ARRGGG!! Help please!!

jenni620

jenni620

Member
Okay, about two months ago, I set up a 29 gallon tank because I wanted to get a mantis shrimp. I put in a 3 inch sandbed, using live sand I bought from someone who was tearing down an established tank. I also have about 20-25 pounds of live rock and tonga branch in there; some came from one of my tanks, and the rest I bought from someone else in my area that was taking down their tank. Anyway, I waited a while before I added anything, just in case moving all that sand around caused the tank to cycle again. I was on a waiting list at the LFS for a mantis, so I put 2 domino damsels in two weeks ago, and they both died within a couple of days. So I did a large water change, tested the water, and got two more on Friday. One died yesterday, and the other died last night. What is going on????? Something must be REALLY off to keep killing damsels....I thought they could live through anything! My readings are as follows:
Ammonia 0
Trates 0
Trites 0
Ph 8.1
SG 1.026
Temp 77
Any ideas??? This is driving me crazy....I am about to tear the whole thing down and sell it. I don't want to keep killing fish, and I am not about to spend $70 for a shrimp that will probably die when I put it in...
 
grumpygils

grumpygils

Active Member
Originally Posted by jenni620
Okay, about two months ago, I set up a 29 gallon tank because I wanted to get a mantis shrimp. I put in a 3 inch sandbed, using live sand I bought from someone who was tearing down an established tank. I also have about 20-25 pounds of live rock and tonga branch in there; some came from one of my tanks, and the rest I bought from someone else in my area that was taking down their tank. Anyway, I waited a while before I added anything, just in case moving all that sand around caused the tank to cycle again. I was on a waiting list at the LFS for a mantis, so I put 2 domino damsels in two weeks ago, and they both died within a couple of days. So I did a large water change, tested the water, and got two more on Friday. One died yesterday, and the other died last night. What is going on????? Something must be REALLY off to keep killing damsels....I thought they could live through anything! My readings are as follows:
Ammonia 0
Trates 0
Trites 0
Ph 8.1
SG 1.026
Temp 77
Any ideas??? This is driving me crazy....I am about to tear the whole thing down and sell it. I don't want to keep killing fish, and I am not about to spend $70 for a shrimp that will probably die when I put it in...
Where are you getting the water?
Mc
 
jenni620

jenni620

Member
no, i didn't really know the people who i bought the rock and sand from. they posted on a local marine club site. the guy that sold me the sand said he never had any problems, he was just getting rid of one of his tanks. the rock came from a guy that was downsizing from a 225 to a 150. i bought all that stuff about two months ago...after all the water changes i have done, i would think that any bad stuff would be gone...
 
jenni620

jenni620

Member
drip acclimation for an hour and a half, both times. i tested the water again when i got home from work; the readings haven't changed. i don't understand!! i have two other tanks with no problems! what is going on???
 
ric maniac

ric maniac

Active Member
i would try a clown, if you can kill one fast then i would say start over lol those things are invincible
 
letitgo

letitgo

New Member
Originally Posted by jenni620
Okay, about two months ago, I set up a 29 gallon tank because I wanted to get a mantis shrimp. I put in a 3 inch sandbed, using live sand I bought from someone who was tearing down an established tank. I also have about 20-25 pounds of live rock and tonga branch in there; some came from one of my tanks, and the rest I bought from someone else in my area that was taking down their tank. Anyway, I waited a while before I added anything, just in case moving all that sand around caused the tank to cycle again. I was on a waiting list at the LFS for a mantis, so I put 2 domino damsels in two weeks ago, and they both died within a couple of days. So I did a large water change, tested the water, and got two more on Friday. One died yesterday, and the other died last night. What is going on????? Something must be REALLY off to keep killing damsels....I thought they could live through anything! My readings are as follows:
Ammonia 0
Trates 0
Trites 0
Ph 8.1
SG 1.026
Temp 77
Any ideas??? This is driving me crazy....I am about to tear the whole thing down and sell it. I don't want to keep killing fish, and I am not about to spend $70 for a shrimp that will probably die when I put it in...
I'm new to this but isn't 77 degrees a bit cold
 
reefforbrains

reefforbrains

Active Member
Dying during the night?
Macro in tank dipping your PH while lights are off and starving the fish of Oxygen. Then come morning it corrects itself like nothing happened and thus leaves you scratching your head with a mysterious death.
Try checking PH in the wee hours of morning just before lights come on and see if it isnt dipping into the 7's.
Just a thought.
 
jenni620

jenni620

Member
hmm....i hadn't thought of that. out of the four that have died, 3 of them did die at night. only one died during the day. so far that is the only sensible explanation...thanks! maybe i will check that!!
 
grumpygils

grumpygils

Active Member
Originally Posted by jenni620
hmm....i hadn't thought of that. out of the four that have died, 3 of them did die at night. only one died during the day. so far that is the only sensible explanation...thanks! maybe i will check that!!

Do you have a skimmer to aid oxygenation? I have a 29 and I left the skimmer and filter off for several hours and only had 2 power heads and I lost a peppermint shrimp and a fish.
Mc
 
puffer32

puffer32

Active Member
Do you have alot of flow at the water surface? Anything been sprayed near the tank recently. Don't know , just trying to help you figure it all out
Take a sample to Pet a rama and ask Chuck to check your water, maybe your tests are bad?
 
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