guitarfish
Member
I need help. Every time I bring home a new fish, it dies, and I can’t figure out why. I used to put new fish directly into my main tank and they always thrived, but after experiencing a couple of ich wipeouts, I won’t be doing that again. New fish now go in a 20g QT tank.
In the last 6 months I’ve lost 3 yellow tangs, 2 flame angels, and a firefish goby, most died within 24hrs. In a couple cases, the fish lived for a few days, but refused to eat. NOT ONE new fish has lived. This week I brought home a firefish and a small yellow tang. The goby was dead in 12 hrs, the tank in 24. These were beautiful, healthy fish that were at the LFS for weeks.
I have the LFS feed the fish for me so I can see them eat. Then they hold the new fish for a week or two before I take them, during which time they eat and thrive. I’ve brought fish home from two different LFS’s, with the same results – quick death. As you can imagine, I’m pretty discouraged.
Tank Specifics:
20g, about 2 cups of crushed coral on the bottom. (Used to be bare bottom, but I added the CC to make it a little more interesting). Back and sides are covered with black vinyl (outside) to make the fish feel a little more secure. 5 pieces of PVC in there, and a small hand-sized piece of live rock. I rinsed the PVC thoroughly. 200w Ebo-Jager heater, HOB Bio-wheel filter.
PIC:
Parameters:
(measured this week when I brought the fish home)
SG – 1.018 w/ refractometer (same as LFS)
Ammo: 0 – new kit
Nitrite: 0 – new kit
pH: ~8.5 – new kit - (not sure what LFS was)
Temp: 80
Nitrate: didn’t measure
Alk: didn’t measure
The QT has been up and running for 4 months. It is fully cycled, and there's a little algae growth here and there. I initially set it up to treat all my existing fish for ich with hyposalinity, which was successful. I had my 3 existing fish in the tank for 2 months, they were all fine. Over the last 2 months I’ve had a small 1” blue yellowtail damsel in the QT, he went through hypo also, and I just put him in the main tank this week. He’s been great the whole time in the QT.
Acclimation:
I usually put new fish in a container and either drip or add ½ cups of water every few minutes. I usually do a 90m acclimation.
That my existing fish all lived in the QT for months and were healthy seems to indicate the QT is OK, as opposed to something toxic in there that would kill them. So why are new fish unable to survive in there? Is there some parameter that is far enough out of range from the LFS that is shocking them and they die from the sudden change? pH shock, for instance?
I have my heater fully submerged, and was wondering about stray voltage. That’s easily remedied by pulling the top of the heater out of the water.
I also thought about taking a water sample to the LFS and seeing if they come up with anything.
That aside, I really don’t know what to do next. Aside from blowing a few hundred $$$ on dead fish over the last 6 months, I‘m getting depressed. This is supposed to be fun!
HELP! SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!
In the last 6 months I’ve lost 3 yellow tangs, 2 flame angels, and a firefish goby, most died within 24hrs. In a couple cases, the fish lived for a few days, but refused to eat. NOT ONE new fish has lived. This week I brought home a firefish and a small yellow tang. The goby was dead in 12 hrs, the tank in 24. These were beautiful, healthy fish that were at the LFS for weeks.
I have the LFS feed the fish for me so I can see them eat. Then they hold the new fish for a week or two before I take them, during which time they eat and thrive. I’ve brought fish home from two different LFS’s, with the same results – quick death. As you can imagine, I’m pretty discouraged.
Tank Specifics:
20g, about 2 cups of crushed coral on the bottom. (Used to be bare bottom, but I added the CC to make it a little more interesting). Back and sides are covered with black vinyl (outside) to make the fish feel a little more secure. 5 pieces of PVC in there, and a small hand-sized piece of live rock. I rinsed the PVC thoroughly. 200w Ebo-Jager heater, HOB Bio-wheel filter.
PIC:
Parameters:
(measured this week when I brought the fish home)
SG – 1.018 w/ refractometer (same as LFS)
Ammo: 0 – new kit
Nitrite: 0 – new kit
pH: ~8.5 – new kit - (not sure what LFS was)
Temp: 80
Nitrate: didn’t measure
Alk: didn’t measure
The QT has been up and running for 4 months. It is fully cycled, and there's a little algae growth here and there. I initially set it up to treat all my existing fish for ich with hyposalinity, which was successful. I had my 3 existing fish in the tank for 2 months, they were all fine. Over the last 2 months I’ve had a small 1” blue yellowtail damsel in the QT, he went through hypo also, and I just put him in the main tank this week. He’s been great the whole time in the QT.
Acclimation:
I usually put new fish in a container and either drip or add ½ cups of water every few minutes. I usually do a 90m acclimation.
That my existing fish all lived in the QT for months and were healthy seems to indicate the QT is OK, as opposed to something toxic in there that would kill them. So why are new fish unable to survive in there? Is there some parameter that is far enough out of range from the LFS that is shocking them and they die from the sudden change? pH shock, for instance?
I have my heater fully submerged, and was wondering about stray voltage. That’s easily remedied by pulling the top of the heater out of the water.
I also thought about taking a water sample to the LFS and seeing if they come up with anything.
That aside, I really don’t know what to do next. Aside from blowing a few hundred $$$ on dead fish over the last 6 months, I‘m getting depressed. This is supposed to be fun!
HELP! SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!
