Tank was cycled, now its not?

[CallMeLloyd]

My first tank.

Tank set up on 4/26/22, used Dr. Tims & Ammonia. Added 2 Clownfish on day 38 (had been reading 0 Ammonia & Nitrite for 2 weeks). Did my big water change before adding the fish. Probably 4-5 days of the clowns in the tank I noticed 1 had a small bump on his gil/side of face. Fast forward a week or 2 the clown dies then my other one ends up dying. I did not have a QT set up so I used Rally & PraziPro to try to treat fish. My tests never were out of wack except for my Ph being around 7.8. So I and my LFS assumed the fish were just sick when I got them from ordering them online. My LFS recommended me to use "eight.four" to raise my Ph so now my Ph is in check. I am not adding any fish into my tank for 4-5 more weeks just incase something is in the water. My LFS said I could put corals in the tank in the mean time if I wanted too. So currently in my tank a have 2 Frogspawns and a zoa frag, emerald crab, and a few snails. One thing that is worrying me is that I have not done a WC in 3 weeks & I am still reading 0 Nitrates. I have been of course doing top offs. Also have been feeding my corals and feeding the tank pellets/flakes since I have no fish. Also I have removed my purigen from my HOB thinking it might be suppressing the Nitrates. Makes me think maybe something is wrong with my cycle & that could be why the clowns ended up dying.

Any input is welcome!

 

[Lavey29]

Well if you have no fish in there then you have no nitrate producers. When I had to fallow my tank I had to double dose neonitro and neophos to maintain measurable numbers.

 

[Reef.]

If you have crabs etc in there then your cycle is done, they are far more delicate than clowns.

Increasing your ph was probably a bad move, your ph was likely fine if you had good surface movement and the room the tank is in has fresh air in it. Ph tests are not very accurate. Very hard to get an accurate ph reading.

I would in future check with another source first before following advice from your LFS as advising you to increase your ph with a product was bad advice imo.

 

[CallMeLloyd]

Thank you for the replies.

Well if you have no fish in there then you have no nitrate producers. When I had to fallow my tank I had to double dose neonitro and neophos to maintain measurable numbers.

I also was thinking this, so at this point I would only change water to replenish cal & mag?

If you have crabs etc in there then your cycle is done, they are far more delicate than clowns.

Increasing your ph was probably a bad move, your ph was likely fine if you had good surface movement and the room the tank is in has fresh air in it. Ph tests are not very accurate. Very hard to get an accurate ph reading.

I would in future check with another source first before following advice from your LFS as advising you to increase your ph with a product was bad advice imo.

I had good surface movement but since adding the frogspawns the flow was too much. If I lowered the surface movement would Ph raise a bit naturally?

 

[Lavey29]

Thank you for the replies.

I also was thinking this, so at this point I would only change water to replenish cal & mag?



I had good surface movement but since adding the frogspawns the flow was too much. If I lowered the surface movement would Ph raise a bit naturally?

Water changes do more then that. They replenish trace elements also and help keep the big 3 stable along with lowering nitrates slightly. When my tank was fallow I kept up weekly water changes but had to dose neophos and neonitro to maintain parameters because of no fish present.

 

[Garf]

I imagine you’ve sent your alkalinity through the roof using the pH increasing stuff.

 

[Jekyl]

Agree with above on getting better advice. To me it sounds like the fish you purchased had pre existing illness and had nothing to do with your water quality. What test kits are you using?

 

[CallMeLloyd]

Have been using API test kits. I will be getting Hanna checkers and Red Sea for Calcium & Mag. Also should I stop using the Ph stuff "eight.four"?

 

[Lavey29]

Have been using API test kits. I will be getting Hanna checkers and Red Sea for Calcium & Mag. Also should I stop using the Ph stuff "eight.four"?

I honestly don't really monitor PH. I figure if I keep the big 3 stable and my fuge looks good the PH just falls in line.

 

[Jekyl]

Have been using API test kits. I will be getting Hanna checkers and Red Sea for Calcium & Mag. Also should I stop using the Ph stuff "eight.four"?

I wouldn't dose anything to my tank without being able to accurately test what it does. Agree with above that Ph has never been an issue.

 

[Reef.]

Thank you for the replies.

I also was thinking this, so at this point I would only change water to replenish cal & mag?



I had good surface movement but since adding the frogspawns the flow was too much. If I lowered the surface movement would Ph raise a bit naturally?

More surface movement would likely increase ph not reduce it, you want surface movement.


PH products designed to raise ph will only raise the ph for a limited amount of time and they will also be likely to lower your alk, that’s why using ph products are not recommended and are not really helpful, you don’t want your ph going up and down.

As said ph is not easy to get an accurate reading, so I would stop worrying about ph as it’s a new tank you have a load of other things that need your time, as long as the room has fresh air and good surface movement you should be fine, get everything else in order then worry about ph if you are bored.