Ok I just started my aquarium a few weeks ago. I used live sand and live rock. I gave it 2 weeks to cycle and I started simple by adding a few damsels. My fish keep dying and I can't figure out why. On a side note I did find and remove one large bristleworm and 4 small ones from the tank. But even after that the fish aren't making it. I've been testing the water and haven't found a good reason for what is going on.
Help I need advice
- Thread starter Andari
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
the fish are dieing as it is most likely your tank has not cycled at all. Even though you started with sand and rock, it is best to toss a shrimp in the mix to make sure your tank cycles. Most cycles take roughly a month.
Tell us a little more about the rock and the sand. Are you sure that they were biologically live and active? Also, how much rock and sand in how big of a tank..
Can you please provide the results of the different tests..
Tell us a little more about the rock and the sand. Are you sure that they were biologically live and active? Also, how much rock and sand in how big of a tank..
Can you please provide the results of the different tests..
rock is tonga and figi and the sand is figi sand that I purchased at an aquarium shop. The rock is doing well, but the sand hasn't really done anything so I'm guessing it isn't active. I did the nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, salinity and ph on the aquarium. I'll have to ask my husband where he put our log book but I remember the ph is about 8.2 and the salinty was 30. No ammonia and nitrate02 was 0. I thought maybe it was the bristleworms causing the problem and that maybe I just haven't found them all yet. Tank has been going for only about 2.5 weeks. Oh and it's a 55 gallon tank the kind that is deep not long.
SirLight1337
Aquarium Advice Activist
Do this.
Go to the grocery store and buy 1 small unseasoned shrimp. ( from the little fish counter in the back of the store) Bring it home, shell it, and toss it in the tank. It may take up to a month for it to fully disolve and your bacteria to be happy. For fish make sure your NitrIte and Ammonia are 0, nitrates are ok at around 20ppm or less. Even with live rock and live sand you are still going to need to cycle. HTH
Go to the grocery store and buy 1 small unseasoned shrimp. ( from the little fish counter in the back of the store) Bring it home, shell it, and toss it in the tank. It may take up to a month for it to fully disolve and your bacteria to be happy. For fish make sure your NitrIte and Ammonia are 0, nitrates are ok at around 20ppm or less. Even with live rock and live sand you are still going to need to cycle. HTH
lando
Aquarium Advice Addict
Welcome to AquariumAdvice.com!!! 
Slow and steady. All great advice given. Knowing the water parameters will really help us out a lot. NH3, NO2, NO3, SG and Ph would all be very helpful.
Slow and steady. All great advice given. Knowing the water parameters will really help us out a lot. NH3, NO2, NO3, SG and Ph would all be very helpful.
seaham358
Aquarium Advice Addict
If the LR they got was Cured already then there will be no cycle.......No need for the shrimp if its cured. They got it from a LFS so there would be no die off from shipping and who knows how long they had it....
Did the LFS say it was cured LR? LS is great, you will not see it doing anything special right away....
The worms are good for the tank so leave them in there......
How do you acclimate the fish to the new tank??
How long did they live for??
Did the LFS say it was cured LR? LS is great, you will not see it doing anything special right away....
The worms are good for the tank so leave them in there......
How do you acclimate the fish to the new tank??
How long did they live for??
I let them float for a while for the temp then I removed about a fourth of the water and added about a fourth and let them sit for about an hour before adding a bit more of my aquarium water and let them sit for another hour. The first 3 I bought lived for about 3 days. I added two more on saturday evening and one died last night. The other seems to be doing ok right now but he is the lone survivor in the tank.
NH3 = 0
Nitrate = 10
Nitrite = 0
SG = 30
The LFS did not say weather it was cured LR or not. I will call and ask him.
NH3 = 0
Nitrate = 10
Nitrite = 0
SG = 30
The LFS did not say weather it was cured LR or not. I will call and ask him.
schoeplein
Aquarium Advice Addict
SG doesn't sound right. Is that 1.030? This should be below 1.025...
schoeplein
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hmm.. salinity/SG is fine.
Is there any unusual algae growth? (brown stuff everywhere, cloudy water..?)
