water conditions

[bjlind8888]

so i just did a 10 percent water change yesterday.. and woke up this morning to my lawnmower blenny dead.. so i rushed to the lfs and bought a red sea master test kit... and these are my water conditions.. 79 degrees the ph is 8.0, the alk is 3.0, no3 is 5.0, the no2 is .05, and the ammonia is .25... i have a sea clone skimmer a hob canister filter with carbon media in it.. and 2 power head.. as far as fish i have 2 honey face damzels, 1 fox face, 1 chromis, 1 clown, 1 yellow goby and have about 10 hermit crabs... wut is wrong with my tank and i just had a loss of 1 blue tang and my scooter.. thinkin this is the same problem... i just dont know how to fix it other than water changes and i just did one... thx guys brandon

 

[bjlind8888]

the ammonia level is .058 as of the chart with the ph at 8.0 and the temp at 79. but the test its self is .25 and i am using instant ocean and distilled water for water changes.

 

[chend2]

Alk is to low. NO2 and NO3 and Ammonia levels are all toxic levels. You need to do a major water change 30 to 50 percent. You have to many fish for the skimmer, change your carbon.

Good luck

 

[G&NSalty425]

I would say you are going thru a cycle of some sort those readings (Ammonia, NO2, NO3) are high. PH and Alk is low. Chend2 is right I would do a large water change to drop (ammonia,NO2 and NO3). When was the last time you checked the canister filter and are you running anything else in it besides Carbon?

 

[tike]

Yes it is a cycle. How much LR do you have? What's the size of the tank? Sea clones are VERY cruddy skimmers. If I had to use one I wouldn't go any higher then a 20 gallon tank.
Do water change as suggested and if you can get your hands on some zeolite that will absorb the ammonia. Another question....how long has the tank been set up?

 

[bjlind8888]

my tank has been set up for 5 months now.. and have already gone thru a cycle... i did a 40 percent water change and just waiting to test it again... i have about 30-35 lbs of lr.. i was in desperate need of a skimmer old one was an air stone... so i bought the first one i have found. and the only thing i am running is carbon.. and the carbon is a day old just changed it.. and is that too much fish for the tank.. and the tank is a 30g.. and where can i get some zeolite?? everything seems so be moving around alot.. and everything looks alot better already... but how long do i have to wait to do my tests again???

 

[bjlind8888]

and wut skimmer would anyone recommend

 

[chend2]

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39833
or Kris Octo 200

 

[tike]

You should lower your fish bio-load. That is too many fish for the size aquarium and skimmer you are running. Basically, your fish are producing much more waste then your system can handle. Even when you get nitrogen cycle stable the increased waste will start the problem over again.

 

[tike]

Skimmie has a remora pro that should work for you.

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39581

I am assuming you need a hang on the back type skimmer.

 

[bjlind8888]

yes i do need a hob but i found a small sump and a berlin skimmer from a fellow reefer on the forums and would that be enough for my fish load or no??

 

[bjlind8888]

and by the way i only have 6 fish in the tank now

 

[tike]

The berlin is another crappy skimmer. With skimmers you really get what you pay for. I would get the best skimmer I could afford or wait and save my money and get a decent one. It will not pay to skimp on this piece of equipment many years ago I tried and failed miserably.

 

[tike]

and by the way i only have 6 fish in the tank now

To give you some perspective. I have a 60 gallon reef and 6 fish would be the maximum I would put in it. You also have a fox face they will grow to about 9" and produce that much waste!:lol:

If you want 6 fish stick with the smaller varieties.

 

[bjlind8888]

did you ever get that cube set up willie??? ok well wut do i do in the mean time til i get a new skimmer and sump??/ and wut skimmer would you recommend

 

[tike]

did you ever get that cube set up willie??? ok well wut do i do in the mean time til i get a new skimmer and sump??/ and wut skimmer would you recommend

Got a little behind on it with the Thanksgiving coming! I do have all the parts thou, still have to get rid of a few corals also.


If you are going with a HOB I like the remora pro. How much is your budget?

 

[G&NSalty425]

If you can do a sump I think with your fish bioload I would go the sump route with a skimmer in sump. The added extra water volume by adding a sump would be very good for your tank.

 

[TWallace]

5 NO3 (nitrates) is not toxic to fish. It's in fact well within the safe levels. Even nitrites (NO2) are usually relatively harmless to fish in saltwater systems. I know that's different from freshwater where any nitrites present can be toxic to fish. NH3 (ammonia) is toxic, though.

I agree with others that said your tank is cycling. It's either that or something relatively large is dead and decaying in the tank, resulting in the ammonia. Ammonia should never be present in a cycled tank.

I'd pick up some Amquel to detoxify the ammonia immediately. Then do as much water changing as you possibly can. Test your newly mixed saltwater to make sure the ammonia source isn't in there somehow. Feed lightly, don't add any new fish and wait it out until ammonia and nitrites are back to 0ppm. Don't worry too much about nitrate levels for fish unless it's over say 40-50ppm. I know reefers always shoot for 0ppm nitrates, but fish only tanks are much more forgiving on that.

 

[chend2]

5 PPT not PPM it is measured differently in his test kit. Which is a toxic level. It is not within safe levels. Read his first post.

 

[TWallace]

5 PPT not PPM it is measured differently in his test kit. Which is a toxic level. It is not within safe levels. Read his first post.

Oops, missed that. I've never seen a test kit that measures nitrates in ppt. My mistake.