Help

[mihali]

I’m a new reefer I’m just starting out in the hobby. I have a 7 gal tank (will be upgrading to a 50-60 gal) with 3 turbo snails 3 nassarius snails a very very small clown fish a green coral goby and regal damsel. It’s about 2 months old. I started with 3 hermits and a serpent star a regal damsel and the nassarius snails, the star died and one hermit got savaged by the other one and then the remaining two didn’t come out there shell once and died. The ammonia and nitrite was a little bit elevated. Now all the fish are doing fine and the snails are as well. What could be the cause.

 

[TX_REEF]

Welcome!

7 gallons is very difficult to keep stable, especially for a beginner. Likely too much livestock too soon. Go slow. Tell us about how you cycled, what equipment you have. Pics might help. Give us your water parameters.

 

[mihali]

I’m not home at the moment I will be on Friday but pH is 8.2 I can’t remember the nitrite and ammonia but nitrate is 40 ppm
A small internal filter And LED light and just a normal heater I cycled with a crab I found on the beach and waited about six weeks until ammonia and nitrite was zero for two weeks and nitrate was starting to show up

 

[mihali]

Last time I tested the nitrite was 0 and ammonia was under 1ppm nitrate 40 ppm ph 8.2 that was on Sunday before I did a water change

 

[TX_REEF]

"crab i found on the beach" is concerning to me, may be a cold water species that died and cause ammonia spike, or could be an aggressive crab that killed other inhabitants. When you're home, would be helpful to get pics and exact current parameters - temp, salinity, ammonia, nitrate, phosphate. 40 ppm nitrate is quite high, I'd recommend a partial water change based on that alone.

 

[mihali]

It died before the cycle ended, but I took out and there was no ammonia and I still did a water change. I don’t Test for phosphate for phosphate because I don’t have anemone or coral I definitely think the phosphate is a bit high because there’s quite a lot of algae. I will definitely give you pics and water parameters.

 

[mihali]

It died before the cycle ended, but I took out and there was no ammonia and I still did a water change. I don’t Test for phosphate for phosphate because I don’t have anemone or coral I definitely think the phosphate is a bit high because there’s quite a lot of algae. I will definitely give you pics and water parameters.

 

[mihali]

There was nothing in the tank for about a week after the crab died