COMPLETE NOOB but very addicted :)... NEED HELP

[Ippyroy]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[dan17bias]

Welcome to R2R!! Please don’t feel like you can’t ask questions, that’s basically what R2R is here for!

sounds like your experience could stem from a few issues. For one, you may be adding too much bio load too fast for your system to handle. Just remember, just because a tank is cycled doesn’t mean the biological filtration is robust enough to handle a big change in bio load. Thats something that just takes time.

another issue could be the fish themselves. Did they eat? Did you notice any of the tell tale signs of illness? Where did you acquire them?

keep us updated so we can keep helping!

Thank you for the encouragement! Thank you for pointing out the bio load as it does make plenty of sense. Is there a way to determine if my bio load is too much?

Great question! NONE of them would eat pellets, but as soon as i switched to mysis shrimp everyone ate very happily . When i purchased them they we're new arrivals and were thriving in their tank even though it was only in their tank less than 24 hrs. I really did look to see if i could see any signs of illness but i couldnt find anything other than abnormal swimming habits a a few hours before i lost them. All of them came from my LFS and i dont know anyone other than myself that has bought fish from them.

 

[dan17bias]

Definitely make sure you are using Seachem Prime or some sort of good quality water conditioner / dechlorinator . I’m in California and they add chlorine and chloramine to our water supply, both of these kill RO/DI Carbon Block filters pretty quickly ... therefore I always treat the end result with Prime.

Great point... I did NOT do this in my first fill but i have added prime to every water change since... We have really hard water down here as well so my water situation worries me to the point i may have to buy premix $$$$$ until my RO/DI setup is done... I am turning a basement into a water station haha.

 

[alimac122]

Hey there, it took me about 5 months to get my RODI set up.
I have used seachem's 'Safe' since day 1.
All of my animals (inverts, corals, & fish) have done well with that! And its insanely cheap. I will probably still use it in the future if I need to do an emergency water change, now that my RODI is up and running ( I only run it when my ATO is low). We have trace arsenic in some wells here (EPA safe levels, but still present), and my water treatment facility is in transition from chloramines to ozone. So, still have some trace Cl-


Hope you figure out what is going on!!!
Its possible the clowns you got were aggressive. Were they regular or maroon?
Do you have plenty of rock work//hidey holes????

 

[Homebrewer]

Thanks for reaching out... I am using Instant Ocean sea salt.... Look i am willing to wait as long as possible but if my levels are all okay how do i know the tank is fully cycled?

I've found myself posting this more often as of late, but as alluded to before by @BeltedCoyote , and I cannot stress this enough, cycled and mature are two different things. A cycle is not a one time event, though it is often referred to as such. A mature tank is constantly “cycling” (think cyclical, constant turning of more harmful stuff into less harmful, etc.). Just because a new system has gone through a cycle, it doesn’t mean the system is well established enough to support what you’re adding.

That's why slow and steady always prevails in this hobby. To answer your question regarding too much bioload, that is extremely tough to answer at this stage, in my opinion. Just go slow, and as the system matures and you get familiar with it, it will become easier to determine if your setup can support that next fish, or that certain type of fish, or that next/certain type of coral, etc.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Thank you for the encouragement! Thank you for pointing out the bio load as it does make plenty of sense. Is there a way to determine if my bio load is too much?

Great question! NONE of them would eat pellets, but as soon as i switched to mysis shrimp everyone ate very happily . When i purchased them they we're new arrivals and were thriving in their tank even though it was only in their tank less than 24 hrs. I really did look to see if i could see any signs of illness but i couldnt find anything other than abnormal swimming habits a a few hours before i lost them. All of them came from my LFS and i dont know anyone other than myself that has bought fish from them.

Unfortunately the only real way to see if it’s too much is if you start having things die..or if you have a full blown crash. I’d say start with just the clowns next time. Wait 2 or 3 weeks then add the butterfly.

sounds like you did your due diligence with regards to the LFS, so good on ya for that. The only thing I would add is 24 hours isn’t a lot of time so that’s always a potential risk (but not much you can do about it, just something to think about)

 

[fishguy242]

hi welcome to the reef going to love it here!!
lots of fun/info/fun/help/fun..
sounds to me fish were infected before you got them,cal,mag,will not kill fish unless through roof ,which would have taken inverts too

 

[alimac122]

Also, playing devils advocate here-- butterflies should NEVER be put in a new tank. They are pickers. They need a large amount of pods and things to nibble on that a new tank just does not have. Unless you are willing to blow $30/week on seeding your tank with pods for a few months since most will be eaten.

 

[dan17bias]

Also, playing devils advocate here-- butterflies should NEVER be put in a new tank. They are pickers. They need a large amount of pods and things to nibble on that a new tank just does not have. Unless you are willing to blow $30/week on seeding your tank with pods for a few months since most will be eaten.

I had no clue. Thanks for the heads up

 

[Hincapiej4]

2. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Motorcycle reference..nice.

 

[block134]

Thanks for reaching out... I am using Instant Ocean sea salt.... Look i am willing to wait as long as possible but if my levels are all okay how do i know the tank is fully cycled?

I don't have a good answer for that because like what was said before is that there is a difference between cycle and mature.

I did the same things you did and tried to put fish in right away and then noticed some ick. I took all of the fish out and quarenteined them for about three months and left the tank fishless for that time to help ensure that the ick and what not will be gone when I put thw fish back in the main display.

