Help - Is my Clown Sick?

[Marchillo]

I have had to drip some fish for hours. One local store keeps salinity at 1.013. I'm not exaggerating. I've never had this issue. I'd say too many fish too fast.

In this case though you should have a qt setup at 1.013 then only temp acclimation is required.

I do agree that Id hope you'd be ok with an hour acclimation but anything over 30 minutes and you are playing with fire. It certainly could be a factor in this case.

How far away from the LFS does the OP live? Was the bag airtight?

Too many fish too fast is also a reasonable suggestion as the culprit.

 

[gone fishin]

Yes there are quite a few possibilities or combinations. With the info given I think the wait and see approach is the best I can offer. I don't know if a pic would be helpful or not.

 

[alwmh4]

So if long drips are bad, and you don't know what salinity is at lfs, or wherever you order from, what should you do when you get home and discover all this??? I want to know for future fish as I just got a new tank. Transferring from old tank is easy bc salinity matches. One online place says fish should be in tank within 2 hrs. How do we know who to believe? None of us what to kill our fish

 

[Marchillo]

You can ask the local fish store or test the water yourself by bringing your refractometer. I'd test as I got bad info from my lfs. You should have a qt protocol. If you match qt to the bag water all you need to do is 15 minutes of temp acclimation and then fish go in.

Also even LFS will have tanks with different salinity readings. A tank of fish and inverts may run at 1.025 and a tank with fish only may run at 1.017.

 

[gone fishin]

So if long drips are bad, and you don't know what salinity is at lfs, or wherever you order from, what should you do when you get home and discover all this??? I want to know for future fish as I just got a new tank. Transferring from old tank is easy bc salinity matches. One online place says fish should be in tank within 2 hrs. How do we know who to believe? None of us what to kill our fish

I will answer as if I am going to do my normal QT regimen. If I order online I call or email to see what salinity they ship at. If I am at the local fish store I ask them. Either way I will check with my meter when I get the fish to my house. If needed I will adjust my QT while the fish is temp acclimating.

If not using a QT then acclimate as quick as possible, Salinity may be the least of the problems encountered.

 

[alwmh4]

Good to know. I hate that I was misinformed all this time

 

[I MD]

Yes there are quite a few possibilities or combinations. With the info given I think the wait and see approach is the best I can offer. I don't know if a pic would be helpful or not.

In this case though you should have a qt setup at 1.013 then only temp acclimation is required.

I do agree that Id hope you'd be ok with an hour acclimation but anything over 30 minutes and you are playing with fire. It certainly could be a factor in this case.

How far away from the LFS does the OP live? Was the bag airtight?

Too many fish too fast is also a reasonable suggestion as the culprit.

These are my two biggest concerns. If your powerheads break the surface then oxygen shouldn't be an issue. Why would you put anything in your tank after it has cycled? Especially some snake oil bacteria? (I don't believe in this junk)

Your cycled tank has grown all of the bacteria you need in the nitrogen cycle. You probably added too many fish too fast and created an ammonia spike that you missed with testing. I wouldn't add anymore than 2 fish in a two week period so the bacteria can grow to accommodate the bioload. It's better to overfeed two fish to accomplish this if you are going to add more fish.

So, I just took a sample of my RODI to LFS and found out that my RODI was testing at 585 TDS!! I accidentally ran hot water through my RODI a few weeks back but got 0 TDS after that, so assumed no damage. LFS said I probably burnt my RO membrane, so bought a new one and replaced it. I have only done a couple RODI top-offs and one 10gallon water change before putting the fish. Could this contribute to whats going on. Seems like I am adding to the list of possibilities of whats going on (too many fish too fast, acclimation too long and ammonia gill burn, poor oxygenation, bad RODI water, some parasite/worm). Here I thought I was off to an OK start...man, how we learn from our mistakes. I won't be discouraged though...hope for the best at this point and hope the fish survive.

 

[gone fishin]

It is a distinct possibility. 585 TDS of something could cause an issue. While safe for us, depending on what is in the water could be harmful to our critters.

If you have some good water now I think I would do a WC to be see if it helps.

Forgot to mention if your on city water it is possible some chlorine may have got through.

