Fish don't like my tank

[ole o]

I bought a new 65g tank 5 weeks ago and put a yellow tank, blue tang, 2 clown, 4 snails, starfish, and an arrow crab in immediately because I was throwing a big party that weekend. Now I know how stupid I was. All fish died and then I started doing research and found this great site. Two weeks have past and I've been cycling. Three days ago I bought a small Volitan Lion and a snowflake eel. The lion is now listless and has lost most of it's color, not to mention what looks to be ich. Please, anyone, where do I go from here. All of my parameters appear to be right in line.

 

[denny80688]

uh if the fish arent too sick I would start by taking them back asap. When you say the readings are "in line" what are the readings? What are you using for filtration? Do you have live sand or live rock? did you actuily see each chemical in the tank spike to verify the tank has completely cycled?

 

[ole o]

No I did not see them spike and fall. Amonia is 0, nitrate is non-existant, nitrate is low, Ph is 8.2- 8.3 . Salinaty is1.022. Temp is 78. Forgot to mention I also bought through the Lfs a cleaner wrasse today.

 

[ole o]

You say take back all of the fish? What about the snails, crabs,starfish, and eel?

 

[hagfish]

Wherever you do go from here, do it much much more slowly. If you can, I'd take back the fish. Have you been testing every day? If so, and you haven't seen any spikes then your cycle isn't over yet.
You say nitrate is non-existant and nitrate is low. Notice that you said "nitrate" in both cases. What are the actual numbers for both nitrite and nitrate? Especially nitrite, that has to be at zero.
Also, it would help if you list your filtration (LR/LS and mechanical)

 

[ole o]

By the way, thanks for the advice. Nitrite is .05- 0. Nitrate is measuring low on my test card. I have 70 lbs. LR, Two inches of LS. My filtrating is a carbon Penguin. I've been testing every day for the past 2 weeks. I figured that my fish initially died when it spiked 3 weeks ago????

 

[fishy411]

I think i know what yur problem is. Do u quarantine yur fish? If u don't know what it is it is when u get a bare tank to put yur new fish in. No ls no lr. You keep yur fish in there for like 3 weeks to a month so that if yur fish ge sick u can treat them individually. Also from now on i would get one fish at a time especially if yur getting messy eaters like eels, lions, tangs, triggers, and puffers. I hope this helps.
Is yur Penguin a protien skimmer bcuz thats what u really need. U probly also need a sump and maybe a fuge. Aks around on the reef forums to find out.

 

[hagfish]

I agree with fishy411. When you introduced all of those fish at once probably either one or more of them had ich, or else the stress caused them to get ich. So you may have an ich problem in your tank now. You already mentioned possibly seeing some ich on one of your current fish. Look in the disease forum for info about curing. But, if your LFS will take the fish back, I'd do that instead.

 

[big911dog]

the fish are probably dying from a combination. the ich infection is a problem, but with elevated nitrite levels (i'm better there's ammo in there too), theyre getting poisoned. that is the immediate problem.
ur tank has crashed. time to get the fish somewhere they can be helped and start over patiently.

 

[pontius]

Tangs are some of the most sickly fish you can have, especially the blue one. putting any fish, especially tangs, immediately into a newly setup tank is sentencing those fish to death. And now it is definitely a possibility that your tank has ich and that your new fish may have it too. The best thing to do is read and research before you start. throwing those fish in the tank because of a party will now probably set you back months, because you can't be sure if ich has gotten into your tank or not.

 

[ole o]

I am currently neting all of the remaining fish, lion,eel and wrasse. Do I need to remove the inverts? What is my next step with the possible ich and how do I know when the tank is fully cycled. Where do I get info on a qt tank?

