Can't keep new fish

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mreatci9

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Nov 29, 2015
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4
I have a 75 gallon saltwater aquarium with the following:
20 - 30 pounds live sand
about 45 pounds live rock
1 peppermint shrimp
1 fire shrimp
2 yellow tail damsels
2 clowns
2 pj cardinals
1 yellow tang
1 conk
1 Halloween hermit

all are happy and alive with no noticeable issues. I have had this setup for about 10 months as a complete group but the tank has bee up and running for over a year and a half. I do have corals and they are all very healthy and actively growing. My problem is that every time for the last 6 months that I add a new fish with in 3 weeks to a month it dies. They all seem to have died the same why and very quickly. One day they are actively swimming and eating. Then they seem to all of a suddenly get lazy/lethargic. By this I mean they just hangout in the rocks or back of the tank. gill and moth actions seems elevated but not too they point that they seem stressed. Meaning they don't look as stressed as when you fist get them home after getting them from the fish store. Once this happens they are all dead within several hours. As this is happening all the other fish are acting normally. This seems to only happen in the late afternoon and they die over night. They will eat during this time but not very aggressively. I sometime find them after the hermits have gotten to them but the time I can get them out and look at them they all look normal. No spots cuts missing scales. I have gone through about 4-6 fish that all have died the same way. When this first started happening I would do a water test then a water change. All test where normal them so I thought I was testing wrong and now have the fish store run all my tests. They just tested and ammonia ph nitrate nitrite all normal. Calcium was a little low at 20 and alkalinity was low at 6. My alkalinity has always been low and I have always struggled to get it up and keep it up. I do not run a skimmer just because I have yet to find one that works. They just all seem to over flow and never make skimate. I know most of you will say that the canister filter is bad but I like it and clean it every 3 weeks. Other than not adding anymore fish does anyone have a thought on what might be happening. Thank you for your time and help.
 
I personally think one of the current stock is battering or giving the new fish a hard time could be the yellow or damsels.

Are they by any chance small fish you are adding as the above 2 mentioned can be quite agressive to new fish.
 
The fish that I have added are 2 yellow tangs before the third has survived. 2 flames Angels on the small side. 2 coral beauties on the small side 3 blue chromes small to medium size and I am thinking I did not acclimatize them right and 1 potter angle. The potter angle was a medium size fish. The potter was the largest fish I had in the tank before it died last night. All of the fish where larger than the yellow tail damsels and about the same size as the tang. None of the fish showed any damage to tail or fins. I walk by the tank throughout the day and never same much of any aggression. Even when the fish became "lazy" no one would pick in them. I don't dismiss the aggressive thought I just would think I would see more indication of it. Thinking I might try and take the damsels out and see what happens.


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A lot can happen at night especially when a new edition wants a resting spot that one the others already has !!

Damsels can be evil fish and yellows can either be laid back or agressive.
 
I believe your issue is aggression and not doing research. All those fish are highly territorial. Adding 2 of the same angels is asking for fighting. Same with the 3 yellow tangs. Potters are incredibly tough to keep. I'd only get one if it is eating and looks healthy. I've had one for about 2 months now, but he's a pig and boss of the tank.

You're trying to add multiple fish of the same species which aren't supposed to be together unless the tank is huge or they're a proven pair.


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I should clarify I am not trying to add 3 tangs 2 flame angles so on and so forth. It took 3 yellow tangs before the third one lived. I have tried 2 different flame angles and none survived. I thought you could have a tang and an angel together just not two tangs or two angles together. Am I mistaken in my understanding of fish I can put together.


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I have 4 tangs currently together but mine are very laid back there is 3 more yet to go in but my DT is 6x2x2 so they have plenty of room and there not a huge amount of fish in mine and I have a mass of filtration via a sump ect.

For the size of your system you are asking a lot from it with the bioload those fish will produce and the space that is needed for each is limited.
 
I should clarify I am not trying to add 3 tangs 2 flame angles so on and so forth. It took 3 yellow tangs before the third one lived. I have tried 2 different flame angles and none survived. I thought you could have a tang and an angel together just not two tangs or two angles together. Am I mistaken in my understanding of fish I can put together.


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Gotcha sorry I got confused. You're correct but it all depends on the fishes personality. If you have a crazy yellow tang you could have issues adding further fish.


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Ok. If I took out everything but the tang could I add an angel or are they not compatible in that size tank.
The tang I have right now is in the mellow side.

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