My Nitrates Too low

[Hockeypunk1]

Last time when my nitrates were 5 it was fine, until suddenly it drop to 2 which killed some of my corals. So, I want to have some buffer zone.

Nitrates dropping from 5 to 2 didn't kill your corals. It may have been apart of something else that caused a domino effect and your N happened to drop as well. I struggle to keep my nitrate or phosphate above 0 in my tank. On a side note, just because your fish have a place to sleep in the rockwork doesn't mean that's their territory. There's a good reason that each of those fish have display size requirements. Those numbers weren't just made up, they were figured out over years of trial and error by expert fish keepers. I stopped trying to keep chromos even though I have a 120 gallon tank, they will slowly die one by one.

 

[twentyleagues]

Nitrates dropping from 5 to 2 didn't kill your corals. It may have been apart of something else that caused a domino effect and your N happened to drop as well. I struggle to keep my nitrate or phosphate above 0 in my tank. On a side note, just because your fish have a place to sleep in the rockwork doesn't mean that's their territory. There's a good reason that each of those fish have display size requirements. Those numbers weren't just made up, they were figured out over years of trial and error by expert fish keepers. I stopped trying to keep chromos even though I have a 120 gallon tank, they will slowly die one by one.

I am not in anyway discounting what you said. Hopefully adding to it. Certain fish Chromis, Damsels, live in large shoals on the reef, shoals not schools, there is constant bickering and the loser has miles of reef to get away from the aggressor. In almost any tank size1- 7',8',10' there is not enough room or usually rock work/corals to evade so 1 gets singled out until dead from damage or stress. That keeps happening until you are left with 1. Add to that you can only keep so many in a given space and its harder to spread the aggression. Same goes for most fish, If you can actually get a schooling fish they are a little less apt to really tear into each other, but squabbles and lack of space still happen. Now add these typically solitary fish that choose a section of the reef to call home in the wild that might be 10-20' of space and they defend it from anyone trying to get in for shelter or food. They will chase the intruder through the reef out past their imagined border. Where is that in a 2' long tank? Sometimes the stress of living in close proximity keeps them more "subdued" but they are not living their best life.

 

[Hockeypunk1]

I am not in anyway discounting what you said. Hopefully adding to it. Certain fish Chromis, Damsels, live in large shoals on the reef, shoals not schools, there is constant bickering and the loser has miles of reef to get away from the aggressor. In almost any tank size1- 7',8',10' there is not enough room or usually rock work/corals to evade so 1 gets singled out until dead from damage or stress. That keeps happening until you are left with 1. Add to that you can only keep so many in a given space and its harder to spread the aggression. Same goes for most fish, If you can actually get a schooling fish they are a little less apt to really tear into each other, but squabbles and lack of space still happen. Now add these typically solitary fish that choose a section of the reef to call home in the wild that might be 10-20' of space and they defend it from anyone trying to get in for shelter or food. They will chase the intruder through the reef out past their imagined border. Where is that in a 2' long tank? Sometimes the stress of living in close proximity keeps them more "subdued" but they are not living their best life.

Well said! I looked through OP's past posts and he was keeping a tang as well as the foxface as well in the 20 gallon up until it died just a week or 2 ago. I'm not trying to pile on him, it seems he was given terrible information from his local fish store. Hopefully he will start taking the advice of the people on this forum or else he's going to continue losing fish and coral, and eventually learn these lessons the hard way

 

[praba775]

Your tank is already very overstocked. The faxface should be in 125 gallon tank, the cleaner wrasse should be 65 gallons, and the 3 chromis should be in a 30 gallon for one single chromis, but you have 3. You might think your fish are happy, but but they are suffering and they will not be alive at Christmas time, sorry to tell you. What you are doing is cruel and irresponsible. Please do not add more fish.

Hi, I have been keeping everything in this setup for a few months now. I will be sure to monitor for agression and fighting and will send a picture of my tank on Christmas time.

 

[praba775]

Well said! I looked through OP's past posts and he was keeping a tang as well as the foxface as well in the 20 gallon up until it died just a week or 2 ago. I'm not trying to pile on him, it seems he was given terrible information from his local fish store. Hopefully he will start taking the advice of the people on this forum or else he's going to continue losing fish and coral, and eventually learn these lessons the hard way

I have been keeping this amount of fish for about 2-3months now. Lets monitor, shall we.

 

[Hockeypunk1]

I have been keeping this amount of fish for about 2-3months now. Lets monitor, shall we.

