Can't keep new fish alive - What am I doing wrong???

Hi tinnghe, I was VERY optimistic about my Auriga as he was eating everything in site, and swimming actively. I also read on liveAquaria that this fish is "easy" to care for. That infection came so quickly he was dead in 2 days. Did yours eat?

Auriga Butterflyfish

 

Hi NanaReefer,

The Bioballs are only about 1-2 months old but you and others have said that I do have too much of the cynobacteria in my tank. I need to do a good cleaning to remove all that (that's what your seeing on the powerheads). I also haven't scrubbed the excess algae off my glass but I don't think that would hurt anything. I've got about 4 fish in there now. Maroon Clown, a small wrasse, dwarf butterfly.

May need to do a more aggressive cleaning.

 

Hi All,

So I tested my water today and Amonia & Nitrite are 0 ppm. Nitrate is about 15ppm. SG is 1.016 (I hear a lower SG helps keep sickness away). What affect does a low SG have on fish long term? Don't have a pH kit but I've heard with that much crushed coral and water changes you should be okay (I'll get a pH kit now).

The general consensus is I have too much algae, and i need to check my water quality more. I have a few ideas I wanted to share.

1) Would something like a "2 little fishes phosban phosphate reactor" do any good for me? I can get one for about $35.

2) The way I have my rock set up is that I put the nicer more decorative/fragile pieces on top of the stronger more solid rock. This means I never really get my siphon hose under that rock when doing water changes. I'm only vacuuming the front half of the tank. Maybe another arrangement that lets me vacuum more floor space is better and worth trying? Is that significant?

Thanks for all your help!

 

The algae and cyano itself won't hurt your fish, but it only grows in poor quality water, that is the problem. You need to take care of the root problem, which is water quality!

Hyposalinity is a treatmemt for ich, but not for most of the diseases you are describing. Also, some fish can not handle hyposalintiy, and it is not appropriate for long term and permanent housing. I would raise the SG to an appropriate level.
A phosban reactor may help, it may not. You need to test your phosphate levels. Even with no phosphates, the algae will still bloom with your nitrates. And while for most fishes your nitrates aren't extremely high, its definitly enough to stress the fragile butterflies you were attempting.
I don't think not vacuuming under the rocks is your problem. No one vacuums under their rocks.
With the cyano and waste building like it is, it seems you may have low flow. What is your flow rates?

 

An SG of 1.009 is the recommended SG for treatment of parasites such as marine ich, black ich and such. Anything above will not touch those parasites.

Lowering SG is a lot easier than raising it. If you bring it down, you need to bring it back up slowly over the course of several days.

 

My advice is to get your salinity up, then stop trying to add fish for a while. Instead, focus on trying to make your tank as perfect a pleasant environment for organisms as you can. I'm not a preacher for the stuff, but biopellets and a great skimmer is working well for me.

Let that, or whatever sollution you chose, run for 2 months. Wait until you see little algae and lots of little critters scurrying about. At that point, and only at that point, add a fish.

Then wait another month or two.