2 fish dead but cant find the problem!?!
- Thread starter glaze888
- Start date
I cannot believe no one else saw this.
Temp needs to be steady. It should not swing more than a half a degree in a 24 hour period.
Never, ever ever move your PH from 7.8 to 8.3 that fast. It should take a few days to change it that much. That was probably the cause of death of anything that died afterward.
Also, 7.8 is not bad at all, as long as it is steady.
My advice is to leave the tank alone. Slow down, stop testing the water so much, and give the tank a few weeks to settle down.
Also, listen to dawgdude, and everyone else here. They knwo what they are talking about, and are only lookin gout for the good of your tank. Don't get feelings involved.
If you need any personal one on one help with your tank feel free to PM me, and I'll give you my number(I live just down the road). I have helped a few local people, and they're tanks are doing much better now.:thumbs:
Which is why I asked the question... I'm not experienced enough to quantify exactly how much pH swing in a given time is dangerous, but know that it was worth considering. I almost lost an RBTA and a clown when I had an upward pH spike from 8.4 to 8.92. I had to really nurse them along and babysit the tank carefully while I brought it back down.
Yeah, PH, Temp, and Salinity need to be constant. The PH will swing a little bit during the day/night schedule, but it is normal.
Also, make sure you test at the same time of the day so that you don't freak out if your PH is 7.8 in the morning.
Pick a time to test, and test at that time everyday, or week or two weeks, or whatever. Just do it at the same time of day.
Also, make sure you test at the same time of the day so that you don't freak out if your PH is 7.8 in the morning.
Pick a time to test, and test at that time everyday, or week or two weeks, or whatever. Just do it at the same time of day.
so let me try and put all this together... i should (in arc opions) wait' stabilize temp and ph, get more flow, and the get a more sutiable fish such as clowns or gobies? and in one opion i should move the rocks around when introducing the new fish to confuse other tank mates and make them less territorial? and should i add anything to the tank while acclimating the new fish other than stress coat? and when you say you nursed them to health... what exactly do you mean? you sat by and watched over them? moved them to a QT? or medicated them? sry for all the Q's just trying to make sure im taking all of this in right.
Well, your temp should be stable through heaters and fans... or at least (if your lighting isn't producing too much heat) you can probably do it without fans. I think a half-degree swing is a little too much to acheive without a controller of some sort... I had my tank swing one degree or so through 24 hr periods, and did this for quite some time, with no ill effects.
And yes, your pH should be stable too. If you are constantly having to buffer it to keep it up, you have another underlying water chemistry issue. And, FWIW it is far better to have low pH (say 7.8 or so) and leave it steady than it is to buffer it, let it drop, buffer it, repeat... that is rough on livestock.
As for fish choice, yes those fish are too big for that size tank, so they will be under even more stress than any other new addition would normally be. Stress is a big factor in illness and fish loss, especially the PBT which could be one of the poster children for a stress-prone fish.
As for "nursed them back to health", what I mean is I fed carefully, made absolutely sure that my tank environment didn't contribute to further problems... I didn't QT, because pH shock can't be medicated for, and QTing won't help. All you can do is make them as comfortable as possible through careful attention to the tank conditions.
Also, you shouldn't have to add stress coat when acclimating a new fish either. I don't know that it could create any problems, and maybe others will chime in as to whether it can benefit a fish that is showing distress... but under normal conditions all you need to do is choose your livestock wisely, acclimate the fish correctly... and yes, you should quarantine new fish even if many don't. Some people don't, and haven't for years, and have never been bitten in the butt by it... but even they will admit that it could happen. IMO there is no reason to take a chance when all you lose by QTing a fish is a few weeks of not getting to see them in the display. Another reason to QT is that if one does show illness, it can be horribly difficult to try to catch them in a stocked tank... if you can verify health before they go in you can avoid that nightmarish job... not to mention that your other fish can't become infected.
We aren't trying to come down on you; we all had to learn this stuff once. The only way you'll get any flack around here is if you ask for advice, and then do the exact opposite.