You've already killed a Tomini tang and have ich in your tank. You just posted days ago that your foxface was breathing hard and stressed. If you want to torture fish that's on you. With the amount of information that's on the Internet there's really no excuse for keeping these animals improperly. There's so many small tank options for fish out there, or you can get a larger tank. Like I said, I'm not here to pile on and scold you, or anything like that. You're just going to keep wasting your money while everything you put in your tank dies. The lives, and well being of these animals is on you

 

[Dburr1014]

Last time when my nitrates were 5 it was fine until siddenly it drop to 2 which killed some of my corals. So, I want to have some buffer zone. By the way the foxface is happy he swims quite a lot all around and for some reason my chromises love to swim with him.

That's not what killed your coral.

 

[praba775]

You've already killed a Tomini tang and have ich in your tank. You just posted days ago that your foxface was breathing hard and stressed. If you want to torture fish that's on you. With the amount of information that's on the Internet there's really no excuse for keeping these animals improperly. There's so many small tank options for fish out there, or you can get a larger tank. Like I said, I'm not here to pile on and scold you, or anything like that. You're just going to keep wasting your money while everything you put in your tank dies. The lives, and well being of these animals is on you

The foxface has recovered and is healthy but I really don’t wanna debate or anything like that. I will see what I can do. By the way the tomini tang died of trauma or fungal infection.

 

[praba775]

Just too make sure no more fish in my tank get stressed, can someone tell me signs of stress in saltwater fish

 

[BetteMidler]

The foxface has recovered and is healthy but I really don’t wanna debate or anything like that. I will see what I can do. By the way the tomini tang died of trauma or fungal infection.

It is not a debate, having a foxface in a 20 gallon is ridiculous. For temporary living due to necessity I could see it. You have chosen to ignore the fact this fish can reach sizes up to 10 inches (>25cm). You can find example after example of this on larger systems. You know what you won't see? A fox face survive long term in a 20g. Sorry for the rant, but people need to hear this and not take your example as an means to do that themselves.

 

[Dburr1014]

Just too make sure no more fish in my tank get stressed, can someone tell me signs of stress in saltwater fish

Hiding, glass surfing, clamped fins, ect.

 

[praba775]

I will try to do what I can do. I did all this "overstocking" cause ALL the LFS in my area say that I can do this and the fish will just grow according to tank size( stay small if tank small, grow big if tank big). I thought if more than one LFS say the same thing, it has to be right.

 

[praba775]

Hiding, glass surfing, clamped fins, ect.

Definetly not what my fish are doing

 

[Dburr1014]

It is not a debate, having a foxface in a 20 gallon is ridiculous. For temporary living due to necessity I could see it. You have chosen to ignore the fact this fish can reach sizes up to 10 inches (>25cm). You can find example after example of this on larger systems. You know what you won't see? A fox face survive long term in a 20g. Sorry for the rant, but people need to hear this and not take your example as an means to do that themselves.

+1
I have a 150 gallon. The only one recommended for my tank size is the magnificent.
All the others are 200+ gallons.

 

[praba775]

They dont hide at all even when I am really close to them.

 

[Dburr1014]

I will try to do what I can do. I did all this "overstocking" cause ALL the LFS in my area say that I can do this and the fish will just grow according to tank size( stay small if tank small, grow big if tank big). I thought if more than one LFS say the same thing, it has to be right.

Staying small in a small tank equals a stunted fish. A stunted fish more than likely will develop other problems.

 

[Hockeypunk1]

The foxface has recovered and is healthy but I really don’t wanna debate or anything like that. I will see what I can do. By the way the tomini tang died of trauma or fungal infection

The fact is you don't know exactly what killed your Tomini tang. Most of the fish that we buy from LFS come with disease because the majority of fish stores don't have the space or time to put fish through a full quarantine process. These fish are also already under a lot of stress from being taken from the ocean and shipped around the world. The best shot they have to stay alive is us as responsible reef keepers. Just because they keep the fish in a small space at the fish store doesn't mean that these fish can live long-term in that small space. The fish stores also medicate the fish that they keep in such small spaces to help keep the parasites and infections at bay. When you have a healthy fish that lives in a properly sized aquarium with good stable parameters and minimal stress that fish can usually fight off infection on its own. You come here for advice, but whenever you are given good solid advice that is inconvenient for you, you ignore it! You wait for someone to tell you what you want to hear.

 

[praba775]

They dont have clamped fins

 

[Dburr1014]

They dont hide at all even when I am really close to them.

Learned behavior as you are the bringer of food.

 

[praba775]

I'll see if I can do anything(maybe relocate)