The fish you're purchasing from the LFS might have issues before you get them home. Precursive problems like Ich and other parasites... there's no way of determining this without actually seeing the fish themselves (sometimes not even then).
If you're purchasing fish from the same LFS - try a different store, or if they have each tank on separate filtration units -- try a different tank.
Regardless -- I wouldn't suggest adding anything to the tank until *after* it has been running for at least a month.
Is there any unusual algae growth? (brown stuff everywhere, cloudy water..?)
The fish you're purchasing from the LFS might have issues before you get them home. Precursive problems like Ich and other parasites... there's no way of determining this without actually seeing the fish themselves (sometimes not even then).
If you're purchasing fish from the same LFS - try a different store, or if they have each tank on separate filtration units -- try a different tank.
Regardless -- I wouldn't suggest adding anything to the tank until *after* it has been running for at least a month.
seaham358
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sounds like it could be your acclimation process. Do a search on acclimation..
Drip is the best but floating can work as long as you take you time.
Check the salinity of the LFS water before you start and then yours.. If your floating take out some LFS water and then add 1-2 shot glasses of your tank water float for 15-20 and repeat this for at least an hour... Check salinity of the bag and if it still does not match your tank water then keep going..
Another thing that can kill the fish is a big jump in PH so you may want to check yours and the LFS ans see how they compair.
Drip is the best but floating can work as long as you take you time.
Check the salinity of the LFS water before you start and then yours.. If your floating take out some LFS water and then add 1-2 shot glasses of your tank water float for 15-20 and repeat this for at least an hour... Check salinity of the bag and if it still does not match your tank water then keep going..
Another thing that can kill the fish is a big jump in PH so you may want to check yours and the LFS ans see how they compair.
as far as whether or not the rock was cured/uncured, my motto is better thorough before than sorry later. It wont hurt to toss in the cocktail shrimp and boost the activity on the rock for a month or so. Patience is a virtue in this hobby, also one of the hardest things to acquire. Especially when you want to start adding things to the tank. We have all been there/done that and some of us still do rush things a bit even knowing better 
Your tank isn'r ready. Hara is right. Patience is what you need now, take it from me.
I started my tank early this January. My readings were 0 (NO2 and ammonia) as well. All looked good and I killed several fish too - identical to your time frame also.
Add the shrimp. Wait 4 more weeks while doing weekly, 10% water changes - every week! Check the water and make sure NO2's and ammonia is 0. Then add a couple small fish (Chromis, 6-line, clown).
Your description of your acclimation sounds good.
I started my tank early this January. My readings were 0 (NO2 and ammonia) as well. All looked good and I killed several fish too - identical to your time frame also.
Add the shrimp. Wait 4 more weeks while doing weekly, 10% water changes - every week! Check the water and make sure NO2's and ammonia is 0. Then add a couple small fish (Chromis, 6-line, clown).
Your description of your acclimation sounds good.
Will the damsel I have in there bother the shrimp that I throw in? I guess I can pretty much expect him to roll over as well. He looks pretty good now though. I will get the shrimp and wait the four weeks before I add anymore fish. I'm glad I didn't start off with any expensive fish.
seaham358
Aquarium Advice Addict
Andari, Did the LFS tell you the lr was cured? If so then there is no need to go that shrimp route. That is why people pay extra for cured rock so they don't have to go throught the cycle process.
Tossing in a dead shrimp to a cycled tank will do nothing that adding a fish won't.
Its your tank so if the shrimp is what you want to do then go for it, I am just telling you that in a tank with cured LR is is not needed. With the readings you posted I would say your cycled and ready for fish.. Even after adding a shrimp you may never see ammonia or nitrite so don't worry if you dont see them in a cycled tank
Take adding fish slowly, don't rush adding lots at once.
Read up on acclimation of fish and you will do fine.
Tossing in a dead shrimp to a cycled tank will do nothing that adding a fish won't.
Its your tank so if the shrimp is what you want to do then go for it, I am just telling you that in a tank with cured LR is is not needed. With the readings you posted I would say your cycled and ready for fish.. Even after adding a shrimp you may never see ammonia or nitrite so don't worry if you dont see them in a cycled tank
Take adding fish slowly, don't rush adding lots at once.
Read up on acclimation of fish and you will do fine.
