Need some help I have 3 tanks and am trying to build a reef tank. Everything dies execept my shrimp and I have several living rocks. The water is testing good. My local reef store tells me that I dont need to worry about buffer, and all the others I put in my tanks that are doing well. It seems like I am not testing enough! Please if anyone could help I would really appreciate it. Thanks and have a super Saturday!
Cj
- Thread starter guzlngrm
- Start date
BL1
.............
What do you mean that the water tests good, what are your parameters? Also, what do you mean everything dies, are you talking fish, corals, inverts?
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Yes, please let us know what you have added that has died, and what your exact parameters are that you are testing.
yote
In Memoriam
Welcome to the site.
dcantucson
Reef pro
Hello and welcome.
ggNoRe
Reefing newb
Welcome to the site. :mrgreen:
Some basic params that we would need to know are:
PH, Ammonia, Nitrites, Phosphates, Nitrates, and Salinity. And it would be even better if you tested Calcium, Magnesium, and Alkalinity. Other things such as how long your tank has been running, how long since your cycle finished, how did you start your cycle, what kind of lights are you using, how much flow do you have, what livestock have you put in your tank, are you running any media or chemicals and any other info on your tank would help as well to diagnose the problem.
Some basic params that we would need to know are:
PH, Ammonia, Nitrites, Phosphates, Nitrates, and Salinity. And it would be even better if you tested Calcium, Magnesium, and Alkalinity. Other things such as how long your tank has been running, how long since your cycle finished, how did you start your cycle, what kind of lights are you using, how much flow do you have, what livestock have you put in your tank, are you running any media or chemicals and any other info on your tank would help as well to diagnose the problem.
I am green with this tank! I am just going by what my local reef store tells me to do. They check my water and tell me what to buy!!! I know that sounds crazy but they seem like they do care. I bought 3 live rock's from them for about $250.00 which there are things growing out of them. I have no fish at all in the reef tank. My other 2 tanks are fine and I have had them for 10 years. I do not understand why the sea horses and crabs are dyeing! I have 1 shrimp and a star fish and a horseshoe crab that are doing fine! But it seems like everthing else I try to introduce into the water die's!
Thank you for any help you can provide!
CJ
Bifferwine
I am a girl
First off, stop listening to your fish store. If your stuff keeps dying, and they are telling you what to buy, and that things are fine, they are obviously steering you wrong somewhere. They are making money off of you.
You need to buy your own test kits. You need test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and alkalinity. You need a thermometer to check your temperatures. And you need a hydrometer or refractometer to test your salinity.
Why would you trust the people that you are giving money to to give you advice? They know if you buy something and it dies, you will just come back to them and buy more stuff to replace it. I'm not saying they are purposely duping you, just that this is YOUR tank, and YOU need to be in control of it and understand what's happening in it.
Next, there's no way you should have had sea horses in that tank. They require very special habitats tailored specifically for them. Unless you planned and set up your tank exactly for the needs of seahorses, then of course they're going to die. They're not like other fish that you can just toss in the tank and hope they survive. They require different temperatures, different lighting, and different foods than other fish. Most will only eat live foods unless specifically trained to frozen. If they sold you seahorses and told you those would be okay for your tank, a beginner tank, then they flat out lied and stole your money. Seahorses are not fine for a brand new beginner tank.
So start off by buying those test kits and finding out for yourself why your stuff is dying. We can't tell you why without knowing what your water parameters are. This is your money you're putting into this hobby. Know what you are spending it on! You shouldn't be okay with being blindfolded and led around by someone else that may not have your best interest in mind.
Next, how are you acclimating these animals to your tank? Are you just putting them in when you buy them, or are you using a proper acclimation procedure?
Lastly, are you using tap water? Or reverse osmosis deionized (RODI) water?
Edit: Also you need to buy a copper test and test your tank. I know you have a shrimp and a starfish, but I'm thinking they may have sold you contaminated rock.
AND do you have enough powerheads for water movement in the tank?
AND what kind of lights do you have?
AND do you have a protein skimmer?
Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this. ;)
You need to buy your own test kits. You need test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and alkalinity. You need a thermometer to check your temperatures. And you need a hydrometer or refractometer to test your salinity.
Why would you trust the people that you are giving money to to give you advice? They know if you buy something and it dies, you will just come back to them and buy more stuff to replace it. I'm not saying they are purposely duping you, just that this is YOUR tank, and YOU need to be in control of it and understand what's happening in it.
Next, there's no way you should have had sea horses in that tank. They require very special habitats tailored specifically for them. Unless you planned and set up your tank exactly for the needs of seahorses, then of course they're going to die. They're not like other fish that you can just toss in the tank and hope they survive. They require different temperatures, different lighting, and different foods than other fish. Most will only eat live foods unless specifically trained to frozen. If they sold you seahorses and told you those would be okay for your tank, a beginner tank, then they flat out lied and stole your money. Seahorses are not fine for a brand new beginner tank.
So start off by buying those test kits and finding out for yourself why your stuff is dying. We can't tell you why without knowing what your water parameters are. This is your money you're putting into this hobby. Know what you are spending it on! You shouldn't be okay with being blindfolded and led around by someone else that may not have your best interest in mind.
Next, how are you acclimating these animals to your tank? Are you just putting them in when you buy them, or are you using a proper acclimation procedure?
Lastly, are you using tap water? Or reverse osmosis deionized (RODI) water?
Edit: Also you need to buy a copper test and test your tank. I know you have a shrimp and a starfish, but I'm thinking they may have sold you contaminated rock.
AND do you have enough powerheads for water movement in the tank?
AND what kind of lights do you have?
AND do you have a protein skimmer?
Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this. ;)
Last edited:
yote
In Memoriam
Biff is right.The LFS is there to make to money.And even if they are trying to head you in the right direction,dont mean that they actually know whats going on.There are very few fish stores that you can actually trust,so arm yourself with the knowledge and tools to keep your money where in YOUR pocket.
Vincenzo
Reefing newb
Good luck with your tank, if there is anywhere that has your best interest and most importantly the fish's best interest in mind its the people on this forum, I haven't met someone yet that has purposely tried to kill my fish! :D
Welcome to the forum btw!
Welcome to the forum btw!
Dana42078
Dana
All i can say is listen to biff(nice rant btw)
and yote they know whats up lol welcome to the site
and yote they know whats up lol welcome to the site
