AlexG
Valuable Member
What types of filters are being used in this system? 40ppm Nitrates is not good at all and can kill fish. I would try to get them down to 10ppm or less. The salinity is also low I would go to for a range of 1.022-26.
Need help with losing fish
- Thread starter Pizan
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kristinstarr
New Member
I lost several fish because I didnt have one and my perimeters were perfect. Took forever to figure out. A ground probe you put into ur sump and it makes sure electric shocks dont go into the tank....since you have skimmers, heaters, lights, etc. Under $20.00
Mine stays in the sump.
kristinstarr
New Member
I was going to salinity seems low too
BryanD
Active Member
I'm leaning toward the nitrates being to high for the new fish. That combined with the low salinity your LFS is keeping, I've heard 1.018 but 1.014 seems to low to me, even for fish, especially with acclimation. The double whammy might do them in. Are the nitrates even that high if you use a quarantine tank? Could be your tap water has high nitrates right out of the tap. I would do give this a try: Set-up your quarantine tank with just distilled water, Walmart around here sells it for $0.88 a gallon and it says its RO distilled. Even if it ain't 100%, it should still be better than tap water as far as contaminates go. Set it up at the same salinity as your LFS. After your sure your quarantine tank is cycled, then buy a new fish and leave it in the quarantine tank for a month, testing your nitrates often. You can slowly let evaporation increase the salinity over the course of a couple of weeks, top off with distilled water but not as much as is evaporating, testing your salinity the whole time of course. If the fish survive after this, its almost gotta be the nitrates, I guess then you could slowly acclimate it to that as well by changing out a little of your quarantine water with display tank water. I know nitrates aren't supposed to hurt fish, I've heard of FO tanks having up to 250ppm, but who knows with the ones your having trouble with.
kristinstarr
New Member
Lfs
Mike in CT
Valuable Member
How are you checking your salt? Is it possible your LFS' stores salt is not really that low? Maybe your salt is to high because your measuring is wrong? Fish adapt to lowering salt a lot better then rising salt levels. I would imagine if a LFS kept their salt that low they would have a lot of customers losing fish because the difference in specific gravity.
Just a thought!
Just a thought!
My salt had never been more than.001 off between my measure and when I've taken water from my tanks into the lfs to bee tested. Their water really was that low for some reason. And thank you for the advice Bryan i.think because i have recently switched to the refugium from the wet dry the nitrates have been slowely.decreasing but I'm starting to think my Tap water Is the problem along with the type of filtration I'm using for the Tap water
AlexG
Valuable Member
If you were using a wet dry filter before that can explain the high nitrates. Also Using tap water and not RODI will make it difficult to control algae. As for measuring the salt content of the water what are you using and what is the LFS using? Plastic hydrometer, Floating glass hydrometer, or a refractometer?
cottoneyejoe82
New Member
wild or tank raised fish?
I had a similar problem. Having fish due with passable water parameters. Are you buying wild caught fish or tank raised? When I bought wild they didn't last too long.and on another hand some are still swimming in my tank. Most of them are tank raised fish. They b seem to last a whole lot longer. It's a hit or miss with wild ones.fyi same goes with corals.
I had a similar problem. Having fish due with passable water parameters. Are you buying wild caught fish or tank raised? When I bought wild they didn't last too long.and on another hand some are still swimming in my tank. Most of them are tank raised fish. They b seem to last a whole lot longer. It's a hit or miss with wild ones.fyi same goes with corals.
jt17
Valuable Member
Couple thoughts. LFS in the same town can sometimes have the same sources so your fish could be coming from the same source with the same issues. Do you give all new fish a fresh water dip? Flukes in the gills can slowly rob the fish of its ability to take in oxygen.
Do you run carbon? Sounds like a water issue since you've experienced the same problem with you quarantine. I would try a high quality carbon or chemi pure. If there is trace metals in your water these will help to remove them.
Your nitrates are not too high to kill fish. I ran a fowlr tank many years ago with tap water that was 15-20 ppm nitrate out of the faucet and never a problem (until a power outage). I would still invest in a RODI unit as you seem to really care about your animals and this is one of the best things you can do for them. Spectrapure does make quality filters and they are running a sale this month so your timing is perfect.
Do you run carbon? Sounds like a water issue since you've experienced the same problem with you quarantine. I would try a high quality carbon or chemi pure. If there is trace metals in your water these will help to remove them.
Your nitrates are not too high to kill fish. I ran a fowlr tank many years ago with tap water that was 15-20 ppm nitrate out of the faucet and never a problem (until a power outage). I would still invest in a RODI unit as you seem to really care about your animals and this is one of the best things you can do for them. Spectrapure does make quality filters and they are running a sale this month so your timing is perfect.
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Yes I'm going to invest in an rodi after ask the comments about.it i didn't know my current filtration was not sufficient. Also i do have carbon in the tank i actually need to get more now but i believe itsa water quality issue and possibly the lfs with their low salinity causing more stress when i acclimate my fish. I'm going to try a new lfs that just opened and see how that goes after.i get an rodi but i won't be getting fish for s while until i can get a new filtration unit set up
Mike in CT
Valuable Member
I would get a refractometer if I was you. It will eliminate a lot of guessing. Especially important if your LFS water is a lot different then yours.
Mjpisanti
Community Member
Hi all. I made this discussion this is just a permanent forum name now. I got a refractometer from foster and Smith s well as an rodi. I just did my first water change in my 75 today about 12 gallons. How many wc until i should try fish again?
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