Smitty's 40 Gallon Breeder - I miss this tank :(

To add to my post before, I used an API master test kit, to which I dont have any gripe other than it doesn't give me an expiration date, (and may be close to that date from the results) They were off but not by too far. . . and a red sea phosphate test kit that I wouldn't give to anyone for free. It tested my system at 0 ppm, when a Salifert test put me at 1.0. I didn't have any type of Alk kit before but when my LFS showed me the results, I did a week of water changes and bought a Salifert. It's an expensive set of kits, but accuracy, now, to me, is more important than price.
My next buy is going to be a Mag and then a Phos kit, as I have read that first Mag, then Alk, then Calcium should be maintained, and PH will fall right in place, and with good husbandry Ammo, and the Nit brothers won't be an issue. Thats my plan at least.

HAHA....good luck on the bed.....I'm assuming Bunk it sounds.......lol just remember, the top kid is the luckiest in the event of a catastrophic failure. That should help you sleep better....lmao

 

Lol on the bed! Just got done putting it together and discovered on of my damsels on the sand bad barely alive. I am changing out 10 gallons right now with already mixed water from the other 14 gallon biocube that doesn't have and residents yet lol. The damsel will swim for a minute,then go right back to the sand bed. I would to save him, I just don't know what is wrong and why I would have two fish die in one day. Thank God I moved the two snows this morning. Woudl've moved the damsels as well, but I have $400 in fish coming on Tuesday and I don't want to spread whatever it is to my biocube.

 

I tested my ALk as well, it is normal. Could this all be a problem with a lack of oxygen for some reason. It does seem that the fish aren't moving around as much and they are moving their mouths a lot more then normal. If so, how do I fix it?

 

If you have a skimmer running I wouldn't say so. That adds plenty of micro bubbles into the mater for your fish. But if you wanted to try you could add an air line with a bubble stone at the end. I've got one in the bottom of mine in case of a power outage. But since the last one I went out and got a generator, so I don't really need it down there, I just leave it in case of any unforeseen emergency.

Are the snows doing fine? If so then it definitely sounds like a chemistry issue. Maybe take your water somewhere else and confirm your readings....truly sorry everything is dropping like this.

 

The snows were moved as soon as I saw the Tang dead yesterday morning. The damsel was dead this morning, but the other one is looking better. I tested for Nitrite, Ammonia, and PH this morning. My PH is between 7.4 and 7.6, Nitrite at .1, and Ammonia is 0. I ordered a skimmer Saturday night, so just waiting for it to get here.

Edit:

I also added a cap full of Microbacter 7 again this morning. Would those low amounts of Ammonia and Nitrite be enough to kill a fish? I know they are toxic.

 

Is Xenia Toxic?

The first Damsel died and the second one started not looking to good this morning. I set up a 10 gallon tank with tap water and put him in there. I still need to figure out what is going on in the tank though. If Xenia is dying in my tank, is it possible that it is releasing toxins into the water that are affecting the fish?

 

Im sorry to hear about all this! I don't have any answers but I'll give it a bump. Hopefully you get it figured out

 

I don't know if it's actually toxic, but it certainly will release ammonia just like any other dead/dying organism. That would account for the fish breathing heavy and their lack of movement as ammonia damages their gills and suffocates them.

As far as the Xenia is concerned though, it prefers higher DOC levels, so having it die was actually a good sign... at first, anyway.

Sorry to hear about your troubles, Bro... that's definitely gotta be tough.

 

It is discouraging, that is for sure. I am more upset about the Yellow Tang dying that my wife and kids just bought for me. I knew he would be stressed being only in a 40 gallon tank, but we were looking at upgrading anyways come to find out lol. The damsels are the first fish that I owned for saltwater (except for back in 2000). Not to sound cold hearted, but I was looking at giving them back to the LFS anyways.

What is the best way to remove the Xenia from the rock that it is on? It is on a good size piece of rock that I don't really want to get rid of.

 

If that's the only coral on that rock, you should be able to pull it out long enough to scrape the xenia off of it. Otherwise, the same can still be done in a bucket of tank water.