Need a little Advice.

MarineDream

AC Members
Mar 25, 2007
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Tampa, Florida
So my Boston Bean I purchased 3 weeks ago is starting to.. well I'll say it frank, DIE!. This morning I couldn't find him, only to see him up against the overflow vent. I kind of poked him and he started flickering and started to swim again. I felt releaved, but then a few moments later I checked back again and there he was in the overflow. Hes been eating alright and my stats are close to perfect. So i'm not really sure what hes deal is.

But, what I'm asking is, if hes about to kick it, should I take him out now? considering he is a box fish (which are a bad thing for tanks when they die right?)

I feel bad because he was a present for the Misses, but I had a feeling putting a delicate fish in there would not come out so good.
 
My understanding is that they release the toxin even when greatly stressed. Although it will cause some stress at first I'd be tempted to remove him to a hospital tank with no lights and moniter him there. I'd also run carbon in the display for a bit.
 
is there any other way to save him? I dont have another tank to put him in.

as of now, he is in a plastic bag that i filled with water, but still in the tank. Hes swimming around, but then either just stops or lays down at the bottem of the bag. I put some brine in there, but he hasn't gone for them. what should I get for carbon and how does it help? and how are the lights effecting him now?
 
I'd think the plastic bag would only be stressing him more. Carbon will help remove impurities in the water. Many with mixed reefs use it to battle the chemical warfare some corals use on one another.

Have you tested the tank water? You could be having an ammonia issue.
 
I tried a water change, sad to say within 20 minutes he looked worse. the best i could do was put him in a bowl. He just died about 10 minutes ago just laying on the bottom of it.
Sucks that something so cute had to die. I did a water test. everything is fine.

Nitrates at .10
Amon at 0.
my Kh went down a tad since sunday (was at 13 now down to 10)

He ate fine. 1 or 2 brine 3 times a day. and yesturday he was fine, something might have happened over night that shocked him or something.

Don't know how to tell the Misses :( she loved that thing.
 
Nitrites is always at 0.

i dont think i have a test for copper...
The tanks has been running for about 6 months going on 7 and it's a 30gal. The only thing else is a clown and a peppermint shrimp, 2 snails, and 2 crabs thats about it.

The lfs suggested when i bought him that i just feed him brine and when he got bigger like pieces of shrimp. but thats all. He was only a juvi after all, i suppose when they are young they are harder to care for?
 
The clown and him got along really well actually, the only time I i've ever seen anything happen, was when i first put the boxfish in the tank and the clown chased him for about 2 seconds thats all. after that nothing.

As far as food. I did not know brine isn't good to eat? I wouldn't know what else to feed my fish, my clown wont even look at flake food. so then what should I be feeding them?
 
Other meaty foods. Mysis shrimp, Ocean Nutrition Formula I, Prime Reef....many marine foods available that are more nutritional than Brine. It is Ok to feed them on occasion or in a rotation with better fare. Just not as their main diet.
 
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