Tank supports coral but not fish???

[reefscape15]

Ok so I've had my tank up n running for about 5 or 6 weeks or so now. I just ran up to ABC reefs and picked up some zoas n shrooms n a pair of Bengai Cardinals. All the frags that I have are open and bright and looking very nice, but one fish died the day after I put it in the tank, and the other died the day after. SG is at 1.026. I would just assume other water parameters are in check as all the corals are doing good. I know shrooms and zoas/palys are very resilient, but would a coral really withstand something wrong with the water that would kill.off a fish in just a day? Maybe something else is going on that I forgot about or something, but I just wanted ur thoughts on this. Thanks guys

 

[Dave VG]

I would check all the water parameters Nitrite, Nitrate and ammonia. How did you cycle the tank and what did you use as a bio load during the cycle? I have had corals make it through a cycle before but fish are different Nitrite’s and ammonia will kill them. Don’t have time to go in depth on this right now so like I said check all parameters and let us know what you find. It could also just be one of those things where it just wasn’t healthy to begin with. I have seen a lot of posts on RC where fish seem healthy one day and dead the next for no apparent reason. Good luck to ya.

 

[reefscape15]

I would assume ammonia is high around 6 weeks. I think I just got impatient and made a dumb mistake. I forgot how important it is to take ur time in this hobby!

 

[Dave VG]

I can feel for ya. It's hard to wait for that seemingly forever lasting cycle to end lol and most of us have been there at least once. Stuff happens tho and it's water under the bridge now. I would just keep checking parameters and of course when it all hits zero try it again. The corals should do just fine. Bengai Cardinals are one of my favorites and I plan on adding some to my tank sometime in the future. By the way I used old fish food to cycle my tank it worked out great.

 

[reefscape15]

I tossed a frozen krill in and have had a clump or cheato going in the fuge since day 1. I have about 7 or 8 hermit crabs in there. I think a couple died so that definitely was enough to start the cycle, if not add more to the ammonia equation!

I just received my lighting from Reef Geek, and ill start building sometime next week! Woo hoo!!!