HELP! Had my first death...

[hrrsncrg]

I have had my tank for 4 weeks. It has completely cycled. Two weeks ago I added a cleaning crew. Everything has been perfect. I bought my first fish last night, 2 True Percs and one XS Blue Tang (Dori). Woke up this morning and one of the Percs had perished. The other one is fine but the Tang is acting weird as well. Checked all my levels and everything is great. My LFS just got the percs and tangs in on Tueday. Maybe it's that. I don't understand and I am a bit depressed. Any opinions about what could cause this? Thanks,

craig

 

[r00onmac]

how did you acclimate them? what size is the tank? you say your levels are great.. what are they? include specific gravity, because that is important. hopefully you have a refractometer, hydrometer or digital tester.... if we are to help you, we need some more information

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

list water params......

 

[hrrsncrg]

24g AquaPod
>.03 Nitrates
.0 Amonia
1.027 sg
8.0 pH

I dripped the clowns and floated the Tang. I just spoke to my LFS and he said that sometimes it happens. They are going to replace my loss. But I just want to make sure it's nothing that I did. FYI, my wife just told me that the Tang is fine.

craig

 

[Amphiprion]

What are your Nitrite levels? Nitrite can be quite toxic also, as it binds to red blood cells.

 

[r00onmac]

ph looks a little bit low, and SG looks a bit high too... you may think that .002 doesnt make a difference..but if they were in a 1.023 tank that is a .004 swing.... also that tank is too big for a 24g... for the overall health and sanity of the tang i wouldnt keep it for too long.. they need a lot of room to swim, and while he is XS now,,, he wont be forever... just keep that in mind..

 

[Amphiprion]

1.027 shouldn't be a problem, so long as it doesn't get much higher. 1.025-1.027 seems to be the best range for most of the animals we keep and a .002 fluctuation is minimal, although I would not want to let it happen frequently or more than .004 at one time. What you are measuring the sg with? Accuracy may be a big factor. pH shouldn't be a problem, as most fish and inverts can tolerate to about 7.8 just fine (but major fluctuations count).

 

[hrrsncrg]

The Tang is not going to be in the tank long. I bought the fish for my wife with the understanding that it will not be long before she outgrows the tank and my LFS will give me a full credit. I buy my water pre-mixed from my LFS and my tank stays at 1.026 - 1.027. The pH is constant at 8.0. I do weekly water changes and have been checking the levels at least once and up to twice a week. (I am a bit obsessed.) I did not check the Nitrite level this morning. But previously it has been zero. I'll check it when I get home. Afetr speaking with my LFS I think it was the fish. It probably should have been kept anpther couple of days before bringing it home.

craig

 

[PacificBlueReef]

Craig,

You said one of the percs perished. Like it just disappeared, or you found it dead in tank? If the fish just vanished there is a possiblity that it jump from the tank. I would check behind and around your stand. You might have been unlucky and got two female clowns. Clownfish have the abilty for the dominant male to change genger into the female(protandrous hermaphroditism) unless a female is present. The female however can not change to the male so conflict is sure to happen if you have 2 female in the same tank. One of your fish could have abused the other to the point where it leaped.

The next fish you get try to pick one out that is juvenile(smaller than the one you have), and you have a good chance of forming a breeding pair.

Good luck,
PBR

 

[PacificBlueReef]

The fish your lfs will gives you as a replacement, make sure that is a juvenile*.

 

[hrrsncrg]

I appreciate all the advice. I will be sure to get a juvenile this coming week. I did find the fish in the bottom of the tank. I think the fish should have stayed at the LFS for a couple more days but the owner told me that they came in and were not "wobbly." Therefore after two days he let me take them home. It seems that one could not handle the stress. I won't make this mistake again. (Knock on wood.)

craig

 

[argus]

seems a little early for fish id wait a little longer make sure cycle is fully over and then id only get 1 captive born clown, they are much hardier. and then wait another month before any other fish , thats a pretty small tank i really wouldnt put more than 1 or 2 small fish in there, checking everythig twice also make sure you have good test kits.