Help! Puffer has pink ball coming out of its butt!

[DoggoThePuffer]

You obviously have something wrong with that tank. Either something you’re not testing for or something you aren’t testing/doing incorrectly. Just looking at your tank it doesn’t look very live or very healthy. Your live rock and sand has no life or color. Looks to me like a tank that hasn’t had it’s chance to to a proper cycle even though you say your water is perfect, it’s not. I wouldn’t add another living thing to that tank until you can at least get some life growing and living on that rock; copepods, bristleworms, coralline, macroalgae, something before adding any other livestock.

That’s because the sand I use gets on everything when I put it in. And my live sand just looks like that. The live rock also is a nice brown color when the sand isn’t on it. I am going to clean the glass and the rocks but before I added the sand, everything looked good. And it could be that I have no coral light and it makes my tanks hue look weird. I’m getting one in 3 days though. I don’t have any corals because I don’t have the light so I sold them to my LPS. But my water quality is perfect. The ammonia is at a .25 level which is the only thing that is not perfect. But I did a 1 1/2 month cycle.

 

[DoggoThePuffer]

You obviously have something wrong with that tank. Either something you’re not testing for or something you aren’t testing/doing incorrectly. Just looking at your tank it doesn’t look very live or very healthy. Your live rock and sand has no life or color. Looks to me like a tank that hasn’t had it’s chance to to a proper cycle even though you say your water is perfect, it’s not. I wouldn’t add another living thing to that tank until you can at least get some life growing and living on that rock; copepods, bristleworms, coralline, macroalgae, something before adding any other livestock.

But my tank looks lifeless because I have nothing colorful in it like corals, and only grey fish. I use the API test kit and use it properly too. I also took it to my lfs and they said it’s good too. But what should I add to make the live rock more colorful and the sand too although the sand is the aragonite sand.

 

[DoggoThePuffer]

You obviously have something wrong with that tank. Either something you’re not testing for or something you aren’t testing/doing incorrectly. Just looking at your tank it doesn’t look very live or very healthy. Your live rock and sand has no life or color. Looks to me like a tank that hasn’t had it’s chance to to a proper cycle even though you say your water is perfect, it’s not. I wouldn’t add another living thing to that tank until you can at least get some life growing and living on that rock; copepods, bristleworms, coralline, macroalgae, something before adding any other livestock.

Ok! Thank you very much. So I went on eBay and looked up everything you listed and that coralline is beautiful but pricey! So I am getting an 8 oz bottle of live copeods. Do I pour the whole bottle into the 55 gallon tank? I am also getting colored algae for the rock too! I want to say again thank you, I wouldn’t of found these things on eBay if you hadn’t told me!

 

[eatbreakfast]

That’s because the sand I use gets on everything when I put it in. And my live sand just looks like that. The live rock also is a nice brown color when the sand isn’t on it. I am going to clean the glass and the rocks but before I added the sand, everything looked good. And it could be that I have no coral light and it makes my tanks hue look weird. I’m getting one in 3 days though. I don’t have any corals because I don’t have the light so I sold them to my LPS. But my water quality is perfect. The ammonia is at a .25 level which is the only thing that is not perfect. But I did a 1 1/2 month cycle.

Any ammonia is a big deal and a sign your tank is not cycled.

 

[ritter6788]

But my water quality is perfect. The ammonia is at a .25 level which is the only thing that is not perfect.

Well there's a start right there. You have an ammonia reading. Adding any fish to this tank with an ammonia reading is just cruel. Doesn't matter how long you cycle if you're getting an ammonia reading then the cycle isn't done.

You're sand is sticking to the glass and the rocks because it's not cycled. Once the rock and the glass get a nice coating of beneficial bacteria the sand won't stick to it like that. I've set up MANY tanks and they all look like yours when newly set up. Doesn't matter what kind of light you have on there and it doesn't need to be colorful but your tank looks to me like it's not ready for fish and nowhere near ready for coral. It's obvious by the struggles you're having keeping fish alive.

 

[DoggoThePuffer]

Well there's a start right there. You have an ammonia reading. Adding any fish to this tank with an ammonia reading is just cruel. Doesn't matter how long you cycle if you're getting an ammonia reading then the cycle isn't done.

You're sand is sticking to the glass and the rocks because it's not cycled. Once the rock and the glass get a nice coating of beneficial bacteria the sand won't stick to it like that. I've set up MANY tanks and they all look like yours when newly set up. Doesn't matter what kind of light you have on there and it doesn't need to be colorful but your tank looks to me like it's not ready for fish and nowhere near ready for coral. It's obvious by the struggles you're having keeping fish alive.

So what do I do then to finish the cycle?

 

[ritter6788]

Ok! Thank you very much. So I went on eBay and looked up everything you listed and that coralline is beautiful but pricey! So I am getting an 8 oz bottle of live copeods. Do I pour the whole bottle into the 55 gallon tank? I am also getting colored algae for the rock too! I want to say again thank you, I wouldn’t of found these things on eBay if you hadn’t told me!

