Have Urgent Saltwater Question

[SkiFletch]

I wouldnt be adding buffer to the tank during hyposalinity. Remember, stable pH is better than wildly swinging pH, especially when the fish is stressed from illness. Adding buffer runs the risk of crashing the tanks pH if you add too or too quickly. Not a risk I'd take with a stable pH thats only slightly low.

 

[T-Bone]

So yesterday morning I lost a guppy and a chromis, but everything else was looking good; again, Tang still looks bad and not eating...

Well the Tang was looking better later last night; started attacking the seaweed clip and more active. I was just about to take him to the LFS so that he could watch him for me until my husband got home, but I thought I'd wait and see what he looked like today, since he was eating again. Turned off the air-intakes for the powerheads before I went to bed.

So this morning woke up to a dead Tang, and two dead guppies. This is so frustrating. The last chromis was behind one of the power heads and very light in color, so I un-wedged him, but didn't think he'd make it either. The 3 pyjamas were almost completely white in color, so I thought I was losing the whole tank today, but do they just turn really pale overnight? Would turning off the air intakes on the powerheads cause the fish to die?

Came home this afternoon and all the fish are looking considerably better. I'm not going to get my hopes up that they will live though, too much dissapointment already. I called the LFS and he said that the reason for all of our loss was that we had too many fish in the tank. We started out with 8 smaller end fish in our 75gal and he said the max amount you should have is 4-5 regardless of size. My husband and father-in-law disagree? What do you guys all think? Anyway, the LFS said that the remaining fish should be fine now.

Thanks for all your feedback

 

[Mr.September15]

Are you talking about FW guppies?? I always wanted to try to acclimate a livebearer into my marine tnak it would be sooo cool

 

[SkiFletch]

Sorry about the turn for the worse . You said there were guppies in the tank?

In a 75 you can fit more than 4-5 fish depending on their sizes. For now though I'd bring your salinity back up slowly as the rest of your fish and tank recover.

 

[T-Bone]

Uh...we are certainly holding off on buying any more livestock for quite some time to be sure to get rid of the ich and everything (though all inhabitants now are showing no signs at all).

Any suggestions on what to do next? I have heard to restart the tank (don't want to do) or heard to just invest in UV, bring up the sg (SLOWLY!) and pH, wait a while and go from there.

Thanks everyone for all the inputs...it has really helped.

Yes, they were freshwater guppies...they can be acclimated to salt - but it must be done slowly. I actually only did it on sort of the need to make our hospital tank and they were in there. I think part of what did them in was the current is far to strong for guppies - poor guys, but I literally had nothing else to do with them (other than put them in my 150g fresh with much larger predetory fish - wouldn't have lasted 2 seconds for sure). If you are looking for easy livebearers in your salt tank go with mollies. You don't even need to acclimate them (but of course that is kind of cruel) they are very easy in either one and it even seems like the salt brings out their color. They also can't tolerate the extreme current. I actually have started two salt water tanks on Mollies - very nice results. They are hardier that any sw fish I know and cheaper than anything except maybe a green chromis.

 

[SkiFletch]

The UV sterilizer is pretty debatable but if it were my tank, I'd get one (heck, I'm running one right now ). If you bring the sg up slowly by topping up with saltwater (not RO), your pH should follow. You might want to point a small desk fan at your tank or sump to jump up evaporation to make life easier on you.