Evening everyone

I have just recently joined and I posted a thread about my new nano tank (I'm new to marine).

My tank appears to have cycled (no ammonia, or nitrites and nitrate is below 5ppm).

My tank is 2 weeks old (I purchased premium cured fiji rock - I think that's why it's cycled so quick) and I haven't done a water change yet.

I have a severe green hair algae bloom and I also have a few aptasia :-(

I bought a peppermint shrimp yesterday (in order to deal with the aptasia) and this morning he was dead :-(


My questions are:

Is my tank ruined beyond repair?

What happened to my shrimp?

and what are the next steps I should take in order to correct the situation?

As always I am really greatful for all your advice!

Your tank most likely is not cycled. The shrimp died due to this. For aptaisia, look at AptaisiaX and due a water change.

What's your salinity, temp, and PH?

Hair algae and aptasia are normal for such a young tank. Are you sure the shrimp wasn't a molt? How did you acclimate it?

answers!

no! your tank isnt ruined beyond repair.

he probably couldnt take the nitrate levels.

your next step should be to wait, and wait, and then wait some more. and then test, and water change and test some more, till you get all of your params with in acceptable ranges.

you might want to think about adding some hermits, and maybe a snail or two. these guys are much hardier than shrimps are and should help your algae a bit. but mostly it just takes time for your tank to stabilize.

1. No it is not beyond repair. I wait at least a month or so for conditions to be stable before adding livestock.
2. did you acclimate him?
3. Give it more time and spray the aiptasia with lemon juice, boiling water, aptaisiaX, Joes Juice etc

Ok - I will do a change tomorrow - I'm getting joes juice tomorrow also!

Thanks for the advice

I've tried pep shrimps, have two at the moment, and they've never helped. I find new aiptaisia every week and zap them with aiptasiaX (since my LFS doesnt carry Joe's juice). Have had the tank for 2 years and havent eradicated all of the algae yet! It's definitely under much more control now, but it's been a battle!

Hi Dhaut - thanks for your help so far (in the other posts)

My salinity is 1.024 temp is 25 degrees c - I don't know my PH - I'm going to definately buy PH tester tomorrow!

Is the above param's ok?

It definately wasn't a molt and I acclimated it by keeping in the bag in my tank for over an hour (dripping my tank water into the bag) - I hope that was the right thing to do?




Hi

Thanks for reassuring me! I will wait a long time before I add anything else - I never knew that shrimp weren't very hardy (I thought hermits were be less tolerable than shrimp - just shows what I know)

My next addition in the future will just be a hermit and 1 snail.

Thanks



Hi

1. Thanks for the reassurance - I think I'm just so used to things going right in a freshwater tank (thats why I was panicing earlier)
2. Yes I think I did (see my response to Dhaut for my method)
3. I am definately going to wait and also buy Joes juice

Thank you for your help!




Hi

Thanks for the advice - I won't be going back to peppermint shrimp _ I'm getting some joe's juice tomorrow to sort the aptasia out

You need to let your tank REALLY cycle. You are probably getting 0 readings on your params because the hair algae is sucking it up, but it is there.

What type of water are you using? Make sure you are only using RO/DI to keep the excess phos and other nasties down. I would take the rock out and give it a good scrub and rinse in some saltwater (possibly some water change water?) and shoot some boiling water at the aptasia.

Don't despair, things will calm down once whatever is fueling the hair algae clams down. Just don't add anything for awhile and see how things go.

I had a feeling I jumped in too quick with the shrimp (I just wanted a natural way to solve the problem).

Having read your advice (and everyone elses) I think I have just got to remain calm and be very patient.

I'm using RO water - I'm a bit worried about taking the live rock out - would it cause other problems if I took it out?

Your next purchase should be test kits. I the API Saltwater Master Test Kit (and the reef master kit, but until you get corals you just need the other one) It should be right around $35 at any LFS. They are good test kits, reliable and inexpensive. Testing your water is important at this stage so you can see when your cycle begins and ends, when your cycle ends, you can add a CUC, then 2 or more weeks after that you should be good adding a fish. Patience is key. Good luck!

Just ordered myself the missing test kits I don't have from the master test kit! Thanks for the advice I really appreciate it!

Everyone on here is so supportive!

A lot of good advice - What do you mean by taking the rock out? Let the tank cycle, no need to remove anything (except the dead shrimp of course)

Also - Dhaut makes a good point... Could it have been a molt?

Last question - you say you are using RO - are you making this or buying it locally?

Post up your Amonia, Nitrate, Nitrite and PH when you get the new test kit.

... oh - and HAVE FUN!

I would leave the shrimp in there, let it rot and then when the levels are right do a 100% WC, oh and until that time leave the light off. When the levels are perfect you can turn the light on and all of those worries will be gone, add another shrimp, some coral and enjoy. The idea that it takes a tank 6 weeks to cycle is old school, the idea that you should wait 6 weeks to put animals in the tank is still valid IMO.

I think the shrimp died from an unproper acclimatation that caused a too great difference in water parameter.

What was the salinity in the bag? was is your salinity? and how did you do the acclimatation?

Your algea blood is due to the nitrates. get rid of it by doing water change.

your tank is not ruined, why should it be?

By taking the rock out of the tank to give it a scrub to remove the hair algae, you will not cause a cycle as long as the rock is not out of the water for too long. I wouldn't worry about it.

Your acclimation period is way too long. Float the bag in your tank for 30 mins and scoop some tank water and dump them in the bag for couple of time. The whole acclimcation time shouldn't exceed an hour. But I think uncycled tank killed shrimp in your case.

Shrimps are very sensitive to sudden water parameter change. I lost one small cleaner due to that (a 50% w/c).