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20 gallon saga continues...


Hypancistrus

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My 20 tall classroom marine tank has been established now for almost two years (since March 2015). It's not been terribly successful. There have been several periods of algae blooms, mostly coninciding with fish deaths or addition of new lights. I've tried a few fish species, all of which have died. I tried two "beginner friendly" corals-- green star polyps and another soft polyp. They both died. I feel like I have adequate light on there. I've got two T5 bulbs, one 10000K and one actinic, plus another T8 10000K. My water params all seem in order. Salinity is 1.023, 0 for ammonia, 'trites and 'trates for well over a year now. The only thing that has survived is my skunk cleaner shrimp, who has been living in the tank since July 2015. I also have some hermits and snails that do well, too, but I do have to replace these from time to time to keep their numbers up, particularly the snails. I feed the shrimp dry flake food 3x weekly.

 

Today I am redesigning the tank. A colleague found a giant cooler full of old, dried out dry reef rock. Some of it is quite pretty. So today I added a lot more rock. I know it will eventually become live rock. How long will this take? I feel like I may need to add some more circulation. Right now I am using a HOB filter without media. It moves 300 gph. Should I add a powerhead of some type? What brands work best in small tanks? Any additional equipment? I know bigger tanks benefit from protein skimmers but I've heard horror stories about flooded skimmers and since this tank is in my classroom, a weekend flood could be a disaster for the fish and flooring.

 

I still would really like to keep some fish and corals in addition to my shrimp. I'm leery of adding zoanthids to a classroom tank, so I'd like to steer clear of those. I thought GSP were bulletproof, but mine died right quick. I was thinking about mushrooms maybe. I like the look of hammer coral and torch coral but if I can't keep these other simply ones alive it seems pointless. For fish, I have tried two clownfish and two royal gramma. The one clownfish died from an ich-like disease. I left the tank fallow for over 6 months after this with only the shrimp. The other clown just died for no apparent reason less than a month after its introduction. The gramma both simply disappeared. No idea what happened to them. They didn't jump out as there were no dried bodies around the tank.

 

Not sure what my next steps should be. Any thoughts? I really want this to work out but I don't have enough money to keep dumping money into this without results. My students are very interested in it, but the shrimp is only so interesting. I've been keeping freshwater aquaria and planted tanks for years with great success, so these constant set backs are very frustrating and I don't want to just keep killing fish.

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Not sure what is going on at 2years old you should be able to add a couple fish with out losing them. Clowns are damsels and usually pretty hardy. Of course you never know fish that are purchased at a local fish store may have been collected, shipped, stored in a way that stressed them so much that they just could not take it. See if any local stores can get tank raised fish. It may be better to pay a little more for those I have been very lucky with clowns in general the 2 I have right now have lived through 2 tank crashes and are at least 6 years old. I had a pair up North that made it 10 years and I gave them away when I moved. My experience with GSP has varied from growing so much I had to trim and give away so it would not take over the tank to barely opening up for months. Every tank is so different. Some times I swear it is trial and error. I think you should test again then take a water sample to the store and have them confirm the results. Consider a different type of damsels maybe a yellow tailed blue devil or a domino they a both very hardy. Mushrooms or xenia are usually very hardy and easy to keep. I wish you the best of luck and hang in there.

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Marine aquariums come with a whole host of complexities. There are so many biological, chemical, and mechanical factors it isn't even funny. So the best way I've ever heard of starting diagnosis is to look at the problem in the following manner. When there's a problem you either have too much or not enough of something. Too many nitrates, too little light, too much flow, etc.

 

Chemistry

 

I swear by the parameters set forth by Randy Holmes-Farley which can be found at http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

 

You've reported 0ppm for NO2, NO3, NH3/4+. Have you tested for PO4? What test kits are you using? Your salinity is too low for corals but lower salinity is often a good thing for introducing new fish. Lowering the salinity allows fish to expend less energy in an effort to osmoregulate and therefore helps to alleviate some of the stress from moving. Do you run any chemical filtration such as activated carbon, GFO, chemipure, etc., and if so how do you run it? I know you don't run any in your HOB but do you run anything in other ways?

 

Biological

 

Biological filtration is a big factor. Death of certain things can release toxins into the water. How much sand do you have and where did it come from? How much rock do you have and what type? How is it structured? If you can attach pictures please do so. How often do you perform a water change and how much water? Are you seeing any algae growth now? If so, what kinds? What is your current livestock?

