New to the site I hope I'm in the right place. this is my first saltwater tank set up ,but not unfamiliar with the hobby. I have a 90 gallon with 24 gallon trigger sump. Been up and running for about three months now. I have about 90 lbs of live rock in the tank and monitored the water with the master test kit and water was great . Got a tomato clown a damsel and a reef lobster and a cuc . I later on bought a 5" snowflake eel and all have settled in quite nicely. Being a 90 gallon the tank still practically looks empty so gave it a little bit of time before I bought some chromies and a couple more damsels . May have lost a chromie or two. Didn't think anything of it . About two months in I tried a few bigger fish like flame and coral . Flame went first after 4 days and the coral died about 8 days . Thought maybe I jumped the gun but meanwhile all the fish I had in there are fine . So I figured maybe the tank isn't mature enough for them so I went back got a e few more damsels and chromies . All die after a few days no longer a week . Yet still out of everything I have put in so far I still have the original fish for he most part I have had since day one. I check my water a few times times a week frantically thinking something's horribly wrong but everything checks out . Just don't know why my tank won't really except anything new. I know it's difficult to tell a problem with out seeing but I'm looking for advice or maybe something that I'm not doing right? . Or is there something in my tank I'm not noticing that bullies bigger fish like that? Please help .
1st saltwater water tank . 3 months in.
- Thread starter Bkenny25
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Ph 8.3 and salinity is a tad high but at 1.025. The clown has been in there for about 2 1/2 months maybe . I've been just adding my water into a 5 gallon bucket little bits at a time for at least 45 mins. Should it be longer? When I put the fish in they seem fine for a few days eating when I feed . But then boom wake up and it's dead or hiding and eventually dies after up to a couple of days. Just been trying to do this is serious as possible doing my homework and building my tank right . Feel maybe it's something I'm doing wrong or something right under my nose like a mean lobster or something else at night time tormenting the new tank mates
Your clown also might have something to do with it I had a Tomato Clown that was a terror, and yes you should take longer to acclimate your fish I usually take at least 3 or 4 hours
Damsels are sort of aggressive to some times and the chromes may be sleeping high in the tank I really don't know just thinking
This has been driving me crazy. Just being a 90 gallon and looking so empty i feel there's plenty of room. And as far as the acclimation I will try a couple hours from now on. I forgot to mention there is an arrow crab in the tank who has molted 2x since I had in there . But I feed him at the same time as my eel just a little krill or what not but never leaves the top right of the tank . And don't see him messing with fish what so ever . But you read everything online and guess it is possible and sorry forgot to mention that before .
r33fertank
Community Member
Did u say u had a snowflake eel? Dont they eat anything that will fit in their mouth? Id be suspect on the eel
My first thoughts was either the eel or lobster . But I feed them both daily or every other day depending if he's out any about. And also the eel gets mocked by the small yellow tail damsel almost sticking his tail into its face pushing him back into his rock . And he's only around 6" in length . I Feel the smaller fish would fall victim to him but it's the bigger fish I'm having trouble keeping alive .
r33fertank
Community Member
Try taking some of the suspects one at a time out of the dt and put them in a qt and see if ur large fish survive without them in the tank? Im no expert just trying to help. I was told by a freind that eels can be really aggressive, specially when the lights go off.
Jakepen
Few beers and I'll frag anything...
Could be the order you added them in. If you had your few fish in the tank before the eel, he may not bother them. Anything you add after the eel, he could be trying to eat them. Same with the arrow crab, or the original fish. Take a flashlight, and a red filter and watch the tank at night, see if you can spot any critters, or that eel hunting.
Thanks everyone for your advice . Even tho it's going to be a nightmare catching certain ones at this point I don't have any other choice. I want this tank to be successful . And narrowing this down will def ease my mind. But at the same time . Seeing how all my other fish that are in there and established and healthy as can be. Can we rule out something in the water? I'm guessing more towards a bully in the tank . But testing with the saltwater master kit . Ph, amonia , nitrates 2 and 3 . Is there anything else I should be testing for in a non reef tank that can harm fish? Just trying to narrow this down and exclude water from my head. And start focusing on the fish themselves .
I bought the tank only used with built in overflow and it was a reef tank. I saw it set up up fully stocked 3 days before I picked it up. So I can't imagine that.so besides the tank,,, the sump and everything you see in photos above are brand new .
Ok guys so just a quick update. I brought samples of my water to my local fish store who has been with great to me being a beginner and asking questions . He asked me to bring a sample of my water to use a refracto meter and turns out my water salinity is 1.030 . First thing tommrow I plan on making a 5 gallon water change to straight ro and see where I am from there . Maybe the change from a low salinity level at the pet store to such a high salinity it wasn't working . So the live stock is on hold until I get all of this figured out. I've read that the needle readers are usually off . Ordering a refractometer first thing . There's a long story from right when I first started to why it got that high but now I know and I am going to fix the problem . Thanks everyone for your help.turns out it was my noob mistake . Hopefully get it settled over the weekend and try another fish and see what happens . I honestly don't see anything in my tank causing that much mayhem . But hopefully this is a start in my right direction to a successful marine tank. Thanks guys
Similar threads
-
- Question
New Posts
-
HIGH New Clarification of our TOS regarding Emoji Etiquette and Trolling- Latest: steveschuerger
-
-
-
-