I wouldn't even add copepods or coralline algae until you get that ammonia down. Even then you don't have to order it on ebay. Try to find someone local that might help out with a small bit of macroalgae with some copepods and some bristleworms. Until you get that ammonia gone you're just wasting money and killing livestock.

 

[ritter6788]

So what do I do then to finish the cycle?

Ideally you just wait it out. Unfortunately you have fish in there. At this point it might be worth trying https://www.chewy.com/dr-tims-aquat...ZKRaOniq30jwpLEPnpM2wAQ_K11j2txQaAvz6EALw_wcB

I hate recommending adding anything in a bottle to tank to help cycling but if it saved some fish at this point I'd give it a try.

 

[DoggoThePuffer]

I wouldn't even add copepods or coralline algae until you get that ammonia down. Even then you don't have to order it on ebay. Try to find someone local that might help out with a small bit of macroalgae with some copepods and some bristleworms. Until you get that ammonia gone you're just wasting money and killing livestock.

Ok I won’t then. But do you suggest adding nitrifying bacteria too? And can you disable it so I have to have somebody approve my messages before I post?

 

[DoggoThePuffer]

Ideally you just wait it out. Unfortunately you have fish in there. At this point it might be worth trying https://www.chewy.com/dr-tims-aquatics-one-only-live/dp/132047?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Dr. Tim's Aquatics&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9LPYBRDSARIsAHL7J5kCcVn1ohmQuXhdNO1X_OdZKRaOniq30jwpLEPnpM2wAQ_K11j2txQaAvz6EALw_wcB

I hate recommending adding anything in a bottle to tank to help cycling but if it saved some fish at this point I'd give it a try.

So how long would it take for it to cycle after I add it too? And I don’t plan on adding anything in the next month. I’m
Happy with what I have.

 

[ritter6788]

And can you disable it so I have to have somebody approve my messages before I post?

Slow down. Take the good advice of the members you've been given here. Hold off on giving advice to others until you have your situation fully under control.

We've all been in your shoes at one point and we all had many people help us along the way. That's the great thing about this hobby is there are so many people willing to help for free. Take your time, slow down and soak it all in. Ask plenty of questions before taking any other steps. You may not always get the answer you want to hear but the advice you'll be given here is always in the best interest of the tank and the livestock we keep.

 

[DoggoThePuffer]

Slow down. Take the good advice of the members you've been given here. Hold off on giving advice to others until you have your situation fully under control.

We've all been in your shoes at one point and we all had many people help us along the way. That's the great thing about this hobby is there are so many people willing to help for free. Take your time, slow down and soak it all in. Ask plenty of questions before taking any other steps. You may not always get the answer you want to hear but the advice you'll be given here is always in the best interest of the tank and the livestock we keep.

So here’s an update: I’m driving to a LPS to get nitrifying bacteria form your suggestion and NO FISH. I see if I can get the algae too. And how long does it take for it to cycle after I put the dose in. And the moderator thing is annoying because when I’m replying to you, I have to wait 10 minutes for my messages to be approved.

 

[ritter6788]

So here’s an update: I’m driving to a LPS to get nitrifying bacteria form your suggestion and NO FISH. I see if I can get the algae too. And how long does it take for it to cycle after I put the dose in.

You're going to have to keep testing to see when the cycle is done. Take a sample with you to the LFS to see if they will test it for you just to verify your results. Most will test your water for free.

 

[DoggoThePuffer]

You're going to have to keep testing to see when the cycle is done. Take a sample with you to the LFS to see if they will test it for you just to verify your results. Most will test your water for free.

Well I would like to thank you personally for helping me! I got the notryifying bacteria and will put it in the tank when I get home. I will also get the chatoealgae when I am near my home fish store.

 

[ritter6788]

Well I would like to thank you personally for helping me! I got the notryifying bacteria and will put it in the tank when I get home. I will also get the chatoealgae when I am near my home fish store.

You're welcome. Let us know how it goes. Make sure to ask plenty of questions before taking any further steps.

 

[DoggoThePuffer]

You're welcome. Let us know how it goes. Make sure to ask plenty of questions before taking any further steps.

Ok, I got chaeto and where do I put it in my tank? I don’t have a sump but I have a canister. And I had to return the nitrifying bacteria because it was 3 months expired. I am ordering it online however.

 

[siggy]

Hey all would you recommend a chunk of live rock from a LFS ?

 

[ritter6788]

Hey all would you recommend a chunk of live rock from a LFS ?

That's not a bad idea.

 

[DoggoThePuffer]

Hey all would you recommend a chunk of live rock from a LFS ?

I have live rock already in the tank. But the problem is it didn’t finish cycling.

 

[DoggoThePuffer]

That's not a bad idea.

I have exactly 30 pounds for a 55g. The problem is it’s super pricy, $5 per pound!