Upset

[stlredbirds84]

Tanks been setup for about 2 weeks now. 55 gal with 20 gal sump. Had two blue damsels in it for a while. Went to my LFS to get a water test done, said everything looked great and they suggested clown fish due to their hardiness. Bought two took them home acclimated them and put in. I have a small aptasia problem so I used aptasia x to rid of it. Did a 5 gal water change, 1st I've done so far. Left the house to return something i borrowed from my LFS came back about and hour and a half later and one clown is dead. My LFS is very reputable I know many people who use him and have for a long time with little to no problems with his fish. Did I do too much at once while adding the two new fish and stress them out too much enough to kill one? Is it just bad luck? Or... Do you think the damsels offed the clown? I'm at a loss, I've kept freshwater successfully for a few years now and have killed off my share of fish by doing something stupid but never this quickly. Ideas?


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[dylan p]

Your tank hasn't finished cycling in 2 weeks, the switch from your LFS well established aquarium to such a new aquarium probably killed it.


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[Sniperhank]

Your tank isn't cycled. It likely was parameter issues and toxic ammonia and nitrites. Your LFS doesn't sound very reputable to me if they want to sell you 3 fish in a 2 week period to an un-cycled tank.

I would return the damsels. Awful fish for 1. Then, toss in a cocktail shrimp in some pantyhose to cycle the tank. Get yourself an API master test kit so you can test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. This will start your cycle and so you can monitor it.

 

[dylan p]

That's what I was using when I had that algae outbreak and everyone on here told me it was garbage and to use better tests


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[Sniperhank]

API is fine for watching a cycle and nitrates. You don't need specific numbers to see you can detect ammonia or if your nitrates are too high. They do the job.

 

[Mebbid]

How did you acclimate the clowns?

That's what I was using when I had that algae outbreak and everyone on here told me it was garbage and to use better tests


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API is good for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. It's fairly useless for everything else.

Your tank hasn't finished cycling in 2 weeks, the switch from your LFS well established aquarium to such a new aquarium probably killed it.


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That's not necessarily true. I bought cured and cycled rock from my LFS (and paid way too much for it) my tank was fully cycled that day.

What were the parameter readings of the water? "Good" isn't really a helpful thing for us.

Your tank isn't cycled. It likely was parameter issues and toxic ammonia and nitrites. Your LFS doesn't sound very reputable to me if they want to sell you 3 fish in a 2 week period to an un-cycled tank.

I would return the damsels. Awful fish for 1. Then, toss in a cocktail shrimp in some pantyhose to cycle the tank. Get yourself an API master test kit so you can test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. This will start your cycle and so you can monitor it.

Agree 100% about the damsels.

 

[stlredbirds84]

Agree with most of what your saying... "Good" to me as a newbie means good. He tested for ammonia nitrates and nitrites and all levels were fine. I've actually had two different LFS test the water before I added the clowns and both agreed. I've had the damsels for about a week with no issues. Got them out tonight to take back. As far as numbers the on tests I don't know. I acclimated the clowns by the old float them in the water method and put them in making sure to not mix the water (told that's no bueno) the floated for prob about an hour.


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[BigRedsReefs10]

Agree with most of what your saying... "Good" to me as a newbie means good. He tested for ammonia nitrates and nitrites and all levels were fine. I've actually had two different LFS test the water before I added the clowns and both agreed. I've had the damsels for about a week with no issues. Got them out tonight to take back. As far as numbers the on tests I don't know. I acclimated the clowns by the old float them in the water method and put them in making sure to not mix the water (told that's no bueno) the floated for prob about an hour.


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Couple things, 1 lfs will lie to make sales so if your using them for water tests get actual numbers. Before you buy any more fish you should invest in a test kit of your own. 2 what was the salinity of the water they came out of and your tanks? Most lfs keep there fish systems in the 1.017 range where we keep them at 1.025 usually, ammonia or nitrite usually won't kill a fish in a couple hours (I agree with everyone that your most likely not cycled , but I don't think they'd die that fast) but a quick swing in salinity of that much can. Fish need to be dripped most IMO, since most are coming out of lower salinity water to help fight parasites/diseases.


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[Coursair]

Just floating only matches temperature. Look up drip acclimation

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[mr_X]

How much rock is in the tank? Did you buy already cycled/cured rock or uncycled? If the rock was not cycled then an ammonia spike may have happened, but I would think all fish would be at least showing signs of stress. I agree with Red in that it may very well have been salinity or even ph that caused the issue.

 

[dylan p]

I think even "cycled" rock is going to cause an ammonia spike in the aquarium unless your able to transfer it within a couple minutes


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[Mebbid]

I think even "cycled" rock is going to cause an ammonia spike in the aquarium unless your able to transfer it within a couple minutes


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You'd be surprised at how resilient bb is, but yes that's exactly why I asked the parameters