 

Mechanical

 

What are the dimensions or your aquarium (rough estimates are fine)? How high off the water are your lights? What size (length) and power (wattage) are the bulbs? What kind of mechanical filtration do you run (HOB filter? Is this the 300gph filter?) Do you run any pumps or power heads (it doesn't sound like it but I just want to make sure)?

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Marine aquariums come with a whole host of complexities. There are so many biological, chemical, and mechanical factors it isn't even funny. So the best way I've ever heard of starting diagnosis is to look at the problem in the following manner. When there's a problem you either have too much or not enough of something. Too many nitrates, too little light, too much flow, etc.

 

Chemistry

 

I swear by the parameters set forth by Randy Holmes-Farley which can be found at http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

 

You've reported 0ppm for NO2, NO3, NH3/4+. Have you tested for PO4? What test kits are you using? Your salinity is too low for corals but lower salinity is often a good thing for introducing new fish. Lowering the salinity allows fish to expend less energy in an effort to osmoregulate and therefore helps to alleviate some of the stress from moving. Do you run any chemical filtration such as activated carbon, GFO, chemipure, etc., and if so how do you run it? I know you don't run any in your HOB but do you run anything in other ways?

 

Biological

 

Biological filtration is a big factor. Death of certain things can release toxins into the water. How much sand do you have and where did it come from? How much rock do you have and what type? How is it structured? If you can attach pictures please do so. How often do you perform a water change and how much water? Are you seeing any algae growth now? If so, what kinds? What is your current livestock?

 

Mechanical

 

What are the dimensions or your aquarium (rough estimates are fine)? How high off the water are your lights? What size (length) and power (wattage) are the bulbs? What kind of mechanical filtration do you run (HOB filter? Is this the 300gph filter?) Do you run any pumps or power heads (it doesn't sound like it but I just want to make sure)?

 

It's a 20 high, so 24" x 12" footprint and maybe 16" - 18" tall?

 

I have not tested PO4. I use the saltwater master test kit by API. I always used the freshwater version so I bought the saltwater version when I started. Someone else just pointed out that my salinity is a bit low for corals and recommended raising it to 1.026. Agreed?

 

Lights are mounted just above the water surface with the provided clamps that hook onto the aquarium lip.

 

For filtration, I went by what I have read online and in books (particularly The Conscientious Marine Aquarist) and use a 30G AquaClear filter without media to move water around. I've read and heard from people I have talked to that media collects gunk which makes a lot of nitrates. I don't use powerheads yet but am considering adding one now that I have added the new rocks. I'll try and post a photo if I can. I am using crushed coral in lieu of sand. It came out of a bag, and wasn't live. I added 25 lbs of rock to start, and 10 of it was live with the idea that the rest would become live. I waited almost 4 months to add anything to the tank (the shrimp, June 2015). I added two fish a month later. Both died-- that was the clown that got the ich-like disease. These fish all came from PetCo. I may see if I can visit a slightly distant fish store on Friday and see if I can potentially get a tank raised clown.

 

Only livestock left at this point is the champion skunk cleaner shrimp, 4 hermits and 2-3 snails. None of the fish ever lasted longer than a month. Right now I am seeing some green slime algae growth, but I just put the big light on there in August in hopes of keeping coral since my fish kept dying. But those coral didn't last (also from PetCo, as my LFS doesn't sell coral). I've been doing a 20% water change every 2-3 months since it's only the shrimp and tiny crabs in there. If I had fish I would do more frequent water changes.

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Trying to post a photo. Most of the rock is new, the old rock you can see are the ones that have the purple corraline growing on them. You can see some of the green algae in the back left. I scrubbed a bit while I rearranged the rocks. Also, you can see my shrimp in the middle. He's doing well. Sheds all the time!

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There are a few things that come to mind.

 

The wall of rocks could be too much rock and it going from wall to wall doesn't allow for much flow, causing dead zones. Did you epoxy them so thry don't tumble?

 

No powerhead in the tank. The hob filter doesn't offer enough flow or correct flow. You need a powerhead not only for corals but for gas exchange which could be the reason for all the fish deaths- lack of oxygen.

 

What is the water source? Ro/di and distilled only should be used. If using tap- there are many chemicals in tap that could have led to fish and coral death.

 

Filter: is this cleaned regularly? Filter floss is a good addition but needs changing weekly, a media bag with carbon is a good idea as well. Helps remove any toxins and keeps the water clear.

