First fish Died Help?

[kylew]

I have just started my first saltwater aquarium with no luck so far the damsel fish I added on day 7 died in under 24hrs. The ammonia in my tank is .25ppm, nitrite is .1ppm nitrate is 0, salt level is 1.022. Its a 65 gallon tank with 40lbs of live sand and 6lbs of live rock. It has had RO water in it for 8 or nine days so far. Also I have re siliconed the tank 4 days before adding the water and I think maybe the silicon is still curing and leeching chemicals into the water but the tube said it was designed for aquariums and cured in 24hrs. also the filters I have on the tank are a coralife 65SS and a hang on the back filter designed for a 100gallon tank with ammonia media in it. I also used a water conditioner called stability to add bacteria. Does anybody have any input into what could have caused the death of my fish?

 

[cmaxwell39]

It sounds to me like your tank is still cycling. Ammonia in any concentration is toxic to fish. You need to let the tank establish the good bacteria that break down ammonia and nitrite before you add any fish. There are a number of threads on here that outline how to cycle a tank and what to watch for. Check out some of those.

 

[perfectdark]

Nope your just going to fast.. IMO. You havent let your tank completly cycle. Your fish died from being poisioned by the anomnia level in your tank. Slow down a bit keep your tank going filters etc.. test for amonia and nitrate often. When you see them go down to 0 you will know your tank is nearing the end of its cycle. It can take 2 weeks to a month to cycle your tank and get your levels to 0. If you want you can add a raw shrimp tail in there to help jump start your nitrifing bacteria which aids in the cycling of your tank. Or you can let the die off from your LR and sand do it too. But IMO the first thing you need to do is slow down and research. Good Luck.

 

[chuckcac]

i agree - you are moving too fast... the tank does need to cycle.
however,
damsels are generally very hardy and it is a common practice (however cruel, outdated and unneccesary) to cycle a tank with them and they usually can survive the nitrogen cycle without a hitch... BUT
other questions for you...
ammonia - .25
nitrite - .1
nitrate - 0
sp grav.- 1.022
pH - ?
Temp.- ?
how did you acclimate the fish?
how long?
is the LFS reputable?
did the fish eat?

 

[kylew]

Originally Posted by chuckcac
i agree - you are moving too fast... the tank does need to cycle.
however,
damsels are generally very hardy and it is a common practice (however cruel, outdated and unneccesary) to cycle a tank with them and they usually can survive the nitrogen cycle without a hitch... BUT
other questions for you...
ammonia - .25
nitrite - .1
nitrate - 0
sp grav.- 1.022
pH - ?
Temp.- ?
how did you acclimate the fish?
how long?
is the LFS reputable?
did the fish eat?
the pH is 8.1 , took 2 hours to acclimate the fish by floating him in the bag and then slowly adding about half a cup of water to the bag every 20 minutes for 2.5 hours, temp is 79F, fish store is reputable aswell

 

[puffer32]

Both ammonia and trites need to be 0 before you add any fish.

 

[tarball]

Kylew, if i were you. I would skip the shrimp to cycle the tank and leave the damsel in tank for ammonia spike.
That way you can get your moneys worth out of him.
$$

$$

 

[nycbob]

how come no one try this product called CYCLE? it does speed up the cycle time. all it does is add more nitro bacteria!

 

[tinmanny]

because 1 shrimp or pc of dead fish is free and it works just fine
did you say your salinity was 1.022 imo that is low and you should bring it up if the fish you baught were in 1.023 or 1.024 that is tough on them as well the drip acclimate is to adjust him to numbers that are off from the tank he just came from and big changes are not good for stress
Good luck
Manny

 

[kylew]

When is it alright to add things to the tank like hermit crabs and snails can I do this during my tanks cycle or should I wait till after?

 

[perfectdark]

Wait till after.. Amonia is deadly to all animals and for the few weeks your tank cycles its not worth stressing or ultimatly killing any live stock.

 

[chuckcac]

Originally Posted by kylew
the pH is 8.1 , took 2 hours to acclimate the fish by floating him in the bag and then slowly adding about half a cup of water to the bag every 20 minutes for 2.5 hours, temp is 79F, fish store is reputable aswell
did you get to see the fish eat before you bought? and did it eat while living with you?
he just might not have been able to handle the cycle...
like i said before - they usually can... but he might have been a little sensitive to the poor water quality...
sorry about your fish...

 

[petjunkie]

Your tank is simply too young for a fish yet, let it cycle and settle down a little before you add any, at least two weeks after reading no ammonia and trites. Ghost feed the tank or add a raw shrimp to get a cycle going instead of a live fish, also most people stick to live rock for there filtration and it doubles as a secure place for your fish and inverts, I would add another 30 pounds minimum but a pound per gallon is recommended. One other thing to check is your ammonia remover, every kind I've ever seen specifies freshwater only.

 

[perfectdark]

Yea from what i understand the amonia bags, ceramic rings..or what ever you call them dont work in salt water tanks. mainly because the salt water neutralizes them so their primary use is for fresh water.