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Help!! Emergency

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Reilo119, Dec 21, 2016.

Will my remaining fish make it?

  1. Yes

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%

  2. No

    1 vote(s)
    25.0%

  3. Maybe

    3 vote(s)
    75.0%
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  1. Dec 21, 2016 #1
    Reilo119 Waterloo

    Reilo119

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    I need advice if anyone's had same issue. I checked my nitrate level last night and my levels were over 100, I've already lost two powder browns and have, 4 clowns, two blue hippos, aND a sailfin that are looking very bad right now. There slim coat is very broken up and they stopped eating and are hiding for the last two days...I added some seachem prime and did a 40g w/c this morning which I'll be getting my levels back down. My question is do you think my remaining fish will survive at this point?
     
  2. Dec 21, 2016 #2
    SteveV Illinois

    SteveV

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    How many gallons is your tank? Your skimmer working? Hope they survive! Tough one!
     
  3. Dec 21, 2016 #3
    Ray/Jen_Reefin Davenport, IA

    Ray/Jen_Reefin 2016 Vice President / 2015 Volunteer of the year.

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    Those sailfins are very tough when it comes to a hard roller coaster. and can live threw some hell. Just keep up the water changes and keep that skimmer going. The Blue tang may live depending on how hardy she is. Clowns can take a beating as well.
     
  4. Dec 21, 2016 #4
    Bud West Des Moines, IA

    Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

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    @Reilo119@Reilo119 got your email, looks like you figured it out :)
     
  5. Dec 21, 2016 #5
    Reilo119 Waterloo

    Reilo119

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    I'd say between the refugium and the main about 330
     
  6. Dec 21, 2016 #6
    Reilo119 Waterloo

    Reilo119

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    Ya lol I think this is the second time I've had to ask...thanks for getting back to me though
     
  7. Dec 21, 2016 #7
    Reilo119 Waterloo

    Reilo119

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    330 g
     
  8. Dec 21, 2016 #8
    Bud West Des Moines, IA

    Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

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    IMO nutrient level difficulties / impact on fish is all about stability. I know for a fact that marine fish can survive in nitrate well over 500ppm, but you can't introduce new fish into that. Fish in an existing setup can live in their own soup very well. Some more than others. Now if this is a rapidly rising level in a short period of time, that can cause stress (i.e. you can't acclimate a new fish from 0ppm to 100pm easily)

    This is not saying that you should not worry about high nitrate, but my guess here is that there is likely more going on than just nitrate. Something else is out of whack too maybe.

    Prime neutralizes the effects of nitrogen but only temporarily and does not eliminate it - it will also still show up on a test kit typically because most test kits break the Prime bond with nitrogen as part of the chemical process (at least for ammonia)

    Water changes would be in order to get it down to a reasonable level (relative to now), say 40ppm then work on getting the filtration working right. Keep in mind and large PWC like 75-90% can also be stressful, but you're choosing the better of two evils.
     
  9. Dec 21, 2016 #9
    Reilo119 Waterloo

    Reilo119

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    Thankyou very much. What would be a good direction to start crossing off other things that may be an issue here?
     
  10. Dec 21, 2016 #10
    Bud West Des Moines, IA

    Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

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    Background info on tank - all you got...filtration, maintenance habits, lighting, light photoperiod, test results (everything you got), age of setup, where you got the rocks, where you got the livestock, how long each fish has been in there, everything you can think of
     
  11. Dec 21, 2016 #11
    SteveV Illinois

    SteveV

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    So sounds like you did about 10% WC. Gets expensive but I would do at least a 60-80 gallon WC. Be sure your temp, salinity and PH are on... Hope your using a RO/DI filter, I learned the hard way and was pumping high phosphates in my tank for months. RED SLIM! I'm with Bud, need more info so you can fix the problem...
     
