Wrong Type Of Tank ?..

[silverfish]

Hi Guys

I have been cycling my tank for 1 month already, and when I buy my fishes (damsel) yesterday, they died in about 6 hours. I have checked the PH, nitrite and Salinity. Looks ok.

My tank takes water from the bottom (Not those top flow kind)..

Question: Did I buy the wrong kind of tank !!!

thanks...

[Dispar_Anthias]

Hi Guys

I have been cycling my tank for 1 month already, and when I buy my fishes (damsel) yesterday, they died in about 6 hours. I have checked the PH, nitrite and Salinity. Looks ok.

My tank takes water from the bottom (Not those top flow kind)..

Question: Did I buy the wrong kind of tank !!!

thanks...

hey what are your water parameter like

[Kalib]

Think we might need more info:

How did the damsels die? As in what symptoms they displayed.

Whats the nitrite,ph and salinity?

[silverfish]

nitrite 0.5mg/l

Ph 8.0

Salinity is ok

... The damsel looks ok at first. But after 5-6 hours, they are lying on the sandbed. Then they died, I got domino damsel, they did turn a bit white before dying.

[blue.tang]

better still, att pic of yr tank to let us see wat type of system u hv

[silverfish]

Here are attached pictures..

The water gets suck from the bottom (near the bioball).

[Naso Unicornis]

nitrite 0.5mg/l

Ph 8.0

Salinity is ok

... The damsel looks ok at first. But after 5-6 hours, they are lying on the sandbed. Then they died, I got domino damsel, they did turn a bit white before dying.

Your Nitrite level is way too high. What are the other parameters like ammonia, nitrate, temperature & KH? Include salinity or SG - an OK does not tell us very much.

[Shark]

Wow . . . your filteration looks overkilled.

[Naso Unicornis]

Just say your pics. You tank is more suited for a freswater setup rather than a marine setup. Also, do you intend to keep corals? If yes, then more light is advisable, especially for hard corals.

[silverfish]

how about the tank? Does it do the job?

[blue.tang]

how about the tank? Does it do the job?

i thin u nd a surface skimmer & pwrhead

[silverfish]

Hmm..

Is the surface skimmer necessary? Or I am better of getting another tank in the long run?

Just need advise.. what kind of tank is suitable? I saw a website featuring the one shown below, sure looks good..

[Air]

no surface skimmer or powerhead wont cause the fish to die rite?

a powerhead is prefered but thats not y ur fish die.

shd be the high nitrite? but damsel are so hardy that they survived when my tank turn super murky cos of an anemone.

the best is a tank with a overflow, sump with refugium. at least go for 50G n above ba if financial not constrain.......becos u will eventually be very very tempted to upgrade.

[Kalib]

Surface skimmers are not necessary. You can just scoop out the surface wastes manually.

Nitrites is a little high as it is 0.5mg/l. Ideal is 0mg/l, even 0.1mg/l is not good and should be reduced.

Hmm... were the fishes breathing heavily?

[JCHO]

sorry don't think your filter media will work. Try this 1) top layer

1. wool

2. poly filter (chemical filtration)

3. bag of charcol

4. wool again

5. 7 inch of #1 corals

remove your ring and bio ball don't think this will work. My 4 ft tank started introducing fishes at about day 14, corals day 7. Now I am at day 22. Have about 12-15 fishes.

[Kalib]

Erm....won't adding 12-15 fishes from day14 to day22(8days)be a little too fast?

IMO, bioballs do work. But overtime, they'll end up as nitrate factories.

[Clownfish]

silverfish:

r u suspecting an incorrect filtration system? cos i cant realli see how ur water flows into ur filtration system....

it would be a wise thing to test ammonia, nitrite n nitrate....

post cycling would mean ammonia n nitrite 0 and u will hav increasing nitrate....

did u change partial of ur water after cycling to remove some of the nitrate?

btw, no adding livestocks in bulk all at 1 time... esp for such a small tank....

it is betta to add at most 2 small fish per week....

is ur tank a 2ft including the side column?... IMO, it is more prudent not to overstock as well....

[silverfish]

Yo dudes,

Finally the forum is up again. Just some updates. I just checked the conditions of the water yesterday.

Amonnia, Nitrite = 0 ml

Nitrate = 5 ml

Ph = 8.0

So I got a damsel, and it survived.. for 2 days already.. I think my tank is finally ready.

Btw, how fast will the bio balls turn in nitrate factories? And will rinsing them once a while do the trick?

thanks.. : )

[darkness]

You can start removing the bio-ball slowly. (e.g. removing 2 balls daily). Rinsing it won't help. It is the bacteria that grows there that convert NH3 -> NO2 -> NO3. Also, remove the coral chips slowly as well. I have the same kind of tank and it is coming to 6 months already. Initially, I have bio-ball, bio-ring and coral-chip. Now I have only filter wool, Chemipure, Rowaphos, and poly-filter.

Thanks

[Merlion]

You can start removing the bio-ball slowly. (e.g. removing 2 balls daily). Rinsing it won't help. It is the bacteria that grows there that convert NH3 -> NO2 -> NO3. Also, remove the coral chips slowly as well. I have the same kind of tank and it is coming to 6 months already. Initially, I have bio-ball, bio-ring and coral-chip. Now I have only filter wool, Chemipure, Rowaphos, and poly-filter.

Thanks

I have been hearing a lot about this Rowapohs. Where do you get them and how much do they cost? Also, could enlighten the difference between its close "cousin", Contrapohs?

[hoppinghippos]

silverfish, from the looks of it, your filter works by letting water into the sump from the bottom? ie the partition of the sump from the main tank area has a gap at the bottom? if so, its essentially acting as an undergravel filter, which really isn't that great a system, maybe while your tank is still new you can modify your partition? seal off the bottom and use a siphon on the top of the sump or drill a hole?

[heckers]

sorry don't think your filter media will work. Try this 1) top layer

1. wool

2. poly filter (chemical filtration)

3. bag of charcol

4. wool again

5. 7 inch of #1 corals

remove your ring and bio ball don't think this will work. My 4 ft tank started introducing fishes at about day 14, corals day 7. Now I am at day 22. Have about 12-15 fishes.

wah... givin' advise from some1 who put in fishez in the 14th day of cyclin' & hv 12~15b fishez after 22 dayz...

[darkness]

I have been hearing a lot about this Rowapohs. Where do you get them and how much do they cost? Also, could enlighten the difference between its close "cousin", Contrapohs?

I get the RowaPhos from our sponsor. Not sure about the close cousin....never heard of them. But before you put anything in, please test your water first.

[silverfish]

silverfish, from the looks of it, your filter works by letting water into the sump from the bottom? ie the partition of the sump from the main tank area has a gap at the bottom? if so, its essentially acting as an undergravel filter, which really isn't that great a system, maybe while your tank is still new you can modify your partition? seal off the bottom and use a siphon on the top of the sump or drill a hole?

Hmm.. Drilling a hole ?? Won't that break the glass? I have power drill and stuff, but how do you do it ..

[SpiderOne]

dont do it yourself . do a search fo this topic. think theres this guy who goes on site to drill ur tank for u