Where went wrong?

[Lionfish25]

I got an old 4ft x 2ft x 2ft tank but was drained and add in salt and dechlorine water into the tank to cycle for marine. The end of 2nd week of cycling I washed No 3 marine sand and throw in. During these period, a Ehiem 4ft filter caniter was used to cycle the tank.the first fish put into the tank was the beginning of the 4th week. PH was 7 and Nitrate os 0.5mg as tested that time

Everything was ok and 2 live fish was add in after one week. That was my butterflies. Followed by my sand shifting startfish got 2, and 2 hermit crab. PH was 8 and nitrate was nil.

However everthing was still alive until the 6th week. I decided the water in the tank evaporate and dechlorine the water in a pail and add in the salt until the correct saltiness. I use my hydrometer to test the water in the pail before I pour into the tank.

However sad to say all my fish die over night other than my demsal and 2 spotted groupers. PH 8 and nitrate is nil.

Now I am thinking shall I drain everything out and take everything out, wash and start every cycle back to step 1. No point to buy anymore fish and keep guessing what's wrong with the water. I know is the water is not right and killed my fish, but I have no idea what happen.

[bgrking]

Hi Lionfish25,

What are your water parameters currently? What is your temperature too? Anything more than 30 degrees will hardly survive i think.

Best Regards,

bgrking

[noob]

You should only top up with freshwater as salt won't evaporate. What you did only raise the salinity and I guess that might be the reason why the fishes perish.

[hammy]

check ur ammonia and nitrite ...

[jervismun]

Bro, salt do not get evaporated. So by adding more salt water into the tank (especially in large amount) will raise the Specific Gravity to unacceptable range in a short period of time... I believe that's the cause of death. Do check the Sg of your main tank now.

All the best

[Lionfish25]

The temperature of the tank had been 28 or 29. But if I on the light for more than 4 hours it will raise to 30. However, what I did was on the light to see my fish almost every evening for 2 hours then I off the lights.

[sherman]

What is the SG in your tank?

[Underwater]

May or may not be the case, but just to share that some hydrometers can be faulty and inaccurate and somethings reading can be way off. Hence, when you thought the SG is correct, the actual SG can be too high for the fishes already...

Are the fishes that perished mainly butterflies and MI?

[Aldaris]

you do things too fast.

[glim18]

I've had a bad experience with cheap, float on water, glass hydrometer. Kept giving me SG readings that were much lower and anything I put into the tank died because of excess salt.

You might want to borrow someone else's hydrometer and check your SG level. If the SG level is ok...let your tank run without any livestock again for the next 3 weeks, minimum. Rocks and sand must be in the water during these 3 weeks.

I'm still not as knowledgeable as many other bros on this forum...but I've found that letting the tank run without livestock stabilizes the water condition and then slowly add fish, that means 1-2 fishes a week. Do everything gradually so that you don't shock the system.

Good luck!

[Lionfish25]

I've had a bad experience with cheap, float on water, glass hydrometer. Kept giving me SG readings that were much lower and anything I put into the tank died because of excess salt.

You might want to borrow someone else's hydrometer and check your SG level. If the SG level is ok...let your tank run without any livestock again for the next 3 weeks, minimum. Rocks and sand must be in the water during these 3 weeks.

I'm still not as knowledgeable as many other bros on this forum...but I've found that letting the tank run without livestock stabilizes the water condition and then slowly add fish, that means 1-2 fishes a week. Do everything gradually so that you don't shock the system.

Good luck!

Well I am using this kind of glass hydrometer and I am beginning to doubt this meter liao. Any recommendation on what other kind of hydrometer to buy?

Well I drain all the water and wash the LR and whtever is inside again. fill up with dissolved salt and water into the tank and on the canister system and let it run. Well another month of waiting to let water stabalish before livestock goes in.

Also better I can try to look for fishes good for beginner and decide what to get.

[glim18]

I use the coralife plastic meter...I think about $10+ at C328...I paid a lot more for it at pasir ris...

other bros use electronic meters...really depends on your budget and if you really intend on keeping lots of corals...

my tank is simple with bubble and leather corals, and just a few fishes...watch your bioload...

[Lionfish25]

I use the coralife plastic meter...I think about $10+ at C328...I paid a lot more for it at pasir ris...

other bros use electronic meters...really depends on your budget and if you really intend on keeping lots of corals...

my tank is simple with bubble and leather corals, and just a few fishes...watch your bioload...

