why do my fish keep dying?

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suziq

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May 30, 2002
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I just don't get it?!:mad:

i have a 20g SW tank that has been up and running since January. Some specs are 4.5" DSB, 35+# of LR, HOT refugium, 130w of 50/50 and 2 402 powehead facing the front glass. Water profile is T 78 -80degrees, sg of 1.023, ph 8.3, Ca 400, and no detectable N's. I add Kent Ca, Aragamilk, and coral vit.

Everything in the tank has pretty much been there since late Feb. when money got tight so we decided to slow down on developing this tank.

I have button polyps, xenia, various caulerpa, and coralline algae that all came in on the rocks and has thrived. I also have various hermit crabs,snails and 3 peppermint shrimp. I just feed formula 1.

However, since we started we have gone through 3 pairs of damsels and a cardinal. they always last 3 - 11 days. I always check the water and it reads the same. I have also tried changing my test kit brands. They all seem accurate!

Four times now we have attempted adding fish and are lucky if they last a week. I acclimate for 1 to 2hrs. Feed sparingly. only once has a damsel eaten, but the cardinal (our last attempt) Ate like crazy. Then one day, they just go belly up, blow around in the current and die.

how is it that I can have thriving reef tank that can't keep a fish alive?
 
kreblak

kreblak

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Mar 13, 2003
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It is possible that your fish are being stung by the corals and the Xenia, and this is causing the deaths. It is also possible that you introduced a disease into your tank with one fo the fish, and that is what's killing them. Look closely at your fish. Do you see anything on them out of the ordinary? Specifically, do you see and small white spots. Do you see gold colored flecks on the fish? Do you see any wounds that could be stinger inflicted?

If your corals and inverts are doing fine, then I would think that you have some typr of fish specific parasite killing your fish.
 
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suziq

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i don't really have any real corals yet. Everything has been a hitchhiker. I have examined my fish and they don't seem to have any parasites, ich, or wounds of any type. Is there any chemical that would not effect the IV but hurt fish? ( like a reverse of Copper?)

Everything I have gotten fish wise has been from the 2 largest fishstores in the area. I thought about the cyanide and it does sound right except for the cardinal ate well and the stores I have bought from are really nice. How often do cyanide exposed fish actually get to a store without the store Knowing? Both places offer full/partial guarantees.
 
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BrianH

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You could try getting the fish into the tank quicker. IMHO unless the water parameters from the LFS are way off from yours, 2 hours to acclimate is fish is a long time. I usually only take about 30 to 40 minutes to acclimate fish unless the SG varies highly (ie 1.018 to 1.025)
Also I would ask the lfs to feed the fish before puchasing. Most stores will put a little food in the tank so you can see if the specific fish you want is eating.

Brian
 
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mogurnda

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Apr 29, 2003
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How often do cyanide exposed fish actually get to a store without the store Knowing?
Click to expand...
Could happen when someone in the pipeline isn't quite honest. If the fish aren't CB or certified net caught, there's a real possibility. There's also the possibility that the fish came in with a parasitic infection, or some other illness that they picked up in the wild, and the stress of transport and acclimitization pushed them over the edge. Lots of possible reasons.
I am always pushing CB livestock, because they avoid those problems. Try a couple percs or ocellaris, I bet they'll do great.
 
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suziq

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one thing we considered was that the flow is too great in our tank. We have a 402 powerehead at the top of each back corner. one flow is forward at an angle so it hits the side glass right b4 the front corner and the other is facing strat ahead so it hits the front glass. these to angles seem to make the water flow backwards at the middle of the tank.

The damsels were very shy and usually hid in the back and maybe undre the lip of the Aquaclear500(our refugium). the cardinal chose a spot between 2 rocks or in the corner under a powerehead. Could it be we are just wearing the poor suckers out?

How much flow is normal for a reef tank?
 
kreblak

kreblak

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Mar 13, 2003
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Most fish prefer a decently strong current. Bear in mind that the ocean (from where they originated) is quite rough. Usually a couple of powerheads are nothing compared to what they experienced in the wild.

Of course, if you have the powerheads set up in such a fashion as to effectively create a jet stream, then that could cause problems. It shouldn't kill them, however. I still think that the answer to this lies in the fact that your inverts are fine and the fish are not. If the problem were water quality, then your corals would be among the first to suffer. From the information you have disclosed to us, it really sounds like a disease. Velvet can often kill before symptoms appear. Try letting the tank sit without fish for 3 or 4 weeks. The parasites that cause Ich and Velvet cannot survive without a host, and even their dormant reproductive stages should pass within that time frame.
 
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