I wonder why......

[DHS]

Well I just got back from lunch....I'm lucky enough to be able to run home everyday from work to check on my tank. Well I got there and noticed my clown fish was missing....and after some looking lo and behold I found him....DEAD 8O . He was fine this morning when I left for work, swimming, eating, hanging out with the tang & damsel. No white spots on him, I checked the tank and everything is well within specs...Ammonia is less then 0.25...Nitrate is less then 0.3...pH 8.1...etc. I'd be more specific with the numbers but thats the lowest my kit will show for readings. I wonder if it was just his time to go...cause there were no marks on him as if he had been in a fight. FYI I have/had the following: Clown (deceased), Damsel, Tang, Firefish, Green Button Polyp, Acropora, 1 Pepperment shrimp, 1 Fire shrimp, 2 Emerald Crabs, 6 snails, Liverock. Yea I know its a little crowded for my 20 gal but until I move in March its all I've got room for...come March though I get my 100 gal...YAHOOO Hopefully I won't have any other unfortionate deaths...but I look on the good side...now that the clown is gone the firefish is hanging out with the other fish....though the damsel is the one who normally picked on the poor firefish and no one picked on the clown....oh well....just had to releave my grief....thanks for listening everyone.

Peace,
DHS

 

[Hara]

well, I would say that you already know the reason on why the clown died. It does seem way overcrowded and you do have an ammonia reading.

You might consider doing a couple of water changes.

 

[DHS]

Why I may agree that its slightly overcrowded there is a good explination for it. The firefish had been in hidding and my wife thought that it must have died and been eaten....so she talked me into getting another fish (the clown) and then she fell in love with the tang...so we got both thinking that 3 fish for a 20 gal wouldn't be too much (total body of fish is was only 3 inches) then of course the firefish reappeared....sneaky fishy. As for the Ammonia reading I can't really be sure if its a real reading or not...as my tests only show on the chart with a <0.25 so I know I have less then 0.25 but I cannot be sure if that is 0 or as high as 0.24....tonight I'm going to have the LFS test my water....hopefully it will show a 0 in the ammonia....if not I'm getting a better testing kit so I can see EXACTLY how high it is.

Peace,
DHS

 

[fishfreek]

If you have no ammonia the kit should not change color (or atleast that is what I have seen from the kits I have used).

That tang is gonna be a risky resident for the 20 gal. It will quickly outgrow that tank. Yes I know you said your gonna go to a 100 gal in march but I worry that the tang might double or even tripple in size before then.

 

[clownfish]

Quick point. Not always true that tested water will not change color if reading is 0. Really depends on the test kit. In my kit, 0 is a very pale green. Readings get darker in shade.

However, on that point: You should consider a different/better kit if you are that unsure of the results. IMHO

 

[michealprater]

what kind of tang?

 

[fishfreek]

Quick point. Not always true that tested water will not change color if reading is 0. Really depends on the test kit. In my kit, 0 is a very pale green. Readings get darker in shade.

However, on that point: You should consider a different/better kit if you are that unsure of the results. IMHO

Thank you for the correction...