Pictures

[Jessica13]

Hey,

I've finally bought the last fish for my very first SW tank! I also bought some other stuff as well though, so here's some pics..

Firstly, the corals. Pulsing xenia frag and leather toadstool (complete with new cleaner shrimp! ) which has yet to open and be as nice as it was in the shop

 

[Jessica13]

and my new fish. An 'ornate wrasse' VERY pretty and active though!

I'll try to get some better pics to post later, these really dont do him justice at all, he is stunning!

 

[Jessica13]

Isn't he great?

 

[ScoutCarcer]

Hes Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Stunning

 

[JackDemp528]

Beautiful fish, and beautiful coral.

 

[Jessica13]

Thanks

The leather toadstool thing has just started to open up so should be looking nice in a couple of hours! I dont think its helping having the shrimp climbing all over it though

The fish is great, he's so active and keeps coming to the front of the tank whenever anyone walks past!

 

[steelhealr]

Looks great. Many people are into xenia because of the pulsations that they do. They are also a good barometer of water quality....they stop pulsing and contract when params are not good. Xenia can grow like weeds however, so, keep it in an area that, as it begins to spread, it won't easily overrun the nicest parts of your tank. You'll have to frag it at times to keep it contained.

I've also found that my fiji leather, like your toadstool, responds similarly to water conditions. If neither open...or..they were open then close, check your nitrates/params. SH

 

[Jessica13]

Thought i'd do an update on this as everythings gone horribly wrong

My wrasse died about 6 weeks ago I have no idea why! He had been eating fine and been very active and healthy, and i found him dead one morning with a hermit crab eating him

Also, all my corals have died I thought maybe it was the lighting.. I have been told that the lighting i bought as T5 is not actually T5 But as most of my corals didn't need great lighting thats probably not the problem. I've tested the water daily and have seen no problems or changes in that. I did change from using tap water to RO water as the copper from the tap water killed my shrimp a few months ago, but that wouldn't have been a problem would it?

My clowns are doing great though! They're looking really good.. And the hermit crabs too Oooh, but i've found some evil looking things in my tank (been told they're bristle worms), they wont cause a problem will they?

 

[Navarre]

I would test for copper immediately and even if there is no reading i would still use a polyfilter in an external to remove any trace eliments of copper (externals do have their uses )
Even the smallest trace of copper will kill your corals and inverts. Hermits are still alive though and this is strange... however i have noticed that some hermits have lived in copper tanks as long as the copper is very minimal (and i mean you cant really test for it).

Are you using hairsprays deoderants or polishes near the tank?

 

[Jessica13]

No sprays or anything like that near the tank at all

I have got some polyfilter stuff which i was told to put in my internal filter to remove any traces of copper (the reading from the tests dont show any now, but i have still have some in). Everything was doing great (except for the shrimp) before i put that in though, could that be the problem?

Im just really having trouble working out whats causing it as the test results i (and the guy at the marine shop i go to) have done are fine!

Could it be the lighting that killed my corals? I have a interpet tri-plus thingy... I was told that was a T5 bulb when i bought it but have recently been told that its not, by the same shop i bought it from

 

[steelhealr]

I"m not sure about your lighting. Can you post some specs? I'm so sorry about your loss Jessica. It just shows that maintaining a nano system is NOT easy. 15 gallons IS a small tank. Xenia..as I mentioned earlier, is a 'barometer' for water conditions. Navarre can correct me, but, I've heard that some expert aquarists grow some in an isolated area of their tank simply to tell them by looking at it how their water quality is. I think that the water, not the lights, is the issue here.

How old is your tank Jessica? It's young right? With regards to a nano tank, I can't stress enough that you cannot rush these systems. Beauty happens slowly, disaster comes quickly. It may be worth your while to either invest in a few test kits or take a sample to the lfs to have a check run on a sample. Copper is absolutely DEADLY to inverts even at trace levels...ask Navarre to confirm this. SH

 

[Navarre]

Yup copper is deadly. This is why its essential to NEVER allow water from your lfs to enter your tank as they usually dose their systems with copper, (not to mention you have no idea how good their water really is).

It does sound to me more like a problem with water than light. Lighting would not kill shrimps for example. If the lighting was not right then the corals would die off gradually not quickly as has been indicated.

What i have been considering is that you might have had a PH swing that was detrimental to your system. With such a small amount of water it would not take long for a PH swing to take effect. This could easily have happened in your absence in such a small tank, the livestock died through the shock of PH and before you returned the PH could have returned to normal and you would be none the wiser.

For example, at night the PH usually drops as any algae inthe system releases CO2 rather than oxygen. In large quantities it can be deadly to the fish etc. Many people that run sumps keep algae in here and leave the lights on in the sump 24/7 so they never release CO2 and this helps keep the PH stable during the night.

Do you dose the tank with Iodine? Shrimps need iodine or they can die when trying to shed their skins. It probably isnt the case in this situation but might be worth investigating.

Tank temperature? does the temperature drop or rise more than 4 degrees during hte day/night? this also can cause undue stress.

What is the KH of the tank? this also can be very important to healthly inverts inthe tank.

A small tank with such a tiny amount of water can change its water perameters within just a few hours and leave you with a total wipeout. Nanos are very tricky to keep balanced and thus why i always maintain that they are really not a beginners tank

 

[Jessica13]

Im pretty sure it was the copper that killed the shrimp. I rang the guy i bought most of the stuff (including the shrimp and fish from) and he told me to take a sample of water in to try and work out what killed the shrimp. He said it was too much copper. Apparently everything else seemed fine with the water. I have got test kit, and test the water myself as well of course, but if something goes wrong its good to have a second opinion

He advised me to use RO, which i have done since. About 3 days after the first water change my toadstool shrivelled up.. Then a few days after that the mushrooms closed up and never opened again. Eventually they went stringy and disappeared

I dont put iodine in the water.. I dont actually add anything to the water (should i???) as i was told i didn't need to by the original shop i bought all of the equipment from!

I think im going to try and get everything settled and keep it as just the two clowns, the rock and the crabs for a few months until i sort it all out.. But until then, can someone tell me what i should or shouldn't be doing as im finding marines to be very confusing!!

 

[steelhealr]

I can't claim large tank experience like Navarre or the other experienced large tank owners here, but, I am having success with my nano reef (for now, lol). Large or small, marine tanks, IMO are based on science but running one is truly an art. Nothing is written in stone. What works for some is poppycock for others. Here are some thoughts/strategies for your nano-reef:

1) Don't add anything more until you get your tank stabilized
2) Increase the frequency of water changes for a week or two if you can. Perhaps do a 25% water change followed by 10% twice a week then return to once a week. Observe how your inhabitants are doing.
3) Check params frequently for the time being
4) I run my s.g high...1.025/6 (nanos can have high evaporative loss). I'd try and keep it as stable as you can for now and perhaps even gently lower it if you run high while the tank is ailing
5) Don't dose your tank with anything you can't measure....UNLESS, like Navarre says, you're dkH/buffering/Calcium is low. If it is, I recommend the gentlest treatment which is either B-Ionic or Kents CB 2 part buffering. However, WATER CHANGES usually will replace what is lost. Don't let anybody talk you into 'dosing with Kalkwasser' for now.
6) if you are making your own SW, trying aging it for a day. It may make no difference or it may help.
7) Some corals can secrete toxins...hold on adding any for now until the system seems stabilized
8) Check your pH a couple of times first thing in the morning, as Navarre suggested, to see if your pH is plummeting overnight

Do you have a fuge? SH