Worst Month Yet.

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by tony_3a

Ok i will start by saying there will be a lot of people that will blame me for all the problems i have had. For the most part i would have to agree.

So my tank was running really well for about 3 months, no ich nothing, everything healthy and eating, mated pair of clowns, 4 chromis, koran angel, coral beauty angel. So I wanted two fish, a powder blue, and kole tang, and my buddy picked them up for me from JL and he gets them home and the powder blue has ich on it, and right away i thought ****, but i dont have a qt tank and ich was already in my tank so i put them in, it only took them a couple days to start eating and it had appeared the ich had went away, so then I added a clown tang about 2-3 weeks later, and i was so excited i had all the fish i wanted and i could just let my tank sit and grow.

Then about 3 days after the I added the clown tang, My powder blue broke out with a couple spots, still eating so i thought he could fight it off, over the next couple days it got worse and worse, and after about a week, it died, then shortly after the kole went, and my clown tang died a week after that, all the fish died within a week period. This was about 2 weeks ago, then since then both my clowns died.

Now i am at a loss, it appears i am over the ich, cannot see any spots on any of my fish, but i just feel broken and i do not even know where to go from here. I just feel like if i put any fish into the tank, they are just going to get ill and die.

I am contemplating upgrading to a bigger tank in my basement and using my 90 as a hospital. Then i can also leave my 2 angels in it so they wont touch my corals.

What I posted all this for is I am sure all of you out there have went through the same **** i just did, i just dont know where to go from here.

Thanks for your time, and i would like to thank the guys at oceanic and gobytron for their help.

Tony

Sorry to hear of your troubles.

Firstly, don't be upset with the Powder Blue, they are very difficult to keep, prone to ICH. I even lost mine to it. I would not recommend this fish, unless the tank is BIG and very well established (couple years old or more). And even then maybe it won't survice. They are beautiful, but too many people lose them.

In this hobby, you have hiccups/hurdles, you just learn to work through them. I myself had a major coral loss (hundreds/thousands of dollars gone), as I lost about 35% of my corals (frags and big colonies). I could not explain it, LFS tested things, they also had no explanation. So what gives? Things happen, so don't feel bad, just move forward. As long as you do your best to provide the best environment for your inhabitants, that is all you can do.

How old is your tank? Maybe it is just that you are going to fast. The best thing about marine aquariums is PATIENCE! It is hard sometimes, but take your time. With aging in the tank, it gets even better.

Just have fun! Don't worry!

[tony_3a]

Well thanks for all the feedback guys, for the most part all of you are nice and being helpful for the exception of the one or two who just did not get enough love growing up lol.

Anyways, I know i had a bit too much fish in the tank, but i was told by a couple of people with a lot of experience that it would be ok for the time being, (i am upgrading to a bigger tank just as soon as i figure out exactly what i want) but even so, at the small size they were, i think you guys are right, it is too small, and i did rush into it, I just thought it was all running so well, it couldnt hurt, but clearly it did. My bad, but after all i am in this hobby for something to do and if nothing ever went wrong and i did not have anything to learn, what would be the point, (although i do feel very bad for the fish I killed).

Also like i said i am upgrading soon, it has nothing to do with money or anything, you can ask goby, Ive got the money and no problem spending it, i Just want to do it right this time and figure out exactly what size i want, i have had 3 tanks over the span of nine months(with this one ive had for about 7). But yeah just figuring out exactly what i want.

One question i would like to ask, i have been thinking of a uv sterilizer, I am just not sure what one i should go with, i will probably be going up to a 150-200 gallon so i would like to get one to go with that, and also, Is there any negatives to having one? Does it kill any beneficial stuff?

Thanks again to everyone who responded even the people that try to act badass over forms.

Tony

[sphelps]

You'll want a large inline UV sterilizer, avoid submersible ones or smaller units that promise they work as well as larger ones. Also you'll want to be careful of some of the ratings UV sterilizers come with as there are two types, one for clarification and one for sterilization. Typically a UV sterilizer that can clarify 1000 gallons is only good for sterilizing 200 gallons, very few units actually present both ratings. A good brand to go with is lifeguard, the 40W unit would be a good choice and remember it can't really be too large. For a cheaper alternative look at some pond units, they usually cost a little less and do the same thing.

UV sterilizers don't really have a down side IMO other than the extra cost and maintenance, they won't effect your bacteria population and won't really have an impact on other beneficial organisms either but if you're overly concerned about pods and whatnot run the UV during daylight hours only since the free swimming organisms are more active at night.

