Help!!!

hey guys i have a 90 gallon with a fluval 405 filter 120 lbs of live rock and its been fine since i set it up all ive had in it was a flame angel. so saturday i got 7 damsels and added them. iwoke up sunday 1 was dead 1 died at like 10:30 and onother died at like 2:00 my ammonia was at 2.0 and ph at 8.8. so i added ammonia nuetralizer and it went down. now this mornin my ammonia is back at .25 and ph is at 8.0. what the hell is going on. i bought this tank used and it had been established for 7 years ive had it a month and th levels have been perfect until now

 

from the little inf. i see in your post it looks to me like your tank might be in a cycle, and imo to add 7 fish at once is to many at one time even in a tank that big 1 or 2 fish at a time every other week would be a better way to add your fish. keep a check on your levels and go slow!

 

Hi Russel!

I agree, too much at once.
I know you mentioned the tank has been set up for 7 years prior to you having it, but unfortunately when you move a tank you move all the sand around and all the new water reduces its ability to cope with bioloads.
I am mighty surprised the flame angel isn't dead to be honest.

 

+1 too much too fast

 

I concur with all the posts so far and what was failed to be mentioned, namely, all damsels! A sure fire recipe for an all out war. You don't say what type or if there were a mix but damsels fight with damsels. If the deaths are not from a cycle (damsels are used to cycle tanks) then they are sorting things out as they (too many) were thrown into a new habitat.

 

so should i just wait it out?

 

that's all you really can do. Because there was a very small bioload on the tank, 1 flame angel, there was not a great population of bacteria. When you added 7 fish at once the bacteria couldn't keep up with the ammonia being produced and thus you have your spike. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw a nitrite spike too. Hopefully the fish will make it and you have learned a valuable lesson. Good luck with it in the future.

 

yes you should wait it out. What kind of media are you running in the fluval. I don't recommend running a filter sponge in them as it will help trap poop and in turn create more nitrates. I would run some carbon in there and that's it. You may want to think about getting a good protien skimmer to hang on back of that tank or doing a complete sump.

 

In the long run you will be lucky if all the Damsels die. Why would you want 7 damsels anyway? Its a mean fish. I would not be surprised if they would give the Angel a heart attack.
Adam

 

one more ? i have a hang on protien skimmer and it keeps overflowing(with water not foam) could the pump be to large