HELP

[Rena321654]

I have lost several fish for apparently no reason.
This is what I have done......please tell me what is next.
I bought a 100 gal saltwater tank about two and a half months ago.
I set up a 30 gal and kept it running and everything alive for about two months before that.
I have added new fish into the 100 gal after a week of quarentine in the 30gal.
I test my water weekly for nitrate, nitrite, salinity, and ph. I went through a week of a nitrite spike and then the levels settled to good and I have had no problems with these since the second week my tank was set up.
When I set up my tank, I used live sand, and live rock to "jump start" it and also used some water from my 30 gal tank. I was told that after the nitrite spike I could add fish to the tank, which I did.
I added my 3 damsels and two clown fish from the 30 gal, arrow crab, the live rock, and the sleeper gobie and cleaner shrimp to the 100 gal.
Then, after about two weeks, I added my first "expensive" fish, a racoon butterfly. I quarentined the butterfly for a week in the 30 gal and he appeared happy and healthy and was eating well. Then, I put him in the 100 and two days later he died. Then, a week later, i decided to buy a Yellow Tang. I went through the same process with him and he died the day after I added him to the 100 gal. This was approx 4 days ago. Yesterday, my sleeper gobie, who I have had for more than 3 months died also. In between all of this I also added two starfish. One of the starfish had some missing pieces when I bought him and I did not expect him to live long. He did live a few days but I think the gobie may have helped him loose more parts. When my Tang died he lost all of his yellow color and was almost white. The same thing happened to one of my clown fishes. I had also put some granite rock in my tank as a "builder" but removed it recently because I believe it may have something to do with the death of my fish.( I read that some things that are not of marine origin can have metals or other organizms that dont "wash away". Anyway, if you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks bunches for reading all of this.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Rena321654

Welcome to the forum.

I'm going to move your thread into the Marine and Reef forum. I think you will be able to get more help there.

Why not start another thread in the Newbie forum to introduce yourself?

 

[Rena321654]

Thanks for moving me.......but where'd I go??? )

 

[Great Lakes]

HI Rena.

A few questions.

What is your specific gravity at?
How do you transfer fish from the quarantine to the main tank? Do you acclimate them and how?
Have you checked all you readings lately? Marine tanks can go into a mini cycle at the drop of a hat.
Aren't sleeper gobies a brackish fish? I may be wrong. But I do know most gobies prefer live food and you really need a seasoned tank to support them. He could of been haeding downhill for months.

GL

 

[Rena321654]

Hi Great Lakes and thanks for replying.
The answers are:

Myspecific gravity is at 1.022-1.023

How do you transfer fish from the quarantine to the main tank? I transfer fish in one of those hang over the side of the tank things they use when putting the fish in the bag at the store.

Do you acclimate them and how? I acclimate them by pouring a little of the water from the tank that I am transfering to into the transfer bowl and then gradulallly adding more of this water as time passes (usually at about 10 minute intervals). I do this about 5 times (all the while removing water to accomidate the new water) and then take the fish out with a net and place him in the tank.

Have you checked all you readings lately? Marine tanks can go into a mini cycle at the drop of a hat. I check my readings weekly and everytime I do something new like before adding new fish.

Aren't sleeper gobies a brackish fish? I may be wrong. But I do know most gobies prefer live food and you really need a seasoned tank to support them. He could of been haeding downhill for months. The sleeper is a saltwater fish and I believe you may be right that I added him too quickly.

Thanks for your help.

 

[wonder371]

i had a 30 gal w/ 3 damsels and a shrimp. Anytime i added anything else the damsels would tag team and mess the new fish up. The only thing he didn't mess with was my shrimp. Next time u drop in a fish, watch those damsels they might be getting territorial in their new home.

 

[Great Lakes]

HI Rena. Sorry I didn't get back sooner, real busy week.

Your Damsels are some of the hardiest fish you can have. Whereas the Tangs can be tempramental. Your situation is frustrating. Your husbandry skills seem on par as reflected in your success with your quarrantines. I would hazard a guess that you do have some sort of water chemistry trouble. Maybe a pollutant.

If it were me, I would do a couple of 30% water changes and let my tank cycle and mature a bit longer, then try again.

Wish I had all the answers...

GL

 

[Rena321654]

Well, If anyone reads this, thanks for ALL of your help, you guys have been wonderful. I think I found out what the problem was...It was the store I was buying my fish from...imagine that )

 

[Hazmat]

Having a friend at my LFS I do learn allot about other stores. My friend always tells me that when he goes to get livestock from the wholesaler he see's the same owners week after week. He tells me that most of them don't even look at the fish before they pick it out and some don't even care what shape the fish is in. On the other hand , my friend will sit and look at the fish until he see's a good healthy one.

What kind of setup do you have with your tank filter, lights, etc.??

Hazmat

 

[ostrow]

GL recommends a water change

Would love to hear more about your setup Rena

 

[Great Lakes]

GL recommends a water change

You are right Oz.

But when I say water change, you know I gotta mean it...

GL