Newb.. looking for help!

[Matthew Beil]

So I thought I'd venture into the world of a reef tank about a month ago. I bought a tank and began my adventure. My setup

60 gallon tank
306 fluval canister
1 Wave maker
400 watt heater set to 77 degrees
60 pounds of live rock
60 pounds of live sand
5 mexican snails
1 cleaner shrimp

The tank has been running for 2 weeks. Parameters were all in good standing. So I added 2 clowns. They seem to be doing great. I added a yellow tang yesterday and I woke up to him under live rock. I saw him breathing very very heavy and then I went to the grocery store and came back and I had a dead tang. Not even 20 hours. I checked all the parameters and everything was good except the PH was about 7.5. Idk if that's horrible or what. The clowns are still living happily ever after. From the front the tank looks crystal clear but from the side it's distorted a little. I'm going to assume I got a bad tang maybe?

 

[anthonywesty]

Do you did quarantine?

 

[Matthew Beil]

I did not, I just acclimated.

 

[Budman93]

What are the parameters exactly? You're PH is too low but im not sure that alone would kill the fish so quickly. Regardless try to point the wavemaker so it breaks the surface of the water as that will improve your ph

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Test the ammonia, and did the fish come from a copper wall?
Did you use live rock?

 

[Matthew Beil]

Nitrite around .03
Alkalinity 290
Nitrates 5.0
Salinity 1.028

 

[Anirban]

Your Alk is 290???? I think thats too high...how you measured it?

 

[Matthew Beil]

It was in "okay" range on the thing so I didn't second guess it. But as I google, it does seem high.

 

[Anirban]

It was in "okay" range on the thing so I didn't second guess it. But as I google, it does seem high.

Actually its super high.....which kit you are using?

 

[Matthew Beil]

A tetra strip kit

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

A tetra strip kit

does it have PH and Ammonia?

 

[Anirban]

A tetra strip kit

Get something more reliable and accurate...my friend

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Get something more reliable and accurate...my friend

Its KH in PPM

 

[Anirban]

Its KH in PPM

Yup and I think it will be over 16 in kH....isn't it

 

[Matthew Beil]

I have the Api kits for everything else. I'm going right now to pick up API for that. The PH was 7.5

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yup and I think it will be over 16 in kH....isn't it

yup. google the strip.
in any case its prob ammoina in a 2 week old tank that a yellow tang was added to.

 

[K&AReeFers!]

A tetra strip kit

We use API Marine reef master and saltwater kits test for ammonia, nitrite ,nitrate calcium, phosphate can find on Amazon for 20-30 dollars

 

[Anirban]

yup. google the strip.
in any case its prob ammoina in a 2 week old tank that a yellow tang was added to.

+1 on ammonia.....

 

[Anirban]

How you cycled the tank? Sorry, but you just can not add a tang or any other fish in a 2 weeks old tank its almost equal to a crime in the hobby...

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Unfortunately the hobby really is a buyer beware game. Its tough especially starting up with all the info and Misinformation out there. Most of us have learned the hard way too, so don't be down.
Its and fortunate way to welcome you to R33e2reef. But welcome not R2R nonetheless. Youll want to test the ammonia, as that's the quick killer, also nitrates and nitrites as we can ***** how far along in the cycle your tank is.
thus the importance of the rock question as it holds the majority of the bacteria that process the ammonia.

And yes its quite possible the fish was already on its way out too, or was not handled well and succumbed to injury. Any details are useful.