 

Maintenance. Are weekly water changes being done with the sand being vacuumed and rocks being blown with a turkey baster?

 

Phosphates are very important to test but the api kit is not a low range. Salifert kit is better.

 

If corals aren't surviving, lack of water movement, parameter swings or incorrect parameters, lighting, and low salinity could be the issue.

 

I'd ditch the t8, it doesn't do anything for corals but may aid in the algae issues.

 

Salinity, slowly raise it to either 1.025 or 1.026..is the evaporated water being topped up daily with freshwater and sg checked?

 

To maintain corals- ca, alkalinity, and magnesium should be checked weekly until stable, then every 2 weeks.

 

Theres no need for ammonia or nitrites being checked after 2 yrs unless you see an issue.

 

Adding the dry rock to the tank, i would check those 2 to ensure you don't have a mini cycle.

 

Do you know what rock you used?

 

Once we know more about the varioud things we can eliminate possible issues and point you in the right direction to get your tank full of life.

What kind of sand is in the tank?

You may have not had enough liverock in there to begin with to support any fish.

 

A guideline is 1-1.5 lbs per gallon. 15-18lbs for a 20g is good.

 

Was a cycle ever done in this tank?

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When people say media can become a detritus trap and leech nitrates, they're talking about extra rock, bioballs, sponges, etc. These days, and this is totally subjective, when people say media they usually mean activated carbon or GFO. These are both forms of chemical filtration and you should consider activated carbon. Activated carbon servers two main purposes. The first is to remove yellowing compounds from the water that greatly reduce light penetration. The second is to remove any toxins released into the water by various organisms. In your aquarium I might use 2 TBSP in a bag placed in the HOB filter. If you don't have a bag you can cut off the end of some nylon stockings and use that. Remember to thoroughly rinse the carbon with RO water before using it as the fines have been correlated to HLLE (Head and Lateral Line Erosion) in fish.

 

Speaking of RO/DI water. If you aren't using it, start. As Clown79 pointed out, there are far too many chemicals in tap water to consider it an acceptable source. I'd stay away from distilled water. It was pointed out to me that many stills use copper and that leeches into the water which is toxic to inverts in very very minute amounts.

 

With regards to the lights. The 10000K T5 may be a bit warm. That color temp has been linked to algae growth in the past. Another thing to remember is that fluorescent bulbs warm over time. A good rule of thumb is to replace them every 6 months. However, the limiting factors for algae growth are still nutrients so NO3 and PO4 must be present in the water which brings me to my next point.

 

API kits are rudimentary at best when it comes to saltwater. In the future you'll want to pick up some Salifert or Red Sea Pro kits. For now, you probably aren't going to detect anything because once you have algae growth the algae sequesters the NO3 and PO4.

 

That rock wall will definitely become a problem if it hasn't already. You've got plenty of substrate in there for a strong bacterial culture so you can ditch a lot of that rock. Look up reef scaping tips online and you'll see how to maximize the space you have. Another problem with that much rock, as pointed out by Clown79, is it prevents adequate water flow.

 

Water flow is important. Often times cyanobacteria outbreaks can be due to dead spots. Oxygenation is also an issue. Water flow helps move the water around distributing the freshly oxygenated water. A lot of people will say you need power heads to agitate the surface for oxygen exchange, however, research has shown that the bulk of oxygenation comes from water turnover which is what your HOB filter is accomplishing. You still need a power head to move that water around. I have a similarly sized tank I use as a quarantine and I have an HOB paired with a Koralia Hydor Nano 425. The combination works great.

 

I don't know if you have an ATO. If you do not then when you leave your tank unattended in the classroom over the weekend, I'm sure you're getting some evaporation. This means your salinity is rising until you can top off again. You should aim for 1.024-1.026. If you do not have an ATO then I'd dial it up to 1.025, leave the tank over the weekend, come back Monday morning and check salinity. If it hasn't risen above 1.026 then you are good to go.

 

If you have algae then you have a nutrient problem. Do 10% water changes every week. As Clown79 suggested, use a turkey baster to blow detritus off the rocks before the WC then vacuum up the sand bed during the WC. Water changes are your only nutrient export and they also are the only way you are maintaining water chemistry. If you have coraline algae then it's eating up calcium and bicarbonate which you need to replenish. That link I gave you last post shows recommended values.

