Fish die within 24 hours!!!

[KnownStrangeR]

when it got fish in our tank they would start swimming in spirals like the had no sense of direction getting blown by the current till they settled for rest and then he would grab them, drag them into his cave and start to eat. In the 20 gal i used to have to take all the rocks out and remove the dead fish before it caused problems. He always brought them back to the same spot even though he has like 20 caves all over the tank

 

[nitr8]

when it got fish in our tank they would start swimming in spirals like the had no sense of direction getting blown by the current till they settled for rest and then he would grab them, drag them into his cave and start to eat. In the 20 gal i used to have to take all the rocks out and remove the dead fish before it caused problems. He always brought them back to the same spot even though he has like 20 caves all over the tank

If it is my pistol shrimp killing the new fish than he's a sport hunter cause it doesn't try to eat them.

 

[Tenshoa]

Wow. Really knocked out a lot of possibilities. For the sake of being thorough and humoring me, do you have much live rock and places for fish to hide and retreat to? Particularly when stressed?

And to get even more basic and at the risk of overthinking this, you have confirmed that your existing tests are accurate?

 

[nitr8]

Wow. Really knocked out a lot of possibilities. For the sake of being thorough and humoring me, do you have much live rock and places for fish to hide and retreat to? Particularly when stressed?

And to get even more basic and at the risk of overthinking this, you have confirmed that your existing tests are accurate?

I think so. There's quite a bit if caves, cracks and cliffs.

Some test I have multiple brands and I've also taken water samples to my LFS. I believe all tests are accurate.

Here is my most recent FTS taken a few days ago:

 

[nitr8]

Acclimation Process

Acclimation Process

All of the fish, dead or alive fall into (3) categories

Most of the dead fish and all of the live fish fall into category 1
-Straight home from the LFS. In most cases less than 15 minutes. In all cases less than an hour
-Dump entire contents of LFS bag into a 5 gallon bucket and start drip acclimating. Broken stream drip rate for about an hour. Sometimes less and sometimes more with the same result....DEATH!! I've gone as low as 15 minutes and as high as 3 hours.
-Net fish from bucket and introduce into display. Dispose of all water in 5 gallon bucket.
-Dead fish died within 24 hours of being introduced to DT.
-6 of 11 fish lived

(2) dead fish fall into category 2
-Straight home from the LFS. One 15 minute drive, the other 45 minute drive
-Dump entire contents of LFS bag into a 5 gallon bucket and start drip acclimating from QT. Broken stream drip rate for about an hour.
-Net fish from bucket and introduce into QT. Dispose of all water in 5 gallon bucket.
-Feed twice a day for first week, once a day second week
-Food soaked in Metronidazole and Focus
-Daily 20-25% water changes
-QT time for these two fish was 1 month and the other was 2 weeks
-Siphon 1-2 gallons from QT into a 5 gallon bucket and start drip acclimating from DT. Broken stream drip rate for about an hour.
-Net fish from bucket and introduce into display. Dispose of all water in 5 gallon bucket.
-Both fish died in DT within 24 hours

(1) dead fish falls into category 3
-Straight home from the LFS. 15 minute drive.
-Dump entire contents of LFS bag into a 5 gallon bucket and start drip acclimating. Broken stream drip rate for about an hour.
-Net fish from bucket and introduce into QT. Dispose of all water in 5 gallon bucket.
-Fish died in QT with 24 hours

It's probably also worth mentioning that the water column in the QT was 75% water from my display and the other 25% new saltwater. Wouldn't that rule out any kind of disease or parasite since (2) fish lived in my QT for an extended period of time?

 

[discocarp]

Using water from the display in the QT definitely points away from disease, but I don't think it eliminates the possibility. The problem here is you've got a lot of conflicting data points. If I were you, I'd take ignatz up on his fish offer and put it in a breeder net as suggested.

 

[BoricuaMojao]

Using water from the display in the QT definitely points away from disease, but I don't think it eliminates the possibility. The problem here is you've got a lot of conflicting data points. If I were you, I'd take ignatz up on his fish offer and put it in a breeder net as suggested.

and for the sake of being thorough, a gopro camera on time lapse to document any changes.

 

[nitr8]

Using water from the display in the QT definitely points away from disease, but I don't think it eliminates the possibility. The problem here is you've got a lot of conflicting data points. If I were you, I'd take ignatz up on his fish offer and put it in a breeder net as suggested.

What do you mean by conflicting data points?

 

[nitr8]

and for the sake of being thorough, a go-pro on time lapse to document any changes.

go-pro?

 

[discocarp]

What I mean by conflicting data points is that you have various facts that imply different causes making it impossible for any of us to do anything but take some guesses.

There is no clear answer - yet.

 

[BoricuaMojao]

go-pro?

video camera...fixed it

hyphen wasn't needed --> www.gopro.com

 

[ignatz]

What I mean by conflicting data points is that you have various facts that imply different causes making it impossible for any of us to do anything but take some guesses.

