furryfox

Being brand new to salt water tanks, my tank has been cycling over a month now with shrimp, snails, and crabs. We now have a mandarin we bought Friday, so far so good except starting today (tuesday), she is sticking her nose out of the water, staying towards the top then sinking to the bottom, not her usual flirty self on the rocks. We were told to feed it frozen Cylops fish food (about half every other day) and there are plenty of copecods in there. What is wrong? Not enough food, too much....help, I have a feeling my first fish will not live...I know, I know, some cycling and some will die...se la ve!

Peterpiper

What are your reading for ammonia, ntirite and nitrate, and please give readings and not say they are ok.
what temp is the tank at?
Do you have a skiimer or air for O2 exchange?
No comment on the se la ve!

furryfox

Ok, being a novice, I do not have a test kit for nitrates and such. I have a skimmer and temp is within normal (78-79). Somebody told me that oxygen was not required in salt water tanks. I have a 24 gallon Aquapod.

Peterpiper

Ok the skimmer does a better job with O2 exchange than a air pump, so that good!
As you have no test kits,
Do a 50% water change. Prep the water and mix well as per directions.
If you can get SW from the LFS that would save some time.
The reason for the water change, is that we dont know what your reading are, your tank is still "new" and I feel that it is a water issue.
As a minimum for now can you get a test kit for ammonia and nitrite?

furryfox

Thank you, yes I can get salt water already made up and will do that, I will buy a test kit also. I had also checked the water with the hydrometer and it was high on the scale so the pet store said to put bottled spring water in it which I did and that brought the readings down more to the normal mark. As of this morning my mandarin is still alive!

Peterpiper

Is the Mandarin still eating?
Good that your getting the test kits, please post the readings when you can.

Matt

Are you 100% sure it is a mandarin goby because i have read numerous times that other "less common" fish that look like mandarins are sold a mandarins. Post a picture if you can so we can help identify it if it and tell u if it isnt a mandarin goby.

Welcome To Fishlore.

-Matt

Rbacchiega

Well, once we get a water reading that will help...usually gasping is asociated with high ammoinias (but this is more of a common sight in freshwater tanks...)

If the dragonet makes it through this, look at culturing your own copepods. I've done this in a 10 gallon tank that is constantly pumping up into my one 90 gallon reef housing a pair of dragonets. This will ensure a steady diet.

nemo addict

manderines are not the best fish to put in a new tank ,,,as they need a good stable pod culture to feed from very rarely do they eat anything else ,,, as above sounds like high ammonia is the fish curling up from the tail end ? i would return back to lfs and get water parameters sorted out then start stocking with hardy fish not a hard to keep fish such as a manderine ,,, they are great looking fish but really require a mature tank to fullfill there dietry needs