Dead clowns

[sfin52]

I would agree with .05-1. I used seachem stability to add bacteria to the tank . Water change and addi g bacteria to the tank will help. With sechem and Dr Tim's you'll have to add it daily .

I wouldn't add nopox to the tank it's really to early. Just add bacteria and keep up with water changes. You may have to do daily water changes.

 

[sfin52]

@4FordFamily new tank.

 

[4FordFamily]

I also agree that ammonia is present and new tank syndrome it what is killing your fish and coral.

 

[Big G]

Sorry for your losses. :( Clownfish are really big producers of waste products. Consider looking for fish as you start up your new tank with fish that are low bio load to give your tank time to build a good capability to handle waste. Smaller, slender fish (think fish shapes like Firefish, etc.) are much lower bioload than larger rounder type fish like Clownfish, tangs, etc. Hope this helps a bit.

 

[siner94]

Sorry for your losses. :( Clownfish are really big producers of waste products. Consider looking for fish as you start up your new tank with fish that are low bio load to give your tank time to build a good capability to handle waste. Smaller, slender fish (think fish shapes like Firefish, etc.) are much lower bioload than larger rounder type fish like Clownfish, tangs, etc. Hope this helps a bit.

I will do, thanks for the reply
Probably look into a fire fish

 

[4FordFamily]

I will do, thanks for the reply
Probably look into a fire fish

Yes, dose some biospira or Dr Tim’s bacteria in a bottle and give it another few weeks before adding any fish. Cycle with some pieces of dead shrimp.

 

[Katrina71]

I'm very sorry about your little guys:( Now that you have a better foundation, you will most likely be successful.

 

[dangros]

I let my tank run for a month before adding fish. To me, it was an opportunity to experiment w/light cycles, programming my apex, and setting up rock work (which I did a totally crappy job of - and am paying for it with corals growing into each other). After that, I never added a lot of new stuff at once. That included live or dead rock, fish, sand, etc. I think it took almost a year 1/2 or so before I felt like it was actually stable to the point where small changes wouldn't have impacts such as hair algae, etc. I love clowns and have had a mating pair for a while. Once the tank is stabilizes, clowns tend to be quite hardy unless they go carpet diving or they catch something from other diseased fish.
My guesses would be:
1) The tank is way too new
1a) the result of your ammonia test looks positive to me but that could be the way the image came across
2) Large fluctuations in temp or other parameters (is there any other dosing going on?)

 

[siner94]

I let my tank run for a month before adding fish. To me, it was an opportunity to experiment w/light cycles, programming my apex, and setting up rock work (which I did a totally crappy job of - and am paying for it with corals growing into each other). After that, I never added a lot of new stuff at once. That included live or dead rock, fish, sand, etc. I think it took almost a year 1/2 or so before I felt like it was actually stable to the point where small changes wouldn't have impacts such as hair algae, etc. I love clowns and have had a mating pair for a while. Once the tank is stabilizes, clowns tend to be quite hardy unless they go carpet diving or they catch something from other diseased fish.
My guesses would be:
1) The tank is way too new
1a) the result of your ammonia test looks positive to me but that could be the way the image came across
2) Large fluctuations in temp or other parameters (is there any other dosing going on?)

The temp has been fluctuating a bit since it’s getting really hot over here
I also do see some Red Sea kh/alkalinity

 

[Katrina71]

Focus on the health of what is remaining in your tank. Don't get guilt ridden about the losses.

 

[Captain Quint]

+1 with 4FordFamily.

 

[GWHouston]

If I may give you my experience with the new tank syndrome, it has taken me almost three months to feel stable with my chems. If I had followed early advice, I would have used Dr Tim’s plus my live rock/sand. The cycle is so important to the entire reef. I also delayed setting up my skimmer since I felt the bio load was too little. In hind sight I should have started it two weeks in cause it takes 10 plus days to break it in. My extreme green algae growth hid the problems which eventually surfaced as ammonia. Wrapping up, my two cents: add Dr Tim’s, start skimming, and watch your feeding schedule. Feed too little before feeding too much.

 

[Twisted_Blenny]

does anyone know yet how long this tank has been setup? looks like it been asked quite a few times.......

 

[GWHouston]

does anyone know yet how long this tank has been setup? looks like it been asked quite a few times.......

Post 22 he said it was a new tank

 

[siner94]

Post 22 he said it was a new tank

Yeah sorry I’ve been MIA my tank has a little over a month now.

 

[Dom]

Post 22 he said it was a new tank

"New tank". That is vague.

Define "New"...

Let me rephrase; How many weeks has the tank been running?

 

[Durandal]

Defiantly don't cycle your tank with fish you want to live. What method did you use to cycle your tank? Did you ever have measurable nitrates?

I like chemical cycling with ammonium chloride as it tends to build up a more robust bio filter than the usual 'shrimp-in-tank' method. Before I added any fish to my tank I worked up the biofilter to the point where it could oxidize 2 ppm of ammonium chloride to nitrate in less than 24 hours, by then my filter media was literally covered in a pink biofilm. Maybe this is overkill, but I had no problem instant stocking four fish in my 60 gal including a grown Ocellaris bonded pair. Never detected any ammonia with the API kit, even with longer than recommended incubation times. If anything I think there was some autotrophic die off after I stopped dosing 250+ mg of ammonia on a daily basis.


I am confused at why your dosing organic carbon into a tank without any detectable nitrates/phosphates? Heterotrophic bacteria will uptake ammonia in the presence of organic carbon and assimilate it into their makeup, delaying or even preventing your nitrogen cycle. Not a good idea.