Question
- Thread starter adairable
- Start date
myrtle beach
Member
You need to give more details, other fish, levels, how old were fish, etc? I would say stress if fish isn't missing, chewed, or damaged. CSI tactics help.
adairable
Member
Originally Posted by Myrtle Beach
You need to give more details, other fish, levels, how old were fish, etc? I would say stress if fish isn't missing, chewed, or damaged. CSI tactics help.
ok so I have had my tank since christmas
First I got cleaner crew
10 blueleg hermits and 10 turbos
Second I got a Lawnmower blenny about a month after I got the tank
Third I got a royal gramma about two weeks after getting the blenny
Fourth I got a peppermint shrimp to eat some nuisance anemone from the L R
So everyone is alive and happy for like a month
then the royal gramma dies and disappears
a day later the blenny is dead so I fish him out
check the levels and all....everything checks out
(sorry I have no numbers they are in a journal at home)
Then I decide to just stop with the fish for now
All the other inhabitants are fine
I get back from Vacatation in the caribean and after snorkeling I need to get a fish. So I check all the parameters when I get home.
All is well.
I go to the lfs and buy a sixline wrasse and he dies within a day.
So that is where I am...fishless
You need to give more details, other fish, levels, how old were fish, etc? I would say stress if fish isn't missing, chewed, or damaged. CSI tactics help.
ok so I have had my tank since christmas
First I got cleaner crew
10 blueleg hermits and 10 turbos
Second I got a Lawnmower blenny about a month after I got the tank
Third I got a royal gramma about two weeks after getting the blenny
Fourth I got a peppermint shrimp to eat some nuisance anemone from the L R
So everyone is alive and happy for like a month
then the royal gramma dies and disappears
a day later the blenny is dead so I fish him out
check the levels and all....everything checks out
(sorry I have no numbers they are in a journal at home)
Then I decide to just stop with the fish for now
All the other inhabitants are fine
I get back from Vacatation in the caribean and after snorkeling I need to get a fish. So I check all the parameters when I get home.
All is well.
I go to the lfs and buy a sixline wrasse and he dies within a day.
So that is where I am...fishless
nick76
Active Member
Originally Posted by Adairable
ok so I have had my tank since christmas
First I got cleaner crew
10 blueleg hermits and 10 turbos
Second I got a Lawnmower blenny about a month after I got the tank
Third I got a royal gramma about two weeks after getting the blenny
Fourth I got a peppermint shrimp to eat some nuisance anemone from the L R
So everyone is alive and happy for like a month
then the royal gramma dies and disappears
a day later the blenny is dead so I fish him out
check the levels and all....everything checks out
(sorry I have no numbers they are in a journal at home)
Then I decide to just stop with the fish for now
All the other inhabitants are fine
I get back from Vacatation in the caribean and after snorkeling I need to get a fish. So I check all the parameters when I get home.
All is well.
I go to the lfs and buy a sixline wrasse and he dies within a day.
So that is where I am...fishless
how are you adding the fish to the tank?
are you drip aclimating them?
ok so I have had my tank since christmas
First I got cleaner crew
10 blueleg hermits and 10 turbos
Second I got a Lawnmower blenny about a month after I got the tank
Third I got a royal gramma about two weeks after getting the blenny
Fourth I got a peppermint shrimp to eat some nuisance anemone from the L R
So everyone is alive and happy for like a month
then the royal gramma dies and disappears
a day later the blenny is dead so I fish him out
check the levels and all....everything checks out
(sorry I have no numbers they are in a journal at home)
Then I decide to just stop with the fish for now
All the other inhabitants are fine
I get back from Vacatation in the caribean and after snorkeling I need to get a fish. So I check all the parameters when I get home.
All is well.
I go to the lfs and buy a sixline wrasse and he dies within a day.
So that is where I am...fishless
how are you adding the fish to the tank?
are you drip aclimating them?
adairable
Member
Originally Posted by Nick76
how are you adding the fish to the tank?
are you drip aclimating them?
i did the float the bag and put in a 1/4 of my tank water in with the fish every ten minutes until the bag is full and then repeat.
The two fish lived for like a month, only th last one died instantaneously(SP?)
how are you adding the fish to the tank?
are you drip aclimating them?
i did the float the bag and put in a 1/4 of my tank water in with the fish every ten minutes until the bag is full and then repeat.
The two fish lived for like a month, only th last one died instantaneously(SP?)
1journeyman
Active Member
Try feeding other foods for starters.
