So on Friday I picked up three lyre tail anthers that were being quarantined for me by my local fish store. When picking them up, they were extremely healthy looking and aggressively ate. I brought them home and drip acclimated for 2 hours until salinity and ph matched and then put them in. Over the few days, they were still eating aggressively. I fed twice a day using LRS reef frenzy. The only thing I noticed was that the strongest fish was chasing the other two around like normal anthias behavior. On Sunday I noticed one of the anthers had some torn scales near its eye. I assumed it was injury from the strongest anthias. Yesterday (Monday), it was time to do my routine water change which is every two weeks. They were eating aggressively still and looked fine besides that one with the torn scales. I was doing a 15% water change and matched my salinity, pH, and temp to my tank's water. I confirmed that they all matched ideally. As I was doing the water change, the anthias went and hid in the rocks as they usually do when they're scared. This morning though, I woke up and found the anthers with the torn scales being eaten by hermit crabs and snails. I quickly took it out and checked my parameters. Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate were all 0. The other two anthers were hiding in the rocks still which was odd because they're usually out and about. I tried feeding and they didn't eat but my two other clownfish and Midas blend were still eating aggressively. I went to shower and found the other two dead.. I have no idea how this happened so quickly and what could have happened. My other fish are acting perfectly normal and look super healthy. What could've happened? I'm really confused..
All Lyretail Anthias dead?
- Thread starter jvmesle
- Start date
Tripod1404
Active member
Do you know where the fish are originating from? If they were otherwise healthy and died in 24h, I would suspect cyanide poisoning.
The tank is 3 months old, 75 gallons, I use a Reef Octopus Bh2000 skimmer and a fx5 cannister as a big gfo/carbon reactor and i clean out the detritus that builds up in it every week
Stolireef
Active member
So, if I was a betting man, and I am, here's what happened.
Three month old tank. Had recently finished cycle. Added three anthias which require regular feeding. Tank experienced an ammonia spike. Fish died and ammonia dropped back to zero since they aren't eat and it was too soon for any significant decomposition. The symptoms fit.
Clown fish and the blenny are much hardier fish than the anthias and were already in the tank for a while. That's why they survived.
Then again, it could have been that Neptune was having a bad evening and decided to take it out on your anthias.
Either way, sorry for your loss. It always sucks when that happens.
Three month old tank. Had recently finished cycle. Added three anthias which require regular feeding. Tank experienced an ammonia spike. Fish died and ammonia dropped back to zero since they aren't eat and it was too soon for any significant decomposition. The symptoms fit.
Clown fish and the blenny are much hardier fish than the anthias and were already in the tank for a while. That's why they survived.
Then again, it could have been that Neptune was having a bad evening and decided to take it out on your anthias.
Either way, sorry for your loss. It always sucks when that happens.
michaeluad
New member
If they were healthy and died in 24h, I would suspect cyanide poisoning.
Stolireef
Active member
Anthias can be fickle fish. IMO, and that's all it is, I wouldn't try a trio of anthias in a 75. They like to stake our territory and only swim together occasionally. If you really like anthias, buy a male in another month. The lyretail males are beautiful. If you have a lid there are a number of great fish for that tank. Just about any wrasse, basslet, firefish, blennies, gobies, etc.
Much depends upon your rock and substrate.
How much do you have and what kind? Was it dry when you put it in or did you use live rock? Do you have a sandbed? How deep.
Much depends upon your rock and substrate.
How much do you have and what kind? Was it dry when you put it in or did you use live rock? Do you have a sandbed? How deep.
I have caribsea south seas base rock which was dry, i have 40 pounds of thay plus 25 pounds of my cousin's old pukani live rock which became dry too. I have a 2 inch sandbed but its thick grained so no sand dweller fish sadly.
BigBlueTang
Active member
I agree with everything you've said in this thread, except this comment :lmao:. Diver's Den does NOT quarantine, and they even recommend that you do your own QT. They simply have too many fish coming in and out of their system to be completely disease free. That being said, they do have very high quality fish, and they are healthy most of the time. I would say they do a "condition", which many other businesses do as well. As of right now, they do have the best guarantee. I don't completely disagree with your comment, just wanted to make sure that it was clear that DD does not quarantine.
BigBlueTang
Active member
I would be a little more patient stocking fish. Yes, a light bioload is a very good idea, and I applaud you for making that decision. That being said, I took 9 months to stock my 75 with 5 fish, which is ridiculously slow, but I'm glad I did. No impulse purchases here!
Stolireef
Active member
Agreed. But, how dare you disagree with me. I read it on the interweb so it must be true.
I will say that I've never received a fish from DD that wasn't basically perfect. Eats right out of the bag, not a hint of any parasites or disease, etc. Then again, for me fish are more of a decoration for the coral so even if I had to fallow my tank, I wouldn't me too upset.
BigBlueTang
Active member
Interesting. For me it's the opposite, the corals are decorations for the fish, but to each their own.
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FishN00b83
New member
I'm surprised no one else is questioning the LFS QTing fish, I don't buy that for a second. How long did they "QT" them for, how did they treat them, did they find anything? A new fish should be QTed for at least six weeks before they hit your DT. Were the anthias treated with copper, TTM, formalin, anything? If they died suddenly I would say brook is a very likely cause of death. Clowns and anthias as very susceptible to brook and should be treated with formalin at the first sign of brook. Also flukes are very common in new fish and prazi pro should be used for at least 2-3 rounds before they hit your DT. A proper QT process will really prolong the life of the fish if done properly. Please think of setting one up and doing on your own in the future.