[Zoaelite]

As much as I enjoy the idea of trail and error (As our fish tanks are practically giant experiments) learning from others experience is a highly valuable tool in this hobby. Not only will it save you money and headaches but more importantly it will save the lives of the animals we care for.

As abrasive as these "people who didn't have love growing up" might be in the end they are the ones supporting proper aquarium husbandry. These are not rocks we are talking about, in the end they are living breathing animals just like ourselves.

For fear of starting an ethics debate back onto topic , UV sterilizers can be useful tools but it depends on what you want your final result to be. You are sterilizing the water of life so you will be killing both the beneficial and detrimental in one sweep. I personally don't run one as I'm using both Bio pellets and bacterial supplements to combat nitrates. Also a healthy reef is full of life, if you have ever seen tank water under a microscope you would be blown away (There is a massive amount of diversity in just a drop). Adding a UV sterilizer will destroy this, I personally think they are helpful for setting up FOWLERS but should be avoided in a reef tank.

If you are looking for an actual fix instead of a band-aid ensuring healthy plump fish is your best bet, Ich and most marine parasites take advantage of stressed fished because of their diminished slime coats. Adding fish slowly, ensuring they are healthy before they come home and feeding them a highly varied diet soaked in a vitamin supplement will ensure there health.

UV sterilizers don't really have a down side IMO other than the extra cost and maintenance, they won't effect your bacteria population and won't really have an impact on other beneficial organisms either but if you're overly concerned about pods and whatnot run the UV during daylight hours only since the free swimming organisms are more active at night.

Interesting

The general consensus is that an aquarist that has a well maintained and uncrowded aquarium, as well as follows good quarantine procedures when introducing new specimens to their system, a UV light filter is not necessary. For those that may be deciding on whether a UV light filter should be added or not, here are some other points to consider.

* Most effective when run 24/7.
* Most effective if the water is clear.
* Most effective if bulb is new, or replaced regularly (at least every 6-8 months).
* Most effective if the UV light penetrates less than one inch of water.
* Effectiveness can be hindered if the water passes to fast past the bulb. Most effective if the exposure time of the water to the UV light is longer than one second.
* The effectiveness of UV light can be hindered if there is light blockage, i.e. a salt encrusted bulb.
* It can help to prevent future water borne pathogen reoccurrences, once the initial problem as been completely eradicated from the aquarium.
* UV light not only kills unwanted organisms, but beneficial ones as well.
* Because it can destroy beneficial microscopic organisms that some reef tank inhabitants may depend on as a food source, UV light should not be run during feeding time.
* It only destroys organisms that are free floating IN the water as it passed by the UV light, i.e. it will NOT get rid of an ich infestation that is already ON fish, or cure a bacterial disease a fish may have.
* Should never be run when treating with any drugs or medications.
* UV can also alter the structure of some dissolved chemical compounds.
* UV light can be damaging to the human eye, so DO NOT look into the bulb.
* Always unplug the unit when working on it to prevent possible shock if it breaks or gets wet.
What Is It, and How Are UV Sterilizers Used in Saltwater Aquariums

By Stan & Debbie Hauter

Just a little bit of extra info before you run out and spend more money.
Levi

[Milad]

+1 with zeolite. UV sterilizer ive stayed away from. im doing zeobak + biopellets

actually my first question when someone told me about a UV sterilizer was, WTF wont that kill the good stuff?

[sphelps]

What does zeobak have to do with anything, is this guy using it?? If you're supplementing with bacterial type additive a UV will obviously interfere but if you're just starting out like I mentioned it's a good tool to have especially when a QT isn't being used. You don't have to use it forever, just when you need it.

Yes a UV will kill virtually anything that passes through it but yet what exactly would be considered beneficial? The amount of free swimming bacteria compared to the bacteria that attaches to surfaces is minuscule so it won't have an effect on your tanks ability to cycle waste. Other organisms are virtually useless to someone starting out and is just trying to get a fish population established. Sure once you have an established reef and want to start keeping fish and other animals that require these micro-organisms you don't want to run a UV very often but until then it's a good tool to have.

It also obviously won't cure a fish with ich but talk to anyone who's had problems with ich and you'll learn it usually comes in waves. The fish will get ich and recover fine but it recovered by the use of it's slime coat which is now depleted. The second wave comes and the fish cannot usually recover. The UV HELPS prevent the second wave and other fish from being effected.

[Milad]

Originally Posted by sphelps

What does zeobak have to do with anything, is this guy using it??

read the post before mine. zeolite was talking about biopellets and bacterial supplement so i was just commenting how i do same with zeobak and pellets.

are you still mad i said bigger is better? its really how you use it that counts....