  12. Dec 21, 2016 #12
    xroads La Porte City, IA

    xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

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    Its a 220, been set up now for maybe a year, probably a little shorter. Has a approx 100G sump/refugium in basement with good skimmer. Just started GFO & carbon again the other day. He said temp was around 78 most of the time. Uses an RODI, TDS has started to creep up to about 6, but no big deal.

    Has probably 50 lbs of live rock in main system combination of marco rock & tampa bay saltwater. Fish has either came from me, the fish shack, or Live Aquaria. Had an issue with the powder browns this summer, but QT'd everything, main tank was in hypo for 3 months, then slowly brought up.

    I have not seen them, but sounds like fish have open sores on body, slime coat peeling off, red gills. Some of the snails are starting to die. The only thing I could think of was ammonia burn. Possibly from over feeding frozen foods.

    I cant think of an actual disease that would cause this type of symptoms, so I am at a loss. I tested water last night. Salinity was about 1.032, nitrates were pushing 100.

    If anyone has any other ideas, it would be appreciated
     
  13. Dec 21, 2016 #13
    Bud West Des Moines, IA

    Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

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    Hmmm...50 lb of LR means you have a relatively low surface area to volume ratio, so that could mean an inferior bacterial colony, if that's the case and you over-feed, you could see ammonia, but you would think that would show up on a test kit. @xroads@xroads did you test ammonia?

    Snails...that should be an indicator of something, just don't know what. Maybe the nitrates

    Short term fix for the bacterial colony surface area might be to add a bunch of bioballs somewhere in the system? DIY wet/dry or just trickle system (plastic totes with a diffuser, draining into sump, on a dedicated pump, redneck solution) Or really but back on feeding. Eventually would want to add more LR but you can't do that all at once without throwing the system off, hence the bioballs recommendation.
     
  14. Dec 21, 2016 #14
    xroads La Porte City, IA

    xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

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    I dont ever keep an ammonia kit, I never have an issue with it.

    Lots of surface area in wide shallow sump. Told him to start dosing a little vodka to try and jump start bacteria as well.

    I guess it could be a bacterial infection in the fish, but not sure how to treat that other then anitbiotics.
     
  15. Dec 21, 2016 #15
    Reilo119 Waterloo

    Reilo119

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    The main tank is 220 and it's connected to a refugium that has 90 to 100g. I have a Reef Octopus skimmer turned all the way up (think it's rated for 300 to 500g) and just started back up with gfo and carbon filter...I have close to 80lbs rock don't know where from and bamiji pink live sand which has been in there from the start about a yr ago..I'm running 3 AI 52's upstairs and a led 4100k shop light downstairs in the refugium. I do about 25g a week w/c and change the carbon gfo every two to three weeks. One leather coral one other peice of stick coral(not sure what) and two yellow tangs one sailfin two blue hippos, one file fish two fire fish ,one pink spotted goby,one hogfish, scooter bleny
     
  16. Dec 21, 2016 #16
    Reilo119 Waterloo

    Reilo119

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    Also 20 snails mixed, 2 Emerald crabs, 10 sea urchins, 20 dwarf red leg crab
     
  17. Dec 21, 2016 #17
    Reilo119 Waterloo

    Reilo119

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    Yes I have a 4 stage r/o from brs
     
  18. Dec 21, 2016 #18
    Actuary Adel, IA

    Actuary Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    I believe brook or uronema could present these symptoms. However, it would not be killing snails. I would really try to get a test kit to see what's going on through the whole nitrogen cycle. It would definitely be worth the $25 to grab the API master test kit which includes ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate... should be able to find it at a PetCo/PetSmart.
     
  19. Dec 21, 2016 #19
    Dave Des Moines Area

    Dave Experienced Reefkeeper

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    Any kids in the house or visiting? Sometimes "helpful" little ones can put things in tanks that shouldn't be put in there....I agree with Bud, I don't think 100PPM of nitrates would, by itself, cause this issue.
     
  20. Dec 21, 2016 #20
    aussie Cedar Rapids, IA

    aussie Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    Is the fins all rip up? And white patch when they die?
     
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