Again, not trying to come down on you, but you do understand why I said I was going to jump in and be the first to scold you for cycling with the damsels, right? Were you advised to do it that way by a fish store?
And yes, your pH should be stable too. If you are constantly having to buffer it to keep it up, you have another underlying water chemistry issue. And, FWIW it is far better to have low pH (say 7.8 or so) and leave it steady than it is to buffer it, let it drop, buffer it, repeat... that is rough on livestock.
As for fish choice, yes those fish are too big for that size tank, so they will be under even more stress than any other new addition would normally be. Stress is a big factor in illness and fish loss, especially the PBT which could be one of the poster children for a stress-prone fish.
As for "nursed them back to health", what I mean is I fed carefully, made absolutely sure that my tank environment didn't contribute to further problems... I didn't QT, because pH shock can't be medicated for, and QTing won't help. All you can do is make them as comfortable as possible through careful attention to the tank conditions.
Also, you shouldn't have to add stress coat when acclimating a new fish either. I don't know that it could create any problems, and maybe others will chime in as to whether it can benefit a fish that is showing distress... but under normal conditions all you need to do is choose your livestock wisely, acclimate the fish correctly... and yes, you should quarantine new fish even if many don't. Some people don't, and haven't for years, and have never been bitten in the butt by it... but even they will admit that it could happen. IMO there is no reason to take a chance when all you lose by QTing a fish is a few weeks of not getting to see them in the display. Another reason to QT is that if one does show illness, it can be horribly difficult to try to catch them in a stocked tank... if you can verify health before they go in you can avoid that nightmarish job... not to mention that your other fish can't become infected.
We aren't trying to come down on you; we all had to learn this stuff once. The only way you'll get any flack around here is if you ask for advice, and then do the exact opposite.
Again, not trying to come down on you, but you do understand why I said I was going to jump in and be the first to scold you for cycling with the damsels, right? Were you advised to do it that way by a fish store?
ok well i have a 30 long that i had used before i mmight set it up as a QT down the line to see how well it works. but how do i stabilize the ph when i have a phosban reactor that lowers ph all on its own should i take it off? i think i can manage the temp pretty easlily just need to make a quick change and it shouldn't flex so far. and how should i add the buffer agent only in the water change if absolutely needed?
Phosban should not affect your PH that much. In your tank you only need like 2 tablespoons worth at most.
Do you have a Heater in your tank?
Do yourself another favor, and do NOT buy any more fish locally. ALL the stores around here are terrible, and the fish are always in bad shape. There was one decent store, but it closed.
Next time your tank is ready for some fish drive up to Bleu Planet in Mcdonough. Only about a hour and 15 min drive for ya.
So, yes, give your tank a few weeks to settle down, buy some more powerheads, and a heater if you don't already have one.
You may also need a small fan for when the lights are on to keep the tanks temp from spiking during the lighting cycle.
No use for stress coat.
Do you have a Heater in your tank?
Do yourself another favor, and do NOT buy any more fish locally. ALL the stores around here are terrible, and the fish are always in bad shape. There was one decent store, but it closed.
Next time your tank is ready for some fish drive up to Bleu Planet in Mcdonough. Only about a hour and 15 min drive for ya.
So, yes, give your tank a few weeks to settle down, buy some more powerheads, and a heater if you don't already have one.
You may also need a small fan for when the lights are on to keep the tanks temp from spiking during the lighting cycle.
No use for stress coat.
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running you lights that much will get to your fish at first and they will stress out, my purple tang would turn a whitish color. Some times its where you get you fish as well, will have a lot to do with it.
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Also, feed a better food than enriched brine. I'm not saying that is what caused your problem, 2 weeks is pretty quick for a healthy fish to starve to death. Tangs, pygmy angles and many other fish need veggies to thrive long term. There are a couple frozen foods with algae for tangs and such. Also, try Mysis, almost every fish loves it and it is MUCH more nutritious than even enriched brine.
