Raise sg

[aaclown]

"Cycling" refers to the nitrogen cycle that oxidizes toxic ammonia released through your fish's gills and by decaying matter like fish food to nitrite and then nitrate, both of which are non-toxic in saltwater tanks.
To start the nitrogen cycle people usually provide an ammonia source that allows the required bacteria to start working. If you just let the tank settle without adding anything to it it's possible there weren't many nutrients to work with leaving a fairly weak nitrogen cycle, but it might be fine.

You already were advised to increase salinity ("sg") very slowly but to be sure your measurements aren't off I would be interested in the exact measurement device you are using and (if it's a digital salinity meter or a refractometer) how it was calibrated.

Another very important aspect is oxygen. Not only is it required for your fish to breathe but also for important bacteria that keep the nitrogen cycle going. Do you have a protein skimmer running or at least some air pump connected to the tank?

Sooner or later you will need to make your own saltwater if your local fish store doesn't sell saltwater with an appropriate salinity/sg. I recommend getting an appropriate salt for reef tank use. Instant Ocean is one of the more affordable options and has a good reputation, but you can also get a different brand like Tropic Marin, Nyos, etc.

It is very likely that you can't use your tap water for mixing saltwater or topping off evaporated water, so you will need to buy "RO/DI" (Reverse osmosis/ deionized) water from your local fish store or get your own RO/DI filtration system which is a whole topic that requires proper instructions on its own.

All this is a lot for a beginner so the most important parts will be:

- Oxygenation of the water with a protein skimmer or ar least air pump, and water movement with flow pumps/gyres.
- Double checking the salinity reading so you don't accidentally increase salinity even though it's already correct or even elevated.

If those two are in order your next step should be to see what your fish actually has. Time is certainly a factor here as the fish isn't eating, but without Oxygen and under the assumption the salinity might be a measurement error the fish's behavior might be explainable just from these factors.

Hi I am using a refractometer calibrated by using RO water first and zeroing. I don't have a protein skimmer. The water is oxygenated by the pump which has a cascade drop of about 5cm or less onto the surface. I added a capful of bacteria twice while the tank was settling in over 4 to 6 weeks. Maybe that wasn't enough?

 

[EnterName]

"Cycling" refers to the nitrogen cycle that oxidizes toxic ammonia released through your fish's gills and by decaying matter like fish food to nitrite and then nitrate, both of which are non-toxic in saltwater tanks.
To start the nitrogen cycle people usually provide an ammonia source that allows the required bacteria to start working. If you just let the tank settle without adding anything to it it's possible there weren't many nutrients to work with leaving a fairly weak nitrogen cycle, but it might be fine.

You already were advised to increase salinity ("sg") very slowly but to be sure your measurements aren't off I would be interested in the exact measurement device you are using and (if it's a digital salinity meter or a refractometer) how it was calibrated.

Another very important aspect is oxygen. Not only is it required for your fish to breathe but also for important bacteria that keep the nitrogen cycle going. Do you have a protein skimmer running or at least some air pump connected to the tank?

Sooner or later you will need to make your own saltwater if your local fish store doesn't sell saltwater with an appropriate salinity/sg. I recommend getting an appropriate salt for reef tank use. Instant Ocean is one of the more affordable options and has a good reputation, but you can also get a different brand like Tropic Marin, Nyos, etc.

It is very likely that you can't use your tap water for mixing saltwater or topping off evaporated water, so you will need to buy "RO/DI" (Reverse osmosis/ deionized) water from your local fish store or get your own RO/DI filtration system which is a whole topic that requires proper instructions on its own.

All this is a lot for a beginner so the most important parts will be:

- Oxygenation of the water with a protein skimmer or ar least air pump, and water movement with flow pumps/gyres.
- Double checking the salinity reading so you don't accidentally increase salinity even though it's already correct or even elevated.

If those two are in order your next step should be to see what your fish actually has. Time is certainly a factor here as the fish isn't eating, but without Oxygen and under the assumption the salinity might be a measurement error the fish's behavior might be explainable just from these factors.

Hi I am using a refractometer calibrated by using RO water first and zeroing. I don't have a protein skimmer. The water is oxygenated by the pump which has a cascade drop of about 5cm or less onto the surface. I added a capful of bacteria twice while the tank was settling in over 4 to 6 weeks. Maybe that wasn't enough?

Refractometers calibrated with RO water might be very imprecise, so I can recommend creating your own calibration solution (it's very easy):
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/reef-aquarium-salinity-diy-calibration-standards.956/

Scroll down to the "Refractometer Standard" section. It will instruct you to create a solution from 3.65g of sodium chloride (actual table salt also referred to as NaCl) in 96.35g (mL) of RO water. If you don't have a proper scale there are instructions for that as well when you follow the link.
This should do just fine as a calibration solution and you can check if your refractometer still shows low salinity then. Double checking can't hurt

I'm not sure if your oxygenation approach is sufficient, especially when your tank is new and might experience several bacteria blooms and die-offs that consume a lot of oxygen. I highly recommend a skimmer or at least an air pump with a porous bubbling stone just to be safe.

Bottled bacteria are a bit "snake-oily" and "controversial", but adding them in the beginning certainly doesn't hurt so you did nothing wrong.

There are two scenarios, both of which are good for you: 1. These products work and got your cycle going, 2. These products don't work but added a few nutrients that are required for the naturally occurring bacteria to start the cycle.
Either way is good and you should be fine.

Once salinity is double checked and maybe also temperature the fish medics will help you with the treatment of your clownfish