My Fish Are All Dying...HELP!!!!

[countrygurl84]

i have a 35 gal tank and in it are 2 big hairy hermit crabs, a porcupine puffer and another puffer that its spikes r always up and a lion fish and a domino damsel and 2 zebra stripe damsels and a snail and a starfish. well, the lion fish died and the lady at the pet store tested my water and said there was no reason it shouldve died so she is going to replace him. a few days later my spiky puffer started to get this white flaky stuff on him like he was peeling and his eyes got cloudy and wouldnt eat so i went back to the pet store and got mardel maracyn plus, an antibiotic for the water, well, later that night the spiky puffer died. i continued the antibiotics like the bottle said and then my hermit crab died and then my starfish started to look funny so i put him in my other tank and he is fine now. well, lastnight my last puffer died, same thing...flaky pelling looking stuff, cloudy eyes and wouldnt eat. my water levels are as fallows: ammonia-.50, nitrite-.25, pH-7.8, nitrate-either 5.0 or 10, and the gravity level is between 1.023 and 1.024. does anyone have any experience with this issue and if so how do i solve it so my fish dont continue to die and i can get more puffers back in this tank. thanks guys

 

[jeffwisely]

how long has your tank be setup for? in my opinion i think your ph is too low for puffers and lion fish you need your ph at 8.2 to 8.4 and the way it looks by your levels is that your tank hasen't fully cyled yet.

 

[melosu58]

I dont know how else to tell you that your tank is way overcrowded. It looks like your post says you have a 35 gallon tank and you have 2 puffers, lionfish and three damsels. Both of the big fish need at least a 90 gallon tank. Your water test results are at lethal levels for ammonia. Your nitrifying bacteria is mostly gone because you used an anti bacterial medication in your tank. You are in for some trying times unless you 1)Get a bigger tank 2) Return the bigger fish 3) Do PWC`s to get your tank back to pristine water conditions 4) recycle your tank to get your nitrifying bacteria going again.

 

[austinsdad]

What concerns me most is that you're still hoping "to get more puffers back in this tank".

 

[ilostnemo]

it worries me the pet store sold you any big fish without asking your tank size.. my lfs has asked me about 3 times what size tank my clarki clown was going in and i like the fact they care that much

 

[mrg02d]

This is why all LFS should refer people to this forum.

Sounds like a classic case of learning the hard way, eh?

Id take back all your fish and figure out a way to remove the anit-biotics completely. That stuff was meant to go into a QT tank, not the main display. It sounds like it wiped out everything in that tank.

I am surprised that the LFS lady didnt make sure you knew what you were doing with that stuff!

But like everyone else is saying, you need to re-think that you want to keep in your tank. If it was me, id just start over. Let the tank cycle, and ask every question you can think of HERE before buying ANYTHING. Id also steer clear from that LFS you have been going to.

I find it hilarious that the lady tested your water and decided it was perfectly fine despite the lethal levels of junk in it.

Make sure to ask the forum first. It saved me a lot of $$$ and heart ache!

Matt

 

[ilostnemo]

lol yes they should refer people here.. with a 35 gallon tank your way to crowded at most maybe four smaller fish and thats pushing it. i wouldnt put a puffer of lionfish in there by itself thats still to small

 

[Krypt]

Just to give you a little info on your previous selections, here's information on the species you were trying to keep:

Porcupine: Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Porcupine Puffer

Spiny Box Puffer: Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Spiny Box Puffer

Lionfish: Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Volitan Lionfish, Colored

Domino Damsels: Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Reef Aquariums: Three Spot Domino Damselfish


As you can see, both puffers and the lionfish require a much bigger tank then you have. I suggest you browse liveaquaria.com to select your fish. That will help you kill time while your tank finishes cycling and allow you to find out what species you can keep in your tank. Don't introduce anything else until your ammonia and nitrite levels are 0.