Water parameter and fish question

xdeputy101

Hi everyone,

I have a question. I tested my water today at about 1pm. Nitrates=0, Nitrites=0, Ammonia=0, and PH 8.3. water tempeture 80.1 degrees. Just did another test and all is the same! The fish have been swimming and having a great time. The lights were turned off and the room was dark. When I walked in from my office I noticed the follwing. My royal Gramma was no where near its live rock home but instead on the sand on one end of the tank. he looked dead until i put my hand in there and he took off like a bat outta hell. The yellow tank is kind of discolored and wandering around. wouldnt run from my hand being so close. I have noticed that after feeding time he looses his color. He is bright yellow until he eats then its more like an opaque coloration. Does anyone think there is something wrong with my fish or tank? During the day these guys are bright, colorful, and happy. After feedings and lights go off they get kinda sickly looking. Any suggestions or comments? VERY

onefish2fish

how long has this tank been setup? what exactly is in it? how big is it? filtration? feeding? and everything else you can include.

wake49

I am going to assume that with a Nitrate reading of 0 ppm in a system with two hang on back filters and a canister filter that you clean the pads on a very regular basis, or it's a very new tank. You could also use a lot more Live Rock for that 125 gallon tank.

What brand of Mysis are you feeding your fish? How often are you feeding the algae sheets? Tangs have very specific needs in their diet, and algae is one of them. It provides them the Vitamins and Nutrients that meaty foods cannot. If you are primarily feeding the Mysis then this could be the problem.

Also, please don't stick your hand in the tank and bat around your fish. This could stress them out and lead to more serious problems.

p.s - any reason you don't use a Protein Skimmer?

wake49

BTW, test your water after the lights have been out for a few hours and the fish are starting to look sickly. Post the results.

xdeputy101

The tank is a 125 gallon tank. its been up for about a months before I added 1 tang, 1 royal grammsa and a yellow purple wrasse. This morning they are swimming around like nothing happend. there coloration is normal, all three are up and about as if nothing happend. When i put my hand in there it was because I thought the royal gramma was dead. but when i got close he took off to the rocks which of coarse was something I wanted to make sure he wasnt dead. I do feed them mysis shrimp and green sheet algae for the Yellow Tang. I am planning on adding more live rock but want to upgrade my lighting system. I talked to one of my friends and he said his royal gramma had times when he would go to sleep and currents would actually move him from time to time. could this be possible? if there was something more serious I dont think it would just go away by morning time. I make sure to over check my water parameters to the point of being obsessed. I just dont want these little guys to have to be in a bad habitat. I do a lot of research to ensure that water and tempature is 100% for them. I just have never seen fish act like that. As far as my filters, I am getting ready to perform a partial water change and clean out the filters. I havent decided on what kind of skimmer to get, I assume that with a low waste load, and with introducing copapods, the amount I feed ( as not to leave big portions of un-consumed food) in the tank, I would be okay for now. My filters are capable of filtering 320 gallons of water. I think its over kill but I rather be safe than sorry. The water is always crystal clear unless I have just added some purple up. Other than that everything else seems to be okay. I appreciate your guys help and answers to my issue here. I do have a sump that I build but its not installed in this system. would that be a better way to go by adding the protein skimmer? Just wondering if this will do better in the long run. Again thanks guys!

xdeputy101

Bruce I did that last night after they were looking sick. Ammonia=0 , Nitrites=0, Nitrates=0 and PH 8.3
Did it again this morning with the same results. BAFFLED!

onefish2fish

i was going to say sleeping when i first posted but wanted to hear more about the tank before shouting any guesses. im not going to 100% diagnose your issue over the computer and say this is what is going on, but it does sound like it in this situation. fish without a doubt have a "resting period" and certain fish even build cacoons or mucus layers every night to do so. some dive down under the sand at a set bed time everynight and it beats me how they know when its time to hit the sheets as its the same time every night. the tang most likely fades as a natural method of camo. in the wild a bright yellow disc would become a late night munch for alot of things but maybe harder to see without full coloration.
on the other side of this, this could be a serious sign of stress, fading fish, fish being lethargic, but since you report it only happening at night my first guess is what i will go with.

purple up is just an overpriced buffer.

your concept with the filters is alittle off. in the saltwater world hang on filters, canister filters, bio balls and anything of the sort that trap debris do more harm then good. i wouldnt say these filters are garbage as the hang ons could be used for carbon. the way the hang on filters work, they collect debris/detritus and it builds up, eventually breaks down and degrades the water quality. these kinds of filters now start to work against you putting nitrates/phosphates into the water. a skimmer on the other hand "blends" the water so to speak, creating alot of bubbles which allow organics to stick to, and rise up into a skimmer collection cup. im not saying rush home from work and rip the filter off the tank, just suggesting the skimmer is a better method without a doubt in my mind. when finding a skimmer read online reviews first to insure your getting one that is actually worth something. i also suggest getting the biggest baddest skimmer your pocket ( or wife ) allows as this and lights are the 2 most important pieces of equiptment. having a larger skimmer will also be able to keep upgrades to larger tanks in mind without having to upgrade the skimmer as well. it also wouldnt hurt to check out your local reefing club ( if you have one local ) or craigslist for a deal on a skimmer. just remember, check online reviews before you buy.

Kellsindell

+1 on this. Wrasse are known for the cocoon and my royal gramma does the same. As for the Tang could be a low ORP (Oxygen) in the water and could have some affect while it's resting, but It could be a form of camouflage as well to keep itself hidden while it sleeps.