dead damsel

[caz]

Alright I picked up half a dozen damsels to get my tank moving. (55gal w/ about 30-40lbs of lr on reg sand running on an emp400) I'm at the end of week 1. I had like 4 blue chromis and 2 black/white stripe damsels. The two stripes were chasing back and forth at the other four, but they were smaller so there wasn't much to it. I come home today to find the smaller of the two black/white dead. It didn't look like it had been picked on or anything at all. I am not expecting these guys to live, as this is just setting up... I just need to get this tank cycled. What do I need to do or fix with my tank to get things right? I've thought about doing one of these deals where you're ready to go in 24 hours... any opinions on that? My salinity is at like 1.026 and ph is around 8.1 or so... help? I feel like a total newb!

 

[puffer32]

Don't use chemicals like boast or cycle. Let your tank cycle on its own (yeah the wait is hard). Alot of us use a dead cocktail shrimp to cycle tanks, more humane then using living fish. I would take out the still live ones and put in the shrimp. Start checking your numbers in about a week to see where your cycle is.

 

[reefnut]

What are your ammonia and nitrite levels?? 6- fish is a lot to cycle a 55g with. I would suspect you're experiencing the so called "new tank syndrome" which basically means the ammonia and or nitrites are reaching toxic levels. Testing is the only way to be sure.
I would stay away from any cycle enhancers. IMO the best thing you could do would be return the fish and cycle the tank either with the waste currently in the system or by adding a dead shrimp.

 

[4fun]

I am new to this as well and purchased 6 yellow tail damels for my 75 gallon before finding this site. Only one survived and that is because (IMO) he killed the other ones! My tank started with 50 lbs live rock and bio spira, so my readings never spiked like you read about.
I asked a question on this site if I should do the cocktail shrimp since I only had 1 damsel left and was informed to NOT do it. Just let the tank cycle and be patient.
It has been 5 weeks, water is perfect (knock on wood). Good luck.......

 

[darknes]

How did you kill a damsel?!? Those things are usually immortal.
As everyone said, don't add any chemicals to try to speed up the process...it will end up throwing off your whole bio cycle.
IMO, using damsels is not the best way to cycle a tank, because they are a pain to catch if you want to get rid of them.
Just give your tank time...I'd recommend buying a test kit, and testing your parameters while it's cycling.

 

[caz]

Alright guys... I just tested my water and this is what I got
Salinity is at like 1.026
pH is at 8.0
Nitrite is at 0
Ammonia is at 0
Nitrate is at like 5-10..?
Just from what I know, nothing seems far off... I didn't really mention that these damsels are super small... like all are 1/2 inch to 1". I am noticing what appears to be more life/color on my rock. Any comments as to my water test results? Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[trainfever]

You should have started with just 2 damsels for the cycle, that would have been plenty and less likely to kill them from an Ammonia spike.

 

[puffer32]

sounds like you had your cycle, thats probably what killed your fish, a HUGE ammonia spike from 6 fish! I would leave it alone for now, just to be sure, and if everything stays the same for afew weeks try again with another fish, though you might want to get rid of the damsel you have, he probably stressed out the others and they couldn't handle both the stress and the cycle.

 

[caz]

So do you think I should go ahead an get rid of the other 5 I've got in there and let it be for a couple weeks? Then I should be alright to start adding? I had only had the fish in there for like 2 days when this happened... The smallest of all 6 was the one that died. I know I sound like a complete idiot asking all of this... trying to learn what I did wrong, what I should have done, and what to do from here. Thanks for the help guys..

 

[who dey]

i hate damsels :cheer:

 

[4fun]

Who Dey that is not nice, I have become attached to my one yellow tail damsel. He now has a couple of bigger tank mates and just goes with the flow!

 

[who dey]

i know it's not nice but i have my reasons. i was bit by a very large on and continue holding the grudge

 

[4fun]

caz
I am no expert here, but seems that I have gone down the same path..... I would leave them in, if you have the same luck as I did, you are going to end up with a dominate male and he will end up killing the rest anyway. I have heard they are difficult little devils to catch, so at this point and time, think about future tank mates and determine if they will be compatible or not.
Best of Luck, just remember do not believe everything your LFS tells you. I have already been mislead several times! Right now debating if I should return a juv. Passer angle that LFS said would not get bigger than 8 inches. In researching I am finding out this is a LARGE angle with a nasty attitude..... Research 1st as I seem to be a slow learner with that advice myself. :notsure: :sleepy:

 

[snipe]

Who Dey mabey he hated you first lol "thats why he bit you". I like damsles to I dont know why there a pain when I feed my star they try to take the meat im always chasing them with the scewer running them off lol.

 

[who dey]

Originally Posted by Snipe
Who Dey mabey he hated you first lol "thats why he bit you". I like damsles to I dont know why there a pain when I feed my star they try to take the meat im always chasing them with the scewer running them off lol.
could be

 

[4fun]

Snipe that would make a good Funnest Animal video!

 

[caz]

Originally Posted by 4FUN
caz
I am no expert here, but seems that I have gone down the same path..... I would leave them in, if you have the same luck as I did, you are going to end up with a dominate male and he will end up killing the rest anyway. I have heard they are difficult little devils to catch, so at this point and time, think about future tank mates and determine if they will be compatible or not.
Best of Luck, just remember do not believe everything your LFS tells you. I have already been mislead several times! Right now debating if I should return a juv. Passer angle that LFS said would not get bigger than 8 inches. In researching I am finding out this is a LARGE angle with a nasty attitude..... Research 1st as I seem to be a slow learner with that advice myself. :notsure: :sleepy:
That's what I'm thinking... I'm planning an aggressive tank so I figure that if they don't end up killing each other, then whatever survives (not becoming lunch) past the trigger, puffer or eel that are soon to come, will stay. (not trying to sound cruel) We'll see what happens... I'm going to give the tank a few more weeks before I do anything else besides possibly adding some more rock.