 

Finally, don't buy any livestock from Petco or Petsmart. Never. Ever. Those places don't qualify as LFS. Some people have had good luck but I think by and large the general consensus is that you should steer clear of these places. When you go to a LFS and you are looking at fish, look to see if they are gasping, staying close to the surface of the water, flashing, rubbing against rocks, or presenting any other unhealthy behaviors. Look for signs of HLLE, tattered fins, white spots, or areas with a velvety sheen. Avoid all of these signs. Ask where the fish came from. Clowns can be easily bred in captivity so you should only buy tank raised clowns. Ask them how long they've had the fish. Ask whether they do any quarantine or treatment. I won't put anything in my tank without quarantining it myself as I've been hit by disease before. But in your case, you don't have any fish to risk in your display tank.

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I use distilled. I was concerned about copper lining but most places don't use it anymore as its not cost effective.

 

I use to use ro water. Thats even better than tap.

 

I myself use mostly Api testers as I found my results were the same as when i used Salifert and Red Sea. I don't recommend Api Phos kits, I use Salifert for that and Magnesium.

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The rock wall is new. I can take some out. So the issues I've been having were all before the rock wall when I had very little rock in there. I was considering adding 1-2 powerheads with the addition of the new rock. Re: there not being enough live rock, I added 10 lbs of live rock and 15 of dry rock when I first started the tank, and then I waited over three months before adding anything alive (the shrimp and snails). I didn't try to add a fish until 4 months in. I am using crushed coral instead of sand.

 

I am using RO/DI water. I just don't understand why inverts would be surviving when fish are not. Everything I have read indicated that inverts like shrimp are more delicate. Perhaps it's as simple as the source of the fish. There isn't a LFS that carries marine fish near me anymore.

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25lbs of liverock in a 20g is a lot. If you only had 10lbs before of dry rock, the system either had a minimal to no cycle, meaning not enough beneficial bacteris to sustain fish. Fish create more waste than a shrimp, that may be why the shrimp is still there and the fish not.

 

Did you see a cycle when you started the tank? Even leaving the rocks in there for 3 mnths, doesn't mean it had cycled.

 

Even if you add powerheads, with the wall of rock up against the back, side to side they won't help. You need room in betwen the rocks and glass walls. Those areas are dead zones, incapable of getting cleaned or any flow. A haven for algae to grow.

 

Crushed coral traps alot of stuff in it, it needs cleaning by vacuuming or stirring it and syphoning detritus.

 

Yes, the source of your fish may not be good but the corals dying is a sign that something is off.

 

Testing parameters is important, regular maintenance is important, topping up every day is important.

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25lbs of liverock in a 20g is a lot. If you only had 10lbs before of dry rock, the system either had a minimal to no cycle, meaning not enough beneficial bacteris to sustain fish. Fish create more waste than a shrimp, that may be why the shrimp is still there and the fish not.

 

Did you see a cycle when you started the tank? Even leaving the rocks in there for 3 mnths, doesn't mean it had cycled.

 

Even if you add powerheads, with the wall of rock up against the back, side to side they won't help. You need room in betwen the rocks and glass walls. Those areas are dead zones, incapable of getting cleaned or any flow. A haven for algae to grow.

 

Crushed coral traps alot of stuff in it, it needs cleaning by vacuuming or stirring it and syphoning detritus.

 

Yes, the source of your fish may not be good but the corals dying is a sign that something is off.

 

Testing parameters is important, regular maintenance is important, topping up every day is important.

 

This is very confusing and I am wondering if people responding are reading the whole thread because I feel like we are rehashing points already covered.

 

My understanding from early comments was that my salinity was probably too low (1.023) and my temp is too high (84). So I am working to correct those two things. Over two days I have brought the salinity up to 1.0245. Temp is now lowered to 80. I am going to shoot for 1.026 and 78 but I want to do this slowly so my shrimp, crabs and snails can adjust. Does that sound correct? My understanding was that this could be why the corals did not survive.

 

Regarding the fish and a cycle.... at this point the tank is almost 2 years old. Surely the bacteria would have grown in that time since I am feeding the shrimp and hermits several times per week? I know that there will always be a slight change in parameters when you add new livestock as the bacteria grow to accommodate the new bioload. But after nearly 2 years I would think that all of my rock has become "live." Am I wrong?

 

I can adjust the rock pile. It's actually not leaning against the back of the glass so I think I can put a powerhead back there, too, if need be. The photo below is what the tank first looked like after 5 months, with 2 fish in it. This was July 2015.

