Dead fish, any idea's?

Embowe · 11/20/2006, 05:07 PM

Over the weekend I picked up a Firefish and did a 2 hour drip to get him into my tank...Within 24hrs he was dead, and I have no idea why...my tank specs are as follows...

Temp - 77.8
Salinity - 1.026
pH - 8.2
Ammonia - 0.0
Nitrite - 0.0
Nitrate - <20

I dont test for anything else as of right now. For the last 3 weeks I have had 2 cleaner shrimp and about a dozen assorted snails and 6 blue legs in the tank and everything is doing great. Does anyone have any idea what may have happened or did I just get a "sick/bad" fish.

syilk1 · 11/20/2006, 05:48 PM

Sounds like bad luck

Embowe · 11/20/2006, 05:58 PM

really?....I am hoping so..I actually made me second guess if I really want to do it...I love the hobby and I just dont want to spend another 20 and have another one die....all my params seem to be in order and the total time the tank has been up is about 2 and a half mabey 3 months...

Sk8r · 11/20/2006, 06:15 PM

WOuld you have a sponge or filter somewhere? That nitrate is high for having none? Temp could be 80, but all told, really not bad.

With a new tank it is sometimes a good idea not to replace a lost fish with another the same, in case there is a chemical or environmental reason. Give or take 7 more months, your tank will be much more stable. Right now it is still apt to go up and down a bit, by the hour. You might start with, say, a watchman goby, or something tough like that, and when the tank has several inhabitants living well and healthily, you can reintroduce a firefish.

You actually might try a faster drip. Sometimes there are oxygenation issues with a 2 hour acclimation. I do about 1, and have not had any trouble. Also...a quarantine tank would be safer, re introduction of some disease from the lfs.

Embowe · 11/21/2006, 05:58 AM

The only sponge that I have is the one that is in the "overflow box" of my CSS skimmer, other than that no there is no sponge at all....Can anyone recomend a good hardy fish that I could try besides the watchman

kau_cinta_ku · 11/21/2006, 06:03 AM

clowns are very hardy

Embowe · 11/21/2006, 10:52 AM

I was thinking of doing a clown...just wasnt sure how hardy they are....I am just hoping that I had a "bad luck" fish...I really hate spending $20 just to have it die in a day...

cilyjr · 11/21/2006, 10:56 AM

more and more LFS are starting to give a 24 hour garantee on marine fish. mine does with a water sample. you could call and ask.

Embowe · 11/21/2006, 11:37 AM

I know the one that I go to doesn't...there are signs posted everywhere...I may call a diff. LFS to see if they have one

MimicTang · 11/21/2006, 12:43 PM

how big are the blue legs?

Embowe · 11/21/2006, 01:06 PM

very tiny....they are only about has big as the nail on your pinky finger...why?

BCreefmaker · 11/21/2006, 02:11 PM

sometimes big hermits can go after fish too

Embowe · 11/21/2006, 02:57 PM

I just picked up a clown and cut the drip time to 1 hour (plus 20 min in the bag for temp matching) He went into the tank and instantly went to hide in the rock and hasn't peeked out at all so I dont know if he is doing ok or not...the lights have been off and I will turn them on in about another hour...my powerheads were off for about an hour after he went in now they are both currently running....wish me/him luck...If he dosn't make it I dont know what to do

11/20/2006, 05:07 PM	#1
Embowe Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Jersey Posts: 331	Dead fish, any idea's? Over the weekend I picked up a Firefish and did a 2 hour drip to get him into my tank...Within 24hrs he was dead, and I have no idea why...my tank specs are as follows... Temp - 77.8 Salinity - 1.026 pH - 8.2 Ammonia - 0.0 Nitrite - 0.0 Nitrate - <20 I dont test for anything else as of right now. For the last 3 weeks I have had 2 cleaner shrimp and about a dozen assorted snails and 6 blue legs in the tank and everything is doing great. Does anyone have any idea what may have happened or did I just get a "sick/bad" fish. Last edited by Embowe; 11/20/2006 at 05:22 PM.

11/20/2006, 06:15 PM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	WOuld you have a sponge or filter somewhere? That nitrate is high for having none? Temp could be 80, but all told, really not bad. With a new tank it is sometimes a good idea not to replace a lost fish with another the same, in case there is a chemical or environmental reason. Give or take 7 more months, your tank will be much more stable. Right now it is still apt to go up and down a bit, by the hour. You might start with, say, a watchman goby, or something tough like that, and when the tank has several inhabitants living well and healthily, you can reintroduce a firefish. You actually might try a faster drip. Sometimes there are oxygenation issues with a 2 hour acclimation. I do about 1, and have not had any trouble. Also...a quarantine tank would be safer, re introduction of some disease from the lfs. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

11/21/2006, 10:56 AM	#8
cilyjr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 1,683	more and more LFS are starting to give a 24 hour garantee on marine fish. mine does with a water sample. you could call and ask. __________________ Cls Current Tank Info: 180 inwall, 75 sump, 20lfrag, 3x lumen max elite w/250w radium 20k, recirc modded asm g-3, aqua controller apex,2x rw-20, 350lbs LR

11/21/2006, 02:11 PM	#12
BCreefmaker Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 1,129	sometimes big hermits can go after fish too __________________ To make apple pie from scratch, You must first create the universe.

11/20/2006, 05:48 PM	#2
syilk1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 391	Sounds like bad luck

11/20/2006, 05:58 PM	#3
Embowe Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Jersey Posts: 331	really?....I am hoping so..I actually made me second guess if I really want to do it...I love the hobby and I just dont want to spend another 20 and have another one die....all my params seem to be in order and the total time the tank has been up is about 2 and a half mabey 3 months...

11/21/2006, 05:58 AM	#5
Embowe Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Jersey Posts: 331	The only sponge that I have is the one that is in the "overflow box" of my CSS skimmer, other than that no there is no sponge at all....Can anyone recomend a good hardy fish that I could try besides the watchman

11/21/2006, 06:03 AM	#6
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	clowns are very hardy

11/21/2006, 10:52 AM	#7
Embowe Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Jersey Posts: 331	I was thinking of doing a clown...just wasnt sure how hardy they are....I am just hoping that I had a "bad luck" fish...I really hate spending $20 just to have it die in a day...

11/21/2006, 11:37 AM	#9
Embowe Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Jersey Posts: 331	I know the one that I go to doesn't...there are signs posted everywhere...I may call a diff. LFS to see if they have one

11/21/2006, 12:43 PM	#10
MimicTang Moved On Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hartford CT Posts: 1,517	how big are the blue legs?

11/21/2006, 01:06 PM	#11
Embowe Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Jersey Posts: 331	very tiny....they are only about has big as the nail on your pinky finger...why?

11/21/2006, 02:57 PM	#13
Embowe Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Jersey Posts: 331	I just picked up a clown and cut the drip time to 1 hour (plus 20 min in the bag for temp matching) He went into the tank and instantly went to hide in the rock and hasn't peeked out at all so I dont know if he is doing ok or not...the lights have been off and I will turn them on in about another hour...my powerheads were off for about an hour after he went in now they are both currently running....wish me/him luck...If he dosn't make it I dont know what to do