Okay so set up my tank a few weeks ago. I used Bio-spira on top of caribsea 'live' rock and sand. Confirmed nitrites, then nitrates. I called the tank cycled and dropped in a watchman goby and two hermit crabs. The goby only last two days. I inspected him after I removed the body from the tank and I saw what I thought MIGHT be ich. Tested parameters, everything standard. Salinity mmmmmmmaybe a little high at 1.0265, but Ammonia 0, PH ~8.2 nitrates about 10 ppm, nitrite 0.
I read up a bit on what I could do to remove the potential ich from the aquarium before I put anything new in the tank and found the advice of raising the temp to 80 F for 48 hours. I checked about the hermits and found once source saying 76-78 and another 3 saying 76-82 so I ran my heater at 80 for about 60 hours just to be sure. They were both fairly active in the tank crawling all over the rock work. On day 2 of extra heat one of the crabs posted up in a crack and didn't move for two days straight. I was checking on him daily and thought I saw movement from him so I left him alone. Today I found what was left of him on the sand bed, looked like his neighbor made a snack of him.
I ran all of my tests again. Salinity again maybe a little high at 1.0265, ammonia 0, nitrates were between 10-20 ppm, PH 8.2ish. I'm going to do a 10-12% water change tonight. I was planning on getting back on the horse and adding a fire fish tomorrow, but I'm a little discouraged now. What would your next steps be? Just bad luck, or did I miss a big step?
Thanks
I read up a bit on what I could do to remove the potential ich from the aquarium before I put anything new in the tank and found the advice of raising the temp to 80 F for 48 hours. I checked about the hermits and found once source saying 76-78 and another 3 saying 76-82 so I ran my heater at 80 for about 60 hours just to be sure. They were both fairly active in the tank crawling all over the rock work. On day 2 of extra heat one of the crabs posted up in a crack and didn't move for two days straight. I was checking on him daily and thought I saw movement from him so I left him alone. Today I found what was left of him on the sand bed, looked like his neighbor made a snack of him.
I ran all of my tests again. Salinity again maybe a little high at 1.0265, ammonia 0, nitrates were between 10-20 ppm, PH 8.2ish. I'm going to do a 10-12% water change tonight. I was planning on getting back on the horse and adding a fire fish tomorrow, but I'm a little discouraged now. What would your next steps be? Just bad luck, or did I miss a big step?
Thanks