What am I doing wrong?

[VDub90]

I don't seem to have any luck with fish. Corals, and everything else, no problem, but fish, I can't seem to get any new ones to stay alive. Am I picking the wrong ones in the store? All my parameters are spot on, the 3 original fish that I have are all doing very well. I just can't seem to get new fish to last the night.

I have a 10 gallon established tank that I use for quarintine. I acclimate the fish using the drip method for about 2 hours. I observe them for a few hours in the 10G and they have all taken food. I go to bed and when I wake up they are dead. This hasn't happened to a lot of fish, probably about three. But it's getting frustrating as I usually go out of town (about 3 hours away) to get the fish. The coco worm I got is doing great but the flame angel didn't make the night. Am I missig something? Any tips will be much appreciated!!.

 

[mystikdragon7]

Was your QT already cycled? Even if it was, adding three fish to a 10gal tank all at once could be your problem. What are your other fish? What type of fish have died?

 

[szwab]

how is your QT tank set up? heater? filter? etc. what and how much are you feeding that first time? what were the other fish that didn't make it? In your 3 hour trip with the fish how are you keeping the temp stable till you get home?

 

[WaterKeeper]

Hi Dub,

I'd be asking questions at the LFS; mainly how there fish are collected and acclimated when reaching the store. You sound like you are taking the proper steps when you get them home.

 

[VDub90]

My Quarintine tank is a 10G cycled tank, using a small heater, and a aquaclear 70 filter.

My main tank set up is a 29G with 35lbs rock. Live stock consists of 2 clowns and a damsel. I'm running a CSS 65 skimmer on it as well. The tank has been running in this configuration for a year and a half. Those 3 fish I mentioned have been in there since after the original cycle.

The place I have been getting the fish from ships all over Canada, and packs them up really well, I usually make a stop there when I'm in town. The fish have always been bagged with oxygen, in a styrofoam container filled with that popcorn stuff, and with a heat pack to keep everything warm.

To answer a few of your questions. I only add one fish at a time, I've never bought more than one at a time. As far as where I'm getting the fish they state on their website that they don't deal with cyanide caught fish and most come from collections. The fish always look really healthy at the store, they just never seem to last more than one night.

 

[bertoni]

I'd suggest measuring the SG in the bag, before and after the drip, and seeing how it compares to the SG in the tank. There might be enough of a difference to cause an issue. I don't know enough about that type of filter to comment much, but the oxygen level might be an issue.

 

[VDub90]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6933080#post6933080 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
I'd suggest measuring the SG in the bag, before and after the drip, and seeing how it compares to the SG in the tank. There might be enough of a difference to cause an issue. I don't know enough about that type of filter to comment much, but the oxygen level might be an issue.

That's a good idea. I'll do that next time. I sent a big long e-mail to the place where I bought the fish and we'll see what they have to say.

You would think that by doing the drip the salinity would be the same?
Or maybe in theory it should be the same but in reality it's not and the fish isn't surviving due to the drastic change?

 

[mikenpam]

Have you tested all of your water parameters? Maybe there is quite a difference in pH, etc. What temp is your QT running at? Is there any possibility that after your drip acclimation that the water temp in the drip container is quite a bit different from your tank?

I had the same issue but only with anthias. I had no problems with gobies, blennies, wrasses or a tang but couldn't keep an anthia more than a day.

 

[Gargausius]

What kind of Clowns and Damsel do you have?

 

[bertoni]

Well, if you drip and double the volume of water in the bag, as an example, you've moved the SG to halfway between the original tank SG and the tank SG. That might not be good enough. In general, I toss water out of the bag as I go, to make sure the SG changes enough. I use a refractometer or conductivity meter, so measure the SG takes very little time or effort.

 

[VDub90]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6935355#post6935355 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
Well, if you drip and double the volume of water in the bag, as an example, you've moved the SG to halfway between the original tank SG and the tank SG. That might not be good enough. In general, I toss water out of the bag as I go, to make sure the SG changes enough. I use a refractometer or conductivity meter, so measure the SG takes very little time or effort.

I'm thinking it could very well be a salinity issue. I do dump water out while I drip, but I have never checked the water before putting the fish in. I just figure it would be ok after 2 hours.


There's 2 Percula Clowns and a Yellow Tail damsel. The damsel is a big suck he's about the same size as the bigger of the 2 clowns. When he first went in the tank, he charged the bigger of the 2 clowns, but the clown stood her ground and stared the damsel down, now the damsel will school most of the day with the clowns.