fish dying
- Thread starter tandt
- Start date
tandt
New Member
Ammonia is @ 0
PH is @ 8.2
Nitrate is 10ppm
Nitrite is 0ppm
Salinity is @ 29
Temp is @ 79 deg.
Tank was cycled for 3 months before adding 3 Damsels about a month and a half ago. One of the original Damsels (a Blue Devil) is still alive and doing great. The other two were a Domino and a 3 stripe. The Domino died within 24 hrs. (he was breathing very hard from day one and never noticed him eating, Stayed hid. The Three stripe died in about 4 days (lost color, noticed he looked a little white that night and next morning was dead) . Replaced the Domino (the next day)with a Black Velvet (still alive) and Yellow Tail which lived about 3 days (Started to breath hard and quit eating, appeared to turn almost black in color with some scales missing). About a week ago I put another Domino (lived about 2 days, started breathing heard, turned white and next morning dead) , Yellow Tail and another Blue Devil in. The original Blue Devil Killed the new. The Yellow Tail is currently still alive but seems to be breathing hard (is still eating and swimming around). Never noticed any of them scratching around on the live sand. The main thing I have noticed that they all have in common was the breathing and them not eating.
The tank is a 55gal. Maybe I didnt leave anything out.
PH is @ 8.2
Nitrate is 10ppm
Nitrite is 0ppm
Salinity is @ 29
Temp is @ 79 deg.
Tank was cycled for 3 months before adding 3 Damsels about a month and a half ago. One of the original Damsels (a Blue Devil) is still alive and doing great. The other two were a Domino and a 3 stripe. The Domino died within 24 hrs. (he was breathing very hard from day one and never noticed him eating, Stayed hid. The Three stripe died in about 4 days (lost color, noticed he looked a little white that night and next morning was dead) . Replaced the Domino (the next day)with a Black Velvet (still alive) and Yellow Tail which lived about 3 days (Started to breath hard and quit eating, appeared to turn almost black in color with some scales missing). About a week ago I put another Domino (lived about 2 days, started breathing heard, turned white and next morning dead) , Yellow Tail and another Blue Devil in. The original Blue Devil Killed the new. The Yellow Tail is currently still alive but seems to be breathing hard (is still eating and swimming around). Never noticed any of them scratching around on the live sand. The main thing I have noticed that they all have in common was the breathing and them not eating.
The tank is a 55gal. Maybe I didnt leave anything out.
ophiura
Active Member
For a fish only tank it is not too bad. The specific gravity (related to salinity) is often used and should be between 1.019 and 1.021 but for reef tanks goes up to 1.026. The tricky thing is that specific gravity is often abbreviated just by the last two numbers. This is why Liontamer maybe thought it was high. You were mentioning (I assume) actual salinity and not a specific gravity of 1.029....which would be a very high salinity.
Fish only tanks are very commonly kept at a lower salinity, the theory being that it is less stressful and less likely to allow parastic infection. This may or may not be true. But you may end up with problems with any inverts like snails down the road.
Do you notice any agression, other than with the blue devils? Are the afflicted fish in a corner, or "hiding" near the bottom or corners?
Fish only tanks are very commonly kept at a lower salinity, the theory being that it is less stressful and less likely to allow parastic infection. This may or may not be true. But you may end up with problems with any inverts like snails down the road.
Do you notice any agression, other than with the blue devils? Are the afflicted fish in a corner, or "hiding" near the bottom or corners?
tandt
New Member
Guess I should have stated it as specific gravity instead, it is @ 1.021...
The original Blue Devil (Ass), I have noticed chassing/nipping @ the most recently deceased Domino and occasionally the Yellow Tail. The Domino I thought sort of held her on but there was definatelly some aggression there (sort of like a husband and wife). Only noticed the Blue Devil chasing the Yellow Tail a few times, however I'm not around between 7:00am - 5:30pm. Do you recommend using the Blue Devil as cat food. He is the only one that seems to be aggressive like that but he has been in the tank since day 1 and that sortof makes it HIS tank. Sounds like you were headed toward the stress diagnosis................... I really appreciate all your help on this.
The original Blue Devil (Ass), I have noticed chassing/nipping @ the most recently deceased Domino and occasionally the Yellow Tail. The Domino I thought sort of held her on but there was definatelly some aggression there (sort of like a husband and wife). Only noticed the Blue Devil chasing the Yellow Tail a few times, however I'm not around between 7:00am - 5:30pm. Do you recommend using the Blue Devil as cat food. He is the only one that seems to be aggressive like that but he has been in the tank since day 1 and that sortof makes it HIS tank. Sounds like you were headed toward the stress diagnosis................... I really appreciate all your help on this.
ophiura
Active Member
There is a reason they are called "devil's!" Not particularly nice fish but then many of those small guys have big attitudes. Many clowns and dottybacks have attitudes far bigger than their bodies. I am assuming your lights are on during the day, and I am guessing that the blue devil might indeed be a bit of a beast. That dark color and scales missing is often a sign of it. Unfortunately, though, I am not a pro with diseases. So that might be something to just check into. However, I am guessing that you have a dominant damsel. If you want to keep it, you may have to try rearranging the rock when a new fish goes in, and keeping the lights off a bit.
What sort of fish do you ultimately hope to keep? This may help determine what you do with the damsel. If you are going with large predators, they will take care of it. But otherwise, you may decide it is best to trade him back in to the LFS, which many will do for you.
What sort of fish do you ultimately hope to keep? This may help determine what you do with the damsel. If you are going with large predators, they will take care of it. But otherwise, you may decide it is best to trade him back in to the LFS, which many will do for you.
tandt
New Member
Eventually would like to have maybe a couple of the smaller species of puffers, maybe a trigger and a dwarf lion fish (which would take care of my DAMsel. Really not for sure though. May check and see if I can figure something out as far as something to seperate the Blue Devil for a while and see if everything starts doing better. Appreciate your assistance in this.