damsel losing scales.

[cdubbs]

I just look at my blue damsel up close and it looks like he lost some scales on the side of his body..is this from the cycle or is it from the shark? I have seen the shark nip at the other smaller damsel and i later found that fish dead with scars all over him..he was stuck to the filter intake..is the shark attacking the damsels? i heard that the shark might not be fast enough to get the damsels but i think he is..i hope he wont bite anything i try and put in there..and i just tested my tank again and the trites are at 0 and the ammonia is around 0 - .15 I cant really tell..i wish i had a digital ammonia reader

 

[cdubbs]

another thing,,i just read a post in beginner forum and they said that adding live sand to a new tank wass bad..is this true? And does LS and LR die during the cycle?

 

[squidd]

Yes ...and no...
How's that for a definitive answer
LR and LS are called "live" because they have many life forms on/in them that can be beneficial for your tank. (and sometimes some that are not so good)
Adding LR/LS can be beneficial to cycle a tank in that it brings a lot of the lower life forms (bacteria) that convert ammonia and nitrIte to nitrAtes, helping establish a biological filter.
However some of the higher life forms (pods,worms,etc.) that you also want to be established in your tank may not survive the toxic chemical environment of a cycling tank, and will have to be reintroduced (again) after the cycle is complete.
Also, and this "may"be related to your first question, LR/LS can add some things that are NOT so good for your tank (mantis shrimp,predatory crabs and snails, or aptasia,).
I don't believe (IMO) that a two to three week old Bamboo Shark is attacking and ripping scales off your Damsels...there death and weakened condition "may" be from going through the cycle, or there "may" be something else in your tank doing the damage.
Do you hear any "clicking' sounds coming from your tank?

 

[cdubbs]

u mean a mantis??? i dont think so..i do have 3 hermit crabs in there. and either the ls or lr came with like 6 really tiny snails..well i dunno..i hope i dont have a mantis

 

[cdubbs]

actually im looking at him in the light now and i cant see the missing scales now..maybe it was just how he looked in the dark