angel will stop. If not, then I gotta catch it somehow. Angels, I am learning the hard way, are really not for reef tanks. Watch that angel and make sure it is being an upstanding citizen.

 

[Rc1989]

I would agree with artieg. If parameters are good, I would think it’s something doing it. I only temp acclimate and no deaths so far from acclimation.

 

[cracker]

Now I think of it my Copper band is doing the same thing when I 1st intro them. Thanks !
Good theory

 

[ethanbear111]

I had this same issue. I thought it was water quality. Here was my problem: my Queen angel and dwarf angel were harassing them when I was not looking. When I would come by the tank, they would eagerly swim to me for food. But if I sat for 20 minutes and watched the tank, they would get bored of me, and immediately start nibbling on the urchins, shrimp, sea hares, etc. Even my dwarf angel. Queen has gone in the sump, and I am hoping the midnight angel will stop. If not, then I gotta catch it somehow. Angels, I am learning the hard way, are really not for reef tanks. Watch that angel and make sure it is being an upstanding citizen.

Inverts were dying before I bought the dwarf angel. It’s the ruler of the tank and my other fish are afraid of it, but it doesn’t know. Honestly, my most aggressive fish is my damsel, but he ignores anything on the sand. Also coral die too and my lights are fine. I even tried again while dosing the water with stuff to help coral growth. Didn’t work.

 

[NewGoby]

Copper is also the first thing that came to my mind. Please do measure the copper,

should you find any traces of copper, check the sandbed for lost bits of metal, or it could be that your rocks are leeching trace elements into your water - did you get used rocks?