Suddenly Lethargic Fish

[BamaMedic]

I have a 28 gal bowfront that’s been running a little over a month. We added a pair of ocellaris clowns about 3 weeks ago after the tank cycled. Added a pistol/YWG pair about a week and a half later. Everything has been great. Added 2 nassarius snails and 2 trochus snails yesterday along with a new power head because I wanted more flow. Everyone was fine last night. The snails acclimated great, the 2 nassarius snails buried themselves and kind of hung out. The 2 trochus snails went in different directions around the tank. The fish and shrimp ate like usual.

When I woke up this morning, the clowns were breathing heavy and staying near the bottom. I checked the levels and the only thing that seemed off was the PH which was reading around 7.4 or a little below. After a few hours one of the clowns became increasingly more lethargic and then died. The YWG was hiding in his den but never came out. The other clown was still lethargic. After the first clown died we did a 40% water change and checked the levels again. Salinity is 1.026, ammonia is 0, nitrites 0 and nitrates are low. PH is still really low, around 7.2-7.4. We use tetra easy strips.

Right now the snails are alive but not moving much. I have the YWG and the lone clown in a container with a heater and an air stone. The shrimp is doing his thing digging. Windows are open and one power head is agitating the water. No spots on the fish. Help?

 

[Hemmdog]

How’s the surface agitation? What’s the temp?

Those test strips are super inaccurate so I wouldn’t trust anything they say.

 

[alton]

Add a couple air stones to the tank and see if PH comes up?

 

[BamaMedic]

Thanks for the replys. After the water change I put a large air stone in for about an hour. No change in the PH on the test strip. Surface agitation is from a 500gph powerhead pointed up at an angle, maybe 5” from the surface. Temp is reading 78.

 

[Bleigh]

What are you using to measure salinity. What does the pH normally run? You may want to get a pH buffer to help hold it steady.

 

[BamaMedic]

The only change in the last two weeks was a new powerhead opposite of the first one, 4 snails, and I target fed my shrimp/YWG mysis shrimp for the first time yesterday. I also added Prime to the tank about an hour ago even though ammonia is reading zero, just because I have no idea what’s going on.

 

[BamaMedic]

What are you using to measure salinity. What does the pH normally run? You may want to get a pH buffer to help hold it steady.

The PH has been running 7.8 since the tank cycled. I’ve been researching ways to raise it until I install the sump next month. I’m using a Red Sea refractometer for salinity.

 

[Bleigh]

The PH has been running 7.8 since the tank cycled. I’ve been researching ways to raise it until I install the sump next month. I’m using a Red Sea refractometer for salinity.

When was the last time you calibrated it? I ask, because all my numbers were super low, and it turned out my refractometer was way off and needed to be calibrated. I'm working on slowly building them up.

You may want to pick up a ph buffer of some sort if it is that low. There are ones that will help the tank's ph stay right at 8.3, which is pretty perfect for a reef tank.

 

[Qasimja]

first thing i would do is check the ammonia and nitrites with a new test kit

 

[BamaMedic]

I actually just bought the refractometer yesterday because my hydrometer’s readings were all over the place. I calibrated it today before the water change. I’ll look into getting new test strips and a PH buffer. Anything I can do to keep from losing the fish in the meantime? What’s the best test strips I can get?

 

[jeffchapok]

No test strips are accurate. Invest in good test kits like Salifert or Red Sea. Even an API kit would be better than strips.

 

[Bleigh]

I actually just bought the refractometer yesterday because my hydrometer’s readings were all over the place. I calibrated it today before the water change. I’ll look into getting new test strips and a PH buffer. Anything I can do to keep from losing the fish in the meantime? What’s the best test strips I can get?

I use the red sea test. It's super easy. Only 3 drips of chemical, shake it and match the color.

 

[homer1475]

Be careful with PH buffers. All they really are is an alkalinity supplement. You can actually raise your alkalinity sky high with PH buffers.

I would get a second opinion with something other then those strips before I did anything to my PH. If you have an arrogonite sandbed, your PH should remain in a stable range.

 

[BamaMedic]

I absolutely need to invest in better test strips. I’m ordering some today. As far as a buffer, I’m very weary of them. I have some here but I haven’t added them yet. Alk was showing low on these test strips as well.

Edit: I just tested the water again, PH seems to be up from what I can tell on these strips. Back to around 7.8. No change in the clown or goby.

 

[Bleigh]

Be careful with PH buffers. All they really are is an alkalinity supplement. You can actually raise your alkalinity sky high with PH buffers.

I would get a second opinion with something other then those strips before I did anything to my PH. If you have an arrogonite sandbed, your PH should remain in a stable range.

That makes sense. My alkalinity runs on the low side, so the increase is helpful for me. Can you get a video or a picture of the fish? I think you want your ph between 8.1-8.3, but I may be wrong. Either way, you don't want sudden changes, you want to see gradual ones so things don't get shocked.

What are the parameters you have the ability to measure and what test methods do you use?

 

[Cell]

Only took 1 week to cycle?

 

[Bleigh]

Only took 1 week to cycle?

That might be fine if they had healthy live rock and sand. Mine cycled super fast. If the ammonia is 0, nitrites are 0 and nitrates are low, I'd imagine it is cycled.

 

[ZoWhat]

Time out on the field

How old is this tank?



.

 

[Bleigh]

Time out on the field

How old is this tank?



.

This also made me wonder.... are your test strips for salt water or fresh water... You might be getting incorrect readings for multiple reasons....

 

[ZoWhat]

Time out on the field

How old is this tank?



.

Chalk it up to my bad skim reading.... your tank is only a month old? I think that's your problem....your tank is only a month old.

I doubt its fully cycled. Seriously doubt it.

Ammonia is the deadliest substance to fish.

My advice? Dont buy any more fish. Buy a cleanup crew and LIGHTLY LIGHTLY fed them.

Retry fish on October 1st
.