The LMB could well have starved. Small, new tank doesn't equate to a lot of food for it.
Try feeding frozen preperations made specifically for marine fish. Also follow the acclimation procedures listed on this site.
The LMB could well have starved. Small, new tank doesn't equate to a lot of food for it.
Try feeding frozen preperations made specifically for marine fish. Also follow the acclimation procedures listed on this site.
adairable
Member
Originally Posted by 1journeyman
Try feeding other foods for starters.
The LMB could well have starved. Small, new tank doesn't equate to a lot of food for it.
Try feeding frozen preperations made specifically for marine fish. Also follow the acclimation procedures listed on this site.
thanks for your input!
I will take into it consideration when I decide to get a new fish, so no more LMB for me I guess....
:notsure: I really just want to know whay they all died?
Try feeding other foods for starters.
The LMB could well have starved. Small, new tank doesn't equate to a lot of food for it.
Try feeding frozen preperations made specifically for marine fish. Also follow the acclimation procedures listed on this site.
thanks for your input!
I will take into it consideration when I decide to get a new fish, so no more LMB for me I guess....
:notsure: I really just want to know whay they all died?
adairable
Member
Originally Posted by DragonZim
It is possible that the lawnmower blenny starved. They need a lot of algae to feed off of unless you are prodiving that for them via nori sheets or a frozen food like formula 1 or 2.
but why did everyone(royal gramma after a month, and the sixline wrasse instantly) else die? My bf thinks I starved them all and I don't want him to be right!!!! :hilarious
It is possible that the lawnmower blenny starved. They need a lot of algae to feed off of unless you are prodiving that for them via nori sheets or a frozen food like formula 1 or 2.
but why did everyone(royal gramma after a month, and the sixline wrasse instantly) else die? My bf thinks I starved them all and I don't want him to be right!!!! :hilarious
1journeyman
Active Member
Originally Posted by Adairable
but why did everyone(royal gramma after a month, and the sixline wrasse instantly) else die? My bf thinks I starved them all and I don't want him to be right!!!! :hilarious
The fish that died almost immediately certainly didn't starve. Most likely it was shocked/injured during capture or acclimation.
but why did everyone(royal gramma after a month, and the sixline wrasse instantly) else die? My bf thinks I starved them all and I don't want him to be right!!!! :hilarious
The fish that died almost immediately certainly didn't starve. Most likely it was shocked/injured during capture or acclimation.
kevin34
Active Member
Follow these steps for acclimation.https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/acclimation.php
Also you may want to pic up a QT if you already have one.
Also you may want to pic up a QT if you already have one.
adairable
Member
Originally Posted by Kevin34
Follow these steps for acclimation.https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/acclimation.php
Also you may want to pic up a QT if you already have one.
I wish I could get a qt, but I am broke as a joke
....you know full-time college students don't get paid well....
I watched the drip acclimation process...
:thinking: how much water will I loose from my tank acclimating a fish for 2.5 hours?
I only have a 14 g that has 10lbs of LS and about 20lbs of LR to take up space
Follow these steps for acclimation.https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/acclimation.php
Also you may want to pic up a QT if you already have one.
I wish I could get a qt, but I am broke as a joke
I watched the drip acclimation process...
:thinking: how much water will I loose from my tank acclimating a fish for 2.5 hours?
I only have a 14 g that has 10lbs of LS and about 20lbs of LR to take up space
trainfever
Active Member
The amount of water you lose depends on how fast of a drip you have. Make the knot tighter so that you have a slower drip. You can also get a single in line air valve to adjust the drip, thats what I do. You also have to wait about a month before adding more fish, you have to let the bacteria build up to support your bio-load. Adding too many fish too close can cause levels to spike and then lower quickly before you test the water. Add one fish and then wait a month before adding another.
chinpokomon
Member
If you live near Lancaster Pa.you should go to the Mondo Mega That Fish Place retail outlet. Give yourself the day because you’ll need it (800+ tanks). I would take a sample of your water both pre and post mix. I’d bring 12-16 oz. of each (they may do more than one test) if you describe your problem to them in detail they may have a solution (they have marine biologist on staff to help customers). I’m confident they’ll point you in the right direction and at any rate a day trip there is a marine lovers dream so I’d encourage the trip if it were not too far. (Bring an empty cooler in case you buy something). If a trip there is not an option here are some suggestions.