Okay for some reason it's not letting me load a photo. So here is a photo of the tank taken in July 2015 with the original liverock. It's from my FB page but I made it public, so hopefully all can see. It seemed like not that much rock.

 

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There is a lot of confusion but the best way to understand a reef system is thorough research. There are many aspects to running a system and multiple factors for its crash.

 

Everyone responding are providing various causes that could lead to problems. It can be anything from lack of beneficial bacteria, its not necessarily about time a tank runs but various factors that come into play. It can be parameters, it can be rocks one uses, salinity, lighting/ bulb age. Salts used. etc. Etc.

 

There is no simple fix but rather trial and error. Finding the cause and fixing it.

 

Yes, a higher salinity is preferable but I ran a full reef at 1.023 with no deaths of corals or fish.

 

84 for temp is the highest point so 79-80 is preferable and stability is key. Fluctuating temps continuously can lead to issues, so does salinity fluctuations, and parameter fluctuations.

 

Parameter fluctuations is a leading cause to decline in coral health. Testing weekly for nitrates, phosphates, calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium prevents this.

 

We are trying to help but there is no simple answer to it.

 

The pic you provided, you said you had 15lbs of liverock, that should have been enough for beneficial bacteria but what kind of rock used can alter that. If it was dry rock used, its a whole other factor.

 

I wouldn't put a bubbler in an sw, there are drawback to that same eith artificial decorations.

What symptoms did your fish present before they died. Thats another key element to lead to a cause.

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There is a lot of confusion but the best way to understand a reef system is thorough research. There are many aspects to running a system and multiple factors for its crash.

 

Everyone responding are providing various causes that could lead to problems. It can be anything from lack of beneficial bacteria, its not necessarily about time a tank runs but various factors that come into play. It can be parameters, it can be rocks one uses, salinity, lighting/ bulb age. Salts used. etc. Etc.

 

There is no simple fix but rather trial and error. Finding the cause and fixing it.

 

Yes, a higher salinity is preferable but I ran a full reef at 1.023 with no deaths of corals or fish.

 

84 for temp is the highest point so 79-80 is preferable and stability is key. Fluctuating temps continuously can lead to issues, so does salinity fluctuations, and parameter fluctuations.

 

Parameter fluctuations is a leading cause to decline in coral health. Testing weekly for nitrates, phosphates, calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium prevents this.

 

We are trying to help but there is no simple answer to it.

 

The pic you provided, you said you had 15lbs of liverock, that should have been enough for beneficial bacteria but what kind of rock used can alter that. If it was dry rock used, its a whole other factor.

 

I wouldn't put a bubbler in an sw, there are drawback to that same eith artificial decorations.

What symptoms did your fish present before they died. Thats another key element to lead to a cause.

There isn't a bubbler in the tank-- that's the output from a HOB filter.

 

The rock was a mix of purchased liverock from my LFS and dry baserock. Which I was told and have read would become live over time.

 

I have been testing the water. When I first started the tank, I saw nothing. Started adding a little food to cycle it and watched ammonia and nitrites climb, and finally nitrates. This was over the first three months, with nothing alive in the tank. I kept testing when I added the first fish, too, and recorded the results in an Excel spreadsheet. We used the data for my one class when discussing the nitrogen cycle in aquatic ecosystems.

 

I guess what I am saying is I DO research, and I DO read, and I DO talk to people. But I've never heard of a system that can keep a shrimp and other inverts alive but not fish. Fish are usually more durable than inverts. I feel like I must be doing something right for my shrimp to have lasted this long.

 

So for now, what I have is the following.

1. Temp too high. Bringing that down (it's down to 79* now) Probably the main cause of coral death.

2. Salinity could go up a bit. Raising that slowly.

3. Check the Phosphates and use a fresh kit of a different brand to check nitrates to see if either are an issue.

4. Work on improving flow pattern w/ addition of a powerhead, or two.

5. Explore the potential use of chemical filtration media and possibly mechanical filtration. (Socks, floss, etc)

6. Do not buy from PetCo. Will explore the local fish store (further away) and some online sources for future stock.

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Also, you can see my shrimp in the middle. He's doing well. Sheds all the time!

 

 

I just want to add to what everyone's saying: There is such a thing as molting too often for shrimp/crabs, and it's usually caused by metals/toxins in the water. Try to make sure they molt at an average rate, and note that 'average' can change depending on their stage in life (happens more often while growing, for example).

