Getting frustrated...

[ymhon14]

Hello mga sir.

May concern lang po akong need ipaconsult. I'm frustrated na kasi na laging namamatay yung mga isdang binili ko. My 2nd batch of fishes bought from Cartimar ay unting unti nauubos. Bought 2 Clarkii clownfish 1 damsel. Deads na agad yung 2 clownfishes wala pang 24 hours and parang naghihingalo narin. Same as batch one fishes (2 clownfishes, 1 blenny) ay nagkakaroon sila ng ich. Naaawa narin po ako. But I want to know kung ano ang mali sa ginagawa ko.

1. May parameters are okay naman ph 8.2, 0 ammonia and nitrites and 10-20 ppm na nitrates.
2. Almost 5 weeks na po yung tank ko.
3. Snails are okay naman.
4. I'm using saltwater mix po, Instant Ocean.
5. Acclimated them before putting the LS sa DT for an hour.

Balak ko pa naman sanang mag corals in the future but kung isda palang ay hindi ako makabuhay paano pa kaya yung corals. Pinacheck ko yung SG ng water sa Cartimar, mabababa masyado (around 1.019) so bale before I put them in the DT ay pinababa ko muna yung SG ng DT ko (mataas kasi masyado 1.025)

I hope you can help me guys. I'm feeling na mag-quit tuloy. I hope you can enlighten me. Thanks in advance.

[immortalbreaker]

Hit or miss talaga sa carti mga livestocks.

Ayos lang na 1.025 yung SG mo (if accurate yung readings mo, best if you can use a refractometer).

Ok naman yung instant ocean na salt.

Some question:
1. Properly cycled ba yung tank/How did you cycle your tank?
2. How did you acclimate your fish?
3. What is your temperature range? Min and Max.
4. Do you use RO water for mixing salt?

Post pics of your system para mas madali evaluate ng ibang reefers.

[luckyme]

[ymhon14]

[ymhon14]

[sesame1]

Good pm. Naranasan ko na rin kc yan, kaya I know how frustrating it can be. From my experience sir, always Quarantine all your livestocks especially fishes. Mahirap kc masabi if good condition tlga ung isda, kng mamamatay na or may dala infection. What more pa, if nang galing ung isda from cartimar, sorry to say this , pero wala kc ako tiwala sa tubig ng cartimar sobra polluted. Mamamatay lng ung isda and worse, ung sakit na dala nya mahahawa lng ng ibang isda sa tank . Rare na makakuwa ng isda na magandang condition, isa lng na isda from all the fishes na binili ko ung ng survive. Ung purple stripe dottyback ko ung nabuhay, kc binili ko sya nung bago dating pa kaya d pa nahahalo sa tanks ng shop. Pero Quarantined ko pa rin sya for 2weeks+ at ngayon nakalagay na sa display tank ko

So, mabibigay ko lng na advice sir hehe :
1. Quarantine all livestock for at least 2 weeks. Fishes - to avoid contamination on your DT and/or to medicate if indeed sick. Corals - to avoid bad hitchhikers.
2. For me, mas madali mabuhay corals kaysa sa isda. Most parasites from fishes can't host invertebrates. But sometimes those pesky parasites can still go with the coral (disk frag , or for snails and shrimps, introduced with the water). So sure way pa rin is to quaratine them all.

[ymhon14]

[sesame1]

[roland_0313]

If your tank has been properly cycled, most probably, yung nabibili mo lang talaga ang sablay. Just don't buy your fish from Carti anymore... mas mahal pa yata dun kesa sa mga LFS sa Paranaque... saka last I heard, puro mga rejects for export ang napupunta madalas na mga fish sa Carti eh.

[ymhon14]

[ymhon14]

[immortalbreaker]

Try to get fish from our sponsors muna, and buy only 1 or 2 at a time, para di din mabigla yung system.

Be wary din of using swing arm hydrometer. Nung wala pa ko refractometer, gamit ko ay swing arm hydrometer. Sa swing arm 1.022 reading, pero sa refractometer 1.025.

Kung wala ka pa pang invest sa refractometer, suggest you target 1.022 to 1.023 sa swing arm hydrometer, at least kung may error nga yung swing arm, possible na within range ka pa din sa 1.020 to 1.026 na recommended sa fowlr.

Yung drip method ok din. ako ang ginagawa ko is place the plastic bag (that the fish comes with) in the display for temperature acclimation, then pour tank water (qty depends on the amount of water in the bag) in the bag every 10 to 15mins for up to 1 to 1.5hours for the salinity acclimation. Mahalaga lang is wag ma-shock yung fish and makapag adjust sila from the oldwater to the tank water. Don't pour the acclimated water in tour system.

Try also to DIY a fan para malower mo pa yung temp.

Ok din kung makaka pag invest ka ng RO filter. para sure ka sa quality ng water na ginagamit mo.

[sesame1]

If may plans ka na mgpalit ng tank, much better. Mas malaki sana para mas mas marami isda at corals malalagay . If ganun gagawin mo, ok lng gawin mo QT ung DT mo ngayon. Pero i highly suggest, DONT PUT ANY FISH in it, give it time at least 2 weeks, para madeads kng ano man parasites/sakit meron naiwan.

Pero since gagawa ka ng bagong tank, naturally mg start ka ulit ng cycle. So if balak mo lipat rocks or sand mo sa future new tank mo, pde rin, kc mamatay rin naman lahat ng organisms coz of the cycle. Just make sure, since its a cycle, at least a month, or depending at your parameters, before pde mg lagay ng live stock.

Hehehe parang halos same tayo ng timeline, ngstart rin kc ako sa small tank 13 gallon, and then ginawa ko na QT ung 13 gallon, kc may ng gift sakin ng 50gallon, which is my DT now

[ymhon14]

[ymhon14]