The biggest thing I can recomend is patience and research as well as ask questions.

 

[dan17bias]

Hey there, it took me about 5 months to get my RODI set up.
I have used seachem's 'Safe' since day 1.
All of my animals (inverts, corals, & fish) have done well with that! And its insanely cheap. I will probably still use it in the future if I need to do an emergency water change, now that my RODI is up and running ( I only run it when my ATO is low). We have trace arsenic in some wells here (EPA safe levels, but still present), and my water treatment facility is in transition from chloramines to ozone. So, still have some trace Cl-


Hope you figure out what is going on!!!
Its possible the clowns you got were aggressive. Were they regular or maroon?
Do you have plenty of rock work//hidey holes????

Alimac i literally was looking at that before i saw your post... Maybe a sign from the fish gods. I had to picasso clowns and they definitely played nice... Yes plenty of rock and hidaways... i hope to post pics tonight

 

[Leemcg]

Welcome!
Sorry to hear about your losses.
You will get a lot of advise and guidance here. The best one you have already heard over and over. Take it slow.
Let the tank mature. Your building a small contained ecosystem, it takes time. Start with one or two small very hardy fish, like clowns. Then wait a while so the bio filter can build. Then slowly add from there.
Also, nothing against your LFS, but quarantine and treat anything you get from an LFS. There are a few really good vendors that do a full quarantine on the fish before shipping them out to you, if you search on here you will find a thread or two with lists. It’s a little pricier, but saves you the headache and heartbreak.
I wish you the best of luck, it’s an amazing hobby, addiction and stress factor.

 

[dan17bias]

I've found myself posting this more often as of late, but as alluded to before by @BeltedCoyote , and I cannot stress this enough, cycled and mature are two different things. A cycle is not a one time event, though it is often referred to as such. A mature tank is constantly “cycling” (think cyclical, constant turning of more harmful stuff into less harmful, etc.). Just because a new system has gone through a cycle, it doesn’t mean the system is well established enough to support what you’re adding.

That's why slow and steady always prevails in this hobby. To answer your question regarding too much bioload, that is extremely tough to answer at this stage, in my opinion. Just go slow, and as the system matures and you get familiar with it, it will become easier to determine if your setup can support that next fish, or that certain type of fish, or that next/certain type of coral, etc.

If i had a Yoda emoji i would add it... Thanks.

 

[dan17bias]

Unfortunately the only real way to see if it’s too much is if you start having things die..or if you have a full blown crash. I’d say start with just the clowns next time. Wait 2 or 3 weeks then add the butterfly.

sounds like you did your due diligence with regards to the LFS, so good on ya for that. The only thing I would add is 24 hours isn’t a lot of time so that’s always a potential risk (but not much you can do about it, just something to think about)

@BeltedCoyote I really appreciate the words of wisdom... as every person ever... " Im so excited and i just cant hide it"... i dont want to wait but i have to lol"

 

[dan17bias]

I don't have a good answer for that because like what was said before is that there is a difference between cycle and mature.

I did the same things you did and tried to put fish in right away and then noticed some ick. I took all of the fish out and quarenteined them for about three months and left the tank fishless for that time to help ensure that the ick and what not will be gone when I put thw fish back in the main display.

The biggest thing I can recomend is patience and research as well as ask questions.

I think my biggest issue is patience lol... Thank You @block134

 

[BeltedCoyote]

@BeltedCoyote I really appreciate the words of wisdom... as every person ever... " Im so excited and i just cant hide it"... i dont want to wait but i have to lol"

Hey just trying to pay it forward. And trust me, I know the impatience and excitement far too well. It’s been expensive lol

 

[block134]

I have fresh and reef tabks at my house. I started with fresh tanks about 30 years ago and they can be a little easier to get away with mistakes and not having patience.

Reef tanks are a lot more work and a lot more involved. I love my reef tank a lot more then my fresh because it is so much involved. So many things can go wrong and you have to be on your toes daily. You can have a perfect tank one day and the next it crashes.

Check out these two links for some good info quarantine practices.

How To - Quarantine

How to Setup a Quarantine Tank (updated 4-6-2023) The following are the essentials: Aquarium (10-30 gallons seems to work for most people. A larger QT lets you house more fish and gives you more wiggle room when it comes to ammonia. A smaller QT is cheaper, easier to maintain and can be...

humble.fish

Coral/Invert Quarantine Time Frames

Coral/Invert Quarantine Time Frames Preface: The purpose of this article is to outline time periods required to properly quarantine (QT) marine corals & invertebrates. While unable to host ectoparasites the way fish do, corals/inverts are still able to “carry” fish diseases in one of two ways...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Cryptocaryon]

Welcome to R2R... A lot of issues could have been the root of your problem, and maybe nothing you could have done. It could have been ammonia burns on the gills from the store from when they where shipped in, showing up a week later, or an underlying problem that you or the store did not spot. Write down some symptoms you noticed, and maybe someone will have an answer. Sometimes in this hobby, things happen and we can only guess.

Never shun you, maybe make fun, but we all have to learn, and truthfully we have all made mistakes, in fact a man who never makes a mistake has never done anything, or as my daughters first grade teacher would say, the only perfect one was crucified... ;Woot

So a couple of things to remember, and learn.

1. Learn how to hurry up and wait.
2. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
3. Never make multiple changes at one time, and wait before making any more changes. Waiting = Sometime's days

Good advice.

 

[dbowman5]

welcome Buckeye, hope things smooth out for you.