Noob needs help

PunkKid · #1 03-11-2012, 08:34 PM

Alright so here's the situation. I currently have a 30gal tank up and running, its 4 months in. And I've started introducing fish, invertabates, and soft coral.

2 main issues.

1) My clown fish now have brown spots all over them. Looks internal, they dont have any bumps. Also they seem to have seizures every now and again.

2) I had a pulsating xenia and a Mushroom acan or frag. Anyways, they were doing really well. Then after I did a water change, they shriveled up and died off.
I did some water testing and everything checked out.
Did another test today. And water is as posted.

ph-8
salinity-1.026
Nitrite-0
nitrate-80-100
ammonia-0

Im concerned the fish may have been infected with trematode's. But I have also been told it could be a pigment change due to the lights being turned on too fast or flickering??
Stumped as to the corals though.

tim the toolman · #2 03-11-2012, 08:39 PM

nitrates should be almost non existent as im sure you know. living in a high nitrate environment can be very stressful to the majority of marine life. Try another decent water change and be cautious of possibly overfeeding. Pictures would be helpful as well. good luck

Wayne · #3 03-11-2012, 09:27 PM

Nitrates shouldn't get past about 40. So you need to take care of that by doing a water change, about 25% every week till its back under control.

Are you mixing your water ahead of time? Declorinated tap water or RO water?

Also what are you feeding your fish? You should be feeding garlic soaked, vitamin enriched mysis and hopefully your clowns will come around. If you have a picture or video of them that would be best to help find out whats wrong with them.

MaxwellSilver · #4 03-11-2012, 09:34 PM

do you have a pair of clownfish? If so, seizures are normal, when they are pairing up. Only the smaller one will do it.

Wayne · #5 03-11-2012, 09:36 PM

Also is only one shaking when the other attacks him?

MaxwellSilver · #6 03-11-2012, 09:54 PM

something like that. shaking is like being in a submissive form.

toytech · #7 03-12-2012, 05:21 AM

My clown has black spots on him ,has been like that for years. I think its a normal clown thing as long as the spots are always in the same place and dont get worse.

daniella3d · #8 03-12-2012, 01:27 PM

The black spots could be from them trying to host corals. They usually develop these after being in contact with coral and those spots usually disapear with time.

the shaking is a dominance ritual. They will figure out who's going to be the female and the male (less dominant). It is totally normal and as long as they do it, they usually don't fight since the submissive fish is going to shake to the other and that seem to calm them down.

Your nitrates are way too hight and that is probably what killed your corals.

How are you mesuring your salinity? because if you are using an hydrometer your salinity could be way off and that could be why your corals died after a water change.

If you don,t have one, get a good refractometer. They cost around 25$ on ebay.