Originally Posted by
jdragunas
Kackey, we need to know your water parameters exactly. The LFS saying they're "fine" really can't help us much, as "fine" to them might not be so fine.
After reading your first post, i must ask, how exactly did you cycle your tank? I read that on aug. 14th, you began cycling your tank, but didn't add your LR or LS to the tank until Sept. 7th.
Here's the general jist of cycling:
1. introduce ammonia (feeding the tank as if a fish was there, or putting in a shrimp)
2. ammonia-eating bacteria grows and turns the ammonia into nitrites
3. nitrite-eating bacteria grows and turns the nitrites into nitrates
Since you didn't add your LR and LS to the tank until after this all happened, the only place that the bacteria grew on was your tank walls... This is not good. I would say that your tank, although cycled, was "under-cycled". When you added the fish to the tank, it probably kicked-off another cycle, because there wasn't enough ammonia-eating and nitrite-eating bacteria in your tank.
It is very possible for inverts to survive while fish die because of poor water problems... How do you think hitchikers always seem to survive on LR? Yes, inverts are more sensative to water quality, fish are more sensative to stress. So while the inverts only have to deal with poor water quality, the fish have to deal with that and stress. Because too many were introduced in such a short period of time, it is very plausible that the fish died of poor water quality, combined with stress.
Also, while inverts are sensative to water quality, they can survive in poor water quality, as long as you acclimate them properly. They're more sensative to quick water quality changes... not necessarily to water quality.
When was the last time you tested your water parameters? have you tested since the fish began dieing? Please test today and post all of your results so we can maybe get a better understanding of what's going in your tank. Without knowing any of your test results, it is impossible for us to continue this investigation as to why you lost your fish.
Please don't become disheartened. This is the most rewarding hobby in existance, IMO, and probably in the opinion of 99% of the people on this website. If you begin to let yourself become too disappointed, you'll never be able to truly enjoy yourself. It took me 4 months to stop killing fish. I haven't lost a fish since, and it's great. You just have to live and learn, and once you do, you'll be so glad you didn't give up because of your first big loss...
I started cycling 8/14 with 20lb live sand and 20lb crushed coral I kept the water and ditched the CC ,because of threads on this site. I added 40 lb LS,20 lb playsand, and 50lb and LR on 9/7 and raw shrimp. I kept records and watched parameters.I'm sure now from advice on this that I overloaded my system adding too fast,or that I brought in a sick fish I never saw my readings off,I tested the water like crazy.I tested today10/17 and here are the results,I have a drip test
[hr]
PH--8.4
[hr]
Nitrite(NO2)
[hr]
0
[hr]
AMM----0----Nitrate(NO3)----20ppm----Sal----1.024---temp--78
[hr]
Thanks to everyone,I'm watching my inverts and waiting.Kackey