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I just want to add to what everyone's saying: There is such a thing as molting too often for shrimp/crabs, and it's usually caused by metals/toxins in the water. Try to make sure they molt at an average rate, and note that 'average' can change depending on their stage in life (happens more often while growing, for example).

 

I didn't mean that it was like ALL the time. I'm not sure what normal is, but I see an exoskeleton in there every 3 months or so.

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Okay, so my turn to try and help! :P

 

Read around here, as much as you can. Research, research, research. It seems like you're doing that by coming here so, check!

 

This has already been hashed, but I'm going to do it again so I'm on the same page as you:

  1. I feel 84 is too hot. Anywhere between 79 to 82 is much better. IME.
  2. Do not use distilled or tap. RO is better, ro/di is best. Unlike freshwater, the salt mix puts all necessary beneficiary minerals back into the water, so the more stripped the freshwater is to being with, the better. I saw a hug difference from ro to ro/di
  3. you do need more flow. Possibility of poor animals to begin with plus lack of flow can kill. Marineland Maxi-Jet Pro is a great cost effective circulation pump.
  4. I would add media to your HOB. inTank sells awesome media racks that can really help organize and maximize the utility of your HOB. I would run it with filter floss, carbon, and Purigen.
  5. 1.026 is a better salinity.

 

Chances are, if your shrimp has made it, what, a year? The tank is habitable. I would get a clown pair not from PetCo as previously established, make the above changes like you're already working on, and then if the fish seem to not be doing well, post about it here. Unfortunately, if there is something wrong with your husbandry, a fish death in progress with photos would be the best way to figure out whats going. Then disease can also be ruled out. But I definitely think flow and livestock quality play a big part.

 

One additional question:

 

How did you add them? Like what was the acclimation process? I would research drip acclimation. Its very easy to make your own set up.

 

One additional suggestion:

 

Look for a local reef and marine club in your area. Some members are also vendors and aside from helping you set up your tank, may also be willing to donate inhabitants.

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Okay, so my turn to try and help! :P

 

Read around here, as much as you can. Research, research, research. It seems like you're doing that by coming here so, check!

 

This has already been hashed, but I'm going to do it again so I'm on the same page as you:

  1. I feel 84 is too hot. Anywhere between 79 to 82 is much better. IME.
  2. Do not use distilled or tap. RO is better, ro/di is best. Unlike freshwater, the salt mix puts all necessary beneficiary minerals back into the water, so the more stripped the freshwater is to being with, the better. I saw a hug difference from ro to ro/di
  3. you do need more flow. Possibility of poor animals to begin with plus lack of flow can kill. Marineland Maxi-Jet Pro is a great cost effective circulation pump.
  4. I would add media to your HOB. inTank sells awesome media racks that can really help organize and maximize the utility of your HOB. I would run it with filter floss, carbon, and Purigen.
  5. 1.026 is a better salinity.

 

Chances are, if your shrimp has made it, what, a year? The tank is habitable. I would get a clown pair not from PetCo as previously established, make the above changes like you're already working on, and then if the fish seem to not be doing well, post about it here. Unfortunately, if there is something wrong with your husbandry, a fish death in progress with photos would be the best way to figure out whats going. Then disease can also be ruled out. But I definitely think flow and livestock quality play a big part.

 

One additional question:

 

How did you add them? Like what was the acclimation process? I would research drip acclimation. Its very easy to make your own set up.

 

One additional suggestion:

 

Look for a local reef and marine club in your area. Some members are also vendors and aside from helping you set up your tank, may also be willing to donate inhabitants.

 

Thanks for the comments. I didn't do much to acclimate-- I let them float and then put a bit of water into the bag from my tank a few times. I can try drip acclimation. I have used it with certain sensitive freshwater species in the past.

 

So should I try fish again before coral, you think? I can potentially visit the local fish store across the river from me this Friday as I have a day off of school. They used to have a larger selection of salt fish and would likely have clowns (my closest local fish store carries very few marine fish, mostly just live rock).

 

Also... the powerhead I was looking at is the Hydor Coralia for nanos. I can get it in 425 gph or 240 gph. Would it be better to have one with a larger gph or two with the smaller gph in different areas of the tank? I think these will be quite large in my tank so I am leaning towards one. I did add another small HOB filter today.

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The Nanos are very small. Two of the 240s would likely be sufficient with the hob filter and would give you more options.

I really like the jebao wp series. Just got my wp10, and the thing is tiny. Slightly larger than a golf ball.

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