2 fish 48 hours

[MrsSchlatter]

I've lost a sailfin tang, and a clownfish within 48 hours of each other.
Parameters:
pH- 8.2
Salinity- 1.024
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate- 0-5 possibly 10.
Api test kit.

Tank inhabitants are:
Coral beauty
Now 1 clown
Scooter blenny
Mandarin
Pistol shrimp
Peppermint shrimp
Purple pincushion urchin
Bumblebee bee snails
Turbo snail
Blue leg hermits
Rosebud anemone
Hammer coral
Duncan coral
Zoas.

I run. Protein skimmer, has phospolock, and chemical pure in the back along with cheato. I also have algone, acurel nitrate reducing pad, and PURA filtration pad. Good water flow. No fish seems to be acting off, nor does there look to be any disease on them. Corals and anemones seem to be thriving. Only thing I'm noticing is maybe some diatoms on sand in tank. I feed new life spectrum marine formula, frozwn brine shrimp, and coral frenzy.

We just got these fish last thursday: clowns, blenny, mandarin, sailfin tang(deceased), bumblebee snails, anemone, zoas, hammer, and a chunk of live base rock.

Just coincidentally deaths in tank? Is there something not compatible in the tank with others? I feel my parameters are pretty good. I really dont want to lose anything else so soon.

 

[Billdogg]

A little more information please?

How big is this tank and how old is it? Unless it is a very large, well established tank, that is a lot of bioload to add all at once.

Were they qt'd? Shipping stress and/or acclimation can cause troubles for some fish while others added at the same time will be just fine.

If you can, either upgrade your test kit toRedSea/Salifert/etc. or take a sample to a trusted LFS. That will make life easier on you as well. API is not very accurate IME, so what you think is ok may actually be out of whack.

 

[MrsSchlatter]

29 gal. Biocube. Got cube in 2014. It's been well established for a long time
We got these fish for now until our 90 gal is cycled to move most fish to there. These are all baby fish at the moment. I didn't quarantine them. I dont have a tank for that. We bought them about an hour from our home. This is a fish store we dont typically use, but wanted to check this one out.

 

[CoralBuddy]

Were they eating at the fish store? I usually ask the people at my LFS to feed the tank before I buy any fish I might be interested on. This usually helps to spot any sick/unwell fish.
Sincerely, if they died this fast, I find it very unlikely to be your fault.

 

[Fishurama]

29 gal. Biocube. Got cube in 2014. It's been well established for a long time
We got these fish for now until our 90 gal is cycled to move most fish to there. These are all baby fish at the moment. I didn't quarantine them. I dont have a tank for that. We bought them about an hour from our home. This is a fish store we dont typically use, but wanted to check this one out.

It sounds like you added too much too fast. Sounds like an ammonia spike. Notice any burning(redish marks),flared, or other issues around their gills?

 

[MrsSchlatter]

I'm not sure the were eating at the store, but they had been in my tank

 

[CoralBuddy]

I'm not sure the were eating at the store, but they had been in my tank

Still, maybe what you offer in your tank was more pleasant. It's basically what @Fishurama said or else they were already sick. Anyways, let the LFS know, see how they react to your experience with their "product", then decide whether youll ever be back.

 

[MrsSchlatter]

No nothing off looking with any fish. And I tested for ammonia. There isnt any.

It sounds like you added too much too fast. Sounds like an ammonia spike. Notice any burning(redish marks),flared, or other issues around their gills?

 

[LAReefer4Life]

It could have been so many different variables. It's best to QT for this reason so you can identify before adding it.

I'd definitely contact the fish store and let them know. Good luck and sorry for your loss.

 

[Fishurama]

No nothing off looking with any fish. And I tested for ammonia. There isnt any.

With a spike you wouldn't notice it since its a spike, it happens really fast and then its gone. You would need something that tracks and monitors your system or catch it as it is happening. But now since you've had a loss, it will have less chance of reading since you have less fish creating ammonia(which is good overall) With smaller tanks you have more chance to have swings when adding/changing large amounts of fish,water, etc. compared to larger tanks with more water volume.

 

[NShirke]

@MrsSchlatter , I'm not as experienced as you're, but with my limited knowledge in fish keeping, I'd QT them. Fish quarantine makes it easy to treat any fish with copper or other milder medication, monitor their behavior.

I always stick to a motto, prevention is better than cure. There could be many variables here - Ammonia spike, parasite attack, stress.

 

[Katrina71]

I'm sorry for your losses. Usually it's best to introduce one fish at a time 2 at most.

 

[MrsSchlatter]

I'm sorry for your losses. Usually it's best to introduce one fish at a time 2 at most. I also have concerns about your Mandarin starving.

I feed 2x a day various foods. And going to another LFS today for more frozen varieties. And I just recently prodded the tank

 

[Katrina71]

I feed 2x a day various foods. And going to another LFS today for more frozen varieties. And I just recently prodded the tank

Is your baby eating frozen? Some do. It's rare.

 

[MrsSchlatter]

Is your baby eating frozen? Some do. It's rare.

Hes actually a larger one. But yeah I've seen him eat

 

[Jon Fishman]

Too much too fast.

Also..... All of those fish won’t even work in a 90g, so the sailfin wasn’t long-for-your-family as it was.

 

[Katrina71]

Please don't think I was being rude about your Mandarin. I actually deleted that part. I just see some that starve because the owner didn't know.

 

[Jon Fishman]

Hes actually a larger one. But yeah I've seen him eat

It’s not whether they can/will eat frozen....... it’s whether or not you can feed it frozen 16-20 times PER DAY..... Which would be needed if you don’t have a pod population to support it.

 

[eea60123]

Not too much for a 90 gallon. The possible concern would be the sailfin. Mine is around 10 years old and it’s not all that big. It’s not even what I would consider an active swimmer compared to my other tangs.
An ammonia spike would have adversely affected the other fish as well. If it was bad enough to wipe out the new fish, you’d notice signs from the others, maybe even ammonia burns. They’d have to be real weak to be the only 2 affected and clowns are super hardy. Sorry for the loss.

 

[MrsSchlatter]

It’s not whether they can/will eat frozen....... it’s whether or not you can feed it frozen 16-20 times PER DAY..... Which would be needed if you don’t have a pod population to support it.

I have a pod population and I'm dosing phytoplankton for the pods.