Need help??

[Faygoaddict]

This is my first time ever doing a saltwater tank. I have a 10 gallon with 2 snowflake clowns, a skunk cleaner, and my CUC consisting of 3 snails and 5 blue leg hermit crabs. My tank was doing spectacular (for someone who's never had a saltwater tank) until this morning. Last night I bought some coral to add to the tank, acclimated them properly, and did a small water change. This morning I woke up to find the tank water cloudy and my clowns and cleaner dead. My corals and CUC seem to be doing just fine, but I have another tank ready to be set up if needed. I also tested my water and everything turned out normal, my ph dropped a little but nothing else.Can anyone explain what happened and how I managed to loose $150 worth of fish in 5 hours?? What can I do to prevent it? Should I go ahead and move my corals?

 

[ironman20725]

How long has the tank been running?

 

[ironman20725]

Pictures? Parameter?

 

[Faygoaddict]

Pictures? Parameter?

The tank has been up for about a month and a half. I can't remember the exact parameters from this morning, but my phwas lower than normal (about 7.4) and my salinity was low. However, after the water change last night both were normal.

 

[ironman20725]

The tank has been up for about a month and a half. I can't remember the exact parameters from this morning, but my phwas lower than normal (about 7.4) and my salinity was low. However, after the water change last night both were normal.

Well at first glance you don't have enough live rock. I would guess the tank hasn't even cycled yet. I didn't add anything but snails for 6 months

 

[Faygoaddict]

Well at first glance you don't have enough live rock. I would guess the tank hasn't even cycled yet. I didn't add anything but snails for 6 months

I let it cycle a month before adding fish. I don't think it's a problem with cycling, it was doing fine up until last night. Should I add more Liverock? Or even live sand?

 

[ironman20725]

I let it cycle a month before adding fish. I don't think it's a problem with cycling, it was doing fine up until last night. Should I add more Liverock? Or even live sand?

Definitely not livestock. I would say live rock. Sand will just cloud it up more.

 

[ironman20725]

And a month is way to short of a time for cycling. I know you want to see something in it but it's a slow process

 

[Faygoaddict]

Definitely not livestock. I would say live rock. Sand will just cloud it up more.

Should my corals be okay if I leave them in there?

 

[ironman20725]

What do you have? I see zoa's

 

[Faygoaddict]

I have a leather coral, two star polyps, a red mushroom, and I'm not sure about the larger one on the left

 

[AndrewNC]

What are your parameters? Definitely need more live rock in there. What do you use for filtration? Powerheads?

 

[ironman20725]

They should be ok. Andrewnc you took the words outta my mind

 

[ironman20725]

I see no powerheads or filter

 

[Faygoaddict]

What are your parameters? Definitely need more live rock in there. What do you use for filtration? Powerheads?

As I said above, I don't remember my parameters exactly, but they were normal for the most part. I use an aqueous quiet flow 20. No, I was actually planning on getting onenough this week until this all happened.

 

[Faygoaddict]

I see no powerheads or filter

My filter is there, it's a hang on back, not canister. I just got home and they seem to be doing better than they were last night?

 

[ironman20725]

You definitely need a protein skimmer too

 

[ironman20725]

Theirs a **** ton of stuff to learn before being successful at this hobby

 

[ironman20725]

Go to YouTube and watch the brs channel and the videos on the 52 weeks of reefing

 

[ironman20725]

Small tank= things happen fast