PLEASE HELP! Ammonia, nitrites and clownfish

[Mallory86]

Except for that ammonia reading, the numbers look good. Two other questions
1. How about oxygenation? Do you have a skimmer running or some other method for air exchange?
2. You mentioned cloudy water. This could be a bacterial bloom (happens in cycling tanks too). I would suggest adding carbon, doing a water change (20%), and ensuring oxygen exchange.

Unfortunately in my experience when a fish is lying on it's side it's very difficult to recover (but that's just me).

I have the filter, the heater, and the light, that's all they said I needed when I bought everything, I've done a small water change this morning and will continue to do them small throughout the day as to not stress the fish too much, and I will add carbon today, thank you.

 

[IKD]

I have the filter, the heater, and the light, that's all they said I needed when I bought everything, I've done a small water change this morning and will continue to do them small throughout the day as to not stress the fish too much, and I will add carbon today, thank you.

Do you have any circulation pumps? With a 55g, you'll definitely need some circulation if it's a hang-on-back (HOB) filter. Sorry for all the questions. Maybe a picture of the tank would help.

 

[brandon429]

very thankful for your diagnostics help here. Full tank picture w help shore up details.

free ammonia: all fish up top panting for breath, all organisms exhibit stress can’t be isolated it will be all life in the tank occupying zones they don’t usually occupy. Snails etc, dead if there are any

Ammonia is that consequential

The tank pic will also show surface area, rocks and sand attachment points and we can factor that against known submersion times + animal distribution in the pic. What was a clue for me at the start was that test kit readings were the basis of concern, not a tankwide challenge. that is the recurring theme in all stuck cycle threads.

In all stuck cycle threads we cannot get a seneye ammonia measure, until that ceases to be a factor don’t expect much agreement on what cycling bacteria do or do not do. Pics show a working normal reef in stuck cycle threads.

 

[Mallory86]

Do you have any circulation pumps? With a 55g, you'll definitely need some circulation if it's a hang-on-back (HOB) filter. Sorry for all the questions. Maybe a picture of the tank would help.

It is a HOB filter for sure, what would I need by way of circulation?

 

[Acskippy]

It is a HOB filter for sure, what would I need by way of circulation?

I PM’d you please check

 

[IKD]

It is a HOB filter for sure, what would I need by way of circulation?

You can grab a simple water circulation pump like a Hydor or Koralia. Just need something that I move the water. If it’s placed towards the top end of the tank it can also do oxygen exchange

here are some examples from the BRS But your local fish store should also have some available

Aquarium Powerhead Pumps for Reef Tanks | Flow Pumps & Wave Makers

Shop aquarium powerhead pumps designed for reef and saltwater tanks. Find quiet, efficient flow pumps and wave makers sized for nano to large aquariums. featuring trusted brands like EcoTech Marine, AquaIllumination, Tunze, Sicce, Red Sea & Maxspect Gyres.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Mallory86]

Oh and I added a carbon infused filter, not charcoal, just double checked it.

 

[Mallory86]

Thank you, I'm gonna go see what they have when they open.

 

[AnneO]

Hi, just my 2 cents worth because I found some of the other answers quite confusing to read.

1) It is possible that this fish was already sick and you can see on the diseases forum if there are any other symptoms you recognise in your fish. Rapid breathing and red gills does point to damage from ammonia for me.

2) I think it is also possible that ammonia measured zero after the initial cycle, but then you added hermits and fish (and food), so that the bacterial load was not yet enough to convert all the newly produced ammonia. That does occur with rapid changes in the bioload, so I dont see why it couldnt be an issue now. In my first tank I also had the smaller clown appearing to be much more sensitive to the less-than-perfect water and I also saw ammonia / nitrite readings increase from zero a few times without it killing everything at once. He survived, but to this day he seems to get stressed by low oxygenation more rapidly than his mate. I would say that a tank with nitrite (not nitrate) is not yet fully cycled even if ammonia is zero, and nitrite can also make your fish sick.

3) I agree that Dilution is the Solution. I would do a large water change and check that the PHs are not so different between the tank and the new salt water. In my experience new salt water is likely to be more neutral (closer to 7) than what is currently in your tank rather than substantially higher, unless maybe you are using an SPS specific salt.

4) It is possible that the second ammonia spike damaged the gills of the weaker clown fish so he is suffering even though the water is ok now. But in that case a water change won't do any further damage. You could shoot for 1.024 for the water change water as slightly lower salinity makes it a bit easier for fish to breathe.

5) I agree that aeration is very important and it will help this particular fish who is struggling to breathe no matter what the initial cause was. So I would put in an airstone to see if that helps.

Good luck!

 

[brandon429]

Patterns:

Nitrates + Nitrite out of nowhere?!

Hey guys! So this morning I routinely checked my tanks parameters and I found that my nitrates are at 20 ppm and my nitrite is at 5.0 ppm. I have a 29 gallon tank with 0 fish 0 inverts and 3 Ricordea shrooms. My tank had been cycling for about 4 weeks and my nitrite was at 0 so I’d figured it...

www.reef2reef.com

new rules for reef cycling come from patterns posted online. That thread matches this thread, so we can watch them unfold together for final results. He has mentioned key terms covered here, both these aquariums are at the same cycling ability, there are no weak or half activated tank cycles


there’s only cycled, or not cycled along with enough surface area or not enough. Cycling has no middle ground, except for non seneye tests.

 

[Mallory86]

Update, as of tonight the ammonia has dropped and looks to be between 0 and .025 the clown fish are both swimming happily around the tank currently, they were just begging for food so I fed a few pellets 2 at a time so that I can verify they are eating and not left to breakdown until the tank is at 100% at least, not out of the woods yet, want it to be at 0 and stay there and I will be happy but at least things are looking up