Water Got a bad smell!

[mallow]

My 2ft tank have a drastic crush recently.The water smells and i realise the LR turn black....B4 this happen, I hv a 80% change of my water(sea water)becos 3 surgeon fish died suddenly and the rest(damsel and clown)start to swim on the above level to breath.My tank is 15gal.What the cause of this?

[hotsoup]

Many reasons just to state a few: Diseases, overstock, water parimeters, fitration medthod etc unless you can give a better statement of your tank.

[Achilles Tang]

Sounds like the oxygen level has dropped drastically.

I hope you have ample water circulation using powerheads. Do you?

For LR to turn black.. sounds really scary. Did you accidentally dose some poison into your tank? Spray baygon near your tank? Used copper to treat your fishes?

The smell is probably hydrogen sulfide.

I suggest you tell us your tank setup now so we can help you properly.

[mv3i]

My 2ft tank have a drastic crush recently.The water smells and i realise the LR turn black....B4 this happen, I hv a 80% change of my water(sea water)becos 3 surgeon fish died suddenly and the rest(damsel and clown)start to swim on the above level to breath.My tank is 15gal.What the cause of this?

ain't that a bit small to squeeze them in there in the first place ??

[hongqixian]

The 2ft tank has Tangs! Big no no. No wide open space for them to swim and they grow too big.

Too many fish. When the tangs died, the resulting ammonia if they were not taken out immediately will kill inverts, setting off a chain reaction of deaths by ammonia.

Anemones will cause lots of ammonia and mess if they die in a tank.

What was the temperature?

the cause is most likely temp too high or ammonia or oxygen depletion.

AT,

Water in a 2ft tank boils if there is no chiller or aircon and 2 powerheads.

[hongqixian]

If the water change was done with salt water mixed for less than six hours or without a powerhead then the undissolved buffers could have killed/burned some invert?

[wedgee]

Is there a reason to wait for freshly mixed saltwater to age for awhile b4 adding to the tank? I've read some posts which say we should, but no real evidence mentioned leh...So is there a diff if I were to add in the water immediately after mixing? Which by the way is wat some pple are doing...

Would appreciate some help here?

[hongqixian]

A long time ago....

I had a small frogspawn coral in a 2ft. It was expanding quite well every day. One day I changed 5-10% of the water with saltwater mixed for 15 min (well, the tropic marin box said that it can be used as soon as the water turns clear)

The frogspawn shrank up immediately. The next day, it didn't expand fully like it used to. Judging from the difference in 2 days, I blame the sw.

I changed a bucket of water recently (in my 2ft tank) with tropic marine salt mixed for 5h instead of the usual overnight mixing (Dun want to waste power running the powerhead and also evaporation of water in the bucket)

My xenia bunched up immediately and didn't stretch out fully the next day, which didn't happen when I used overnite mixed sw. Luckily after a month it's ok and back to normal now. Scared me for a while.

Other ppl on other forums have advised me to mix at least 6 hours and I'm not going to risk my inverts again. Your tank- your choice

[TanGo]

I think temp is too high.. Probably been like 31 degrees for a few days in a row, causing the LR to die and rot.. Mallow, you have a thermometer? What is your water conditions like?

[cool water]

My 2ft tank have a drastic crush recently.The water smells and i realise the LR turn black....B4 this happen, I hv a 80% change of my water(sea water)becos 3 surgeon fish died suddenly and the rest(damsel and clown)start to swim on the above level to breath.My tank is 15gal.What the cause of this?   

Sea water? Is it truly 100% sea water? Any body there can advice us how to really tell the diff. if the water is sea or not?

Do we still need to cycle the tank if 100% sea water is being use?

mallon don't worry , give the experts ( excluding me) more infor they will be able to help you. cool man.

[piero]

My tank was started with 100% seawater... Still need to cycle... Unless u keep a empty tank other than the water and some fishes lor... Like keeping those Luo han...

Like that then I think dun need to cycle....

[Fishfreak]

I just have to point this out again even though HQX already did.

Surgeons, regardless of size, cannot be kept in 2ft tanks! Well, at least they have all the space they want now in water heaven.

Let's be responsible aquarists.

[piero]

They dun seem to get it.... Like my mom, say why my fishes all so small.. She like big big ones... Cannot get it into her head!!!!

[newdamsel]

The 2ft tank has Tangs! Big no no. No wide open space for them to swim and they grow too big.

Too many fish. When the tangs died, the resulting ammonia if they were not taken out immediately will kill inverts, setting off a chain reaction of deaths by ammonia.

Anemones will cause lots of ammonia and mess if they die in a tank.

What was the temperature?

the cause is most likely temp too high or ammonia or oxygen depletion.

AT,

Water in a 2ft tank boils if there is no chiller or aircon and 2 powerheads.

Just not to frighten ppl, 2ft 15gallon tank with 3 powerhead and 85W of light does not boil if you have fans. Mine is kept at 28deg C.

From my experience with 15 gallon, with 3 surgeons, and a damsel and a clown, first is nitrite spike if the fishes is introduced in a cycled tank. That can kill alot of stuffs in return creating more ammonia...

IMO, its overstocking, condolence... exercise more caution the next time you set up... dun let this disheartened you )

[mallow]

My tank temp is 27deg using a fan.No powerheads.No chemical was spray ard the area.I hv a carpet anemone which was blooming.It shrink suddenly after two weeks.And it started to turn white in colour.......I couldn't remove it as the skeleton is stuck on the base of the tank.So i leave it for a day or two....then the crash start........I have remove most of the item and start all again.I am running the whole cycle slowly step by step.

P.S: My tank was only three days old when i impliment all the fishes and corals(the man that sell me say no problem with sea water)........Kana Conned...................................

[mallow]

the dying anemone................................

[Explorer]

P.S: My tank was only three days old when i impliment all the fishes and corals(the man that sell me say no problem with sea water)........Kana Conned...................................

[Achilles Tang]

Which old man? Which LFS?

[Achilles Tang]

Your anemone looks fine in the above pix. What happened after that? Why did you circle the mouth?

[Wei]

Hi mallow,

if yr rocks turn black, its advisable not to use them again. If they really turns black, might be some metal poisoning. Use any copper or bass stuff in tank? if it has, then u can throw away all the stuff cos containated. Does yr worms & critters crawl out & die?

Do u have a sump or refugium. its better to have one to add to the water volume. Small tank is not really for beginner as abit of excess nutrients will cause drastic outcome. But sure can succeed as u get to learn more along the way. For such a small tank, u might want to add a good efficient skimmer like tunze comline or the 210 series. They will fill a 2ft well. I have seen red prizm, but to me, they hardly skim. With a skimmer, u will have a safety net. Since u are fresh to this hobby, mistakes will be unavoid. Smaller tanks will need more attention & less forgiving.

U should restart. Filtration: Berlin or DSB with refugium will be gd. Trickle filter or canister can work but u need to deal with the NO3 problem.

Whats the white stuff sticking out of the anemoone mouth? If its it internal part, then be careful. Anemone do not have skeleton anyway.

Well, almost all of us kena con by LFS shop pple when we first start. errmm...at least for me. I personally kena conned when I first started.

Wei