Algae blenny

[djryan2000]

I added an algae blenny to my tank today to try to include a herbivore. He darted into the rock work and I haven't seen him since. I do have sea greens macro algae / seaweed that I attach to a large empty hermit shell. How long should I be concerned before I see him about him eating?


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[mcgyvr]

Its not uncommon for a fish to not eat for a week or so.

 

[djryan2000]

Its not uncommon for a fish to not eat for a week or so.

I just found him dead. He didn't make the night
I'm guessing it was the change in salinity change considering the store had him in hypo / copper?


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[Sk8r]

A fish can survive a rapid drop in salinity but not a sudden rise. Look at the permanent post Death in Bags. ALWAYS test the salinity in the bag versus your own. So sorry.

 

[djryan2000]

A fish can survive a rapid drop in salinity but not a sudden rise. Look at the permanent post Death in Bags. ALWAYS test the salinity in the bag versus your own. So sorry.

I've read your death in bags and erroneously thought that Only applied to fish shipped - and not fish who spent 15 minutes in a bag. My LFS said about an hour of drip was enough for the rise in salinity. Is this incorrect?




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[Oldreeferman]

You have to check the salinity from the LFS first...Does not matter if the fish is only in the LFS water 10 seconds the salinity varies greatly which is usually 0.20 or even less to save salt on fish only tanks,the reef tanks at the same store will be closer to 0.25 like your DT and if its coral then just allowing the bag to come to temp is all ya need but fish a whole different issue so you have to add DT tank water to the bag about 1/4 of whats in it wait 15min then do again 3 more times for an hr while the bag is clipped to the inside of the DT. Then after that use your hydrometer to accurately test to see if it matches yet if not, pour out about 1/2 the water in the bag now down a drain & again keep adding DT water till it matches salinity, since your constantly adding more water then just a drip trickle ammonia buildup won't be an issue so long as you keep doing the additions every 15min. Eventually your bag water will match salinity then you can net the fish gently & place in the tank. Best to turn the lights off when doing this procedure to minamize stress. This is how i do all fish never had an issue or ick or lost a fish this way. The info about an hr. of drip still does not mention checking the salinity just a guess they should have mentioned to first test the bag water before releasing the fish to make certain your spot on.
One last note I also transport anything from the LFS in a foam cooler inside an insulated bag because its usually too hot or too cold outside this way the creature does not get temp shocked that also can kill if the water drops or rises too much on the way home.

 

[djryan2000]

One last note I also transport anything from the LFS in a foam cooler inside an insulated bag because its usually too hot or too cold outside this way the creature does not get temp shocked that also can kill if the water drops or rises too much on the way home.

Thanks for the advice on the cooler and the lights! I'll definitely be using a cooler for the rest of the winter.

As for the salinity - the store had him at 1.018 as they keep all fish in that as a prevention for ick.
I did check the salinity with a Milwaukee digital refractometer. I checked when I first started, and after an hour or so before I put the fish in - they matched (otherwise I wouldn't have put the fish in).

I also keep a heater in the drip tank so the temperature doesn't drop (my bedroom is usually only 55-60 degrees).

I'm guessing the .07 jump over ~ 75 minutes was way too much for the poor guy to handle. What's the max change in salinity you'll allow for a new fish?


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[Oldreeferman]

Sorry to hear about the fish death sounds like you did pretty much what you needed to do, only diff i can think of was when the salinity was that low it took me way longer, once it took me 3 hrs. That was because as you dilute the water ea. time your diluting a larger volumn but still only adding a small same amount of DT water so it takes more & more to reach the 0.25 unless your willing to pour out 1/2 again and i didn't want to chance stressing the fish since i had more time then anything else at the moment but the bag does get full eventually.
You might have gotten a sick fish also that is always a thought unless you have seen that particular fish at that shop for several weeks happy & eating.
Ive seen several die at the LFS on occasion & the salinity was the same so that was not even a factor so may not have been anything you even did or didn't do TB totally honest. Its always a gamble unless its been in the shop a few weeks. My LFS won't sell any fish unless it stays healthy & eats for a min of 1-2 weeks. You probably have a 24/48hr guarantee id ask them & tell them you did as asked. Good luck & ask them how long was that particular fish in the shop too.

 

[Sk8r]

Ammonia results when a bag is breathed and poo'ed into (creating ammonium) and then the bag is opened, allowing co2 to escape. The escape lowers the ph of the water, converting ok ammonium into lethal ammonia------------that's the 'don't open bags until you're ready to move the fish part of bags. Ammonia is just flat poisonous.

But a salinity mismatch kills by wrecking the kidneys, which is a different thing you have to watch re incoming fish. Acclimation is all about making sure the salinity matches. If it matches, you're good to put the fish straight on in. If it does NOT match, you need to adjust the fish's water slowly to match the water in the receiving tank. Again, very sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

[djryan2000]

Ammonia results when a bag is breathed and poo'ed into (creating ammonium) and then the bag is opened, allowing co2 to escape. The escape lowers the ph of the water, converting ok ammonium into lethal ammonia------------that's the 'don't open bags until you're ready to move the fish part of bags. Ammonia is just flat poisonous.

But a salinity mismatch kills by wrecking the kidneys, which is a different thing you have to watch re incoming fish. Acclimation is all about making sure the salinity matches. If it matches, you're good to put the fish straight on in. If it does NOT match, you need to adjust the fish's water slowly to match the water in the receiving tank. Again, very sorry for the misunderstanding.

I figured that the minimal ammonia would build up in the drive home.. but I guess since the water volume is so low it adds up fast.

Thank you!


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[Sk8r]

I don't think your fish died of ammonia. I think it was a salinity mismatch.