First Timer setup a 60 gallons reef tank NEED HELP

[derick2724]

Hi guys I'm new in this forum and I currently setting up a 60 gallons reef but its not doing so well. The tank have been running for 1 and a half month or so but whatever i added in there keep on dying and i don't know why?. so far the only thing that is living in the tank is the cheap hermit crab, the turbo snail is crawl up into its shell won't go out. I seriously in need of help.

My spec.

0 nitrate
0 nitrite
1.027 Salinity
8.2 PH
4x39 t5
phosban reactor

[wrott]

What have you tried to add that died?
Are you sure it's cycled, when you feed, do you get a large ammonia spike after 1-2 hours?
You may need to add 1 thing at a time and feed minimally--like once every other day until it can handle the bioload. Have you done water changes and do you skim?

[NCguy]

Do you have live rock? live sand? Are you adding saltwater fish and not FW? (hey you never know)

[Craig Lambert]

Welcome to RC! Here is a good place for you to start:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1031074

[derick2724]

Yes guys I have 70 lbs of fiji live rock and 40lbs of live sand, it running under a ASM Baby-G, that's how all my spec turn out that well but not the salinity. Last week I had a salinity spike up to 1.030 and I brought it down to 1.027 instantly by taking out 40% of salt water and add RO water so could it be that problem?

[Zestay]

that could be a problem.. how did your salinity spike? are you topping off your tank everyday? you might need to look into an auto top of system

also taking out 40% is WAY to much of a drop i belive...
you might want to look into getting a refractor meter and throwing away your swing arm hydrometer

[derick2724]

yea I'm buying a refractometer but suck that no store around Socal open on holidays and my tank crash during these two weeks. I lost about $300 worth of corals after the damn fish store people said i could add them in after 2 weeks of cycling the tank.

[afernandez]

maybe u tried wrong fish to star with. try some damsels they are cheap and really hardy and will help you cycle your tank. usually i tell people to wait at least 3 months to add other types of fish and to allow the tank to be at right conditions or (simi-/-cycled).

[Twz]

Originally posted by derick2724
yea I'm buying a refractometer but suck that no store around Socal open on holidays and my tank crash during these two weeks. I lost about $300 worth of corals after the damn fish store people said i could add them in after 2 weeks of cycling the tank.

If i were dont dont listen to anyone at any fish/pet store from my experience they will tell you just about anything to sell you the product,
And they told you that you could add corals after the first 2 weeks?
if so thats not correct. i would wait at lease a month for the levels to stabilize.

[Kannin]

It is much worse to shock your inhabitants by doing a 40% water change with fresh water then it would have been to slowly bring your salinity down over a week or so. Even a 40% water change with salt water would have started a new cycle. If you were to put real seawater in your tank... you would not need to wait. But, since we use synthetic salt water... it must go thru the denitrification process called the "cycle"... in order for it to be like sea water. When you do a water change larger than 20%... you run the risk of starting a new cycle. I try to keep my water changes at 10%... and do them more frequently.

[derick2724]

Thank you guys for the feedback, so what I should do now is wait for another cycle to complete or should i keep doing 10% water change each week? btw I don't have any fish right now and I'm thinking of adding a clown fish to test the water instead of damsel. I added 4 hermit crab and a turbo snail but my turbo snail all crawled up inside its shell what should i do?

[NCguy]

Originally posted by derick2724
Thank you guys for the feedback, so what I should do now is wait for another cycle to complete or should i keep doing 10% water change each week? btw I don't have any fish right now and I'm thinking of adding a clown fish to test the water instead of damsel. I added 4 hermit crab and a turbo snail but my turbo snail all crawled up inside its shell what should i do?

First of all..Please STOP adding fish and invertebrates to your tank. Wait until you can get ALL the proper test kits that you need before you slaughter anything else.(you haven't even tested for ammonia) Test with test kits..Not with fish!!.You really need to test everything since your just getting started. Obviously all your animals are dying for a reason. As someone else asked are you adding RO water daily to keep your water levels balanced? This will keep your salinity more stable. Get all your water perimeters right first and you wont be just throwing money away and killing animals.

[derick2724]

NCguy I have already tested my water if you haven't reed all my spec yet, i brought the water to another reef shop for them to test EVERYTHING and they said all the amonia, nitrate, nitrite are in perfect condition and yes i do have the test kit that they have recommended me to buy which is $60 at marinedepot.com

amonia 0
nitrate 0
nitrite 0
ph 8.2

[NCguy]

In your earlier posts you didnt say anything about testing for ammonia.I did read over your specs.. You only had ...
0 nitrate
0 nitrite
1.027 Salinity
8.2 PH
4x39 t5
phosban reactor

scroll back up and look??

You have to post that you've taken your water and had it tested..How else would anyone know that? I'm not trying to bash you so dont take it that way. I don't know what is wrong with your tank,but i can promise you that adding more and more fish to it isn't going to solve the problem.

[derick2724]

ok i'm sorry that's was my bad. I hadn't add a single fish so far all i have added are those soft corals and a few zoos.

[derick2724]

ok i'm sorry that's was my bad. I haven't add a single fish so far all i have added are those soft corals and a few zoos.