LFS Keep claiming their fish aren't cyanide caught must be lying

[Jyetman]

My kole tang of nearly 7 years past away and have decided to replace him with a foxface rabbitfish to help control algae. One of my LFS in the area has saltwater sales every week and a one spot foxface was one for $20 normally $40 I jumped on it and bought one. I've bought other fish there before but not often since my fish last years. The foxfaces all were very skinny but eating so I took the chance. First day introduced he was eating, good color and acted normal which lasted for a week found him dead early morning. Most of my fish that die don't pass quickly but these guys did. Couple weeks later another LFS had same fish and they too looked skinny but were eating. Guy was like can't discount him have to get $40 bucks. I was anxious to try again so bought him not until I first asked if the fish he sells are not caught with cyanide hes like ohhhhh no not my fish. That fish lasted almost three weeks and in the same way ate, good color and swam normally up until the last day he died suddenly. What can I do to buy fish that aren't poisoned how do you tell? Is buying them online a better way? Well dumping money for a fish that just going to die like that seems dishonest certainly isn't going to work.

 

[BigBlueTang]

Do you quarantine your fish? If you don't, that's certainly a reason why things could be dying. I've found that a quarantine doesn't just help contain disease, but it allows the fish to become comfortable with you and living in an aquarium.

Unfortunately, to my knowledge there isn't a surefire way to see if the fish were caught with cyanide. It's definitely a brutal thing to experience not knowing why a fish died. I doubt your LFS owner is lying to you to make a sale, as I'm guessing the owner knows about as much as you do regarding if the fish was caught with cyanide. Your LFS is most likely just buying from wholesalers. Fish can be classified as MAC certified, which means they were caught by net. If you want to guarantee them being cyanide free, that's the way to go. I'm sorry to hear about your losses.

 

[Jyetman]

Do you quarantine your fish? If you don't, that's certainly a reason why things could be dying. I've found that a quarantine doesn't just help contain disease, but it allows the fish to become comfortable with you and living in an aquarium.

Unfortunately, to my knowledge there isn't a surefire way to see if the fish were caught with cyanide. It's definitely a brutal thing to experience not knowing why a fish died. I doubt your LFS owner is lying to you to make a sale, as I'm guessing the owner knows about as much as you do regarding if the fish was caught with cyanide. Your LFS is most likely just buying from wholesalers. Fish can be classified as MAC certified, which means they were caught by net. If you want to guarantee them being cyanide free, that's the way to go. I'm sorry to hear about your losses.

Supposedly the LFS quarantine the new fish so they say. I live in a small apartment and have no room for a quarantine tank. That said all my other fish are 6 to 7 years old and in good health only the 2 new foxfaces died in 1 to 2 weeks time. I worked for several LFS (3 years) and I know how to acclimate fish.

 

[BigBlueTang]

Supposedly the LFS quarantine the new fish so they say. I live in a small apartment and have no room for a quarantine tank. That said all my other fish are 6 to 7 years old and in good health only the 2 new foxfaces died in 1 to 2 weeks time. I worked for several LFS (3 years) and I know how to acclimate fish.

Unfortunately, there's absolutely no way that the LFS does an adequate job of quarantining, as I'm sure you know. There's just too much fish and water for anything to be kept without introducing parasites or disease. It very well may be cyanide that were killing your fish, but to my knowledge there is no way to make sure. A 10g Qt takes the room of a nightstand, although if they were caught with cyanide that wouldn't have done much. I highly doubt it was the acclimation that killed the fish, as you said they lived for a couple of weeks. Acclimation problems would've shown up before that.

 

[Kremis]

yeah I was (and still am) worried a tusk I bought a month or two ago was caught with cyanide, apparently most indo harlequin tusks are. but there is really no way to tell..

 

[Jyetman]

Looking for other answer could a large 4 to 5 inch percula or coral beauty kill a small 3 inch foxface?

 

[mike61289]

Looking for other answer could a large 4 to 5 inch percula or coral beauty kill a small 3 inch foxface?

Unlikely but very possible. I never kept a foxface myself, but one thing I consistently read about them is that they are easily stressed out. If the clown or angel are being jerks, it could be enough to stress the fish out that it just dies from it (but still unlikely).

Just out of curiosity: how big is your aquarium?

I would just stop buying foxfaces if this keeps happening. In most cases, an LFS doesn't know whether their livestock are cyanide- or net-caught. They aren't the people catching the fish after all. Their suppliers would never admit to using cyanide either because it's illegal to use it in many areas. I wouldn't put the blame on the LFS, but if you feel they're deceiving you, find another place to shop.

 

[Jyetman]

Unlikely but very possible. I never kept a foxface myself, but one thing I consistently read about them is that they are easily stressed out. If the clown or angel are being jerks, it could be enough to stress the fish out that it just dies from it (but still unlikely).

Just out of curiosity: how big is your aquarium?

I would just stop buying foxfaces if this keeps happening. In most cases, an LFS doesn't know whether their livestock are cyanide- or net-caught. They aren't the people catching the fish after all. Their suppliers would never admit to using cyanide either because it's illegal to use it in many areas. I wouldn't put the blame on the LFS, but if you feel they're deceiving you, find another place to shop.

My tank is 80 Gallon reef. The reason I feel strange about the second LFS is its owned by a single guy who has a shady reputation. He started off selling used junk at his house that usually failed pretty quickly. He open a LFS few years back and sells fish dirt cheap. The reason I go to him is because he gives me credit for frags and other things. The last foxface I bought from him looked to be from the same skinny group as to the first LFS. It almost seems the guy bought some at that LFS with the $20 sale and sold them for $40 bucks. Just trying to determine if that's the case I should try buying one online.

 

[mike61289]

My tank is 80 Gallon reef. The reason I feel strange about the second LFS is its owned by a single guy who has a shady reputation. He started off selling used junk at his house that usually failed pretty quickly. He open a LFS few years back and sells fish dirt cheap. The reason I go to him is because he gives me credit for frags and other things. The last foxface I bought from him looked to be from the same skinny group as to the first LFS. It almost seems the guy bought some at that LFS with the $20 sale and sold them for $40 bucks. Just trying to determine if that's the case I should try buying one online.

If that's your knowledge of this guy, shop elsewhere.

Just my opinion though: a foxface might not feel comfortable in an 80 gallon for long term. They get pretty long and like having their space to roam. That would be another stress-inducing factor that could weaken its immune system eventually and result in a premature death.