why are my clowns dying???

[royalgamma]

last 2 weeks I have tried to put a clown in my tank and the both have died after a day or two..
amonina 0,
nitrite 0,
Nitrite between 10-20 ( not that high is it?),
ph 8.4,
S/G 1.022-1.023,
temp is around 77
I have damsells (2 blue devils and 1 yellow tail ), 1 cleaner shrimp, and 10 hermits, 2 snails o yea 44 gallon tank 20lbs live sand about 10lbs live rock and 20lbs of home made rock ( more in the garage curing about another 100lbs) tank has been up for about a month and a half or so. none of the other fish are having problems :notsure:
Thanks for the help :help:

 

[nemo's mom]

Damsels are highly territorial and might be killing your clowns. You should get rid of them. Also, define "home made rocks".

 

[royalgamma]

crushed oystrer shells,portland cement rocks (DIY rocks)
And I would watch the tank and the damsells never really bothered eith clown..the first clown was doing good ( was eating and looked heathly) the 2nd one was smaller and I never saw him eat then the next morning he was dead laying by the rocks

I didn't think clowns were that hard of a fish to keep anything else that would affect them???

 

[nemo's mom]

How did you acclimate?

 

[royalgamma]

I put the bag in the tank for about 20min
then put about 1 cup of tank water in the bag let it sit for another 10 min then another cup or two of tank water in the bag for another 10 min ( at this time the bag is floating in the tank open)then I drain the water out and get the fish out of the bag.
Note: the last clown was in the same bag as my 2 new blue devils and they went through this same procedure and were ok? :notsure:

 

[royalgamma]

i was just looking around the forums and remembered that the first clown ( the last time i saw him alive before work) had white stuff on him and looking at another thread looked like broknella?!? not sure if thats spelled right I though he had gotten sand or rock rub off on him from sleeping ?

 

[royalgamma]

bump