 

[fishy411]

Well before u said that u saw no rise or fall in ammonia,nitrate,nitrite. This means that yur tank hasn't cycled. Just leave it and let it do it's thing. Try using frozen shrimp. not cocktail shrimp but i think mysis shrimp works. U should probly take the inverts back too bcuz i'm not sure what u have in there so it might eat yur cycling fish food and ruin it.it usually takes about a month to cycle. FYI
On the qt tank. There is really nothing to it. Get a bare like 10 gallon tank. Get a heater and filter and maybe a fake plant or two and put yur fish in. Only one at a time though like i said. When u get more into the hobby u may be able to do more but for now try to stick with one. also make sure that u cycle yur quarantine and display tank.
Do not get the cleaner wrasse again if u return it. They eat the Ich parasites off other fish but that is pretty much All that they eat so if yur fish don't have ich then yur wrasse won't eat.

 

[sandflea]

i wish people did thier homework before killing marine animals. So, you have a lion, an eel, and you have recently gotten a wrasse? Quite an expensive snack for the lion huh?

Can someone hook me up with the name of the site that sponsors the forum where all the experienced aquarists go?

 

[blitz99]

wow, some of you are just flat out peckers.. the dude screwed up and he is asking for help so lets all rip him and tell him how damn stupid he is...
take the fish back... NET THEM because thats how you know how to catch a fish (me too.. harmful? get real)
if you have to let the snails and other inverts die, it'll cycle your tank for you...
dont put any more fish in there for a few weeks.. keep checking your levels...
i was gonna rip on you too but noticed some of these guys are

[hr]
so i'll be serious when i ask if you have checked your SG and salinity.
have you? what is your specific gravity?

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by ole o
I bought a new 65g tank 5 weeks ago and put a yellow tank, blue tang, 2 clown, 4 snails, starfish, and an arrow crab in immediately because I was throwing a big party that weekend. Now I know how stupid I was. All fish died and then I started doing research and found this great site. Two weeks have past and I've been cycling. Three days ago I bought a small Volitan Lion and a snowflake eel. The lion is now listless and has lost most of it's color, not to mention what looks to be ich. Please, anyone, where do I go from here. All of my parameters appear to be right in line.
Slow and steady is the Key to this hobby.
Only add fish 1 at a time, then wait atleast 2 weeks, 3-4 preferred before adding the next fish.
This gives time for sufficient bacteria to grow to be able to handle the bio load.
You'll want to "feed" your invisible fish...this will cause amonia that will help your tank cycle.
Make sure you have a PH, Amonia, Nitrite, Nitrate Test Kit and something to test the Salinity, Refractometer preferred.
Also during this time...do not do water changes...make sure your PH is at 8.2-8.4 Specific Gravity is 1.025-1.027.
Temp should be around 81ish
Let tank sit for 3-4weeks fishless, while feeding it small amounts of food. The decaying food will help the cycle.

 

[effloresce]

Originally posted by lionfish12
Regal tangs need at least a 125 gallon. FYI
i dont think were to concerned about long run yet, amybe CYCLE? and BIOLOAD SIPKES?

 

[effloresce]

also, this isnt a "oww look at my pretty fish hobbie", now is it a cheap one, if you want to be cheap and do things fast, buy a betta or a gold fish, many tanks are thousands of $$ i have near 3k in my tank incruding filtration, lights, rock, corals, equipment, addatives, and monthly maintanince. know what your getting into, and if your going to be cheap in this hobby, your gonna end up getting double screwed like lionfish12, oh and also, never take lionfish12's advice

 

[msd2]

Originally posted by lionfish12
dont use nets. They cause harmful damage to most saltwater fish

As much as I talk to the fish they just wont go back in the bag

so what do u suggest someone use/do to get them out of a tank?

 

[tina]

netting can be dangerous if care isnt takin in the process. you can scratch their eyes and gills....so find something else to make fun of lionfish12 for.....
for example:
"When did i get a wrassle?"

 

[pontius]

I agree with some of the others, Lionfish12 is good to make fun of, that's about it.
The problem i see with setting up a qt for the remaining fish...it's going to need to be cycled too, and if you don't have it set up already, don't see how you're going to get away from either returning the fish or watching them die.