Fish die within 24 hours!!!

nitr8

nitr8

Active member
:headwallblue: Can anyone please help me figure out why I can't seem to keep fish alive in my tank? It's not all fish just most. As of now I have a small yellow tang, banggai cardinal, yasha goby, chromis and a mandarin. I've lost (3) Royal Grammas, (2) Wyoming White Ocellaris, (1) B&W Ocellaris, (1) ORA Black Snowflake Ocellaris, (2) Sunburst Anthias and most recently (today) a Blue Spot Jawfish all within 24 hours of being introduced. I've done a drip acclimation with all fish ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. Invertebrates and coral all do fine. Is this just the way it goes, you win some you lose some, or is there something seriously wrong with my tank? The ORA Black Snowflake and the the Blue Spot Jawfish both lived in my QT for about a month with no issues and seemed healthy which is why I added them to my display. Both died within 24 hours after being added to my tank. They were added a few days apart. The tank is a little over 4 months old and all my parameters seem to be in check. I do weekly 15% water changes. 90g display, sump, refugium, skimmer, carbon reactor, GFO reactor. Please help!!!

Lowest and Highest over the past 2 weeks
Salinity: 1.025 - 1.026
Temp: 79.3 - 80.8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 2 - 3
Phosphate: .04 - .1 (working on this but I don't believe it's a contributing factor to the issue at hand)
pH: 7.89 - 8.17
Calcium: 402 - 416
Alkalinity: 9 - 9.6
Magnesium: 1280 - 1300
 
I would suggest a fish being a murderer but you really don't have any of the usual suspects. Sorry to hear about your loss. Are the showing any signs of distress before they pass or is it just random
 
mattanderin said:
I would suggest a fish being a murderer but you really don't have any of the usual suspects. Sorry to hear about your loss. Are the showing any signs of distress before they pass or is it just random
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I've noticed that they kind of "swim" around a lot but it's more of the power heads directing the direction they swim. More like floating and being tossed around the water column. I can see they are trying to swim but they look too weak to do so.
 
Have yoi thought about checking your QT parameters and see if there is something off in that system that the fish are getting used to and when you change them over they get stress out. Acclimation should help with that but you never know. If not are the fish showing any stress or spots on there body you could have something in the water but you need to do some research, another thing could be that something in the tank like another fish or bad crab or something that can harm the fish is killing them off. And the only other thing I can think is are they eating enough? As long as you know that the store your getting them from is a good store and takes care of their fish those are the only things I can think of. Every once in a while you lose some for no reason but that a big list and mostly fish that are hardy and don't die that fast endless there not healthy
 
Have yoi thought about checking your QT parameters and see if there is something off in that system that the fish are getting used to and when you change them over they get stress out.Only 3 of the dead fish have went through the QT. I do daily 25% water changes but I havent tested the QT water other than the ammonia alert in the tank. Acclimation should help with that but you never know. If not are the fish showing any stress or spots on there body Breathing heavily and towards the end flop around in the water column while the power heads push them around. you could have something in the water but you need to do some research, I'm not sure what to research or where to start, any ideas? another thing could be that something in the tank like another fish or bad crab or something that can harm the fish is killing them off. I used all dry Marco rock so I'm fairly certain I don't have any hitch hikers of that magnitude. And the only other thing I can think is are they eating enough? Like pigs in QT and the store fed the others when I bought them. As long as you know that the store your getting them from is a good store and takes care of their fish those are the only things I can think of. I've bought these fish from numerous stores from coast to coast. Every once in a while you lose some for no reason but that a big list and mostly fish that are hardy and don't die that fast endless there not healthy. Thanks for the help, feel free to continue if you can think of anything else.
 
BoricuaMojao said:
My first suspicion was like we discussed osmotic shock, salinity being raised too quick.
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I calibrated my digital refractometer and got 1.027 in the QT and 1.026 in the display. I know most of stores I buy from keep their salinity in 19-21 range. Is one hour acclimation time not long enough to raise from 1.019 to 1.026?
 
nitr8 said:
I calibrated my digital refractometer and got 1.027 in the QT and 1.026 in the display. I know most of stores I buy from keep their salinity in 19-21 range. Is one hour acclimation time not long enough to raise from 1.019 to 1.026?
Click to expand...

In experience and from what i have heard from others is that dropping salinity can be done quickly, but raising salinity that quickly could be your issue. But your saying that this is happening a lot when moving fish from your QT tank to DT too which would only be a salinity change of .01 which would be compensated in an hr in my opinion
 
nitr8 said:
I calibrated my digital refractometer and got 1.027 in the QT and 1.026 in the display.
Click to expand...

scratch that idea then, for my suspicion to make sense it would have been very different for the two.


nitr8 said:
I know most of stores I buy from keep their salinity in 19-21 range. Is one hour acclimation time not long enough to raise from 1.019 to 1.026?
Click to expand...

I have read more than once that some fish can handle going down in salinity much easier than going up, and recommendations to match DT salinity in the QT over several days.
 
mattanderin said:
In experience and from what i have heard from others is that dropping salinity can be done quickly, but raising salinity that quickly could be your issue. But your saying that this is happening a lot when moving fish from your QT tank to DT too which would only be a salinity change of .01 which would be compensated in an hr in my opinion
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agreed
 
Quick question...do you have a brittle star or pistol shrimp? they can and have killed new fish additions in my tank.
 
Swirlygig said:
Quick question...do you have a brittle star or pistol shrimp? they can and have killed new fish additions in my tank.
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I have (4) serpents but not brittle stars. I have (2) randalls pistol shrimp. I heard one of my pistol shrimp popping like crazy today but I could see the jawfish sticking its head out of the rocks and it wasnt reacting to the pops. The pistol shrimp also sounded like it was on the opposite side of the tank.
 
Swirlygig said:
Quick question...do you have a brittle star or pistol shrimp? they can and have killed new fish additions in my tank.
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+1 on Green serpent stars....they are very devious. Like you, I was perplexed to find 3 healthy fish disappear within a month of introducing a large Green serpent star. Then one morning I saw a larger Flame Angel in its grasp. I believe they tent up in a dark crevice when the lights go out and drop down on sleeping/resting victims.
 
rickcasa said:
+1 on Green serpent stars....they are very devious. Like you, I was perplexed to find 3 healthy fish disappear within a month of introducing a large Green serpent star. Then one morning I saw a larger Flame Angel in its grasp. I believe they tent up in a dark crevice when the lights go out and drop down on sleeping/resting victims.
Click to expand...

I don't have a brittle star.
 
My brittle star is a foot and a half wide and has never touched a fish. +1 on swirly with the pistol though. He used to get a few of our fish before we removed him. Anthias especially
 
my pistol killed many fish...they stun them and the fish are really vulnerable at night. check out YouTube...they are nasty.

I couldn't figure out why either until I watched a show on discovery.

new fish additions are the most prone too because they have not found their home yet.

Not saying they are the real cause but i would keep them on the list...good luck.
 
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