I purchased an 8 gallon Biocube about 6 weeks ago. The owner of the local fish store sold me some live rock, fine sand, saltwater, Kordon NovAqua Plus Water Conditioner and AmQuel Plus Ammonia Detoxifier and Start Smart. He told me to come back in a week and have my water tested.
I came back in a week and he said my water was perfect. He sold me some snails, crabs, cleaner shrimp, clown fish, lawnmower blennie, longnose hawkfish and a couple of corrals that I can't identify. A week later he sold me a sea anenome (he said the clown fish would want to host it) and another coral.
Everything was great for the first month, 20-30% weekly water changes, fish and corral seemed happy. I bought a testing kit and started testing myself. Then the clown fish started acting strange. He was normally very active but now he was just swimming near the sand in one spot. The blennie was also less active. The clownfish started looking a little ragged and his gills seemed red. I told the salesman and he told me that clownfish will pick a spot and stay there. I stopped worrying and went about my business.
A couple of days later the clownfish and blennie both died within hours of each other. I did a 30% water change. The hawkfish seemed ok for about a week and now he is acting funny. Same thing, staying near the bottom on the sand, gills seem red and breathing seems more labored.
I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. The water seems ok. Ammonia zero, Nitrites zero, PH 78-84, Nitrates have always been around 10-20 ppm have never gotten them lower than that (usually near the 20). Any suggestions for a beginner? What is going on?
I came back in a week and he said my water was perfect. He sold me some snails, crabs, cleaner shrimp, clown fish, lawnmower blennie, longnose hawkfish and a couple of corrals that I can't identify. A week later he sold me a sea anenome (he said the clown fish would want to host it) and another coral.
Everything was great for the first month, 20-30% weekly water changes, fish and corral seemed happy. I bought a testing kit and started testing myself. Then the clown fish started acting strange. He was normally very active but now he was just swimming near the sand in one spot. The blennie was also less active. The clownfish started looking a little ragged and his gills seemed red. I told the salesman and he told me that clownfish will pick a spot and stay there. I stopped worrying and went about my business.
A couple of days later the clownfish and blennie both died within hours of each other. I did a 30% water change. The hawkfish seemed ok for about a week and now he is acting funny. Same thing, staying near the bottom on the sand, gills seem red and breathing seems more labored.
I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. The water seems ok. Ammonia zero, Nitrites zero, PH 78-84, Nitrates have always been around 10-20 ppm have never gotten them lower than that (usually near the 20). Any suggestions for a beginner? What is going on?
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