my fish keep dying

[BeGiNeR_7]

Okay, I know that this happens to a lot of beginners. That a lot of people lose fish in the beggining but I just can't figure out what I am doing wrong. I have a clarkii clown and a yellow tang that were my first two fish. They have been completely fine and I have never had any problems with them. I tried a few bangaii cardinals and two didn't make it past acclimation and the third died within a week and a half of being introduced to the main tank. Then I got a yellow headed jawfish who was awesome. He has been in the tank for about a month and a half. Well, needless to say I came home from work today and he had died. He seemed to be happy and had made burrows all over the tank. He would switch to different ones depending on his mood. He ate fine and would spend a lot of time people and fish watching. He was so cool! The only thing that was odd was last night he didn't come out as far as he normally would to eat, but he did eat so I just let that go. I am wondering why my first two fish have done just fine but everything I have tried since just seem to keep dying. Should I just wait a few months before trying another fish? Is it the fish I am trying? The jawfish had been doing so well that I thought I was in the clear with him. I am scared to get anymore fish and I kind of feel like just giving up. Any suggestions, hints, tips, advice, anything would be greatly appreciated. I know what you are all thinking right now and that is well what are my readings. Well, my Nitrates, Nitrites, and Ammonia are all 0. My PH is 8.2, my specific gravity is 1.023, and my temp is 78. I also do a 15% water change every week. Help please.

 

[demodiki]

How big is the tank? How did you find them dead?

 

[BeGiNeR_7]

It is a 75 gallon tank. The first two Cardinals just got extremely stressed during acclimation and never made it to the main tank so I guess I can't really count them. The third Cardinal seemed fine for about a week. Then I noticed he started to spend more and more time towards the back of the tank. When I came down one morning he was laying on the floor on the tank. The jawfish was alive last night at feeding and alive this morning before work. When I came back from work I came down to do some of my weekly maintanence stuff. I was going across the tank just looking and checking things out when I saw him belly up on the floor of the tank back in the corner. Does how I find them having anything to do with how they died? Is it some kind of clue?

 

[austinsdad]

Maybe the fish were sick from the beginning. How did you acclimate?

Got a QT tank? As you add new fish, there could be trouble if sickness spreads into the new - with healthy fish.

What part of MD you in?

 

[BeGiNeR_7]

I use a qt tank which is as far as the first cardinals made it. I was just caught off guard because the jawfish has been doing so well for about a month and a half. He seemed very happy.

I live in Waldorf and work in Clinton. Any suggestions on a fish store? As of right now I use Petco for small things like food and accessories (veggie clips, feeding ring, etc.). I travel about two hours away for everything else.

 

[austinsdad]

Been to Roozens on Allentown Rd. Good stuff and some junk too. I'm 5 min from there.

 

[BeGiNeR_7]

No I haven't tried there. I work on Malcolm Road so that's close. Is that were you get your fish?

 

[austinsdad]

Yep. There and a little shop in Ft Washington, rt 210, Indian Head Hwy.

 

[DragonForce]

Fish are often caught using unsafe methods like cyanide which can damage our marine friends indefinitely. You may want to try another LFS and if your results are the same we can work from there. Good luck. Also, online purchases from site such as liveaquaria.com are highly advocated