 

[I MD]

In this case though you should have a qt setup at 1.013 then only temp acclimation is required.

I do agree that Id hope you'd be ok with an hour acclimation but anything over 30 minutes and you are playing with fire. It certainly could be a factor in this case.

How far away from the LFS does the OP live? Was the bag airtight?

Too many fish too fast is also a reasonable suggestion as the culprit.

I live about 15-20 minutes from LFS. The bag was airtight when I bought it.

When I came home, I opened the bags placed them in my tank held in place with my tank lid for 10-15 minutes (from what I gather, seems like I should have left the bags closed??)

I then emptied half the water from each bag and added ~ 1/4 cup of my tank water every 10 minutes for the next 40-50 minutes with the bags still open and anchored to the top of my tank.

Then dumped the water and fish from the bags into my tank.

Sounds like I didn't do this properly and for too long. Was following what LFS said to do.

 

[gone fishin]

Never let LFS water into your tank. A good way to bring in parasites and diseases.

 

[Marchillo]

Yeah lots of issues here. Don't fret it happens to the best of us.

That TDS is a huge issue. The TDS out of my tap is 27 and my RODI makes it 0. I try to run the water at 75 degrees when making water but go lower than higher. Stay under 80 degrees.

Never ever put LFS water in your tank. You need to either net them out of the bag or dump the in a container and get them out another way. The LFS water most likely contains copper which will kill inverts and corals etc etc etc.

 

[Marchillo]

Yes when you temp acclimate keep the bag closed unless you want to test for the salinity. Though you can do that at the LFS. Once you open the bag the clock starts ticking.

 

[alwmh4]

Can you explain what exactly goes on once bag is opened? Oxygen???

 

[Marchillo]

From what I've read ammonia builds up in the bag, fish pee etc. Once the air hits the water the ammonia turns into toxic ammonia. That's why fish can be shipped overnight. But once the bag opens the clock starts ticking. Obviously the amount of ammonia in the bag will vary. So I'm assuming the less there is the longer you have to acclimate. That's why there is no exact right time. Everything I've read here says to keep it to 30 mins or less after opening. That's why the qt match of salinity works out so well.

 

[gone fishin]

Amonium build up then converts to Ammonia when the bag is opened.

 

[Marchillo]

Amonium build up then converts to Ammonia when the bag is opened.

Tony knows his $hit

 

[scootshoot]

So, I just took a sample of my RODI to LFS and found out that my RODI was testing at 585 TDS!! I accidentally ran hot water through my RODI a few weeks back but got 0 TDS after that, so assumed no damage. .

Wait? what ? So you have a RODI unit but no way of testing out TDS yourself? :uhoh3:

 

[Cymonous]

I would look into getting at least a single in-line TDS meter for one.

Is the clown still looking lethargic?

 

[I MD]

Never let LFS water into your tank. A good way to bring in parasites and diseases.

Good to know. Followed instructions LFS said, but should have known better.

That TDS is a huge issue. The TDS out of my tap is 27 and my RODI makes it 0. I try to run the water at 75 degrees when making water but go lower than higher. Stay under 80 degrees.

I am really confused why my TDS was so high from my RODI even if my RO membrane was burnt out from the hot water. I rinse my trash can and 5gallon buckets that I use to mix water with RODI, so don't think I had any contaminant from there.

Wait? what ? So you have a RODI unit but no way of testing out TDS yourself? :uhoh3:

I am going to get a TDS monitor now. Figured that it was something that would only need to be tested every few months, but like with everything else that I am finding in this hobby, cost is worth it upfront.

Is the clown still looking lethargic?

Yes, he looks pretty bad today and I don't think he is going to make it much longer from what I can tell. Also late last night (I was up researching for hours figuring out all I could to help matters), the other clown started doing the same thing. I am really bummed out now.

Seems like if there are multiple fish, then has to be something global, like my acclimation or the water quality. I am going to get a TDS meter today and test everything on my own, and then if all good do a large water change.

 

[Cymonous]

I would do a large water change using 0 TDS water no matter what.

Heck, I would start a quarantine tank with newly made saltwater with 0 TDS water and get the clowns out of your DT and into the quarantine tank.