Snails and Hermits dying?

[saltyfilmfolks]

Nitrates won't affect fish until it reaches the hundreds, and most inverts/softies/LPS can tolerate 40-60 ppm. (Helps if they are allowed to slowly adjust to it.)

But most SPS, starfish, urchins and other "sensitives" can't take more than 5-10 ppm.

Thanks for the back up guys. Getting the fish safe was my first concern. I felt I had to move faster than I usually like to advise.


The problem with the old tank sand and possibly rock are what we're going to figure out next.

I'm pretty sure the sand was the major problem and the water changes and new sand should to do the trick.

I am looking at new tank, and parameters are bouncing around until the bio load settles in. Also with the new tank there is not enough algae in the system for feed and the snail and hermit starve.

The rock and old sand were from a purchased tank and transferred

 

[HowardJ02]

I'm going to do another water change using 8 gallons of bottled distilled water from the store to hopefully get the nitrates under control...

I feel like I should acclimate the fish and inverts to the new tank when it's ready to go? Is that totally necessary?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm going to do another water change using 8 gallons of bottled distilled water from the store to hopefully get the nitrates under control...

I feel like I should acclimate the fish and inverts to the new tank when it's ready to go? Is that totally necessary?

I'd concentrate a bit on the QT and slowly lower those numbers like a gallon a day maybe and observe the fish and snails.

I'm not suggesting its an emergency situation and should be rushed. i think you should be in the clear now.

Hopefully it's not to hard to have both tanks set up for another week.
That's the kind of time frame I might consider. Not sure your sched but I wouldn't rush the processs nor do you want this to be a burden.
Think of it like food poisoning and a trip to the er. You pumped your stomach but this week it's time to make sure your coming back to health.

In the dt at this point you can and should probably do a 100% water change. If that's possible. Or a very very large one. Or aim for that large number over the course of the week.
That should clear almost all of the high No. and if there's anything still foul in there it should get it out. It's not the no im worried about really.
Putting a larger amount of carbon and a gfo in the AQ will also pull out contaminants. Make sure you load it so it gets good flow through it.
Thats today tomorrow this week end. probably.

Then , and I'm guessing a bit here, Monday or Tuesday change the carbon and gfo and use a bit less maybe. And put in a snail or crab and see how they do.

By probably Thursday the numbers in the QT should be down and the dt too. And hopefully the snails and crabs are alive.

By the end of the week you should have great numbers in both tanks and me personally without debating the actual needs of acclimation , I'd put water back and forth between the two tanks with a big cup. That's basically acclimation really.
And that way next weekend you only have one tank set up and a happy fish.

Perhaps I'm being a bit over cautious but I'm not sure what else I'd do.

 

[RoyalGrammaJohn]

My hunch is you didn't even need to change the sand. I had this same problem once too. And it was because my salinity was sky high to around 1.033 because hyrdometers are useless and you will be surprised how off they could be. Your pet store could of tested with a hydrometer or a non calibrated refractometer. Got my salinity back down and my new batch is snails and hermits are thriving. Did you use a hydrometer or refractometer? And what did the lfs use ? And I doubt tap water being used awhile ago in that tank would still have any impact. Oh and I highly recommend using poly filter and chemi pure blue to get copper(if there is any) and other bad organics out of there. Doesn't sound like your using a skimmer which is fine as long as your keeping up with water changes but def use those two things I just mentioned if not. And 60ppm is really high for inverts and corals you should never be over 20ppm at the absolute max. 0-10ppm is more acceptable range.

 

[HowardJ02]

My LFS uses a Milwaukee digital refractometer.
I also use a refractometer, however not digital.
Salinity measured the same on both. Not out of control though.
I can't wait to get back into coral- I hope this new sand bed takes care of the problem!!!

 

[HowardJ02]

Well, a little update!

Fish is still doing great.
Both hermits are actively moving around now instead of hiding in their shells all day.
And my nassarius snail is burrowed in the sandbed- I haven't seen him come out of the sandbed yet.. but he's still alive.. I think.

Also picked up my first softie the other day to see how it would do. Still alive and pulsing!

Thanks everyone for you quick help and advice!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!