Before your next attempt I would change the filter and do partial water change (25%) about week before you get your new fish. I would suggest a damsel of some sort for your next try I find Fiji blue devils cheap (>$10) and hardy but any damsel will do. I would try to get something in the 1” range. Mystery die offs are disheartening but there are so many possibilities they can be hard to pin down. If you want to ensure your water quality a small bag of Chemi-Pure ($7) in your filter box flow changed every two months will remove water quality as an issue (if possible w/your filter setup). I’m sorry if you already answered this somewhere but do you have a protein skimmer? If not I’d look into one, with such a small volume of water to work with every little bit helps. If you lose the damsel with skimming and Chemi-Pure I would be shocked.
A word on Damselfish, in general they can be pugnacious and this only grows with their size, after they stake their territory you will need to choose their tankmates carefully. You may need to do a major LR reconfig to give the newcomers a chance to claim some “new” ground of their own.
I wouldn’t worry about seawater loss from your drip/acc just have a few gallons of mixed sea water ready to replace the loss as you go. Also, I don’t think your fish starved you would have to neglect feeding them for a week or two before that would happened. Most captured reef fish don’t eat for a week or more during their first transit and acclimation. Although I’m sure a certain portion of the transit stock die from starvation it is still a minor portion of the shipped animals (I used to work for a Marine LFS). Did you actually see the fish eat every time you fed them? Now the LMB may have starved because their comb-like teeth are geared towards eating hair algae. LMB can find nori sheets acceptable if they are presented correctly (I find they prefer green over red) A small plastic seaweed clip works fine place a thumbnail sized piece in the clip and lower it on a piece of fishing line near the LMB’s home turf. Don’t be surprised if the nori has to soften for 10-20 mins before they show interest; keep feeding them until they lose interest retrieve any uneaten portions. Most people I know only feed their tanks two or three times a week. Barring special cases like seahorses, pipefish and basketstars most sea creatures get along fine being fed every few days instead of everyday. I like Formula ONE and TWO in flake form I also use frozen Cyclo-peez and frozen Aqua Yums variety packs.
On an unrelated topic I neglected to add an important piece of information about fireworm traps (in a different thread). You must be sure the trap is completely filled with water before you place it (the worms won’t enter a dry tube) a gently shaking motion with the tube submerged end up should remove any air bubbles
Before your next attempt I would change the filter and do partial water change (25%) about week before you get your new fish. I would suggest a damsel of some sort for your next try I find Fiji blue devils cheap (>$10) and hardy but any damsel will do. I would try to get something in the 1” range. Mystery die offs are disheartening but there are so many possibilities they can be hard to pin down. If you want to ensure your water quality a small bag of Chemi-Pure ($7) in your filter box flow changed every two months will remove water quality as an issue (if possible w/your filter setup). I’m sorry if you already answered this somewhere but do you have a protein skimmer? If not I’d look into one, with such a small volume of water to work with every little bit helps. If you lose the damsel with skimming and Chemi-Pure I would be shocked.
A word on Damselfish, in general they can be pugnacious and this only grows with their size, after they stake their territory you will need to choose their tankmates carefully. You may need to do a major LR reconfig to give the newcomers a chance to claim some “new” ground of their own.
I wouldn’t worry about seawater loss from your drip/acc just have a few gallons of mixed sea water ready to replace the loss as you go. Also, I don’t think your fish starved you would have to neglect feeding them for a week or two before that would happened. Most captured reef fish don’t eat for a week or more during their first transit and acclimation. Although I’m sure a certain portion of the transit stock die from starvation it is still a minor portion of the shipped animals (I used to work for a Marine LFS). Did you actually see the fish eat every time you fed them? Now the LMB may have starved because their comb-like teeth are geared towards eating hair algae. LMB can find nori sheets acceptable if they are presented correctly (I find they prefer green over red) A small plastic seaweed clip works fine place a thumbnail sized piece in the clip and lower it on a piece of fishing line near the LMB’s home turf. Don’t be surprised if the nori has to soften for 10-20 mins before they show interest; keep feeding them until they lose interest retrieve any uneaten portions. Most people I know only feed their tanks two or three times a week. Barring special cases like seahorses, pipefish and basketstars most sea creatures get along fine being fed every few days instead of everyday. I like Formula ONE and TWO in flake form I also use frozen Cyclo-peez and frozen Aqua Yums variety packs.
On an unrelated topic I neglected to add an important piece of information about fireworm traps (in a different thread). You must be sure the trap is completely filled with water before you place it (the worms won’t enter a dry tube) a gently shaking motion with the tube submerged end up should remove any air bubbles