Another day, another dead chromi..wth

[NanCrab]

Day before yesterday I had the smallest of my 3 chromis die. He was acting strange in the morning, hiding, and a couple hours later he was dead. Body looked perfect, no spots or blemishes. I checked the water, very small amounts of ammonia and nitrites. Did about a 10% water change and added Kent's Ammonia buffer and the alkalinity buffer.
Everyone was happy and swimming around yesterday. I rechecked the water last night before lights out and all parameters were good:
Sp Gr 1.026
pH 8.3
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10 ppm

This morning, dead fish clinging to filter intake
Sp Gr 1.026, no change
pH decreased to about 8.2? Difficult to tell slight changes with color chart
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0.25 ppm
Nitrates 0 - 5 ppm

Pics of fish below, other than being bent from being wrapped around filter I don't see anything.

My clowns have been fine in that QT for over a month and 2 chromis dead in a week.

Thoughts?

 

[CJD18]

SFD!! sudden fish death!

 

[NanCrab]

SFD!! sudden fish death!

For no good reason? I'm new so I want to make sure I'm not a fish killer before I start putting stuff into my 125!

 

[ptreef]

From my experience and others I’ve heard from, chromis tend to kill each other until there’s 1-2 left

 

[bzb]

Is that red area on his face from the suction? Or might it be uronema?

Where did you get these chromis?

 

[NanCrab]

From my experience and others I’ve heard from, chromis tend to kill each other until there’s 1-2 left

Hmmm..well there were three and now there's one left

 

[NanCrab]

Is that red area on his face from the suction? Or might it be uronema?

Where did you get these chromis?

I'm not sure about the redness but that is the side of him that was against the suction. I got them at Classic City in Athens. I was told they are easy and hardy but not so much. I just can't think of anything that could be killing them. I havent used copper, I did have them swim in a bath of HydroPlex when I got them then I did a drip type acclimation to the tank water. The water parameters of the bag water and my water were very close so I dont think it was shock to them. Idk.

 

[Shawn]

How big is that tank? I agree that chromis would fight it out. There’s no rock/place to hide in there, right?

 

[vols22]

I went through a couple in the beginning as well. Ended up with three that have survived out of like 6 or 7 total. Never had any problem with other fish at all. Chromi thing?

 

[CJD18]

Is that red area on his face from the suction? Or might it be uronema?

Where did you get these chromis?

I know chromis are highly know to get this, on his there is a spot on the left side below and behind the eye??

 

[CJD18]

I went through a couple in the beginning as well. Ended up with three that have survived out of like 6 or 7 total. Never had any problem with other fish at all. Chromi thing?

I had 7 in a 45g no problem, they say to keep them in odd numbers

 

[vols22]

I had 7 in a 45g no problem, they say to keep them in odd numbers

So crazy, they were all eating until they died so I have no clue.

 

[CJD18]

 

[CJD18]

Uronema is deadly to all fish!
Link from Humble fish..
.https://humble.fish/uronema/

 

[CJD18]

So crazy, they were all eating until they died so I have no clue.

Other fish in system??

 

[Adam]

Also I wouldn't use the Kent product with Alk buffer in a QT. Alk buffer will raise the pH, significantly in a small QT, this could shock the fish. Use Seachem Prime or add more Biospira if you see ammonia or NO4. Add Prime directly to the tanks water, Boispira directly into the filter.

My bet is Chromis fighting. But that wouldn't happen at night. So the fish was weakened and got stuck to the filter intake.
People that have the best luck with multiple Chromis feed them 3 or 4 times a day to keep aggression down. Also People that have very large QT tanks and massive displays have good luck with schools. People like @myaquariumpro and his 1000 gallon display.

The very 1st fish I got were 5 Benggai Cardinals. Put them in the QT saw everything was doing well and a couple hours later I turned off the lights and went out to dinner. Got home a few hours later and 2 of the fish were stuck to the filter intake and dead. There were 2 males and a female left. Within two weeks the female killed the smaller male.
I learned two things from this. No more buying more than two of a species at a time with only a small QT. And figure out how to get the filter intake to surface skim eliminating the chance that fish will get stuck to it. I used 1/2" PVC elbows and pipe with a 1/2" connector fitting I cut notches in to make the intake a surface skimmer. This also did a great job removing surface scum/slime.

 

[NanCrab]

How big is that tank? I agree that chromis would fight it out. There’s no rock/place to hide in there, right?

There are 3 pieces of PVC in there and it is a 40g breeder

 

[NanCrab]

Other fish in system??

2 clowns, have had them over a month now

 

[NanCrab]

View attachment 19104

The first one that died had zero blemishes on it, I feel like that redness around the eye on mine is from being on the suction from the HOB filter

 

[NanCrab]

Also I wouldn't use the Kent product with Alk buffer in a QT. Alk buffer will raise the pH, significantly in a small QT, this could shock the fish. Use Seachem Prime or add more Biospira if you see ammonia or NO4. Add Prime directly to the tanks water, Boispira directly into the filter.

My bet is Chromis fighting. But that wouldn't happen at night. So the fish was weakened and got stuck to the filter intake.
People that have the best luck with multiple Chromis feed them 3 or 4 times a day to keep aggression down. Also People that have very large QT tanks and massive displays have good luck with schools. People like @myaquariumpro and his 1000 gallon display.

The very 1st fish I got were 5 Benggai Cardinals. Put them in the QT saw everything was doing well and a couple hours later I turned off the lights and went out to dinner. Got home a few hours later and 2 of the fish were stuck to the filter intake and dead. There were 2 males and a female left. Within two weeks the female killed the smaller male.
I learned two things from this. No more buying more than two of a species at a time with only a small QT. And figure out how to get the filter intake to surface skim eliminating the chance that fish will get stuck to it. I used 1/2" PVC elbows and pipe with a 1/2" connector fitting I cut notches in to make the intake a surface skimmer. This also did a great job removing surface scum/slime.
View attachment 19105
View attachment 19106

Ok, I've been using the Kent buffer all along, it barely seems to affect the pH but I will buy the other one.
I will try to figure out this plumbing when I get home. Idk maybe I'm silly but is a 40g breeder really that small for a QT? I won't be buying any more chromis for sure but at a loss as to what to add. Tangs are out, mixed feelings about a wrasse...I'll have to do some research.