Dead firefish

[Tate]

When I got home today found my firefish dead he was eating fine and swimming before today. Just cycled my tank its a 90 gallon. Salinity is at 1.022 (hydrometer might be off?) Ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 30-40ppm what could of caused him to die

[Bectan01]

Nitrates are a little high (aim for 0 but up to 10 is ok) I would perform a big water change to bring those nitrates down. Also how long had you had it? How did you acclimate it? Who are his tank mates?

[Tate]

Just a porcelain crab and emerald crab drip acclimated him and had him for a week I did a series of water changes and they didn't really budge so I was going to do 10% weekly but he only lived a week so...

[Bectan01]

I would be doing larger changes every couple of days to bring down that nitrates 30-40 is pretty high! That could have been the reason, was he eating?

[Tate]

Yes he was happily eating and chasing the food around the tank

[Tate]

Everyday this hobby is getting more and more frustrating its one thing after another

[Sniperhank]

It can be at times. Think about it like this. Doing a 10% water change, when your nitrates are 40 you are only removing 4 leaving you with 36. This is why we are recommending much larger and more frequent changes to bring the number down. That is, if that is the issue of course. There were no signs of distress?

[Tate]

Its not really that just some little things like I just lost a filter sock so now I have to go to the LFS again money is just getting tossed away

[Sniperhank]

Why don't you use panty hose in the meantime...

[Tate]

My setup couldn't really work with one I cut an egg crate and the sock sits in the the pantyhose is too small

[Tate]

Anyways back to the fish can 30 ppm really kill him in a week? I thought that was a decent number

[tangs27]

It usually depends on the fish some can handle more than others. So those levels could cause a fish to die.

[Tate]

So 30-40 ppm nitrates are deadly? I wasn't under that impression???

[Tate]

Did a 20% PWC and its still 40 ppm can fake plants leech nitrates?

[Mebbid]

Originally Posted by Tate

So 30-40 ppm nitrates are deadly? I wasn't under that impression???

That level of nitrate isn't in itself deadly. However, nitrates directly impact a fishes immune system causing it to react slower and less efficiently. The 40ppm of nitrate could have caused his death and is the most likely factor at the moment.

Originally Posted by Tate

Did a 20% PWC and its still 40 ppm can fake plants leech nitrates?

Nope, fake plants cannot leech nitrate