My new oscellaris clown died!!

[monalisa]

pohtr,
Are you sure that the tank was cycled properly for saltwater? Saltwater is VERY different from freshwater. My suggestion would be to read, read, and then read some more. I can't tell you how many hours I spent reading before even starting salt...and then, how many MORE hours I've spent since!!! I'm still new at this, and there's always something else coming up that I need/want to monitor for. It' great FUN!!!
Lisa :happyfish

 

[pohtr]

Maybe it WAS just one of those things. I hope. But even then, there should be a reason. Hrrumph.
I have spent a LOT of time on this forum reading and I have borrowed almost every book on the subject from the library. I also have purchased 2 recommended books which I read all the time. Of course, I still don't know what I'm doing.....
I really want to add another fish, preferrably a pair of clowns, but I REALLY don't want more death just now. I don't know what to do.

 

[airforceb2]

What kind of skimmer do you have and how long has your tank been set up?

 

[pohtr]

I have a Kent nautilus te that I don't really know how to use. I think it has been working properly for maybe a week now. The tank is 4 months old.

 

[airforceb2]

I still think your problem may be resting in your lack of powerheads.

 

[pohtr]

I think I will be ordering the powerheads in the a.m. Also will see if any lfs can test for copper, phosphates, & silicate, just in case, and whatever else they can test for (and order test kits for myself if not). There is not much in the way of lfs near here. 50 min to the nearest (and not so good) one. I just feel like I should DO something before I just add another potential victim.
Thank you all so much, I really appreciate your help. lfs info is just so useless.

 

[ohiorn67]

I have a 90 gallon tank.....doing great.....I have 5 powerheads...2 900's that lean up to break surface and 2 that point from corners to front center and one back center that rotates. One time after a water change...we forgot to point the powerheads up for surface...keeping in mind I have a remoraC pro skimmer and a cannister filter that points up and those 2 big devices were moving the water and oxygen...enough so I thought....NOPE...one night, my one small clown looked bad bumping into tank walls, swiimming crazy...it was nuts......so I finally realize the issue..turn them back upway and within 30 min, fish were fine..I am telling you, it is because the 90 is a 25" deeper tank and it needs the extra oxygen exchange due to this.....you must have powerheads, I am convinced this is your issue....you may just enough for that one fish and inverts who maybe also a little low but have accomodated....I have never lost a fish yet, my tank is 4 months old...so far so good, holding my breath like everyone else!

 

[maeistero]

cycle cycle cycle.
i think the #1 cause of "nemo" death is the movie and the lack of knowledge. not to knock you or anything, but many people just don't know how much different saltwater is.
oscars and plecos both, especially big ones, are the dirtiest fish i've ever had. not to offend this early in the morning, but ever watch them take a load off? the plecos is about a foot long on a big one and the oscars is nearly a half an inch diameter!!! :scared: people who keep oscars, common plecos (not knocking the REALLY nice rarer small species showing up now) those people usually do so b/c those fish are nearly impossible to kill. ergo, they don't know what they're doing and use lots of chemicals when the oscars are just hitting rocks when they're spooked. do copper test and other non-common tests.
newcomers to fishkeeping seem to trust people with big tanks, but as i mature in thinking i challenge myself to the smallest tank i can. sure i show the biggest ones first, but only we really know how hard a 10gal is.
imo. :happy: i'll never forget in the early '80s when my dad decided to clean his two 29gals. it had just rained and filled up an empty half whiskey barrel thing you buy at hardware stores. he thought it'd be pretty pure water for the oscars, and a great time to completely clean the equipment outside, but didn't think about the liq in the wood. the oscars (about 10") swam sideways and slow for about 10 water changes over a week.
they lived 4yrs after he died of liver failure. ironic.

 

[pohtr]

Thank you so much for your answers. I am definitely getting some powerheads. I thought 2 microjets - 320 each and maybe a power sweep 270? That would bring the turnover (or whatever it is callecd) rate to around 1220 gph, I think. Isn't that enough?
Ohiorne, it sounds like you have a huge amount of gph, how much does yours all add up to?
Also, I am going to bring water to the farther away lfs (which is really nice) and have them check for copper, phosphate, and silicates and whatever else that needs it. IF the water checks out o.k. I will try another fish. But I think its going to be scarey.
I feel a lot better having something to fix (water movement ) and do (water tests). I feel bad that I might have suffocated the poor little nemo. though.