Help with my fish please

[barry769]

I posted this in another thread, but didn't get any response so I'll be a little more direct.
One of my two clownfish died last night after not eating for a while.
My other remaining clownfish is acting strangely now hiding in the corner above my powerhead practically out of the water.
Should I wait to get another fish to make sure there isn't any type of disease from the first in the tank, and if so how long?
Or should I get another fish so that my remaining clown isn't the only fish in the tank.
-Scott

 

[dazed1]

Your tank is just about 1 month old (from your sig). It is possible it is still cycling.
did you check the water parameter's ? Its too soon to add 2 fish to such a tank. I suggest doing a water test, one by yourself and one by the LFS to verify the result's.
Take it from there.

 

[barry769]

The tank is cycled. I confirmed it and the LFS confirmed it when I bought the fish and now once again. There were definite spikes and everything went down to and remained at zero.

 

[majakarot]

was it eating and then stopped? if so was the other clown harrassing it? i've had aggression between clownfish before
i think it is fairly common for clowns to hang out by filters if they have nothing to host, i guess it makes them feel secure
i would guess that it wasn't water conditions that killed your fish and it would probably be safe to try another, however i'm sure some people will disagree

 

[barry769]

It ate for the first two days and then just stopped, if anything, Id say that it was the aggressor towards the other one, for the first week or so, it always seemed to be going after the other fish which was the smaller of the two.

 

[majakarot]

how long did you have the fish? how did you acclimate it?
i still think it was the fish and not the tank
IMO since the cycle is complete it is ok to start out with 2 fish in a 30

 

[barry769]

I had the fish for a little over 2 weeks. I acclimated it basically according to the directions on this site.
Should I wait before getting another fish, or should I get another one now?
I'm not planning on getting another clown since I've read that they don't tend to get along after already being a part of a mated pair.

 

[ophiura]

How did you cycle your tank? It is very unusual for a tank to properly cycle in 2 weeks. What are your current water parameters? Without knowing these, we will not be able to narrow down what happened.
I think there is a very good chance it was the tank, and not the fish. Not a guarantee, but it would be very unusual for your tank to have cycled in 2 weeks.
Did you just use LR, or did you use shrimp, damsels ?

 

[majakarot]

if your other fish is healthy, i'd go ahead and get another fish, but that is just me, i believe it may be something in the tank, however i think it might not be...i certainly wouldn't get something crazy expensive, but i wouldn't think a second fish in a 30 would change much as far as the bio-load... if you are sure your water tests good then i think it could have just been the fish

 

[majakarot]

ophiura
i am not sure that came out right, what i am trying to say is that sometimes fish don't survive a move even when everything is done correctly and IMO if the water tests are all good and the other inhabitants are healthy it is not necessarily the fault of the tank
did that sound better?

 

[barry769]

I cycled my 30 gallon tank with the 40# of LR. It took 4 weeks. I tested the water myself throughout the cycle and kept having my LFS test it as well. (i'm not very good with colors) We both agreed that the tank was cycled. I added the 2 fish without ever experiencing another spike.
My current water params are
Amm 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2.5
Ph 8.2, slight fluctuations throughout day as is expected, been adding buffer
SG 1.023
temp 79-80
alk normal (this is all my kit tests for...low high normal...will get better kit soon but it is in the normal section now)

 

[bterry29]

You say your nitrates are at 2.5? I'm still pretty new at this but I was sure I had read postings here from other that say the nitrates have to be at 0 or it is harmful to the fish. Someone more knowledgeable want to confirm?

 

[ty_05_f]

nitrates are the least harmful to the fish than the others but it can still hurt the fish. No 2.5 isnt very high

 

[miles o'reef]

I would hold off adding any more fish for a little while just make sure that there is nothing wrong with your tank. It may not be a problem with your tank, maybe it wasn't a healthy specimen from the LFS as sometimes it takes a while before problems with a specimen begin to appear.
IMHO, it is better to err on the side of caution and wait. After all the remaining clownfish doesn't NEED a companion to survive.
Miles