ALL FISH ARE DYING OR DEAD

[jbird]

I FOLLOWED ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER ON MY NEW 90 GAL. SALTWATER TANK AND AFTER THE 45 DAY WAIT I WEEKLY ADDED 3 FISH UNTILL I HAD 9 BEAUTIES, EMPERATOR,LION,ETC. AS OF A WEEK AGO THEY ALL STARTED DYING. STORE SAID I MAY HAVE CONTAMINATED WATER WITH GLASS CLEANER TOO CLOSE...AM NOW DOING A 50% WATER CHANGE TODAY, ANY SUGESTIONS? HELP

 

[veskas]

Did the store say you bought too many fish? Probably not! "Nine beauties" depending on the size could be way too crowded for a 90 gal. Imperator & Lion fish can easily get 10-12" each!!! Do you have live rock or other places for fish to hide? I'd bet stress is the problem! Read, read, read & ask questions here before you buy. I wish I had. I did the same thing!!
Good luck!

 

[purplepuffer]

I'm sorry to say, but it sounds like you got too many fish too fast. You should have gotten no more than three your first trip to buy fish, then waited three months before getting any new fish, and then wait at LEAST two- three weeks before adding one more fish after the three months. You did too many fish too fast. Sorry! Hope you didn't invest too much, but I doubt that you can save any of them, once they start to die, they are going all the way pretty much.
~~Megan

 

[beth]

You may have followed all the setup procedures to the letter, but you didn't follow the most important one....DON'T overstock a new tank. If you are going to try and cycle a newly established tank with fish that are not normally used to cycle tanks, like lionfish, then buy only one specimen at a time, go thru the whole cycle until all readings are perfect, then get your next acqusition.....one at a time. If your lfs knew that you had a new tank and still sold you all these fish, I'd suggest that you find another lfs, as this one is obviously not knowledgable in this hobby or, just out for the bucks. Good luck with your 2nd go round! PS: Get test kits: ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, ph, and use them !
[This message has been edited by beth (edited 05-13-2000).]

 

[otto13]

check your ammonia and nitrate levels. is your salinity around 1.020-1.025? normally i would let the tank settle for about 2 weeks and then add one small fish. let that fish get your cycle started. once you have cycled, then start adding other fish one or two at a time. usually wait 2 weeks before adding new fish. when a tank cycles, first toxic ammonia levels will shoot up, then it is converted into a less toxic nitrite, which will shoot up and finally it is converted into nitrate which is even less harmful. check and see which of these are at high levels. do a 25 percent water change. what type of filtration system do you have?
otto

 

[xavier]

You added too many fishes too fast. Not only that but 9 of those fishes is too much for that tank. All those fishes are rather large. You LFS should have guided you there.
You will sadly loose many of them. See if you can house somewhere else for a few weeks.
Ammonia spike is what you most likely had.
Are you using a Wet/Dry?
Normally a fish a week is a safe bet.

 

[kris]

Some say 1 week is ok, personally I add no more than 2 (usually just 1) at a time. With a month inbetween. I also have 90g which is about 2 months old- I have my starter fish (3 clowns) annd the tang I bought last week in it. Number one rule of fish-keeping---PATIENCE.
Good Luck --happens to most of us at one point or another.

 

[aescleah]

hey
sorry about your troubles everyone is right about being over stocked.but here is something else angelfish are very very senstive to new tank syndrome. not to mention they ought to be in a 180 gal tank /.the people at the petstores are idiots for selling you those fish.they need a established tank with plenty of algae.please read the concentious aquarist by robert fenner it was my absolute bible when i first got it
Ashley