first sw fish 2 out of 4 dead

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whyzee250

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Aug 17, 2005
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Salida, CA
So, I put four blue green chromis' in 3 nights ago. two died the second night, and now I cant find another. :confused: It's quite discouraging. The tank has been running for almost 2 months with salt and some live rock. ...about 40 pounds in a 75 g.
Ammonia- 0.00-0.25 (hard to tell)
Nitrate- 0
Nitrite- 10
pH looks to be around 8.2

When I first put them in they hid, which i think is normal. Their coloring was great, but then a couple started getting red areas on their tails before the actual fin.
Now I see why people revert back to FW :help:
What could be wrong?
 

Cerianthus

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Jul 9, 2008
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Probably the fish themselves. It seems like a common symptoms displayed on chemically induced caught fish or simpy transit stress related .
Dont know how long lfs had them before you purchased them, but go back to see if some displays similar symtoms.
I believe wholesalers/retailer should properly acclimated , q/t and treat , if necessary, before placing them on sale.

Just have more patience!!
 

OldManOfTheSea

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Mar 21, 2007
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Hillsborough NC
I find it that out of all the damsels that pretty much the best and most hardy and cost less to make ready your tank for other fish are the blue and yellowtailed damsels for the last time I bought 30 of them to make the tanks ready again to put back in my eels at that time, I lost no damsels at all, other then to the eels. I know this girl who ask me for some first fish selection she could start with and she wanted the green chromis as well, i told her that in the early stages of her tank, the chromis I find not to be so hardy, but she did bought three and they died in two days. After that she decided to accept my idea to go with certain other hardy fish to make her tank ready. Today she is doing find on her own, so as Cerianthus says, you "Just have more patience"!!

Buddy
 

Conski

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May 8, 2009
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trite 10?
 

whyzee250

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Aug 17, 2005
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Salida, CA
i got it backwards. NiTRITE is non existent. Nitrate is sitting low at 10. The owner of Randy's Fish Palace in Stockton, CA said it may have been the fish also (I should have got them at his place...he's outstanding!) He said they could have been in bad form from the start. The third fish died and i'm expecting the fourth to also. I think i'm going to get some emerald crabs or similar inverts to move sand around for now. I want to keep with salt water, so thank you Cerianthus and OldMan for your support!
 

OldManOfTheSea

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Mar 21, 2007
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LFS owners will tell you something simply and it keeps you buying as far as their concern, for as so, their next thought to what is wrong will be that your doing something wrong. Do understand this that your LFS lively hood relies on you buying their live stock. I not know to many LFS owners who will tell you what is be in you making the right selection to beginning your tank to age, for this is what is yet to happen.

Let us recap some details here, you cycled your tank without fish, so your still not with a well age tank.

Adding fish without respect to the tanks' age: Adding fish during the break-in cycle, not using hardy fish for the break-in cycle, and adding fish that need a well aged tank too early, will almost always lead to disappointment.

Now im sure your LFS owner understand that a tank that isn't well age as yet, will or could lead to certain deaths, lost of fish. If you need to ask certain questions about your tanks conditions or additives requirements, your really best to ask here and not your LFS who gains from your lost for we gain much more in your possible success in this matter.

So once again I say your lost was due to a not so well age tank, its my .02 worth of data to what you need to follow up on. And as the girl I told you about, she too waited until her tank cycle completed then bought the few chromis against my advise not too, but yet some, few do have some success with chromis during the early stages of their tanks, but not everyone.

The bottom line to this whyzee250 is, I don't buy it that its always the fish, still, it could be as so, for your LFS salinity is around 1.019 if not lower and if your tanks salinity is much higher like around 1.024 or so, this could cause extreme stress on your fish.

Its like when the time comes for me to start my SPS tank and a QT as well, the main tank will be at 1.025-6 and the QT will be at 1.022, not to cause any more stress then can be help with.

Buddy

Happy New Year
 

whyzee250

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Aug 17, 2005
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Salida, CA
i agree with the LFS being in the business to sell....that's why I drive 30 minutes to this guy instead of driving 5 minutes to the closest one. I trust him. he also agrees that even though the parameters seem fine that the tank might not be aged enough. What do you think about adding some crabs as he suggested? too early still?
 

whyzee250

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Aug 17, 2005
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Salida, CA
also suggested was a molly or two. i was told they are hardy and it's fairly easy to diagnose something wrong with them.
 

Conski

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May 8, 2009
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was about to say if your trites are at ten thats the problem
 

Blown 346

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Dec 7, 2008
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How are you acclimating the fish?? Chromis need a school fo 6 or more to do well. These fish do pick on eachother all the time, most of the time you are only left with 3 or 4 out of the bunch.

I would raise you PH a bit as well, around 8.4 8.6.

It is normal to have some Nitrates, normally people have anywhere from 10 to 15. You can do whatever you liek with water chnages etc and most dont get it to come down. The only real way to remove it is to get a fuge that will abosrb the nitrates.
 
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