24 hrs later.....dead fish

[A Canfield]

I bought a Foxface Rabbit fish from LFS yesterday.....today came home at lunch to check on it........dead.
Details:
20g qt with a damsel(been in there for a year).
Partition up between the damsel and Foxface.
Water params
Amm=0
Nitrites=0
Nitrates=20
pH 8.1
salinity 1.025
temp 78-80
water changes every week of 3-4 gallons

I've had three other fish in there(not at the same time!) since December......Flame Angel and 2 Clowns. All of these fish are alive and well.
I was assured at the LFS that nitrates of 20 or so are not that bad.......true?
I thouhgt my nitrates were 0 but got a new test kit to find out they are more in the 20s
Was the Foxface doomed from the beginning?
Any thoughts on my tank husbandry etc......are extrememly welcomed!!!
Thanks

 

[matttaylor]

20 is no big deal for a fish in QT. Was it eating at the store or in the QT? Were you treating the QT tank with anything? Were there any visible signs of stress or damage on the foxface? How big was the fish?

Matt

 

[A Canfield]

I guess he had just come in the store on Monday.......I was told he ate that evening. I neglected to ask to see him eat when I bought him.
Didn't look stressed at all. Swam around in the QT. Didn't eat Tuesday night but I didn't find that to be too surprising.
This am I thought he might have been breathing alittle fast but thought I was just stressing out more then the fish.
No meds in the QT
He was medium size, about 4-5 inches

 

[A Canfield]

The fish came into the store on Monday. I was told he ate that evening. I failed to ask to see him eat before I bought him.
He did look bright and alert at the store and in my QT that evening. This am I thought maybe he was breathing alittle fast but I always seem to "see" things when I have a fish in QT and 9 out of 10 times it's just me being nervous.
No meds in QT
Fish was about 4 inches long

 

[A Canfield]

sorry for the double post......I thought the first one didn't go thru

 

[dots]

You know, I had that problem too......I had a coral beauty, 2 chromis, maroon clown, dotty back.......I was trying to add another fish for months and probably went through four or five.....the newbie just kept dying........I would chalk it up to just back luck and try slowing your acclimations down......

not only does the new guy have to deal with new enviromental conditions....he has other fish to deal with.....that could lead to alot of stress.

 

[Sk8r]

SLow your acclimations, but oxygenate like crazy.

Also, a fish that is wild-caught may have been caught with cyanide; that's one. Or if not, he may not have eaten for 2 weeks, not being fed at the distributor's; and finally sold too fast by the store, has been several days there, not eating; and you get him, he gets a little shock from water change, and his stressed system can't take it. Try to get your lfs to hold your fish for you and make sure he's eating before you bring him home.

 

[A Canfield]

Mmmmm...all sound advice. Thanks very much! I will try again............she says as she takes another sip of her vodka martini

 

[Justin74]

Ive bought a few fish within the past six months that have come in with flukes and other unknown flatworm looking parasites. And they died within a week. It's been seemingly common lately.

Found a method that works very well. Fresh water dip with Formelin for a good half minute+(depending on the fish up to 1+minutes). Then drop him in a containor of tank water to dissapate/dilute any trace formalin before putting him in the tank.

It's like playing roulette with 10 rounds instead of six

-Justin