There is no clear answer - yet.

Assuming all the deaths are caused by the same problem is introducing some of the conflict. What if the Blue Spot got too close to the pistol's territory, got shocked, sucked into a power head then died AND the clowns got brook AND the tang doesn't like Royal Grammas?

 

[nitr8]

Assuming all the deaths are caused by the same problem is introducing some of the conflict. What if the Blue Spot got too close to the pistol's territory, got shocked, sucked into a power head then died AND the clowns got brook AND the tang doesn't like Royal Grammas?

You calling my tang a racist? lol

 

[KnownStrangeR]

just for S&G's have you added any corals over the time frame, and if so, how did they react?

 

[nitr8]

Over the last two weeks I've added (15) corals. (3) Z&Ps, (12) SPS frags. All are doing great.

 

[KnownStrangeR]

Over the last two weeks I've added (15) corals. (3) Z&Ps, (12) SPS frags. All are doing great.

adding to the mystery

 

[nitr8]

adding to the mystery

I don't think so. I've been having this issue for a lot longer.

 

[Lilmatty5dimes]

All of the fish, dead or alive fall into (3) categories

Most of the dead fish and all of the live fish fall into category 1
-Straight home from the LFS. In most cases less than 15 minutes. In all cases less than an hour
-Dump entire contents of LFS bag into a 5 gallon bucket and start drip acclimating. Broken stream drip rate for about an hour. Sometimes less and sometimes more with the same result....DEATH!! I've gone as low as 15 minutes and as high as 3 hours.
-Net fish from bucket and introduce into display. Dispose of all water in 5 gallon bucket.
-Dead fish died within 24 hours of being introduced to DT.
-6 of 11 fish lived

(2) dead fish fall into category 2
-Straight home from the LFS. One 15 minute drive, the other 45 minute drive
-Dump entire contents of LFS bag into a 5 gallon bucket and start drip acclimating from QT. Broken stream drip rate for about an hour.
-Net fish from bucket and introduce into QT. Dispose of all water in 5 gallon bucket.
-Feed twice a day for first week, once a day second week
-Food soaked in Metronidazole and Focus
-Daily 20-25% water changes
-QT time for these two fish was 1 month and the other was 2 weeks
-Siphon 1-2 gallons from QT into a 5 gallon bucket and start drip acclimating from DT. Broken stream drip rate for about an hour.
-Net fish from bucket and introduce into display. Dispose of all water in 5 gallon bucket.
-Both fish died in DT within 24 hours

(1) dead fish falls into category 3
-Straight home from the LFS. 15 minute drive.
-Dump entire contents of LFS bag into a 5 gallon bucket and start drip acclimating. Broken stream drip rate for about an hour.
-Net fish from bucket and introduce into QT. Dispose of all water in 5 gallon bucket.
-Fish died in QT with 24 hours

It's probably also worth mentioning that the water column in the QT was 75% water from my display and the other 25% new saltwater. Wouldn't that rule out any kind of disease or parasite since (2) fish lived in my QT for an extended period of time?

sorry to hear about your loss. i know its tough when fish(especially the ones that you had) died. i had the same experience. i bought 3 BJ carnidal(tank raised) and with a week all were died. sounds similar to your problem. all were doing great and one after the other died in a 24 hour period. water parameters were all fine. still lost as to why they did die.

now could have something got into the 5 gallon bucket you used for the acclimating??? just a thought. i've seen some pretty bad story where they bought buckets from the lfs didn't wash or anything and bought 5g of water and there was something in the bucket that killed off there entire tank the next day.

 

[nitr8]

now could have something got into the 5 gallon bucket you used for the acclimating??? just a thought. i've seen some pretty bad story where they bought buckets from the lfs didn't wash or anything and bought 5g of water and there was something in the bucket that killed off there entire tank the next day.

I have multiple buckets that I use for acclimation. All buckets are only used for my tank and all are old salt buckets. My success rate with fish is roughly 31%. If my memory serves me correctly, I tend to favor my white bucket for acclimation so it's possible that the bucket is the issue. The numbers are lining up and it is a constant between the acclimation categories. It's a bit of a stretch but I'm going to ditch the bucket just to be safe. Good catch.

 

[CoralolisEffect]

-Siphon 1-2 gallons from QT into a 5 gallon bucket and start drip acclimating from DT. Broken stream drip rate for about an hour.
-Net fish from bucket and introduce into display. Dispose of all water in 5 gallon bucket.
-Both fish died in DT within 24 hours

Really don't think it a part of your issue as you parameters seem very similar. But if lfs acclimation is a couple oz and qt a couple gallons if drip rates are similar you may not be getting enough drip volume for a acclimate. But only a issue if your ph / temp is way different as salinity sounds equal. Even though many have success with little if no acclimation. You sound so careful. I remember reading a 3:1 ratio some where over the acc time. Just a though, although unlikely.