Ready to give up-losing fish again

brsdr32

Member
I have had numerous problems with my tank over the past year and a half. Most of them were from not doing enough research and being stupid. But my last problem...i don't know what i did, if I did anything. As with most of you I had a red slime problem. I tried the elbow grease solution by using a turkey baster to clean my rocks and such. Needless to say this was way too much work too often. I bought some new stuff this past weekend, Ultra life Red Slime remover. It came highly recommended by my LFS. I checked all my paramaters before hand, because the medication said it could affect Ph and Oxygen. All paramaters were within norms. Temp and Salinity are good also.
Well today, 3 days after the medication, I have lost 2 fish...my Huma Huma and my Hawkfish. There is the stuff all over my tank, it looks like spider webs in my tank. My hermit crabs and my Arrow Crab are fine. My 2 Clown fish are great. My parameters are great, Ph, temp, salinity, they are all great.
I don't know what to do and I'm thinking about convering tank to Fresh water because this crap is too expensive.
Someone please help.... :help:
 

bovetek

Member
I had a simular problem a while back. I did 3 things. 1. Cut back the length of time the lights were on. 10,000-10 hours, actiniks-12 hours. 2. Increased water flow and adjusted the flow so there were no dead spots. 3. Replaced all my light bulbs. Also make sure you have enough light in your tank. Mine is a 37 gal and I'm right on the edge of 4 watts/gal.
HTH
 

the reef

Member
Originally Posted by brsdr32
I have had numerous problems with my tank over the past year and a half. Most of them were from not doing enough research and being stupid. But my last problem...i don't know what i did, if I did anything. As with most of you I had a red slime problem. I tried the elbow grease solution by using a turkey baster to clean my rocks and such. Needless to say this was way too much work too often. I bought some new stuff this past weekend, Ultra life Red Slime remover. It came highly recommended by my LFS. I checked all my paramaters before hand, because the medication said it could affect Ph and Oxygen. All paramaters were within norms. Temp and Salinity are good also.
Well today, 3 days after the medication, I have lost 2 fish...my Huma Huma and my Hawkfish. There is the stuff all over my tank, it looks like spider webs in my tank. My hermit crabs and my Arrow Crab are fine. My 2 Clown fish are great. My parameters are great, Ph, temp, salinity, they are all great.
I don't know what to do and I'm thinking about convering tank to Fresh water because this crap is too expensive.
Someone please help.... :help:
have you checked your nitrate and your phosphate can you give the read out of these
 

brsdr32

Member
I'm lucky, my Huma Huma actually survived. He was lying on my intake to my protein skimmer when I posted original message and I assumed he was dead. The next morning, he was swimming around and he is eating.
But I still lost one fish, Hawkfish, and i don't know why. I still have some of that spiderweb looking material around some of my LR.
I haven't checked phosphate levels yet, but i will do that tonight.
Does anyone know what that spiderweb looking material could be?
 

yupi1982

Member
Originally Posted by brsdr32
I'm lucky, my Huma Huma actually survived. He was lying on my intake to my protein skimmer when I posted original message and I assumed he was dead. The next morning, he was swimming around and he is eating.
But I still lost one fish, Hawkfish, and i don't know why. I still have some of that spiderweb looking material around some of my LR.
I haven't checked phosphate levels yet, but i will do that tonight.
Does anyone know what that spiderweb looking material could be?

dont give it up just yet my man!!
i've lost about 600 in fishes in 2 years ...and there were desperate times but never to give up
this is an awesome experience.....keep it up my friend




 

brsdr32

Member
Nice pics that you have. If I continue with this, I hope I can have a tank like you. I especially like your Blue Hippo Tang. I had one for just a few weeks before it died. I bought it new from my LFS and I didn't give it time to adjust...learned a lesson there. I only buy fish that is at least 3 weeks old now.
 

ophiura

Active Member
Originally Posted by bluephi115
i've lost about 600 in fishes in 2 years
anyone else have a hard time believing that?

Nope, definitely believe it. Definitely do.
 

scubadoo

Active Member
You need to identify the cause of your red slime problem. Adding a snake oil only addresses the symptom but does not treat/elimiate the disease/cause.
massive red slime die-off can release toxins in your system that will kill your animals. I guess your wonderful lfs did not tell you this or warn you of this possibilty.
Do a search here on red slime and the causes/cures. Stay away from the magical miracle cures.
JMO
 

mikeyjer

Active Member
Is there a clean up crew that can take care of stuffs like that?? Haven't had that problem, curious to know just in case it ever happens to me...My Hermit Crabs clean up whatever crap that's growing on the rocks...And for the commit earlier in the post, losing $600 in fish in two years, I believe it...We've lost $300 in one year....Good Luck to ya!!!
 

thangbom

Active Member
i had the red slime before.. i had it bad too.. darn that cyano!!!! it lays on the rocks and sand.. it think it's home or something.. id scoope the red out only to wake uo up to have it back.. that hing is crazy .... how i got rid of it?? well i used ro/di water.. but i think it started when my filters in the ro/di unit got kinda old.. so i changed them out.. dont know it it was that that made it go away but anyhow.. i also started to use carbon... but what i think made it go away was time... i think it ate all the food out of the rock and sand.. perdy shure it eats slicates... cuzz i know po4 is green hair algea food.. but it took about 4 months for it to go away like... it started when i first changed my substrate from cc to argonite sand.. ( i dont think it was really 100% even tho it said it was on the bag..) but anyhow.. i dont think the red slime is what killing your fish.. i mean it's ugly.. but not killing fish.. can u post what your filter is and how it's set-up?.. what u feed? and how much?? whit size tank??..
 

celacanthr

Active Member
i believe his tank is a 55 gal according to his profile, so you can keep a huma huma trigger in a fifty five gallon tank?
 

traib

Member
Anyone who looses 600 in fish shouls hit the books or quit the hobby. There is no excuss for poor husbantry.
 

schadiest1

Active Member
600 fish in a lifetime is horrible. I can't imagine why some fish become rare

"hmmm, they keep dying, but I guess I'll put more in the 'death trap' tank"
Ridiculous!
 

schadiest1

Active Member
Still, that's a lot of fish. Why would someone keep kiling fish? Why not discover the problem before you kill anymore?
 
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