new saltwater tank with no fish dying

gagaliya

gagaliya

GNOME POWER!
Nov 20, 2005
943
0
16
NJ
www.happyreward.com
Hey there, i had a disucssion with a friend of mine, who is a saltwater fanatic. The disagreement we had was that if it's possible to setup a brand new saltwater tank by the book ( proper equipment, fishless cycling, apporporiate stocking levels etc..) and not have a single fish dying.

He thinks it's impossible to setup a saltwater tank without having a fish die, while i think it's very possible if proper research is done.

What's everyone's thought on that? thanks
 
Excluding what would be considered normal life expectancy / "old age" deaths...

If you mean no fish deaths during the lifetime of the tank, then I'd say it's very unlikely. If you simply mean no fish deaths shortly after completing the initial set-up and cycle, then that is definitely possible.

Individual fish vary, and it's hard to foresee something like what their personalities will be like / evolve into. Information is based on tendancies, and while most of it is very good, there are always a fair share of fish that don't fit into those generalizations. Just recently, one of my pairs of clowns reached the point where it was time to decide which one would be the female... The slightly smaller clown would not submit, and before I knew what was happening (tank in my workplace), the slightly larger clown had killed the slightly smaller one. This was after having had them together for a full year.
 
Last edited:
my panther grouper made sure 3 clowns died :P
 
im confused? if you cycle your tank most fish should live the amount of time they are supposed to or more if brough up correctly.. the cycle of the tank may kill them but in saltwater its stupid to cycle a tank with a fish because the rock alone will do that..

every fish will die eventually? ive actually never had one die.. i just wake up one morning and they disappear, not a trace of them.. cept my poor harlequin shrimp which got mauled by stupid hermit cards
 
Conski said:
im confused? if you cycle your tank most fish should live the amount of time they are supposed to or more if brough up correctly.. the cycle of the tank may kill them but in saltwater its stupid to cycle a tank with a fish because the rock alone will do that..

every fish will die eventually? ive actually never had one die.. i just wake up one morning and they disappear, not a trace of them.. cept my poor harlequin shrimp which got mauled by stupid hermit cards
Click to expand...


:rofl:
 
:rofl: x2 .. that line needs to be a Signature Conski. hahaha

As for the OP, I believe it is 100% possible to have no fish die the first year in a newly cycled tank... but fish selection, hardiness, and health play as big of a role as the tank itself. Look at my Avatar, 2 "Expert" fish, the African Leopard (Blue/Red one on bottom) went in 3 weeks after the tank had water put in it and it is still alive and doing great today, 18 months later (pay no attention to the nipped fin, that healed up within days and no nipped fins since that picture). The Potters Leopard (top one) has been in my tank 13 months as well.
 
Conski said:
im confused? if you cycle your tank most fish should live the amount of time they are supposed to or more if brough up correctly.. the cycle of the tank may kill them but in saltwater its stupid to cycle a tank with a fish because the rock alone will do that..

every fish will die eventually? ive actually never had one die.. i just wake up one morning and they disappear, not a trace of them.. cept my poor harlequin shrimp which got mauled by stupid hermit cards
Click to expand...

fishless cycle, and i am sure your fish didnt die, probably pulled a nemo on you...
 
Way to many variables to give an answer to your argument :-P It's 50/50 in this hobbie, all you can do is provide the best chances for your specimens.
 
My tank is two months old. I have had hermits kill eachother, but my original fish are all going just fine. I also have 8 corals that are doing great too.

My biggest two deaths... peppermint shrimp killed torch coral, brian killed peppermint shrimp.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom