New tank now what?

[Photobug]

Photobug; You interested, I've got a 9W here at the house for $40 (rated for up to 50gal)

What time you available tomorrow?

Here is my list of tank inhabitants:
Damsel
2 bottom/cave dwelling gobies
Yellow line Goby
6 hermit crabs
12 snails (3 type)
Crab
Brittle Star
Fire Fish (haven’t seen today)
Snowflake Moray (haven’t seen today)
Mushrooms and some other small hardy soft coral

I am thinking of doing the temp raise method of eradicating the ich. I don't think the invertebrates could handle any chemicals. I do not have a second tank to quarantine anything before going into the tank or now that one fish is sick. I am afraid something else is wrong with the tank, with the quick death of the Mandarin Goby and now the missing file fish and moray.

A little history of the tank. Wife bought the tank on Monday, it was a year old at that time. She broke the Fluval priming pump on setup and replaced it with a big Marineland C360 canister filter, using the established filter media from the Fluval. 3/4 of the water was original during the move, topped off with purified water mixed with a salt mix. We added 20 lbs of rock, the Mandarin goby and some invertebrates on Wednesday. I added a used protein skimmer on Thursday and topped off with 3 gallons of Scripps water.

Today was the first sign of trouble we saw besides the short lived Mandarin Goby. We are testing the water using a Tetra Easystrips It tests: Nitrate, Nitrite, Alkalinity and Ph, and testing the salinity via specific gravity. Is there something more we should be doing?

[Jarederaj]

Hey just make sure the snowflake didnt jump out mine did that and died

[Photobug]

Hey just make sure the snowflake didnt jump out mine did that and died

Had a cow fish in a 10 gallon tank 20 years ago do that. Sucks.

[JohnnyAirtime]

What time you available tomorrow?.........

Best would be somewhere around 2:30. But, can be available almost anytime. Need my cell number again to confirm?

And... for the rest of the questions/concerns, I'm at a bit of a "what to do" standoff. If I had to guess, I'd say there's something going on with the (old/new) filtration, old sand/water, and how it was setup. BUT... that's just a huge guess at the moment, and nothing scientific about it. Your tests... you didn't give what they measured. Best to get a salifert kit, and test ammonia, on top of what your testing for (using the salifert). Soon, you'll need Magnesium, and other tests to add to the mix. But strips... aren't very accurate, and should only be used for MAJOR swings in parameters.

This is a great read to understand where you should be AND what to test for; http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

Snowflakes need a TIGHT lid. I mean, not a 1/4" gap anywhere. Not around pipes... skimmer... nothing. I thought mine was sealed pretty well and my snowflake got out twice. Once... on the kitchen floor for 2hrs and survived. Second time, 2 days before my dog smelt'em and I noticed him missing (as they often can/will hide out)

Maybe there's nothing wrong, and your livestock is just stressed from the newest additions. It happens. Sometimes you won't see a fish for a few days once new livestock is added, and once that fish knows it's not in danger. But, you won't know until you accurately test your water (you can also take it to a local fish store for testing). I'd start there, first.

[Photobug]

One month and $100s later here is our tank. Loving it and don't turn on the TV as much nowadays but we have filled it to the rim and now are looking for a 40 long to keep pouring money into.

[JohnnyAirtime]

..............
I am thinking of doing the temp raise method of eradicating the ich. I don't think the invertebrates could handle any chemicals. I do not have a second tank to quarantine anything before going into the tank or now that one fish is sick. ...........

Temp raising for ich only works in Fresh water.... not saltwater.
... even though some believe it's snake oil, Kick-Ich is about the only thing that has helped (not a cure all) for my Reef tanks.

I just lost $300 in fish in my FOWLR from not QT'ing fish. Guess what I'm doing now?! Spending more $$ on another tank JUST for QT'ing my fish (I know better, and always have known better... just too lazy to build a nice QT. Now I'm paying for it!)
... on top of that, I'll have to leave my FOWLR empty of fish for 8weeks to kill off the ich. Sucks.

[JohnnyAirtime]

One month and $100s later here is our tank. Loving it and don't turn on the TV as much nowadays but we have filled it to the rim and now are looking for a 40 long to keep pouring money into.

Very nice. Never heard back from your past problems. Get them all sorted out??

... why go 40, when you can go 125? Much more fun!!!

[Photobug]

Very nice. Never heard back from your past problems. Get them all sorted out??

... why go 40, when you can go 125? Much more fun!!!

The eel returned, but the firefish did not. We got a hospital tank going but could not get the goby out. The the goby disappeared. So the eel lives in the 10 gallon tank, waiting for the 15 gallon tank to cycle for his new temporary home. The fish population of our tank though has changed. Only one original goby, now joined by two clowns, lots of coral, 5 types of crab, a shrimp, a conch, 4 types of snails, and who knows what else, some very small creatures maybe pods and might have spotted a bristle worm the other day.

The $300 FOWLR SNAFU, do you mean the predator tank you were working on? What happened with it, Ich or something else?