Well my goal tank is a very simple tank. Just mainly live rocks with lionfish. That's all. But after reading here I realise lionfish will create lots of bioload due to its diet. But I am still open to other fish. Maybe groupers with 1 or 2 lionfish and that's it. The other love which is butterfly, it seems I have to give up as advise they are mroe senstive. I would rather not buy the fish and kill it due to my sturboness and ignortant. But just let the fish stay in the shop, maybe it will have a longer lifespan with a knowledgable owner.

[Underwater]

So bro Lionfish25, did u manage to check the SG before u poured away the tank water 'cos it will determine if yr hydrometer is faulty?

A more accurate measurement of SG wld be a refractometer. You may want to borrow one to test it in yr new tank and then match it against yr current hydrometer or new hydrometer to gauge the difference, for future adjustment.

Can't share info on lionfish as l'm not a fan and personally think it's quite cruel to feed it with another live marine fish. Of course, it's a personal choice and l've to respect that. Here are some sites on fish species and care for you (in case you missed out in the other thread which i also posted).

http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pcatid=15

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/fishprofi...es_Pictures.htm

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/index.php?menu=2

[Lionfish25]

Thanks bro underwater.

Btw I am a sis. hee hee..... seldom will come across a gal like to keep fish right?

[Rogerttt]

Is not uncommon for gal in this hobby but not lion fish or shark

[Lionfish25]

Is not uncommon for gal in this hobby but not lion fish or shark

Had long been wanted to keep a lionfish since the first time I saw a lionfish in a display tank in Changi Airport T1 when I was a kid. Last time the arrival hall got one marine fish tank with one quiet a big lionfish swimming in the tank. Once I have a chance to be at T1 I sure glue to the ground in front of the tank to stare at the lionfish. Just simply fasinated with the fins flare open and swimming in slow motion gracefully. Hee hee....

[Underwater]

Thanks bro underwater.

Btw I am a sis. hee hee..... seldom will come across a gal like to keep fish right?

Opps sorry, sis Lionfish25.

Yah, like bro rogerttt said, it is not uncommon for gals to like this hobby. There are many active sis here in SRC. But cos i saw you like lionfish alot, i presume tt u're a bro. Sorry...

But do note tt the fins (i think) of the lionfish are venomous, just like rabbitfish. Got to handle with great care.

Cheers...

[Marinesavy]

not many... but sis "little bull" has successfully own a fantastic 2 feet nano tank, but too bad she already given out the hobby

[Lionfish25]

Opps sorry, sis Lionfish25.

Yah, like bro rogerttt said, it is not uncommon for gals to like this hobby. There are many active sis here in SRC. But cos i saw you like lionfish alot, i presume tt u're a bro. Sorry...

But do note tt the fins (i think) of the lionfish are venomous, just like rabbitfish. Got to handle with great care.

Cheers...

Thanks, yes I know one sting will make me end up in the A & E department. That's why I purposely went to get a pair of long shopsticks which mother usually use it to fry food. But of course I buy new ones and use it only for my tanks. I will use it to hold the cube of mysis shrimp and feed my panther grouper and demsel. The lionfish normally I will give feeder mollies or shirmp once in a blue moon.

Oh I see...there are other sis here...

[w3ish3ng]

there are another respectable sis here keeping fish only. but her is angel kind.. ever consider keeping frogfish?

[Lionfish25]

there are another respectable sis here keeping fish only. but her is angel kind.. ever consider keeping frogfish?

The very potiential fishes I plan to have in time to come when I become 'old bird' will be lionfish, scripion fish,butterfly and frogfish.

I had a camo scirpion but it die on me when the water in my tank went haywire. Or should I say I stock up too fast?

Kind of werid for a gal to like this kind of fish. It might look 'ugly' to normal people but I myself feel due to their 'ungliness' they are very special and I am more keen to hope to have them and keep them alive in time to come.

As for not..sigh, reach home seeing an empty tank wih filter running and only live ock inside.

[Lionfish25]

Finally found out where went wrong liao. Did a test, PH is 8, KH is 8 Ammonia is nil, Nitrite is 0.5 to 1 range and Nirite is 12.5. Super high. I believe my tank is still int he process of cycling. How have to hold everything and wait and see.

I would to check if now I top up more live rocks will it make the water unstable again? Unstable in the sense the test of these parameters will change again?

[MapleReef]

Anyways here are some recent shots of my Fu ManChu lionfish....

He would gladly "take" food from my hands be it Krill, chopped up Sand Eel or Live Ghost shrimps. Yupper....hand fed dwarf lionfish!!

Paul

[Lionfish25]

Nice Fu Man Chu ...Very cute fellow. Will be one of my aim to put one in my tank once my tank is ready for it.