Why can't I...

twistoflime

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Why can't I keep fish alive? Only about half the fish I buy survive, I don't get it. MOst of the time the fish do well for about 2 weeks and then just suddenly croak. I alternate mysis, cyclopleeze, plankton, and others for fish to get different foods. I feed one or two cubes once a day. I but 1 green nori sheet in the tank every day. This happens to everything from hippos to gobies. I soak the food in focus and metro just incase they have parasites aswell. I don't undrestand why I have such trouble with this. Does any one have any ideas?
 
Metronidazole is an anti-protozoan, and has specific uses, so just dosing it for the sake of it isnt accomplishing anything. In fact, it could be hurting far more than helping. I wouldnt do that unless you have a reason to.

I dont mean for this to be aggressive either, but, fish dont "just die for no reason". There is a reason, you just havent found it yet. What symptoms do you see?
 
I float the fish for 30 min to 1 hour. Depending on the fish I may/may not quarintine. If the fish has been in the FS for a few weeks and looks healthy than I don't quarentine. If the FS just got it in and it's shy then I will quarentine. I don't think it has to do with how I acclimate them because they usually live for 2 or 3 weeks and look fine but then just suddenly die.
 
jmaneyapanda;441072 wrote: Metronidazole is an anti-protozoan, and has specific uses, so just dosing it for the sake of it isnt accomplishing anything. In fact, it could be hurting far more than helping. I wouldnt do that unless you have a reason to.

I dont mean for this to be aggressive either, but, fish dont "just die for no reason". There is a reason, you just havent found it yet. What symptoms do you see?
I have not noticed any symptoms, they are fine when I go to bed and when I wake up they are dead. I'll stop useing the medicence then. I was told they were a good "preventitive".
 
ares;441073 wrote: how are the parameters? I might underfeed, but 2 cubes and a whole sheet of nori for 6 or 7 fish may be a bit much unless they are very large. nitrates checking out ok?

do they appear to have ick prior to death? the fish you have listed in your sig are more or less bulletproof, long as they are wet, they will probably live. what kind of fish have you had that are dieing?
Parameters as of yesterday
nitrates 0 (they usually don't get above 5)
ph 8.2
phosfates 0
temp stays between 78-80
ammonia 0
nitrites 0
There is no ick or any symtoms they seem fine. I've had wrasses, gobies, blennies, hippo tang. THe hippo tang really baffles me because it was fat and happy and swimming around the day before it died and then I found it dead the next day.
 
What are the water parameters?

Do you wash you hands before putting them in the tank?

Are you cleaning the glass with anything?

Are you adding any supplements or dosing?

If you add two fish... do they both die?

One final suggestion... fish may acclimate better (easier on the fish) if you drip acclimate for 45 - 60 minutes.
 
Big water change, run carbon, and do not add fish for a whiel. And for the love of.....QT EVERYTHING!!!!!
 
:eek: I just took note note to get one of them...
AndrewG;441083 wrote: Perhaps unknown predators?

For no apparent reason other than his giant size my Brittle Star started eating fish at night. It took me forever to figure out what was doing it. I had to actually see him take one down. Fish were completely healthy.

I have had this guy for 5 years and inherited him from the previous tank owner. That makes him around 6.5 years old and he never did this until about 3 months ago.

Not sure if this is your problem but Jeremy is pointing you in the right direction.
 
I do wash my hands before putting them in the tank. I dose magnesium and 2 part calcium, I don't clean the glass with anything. Usually if I put multiple fish in at one time 1 of them dies. Like I said not all of them die but about 1/2 of the fish I get do.
elFloyd;441080 wrote: What are the water parameters?

Do you wash you hands before putting them in the tank?

Are you cleaning the glass with anything?

Are you adding any supplements or dosing?

If you add two fish... do they both die?

One final suggestion... fish may acclimate better (easier on the fish) if you drip acclimate for 45 - 60 minutes.
 
Thanks for the advise. I'll start QT everything and running carbon.
jmaneyapanda;441081 wrote: Big water change, run carbon, and do not add fish for a whiel. And for the love of.....QT EVERYTHING!!!!!
 
Do you add them to the tank after they float and temp acclimate or do you drip acclimate them too to get them used to your water?
 
ares;441107 wrote: I feel that if there were an issue of a vendor having alot of fish they sell die... we'd know of it. it wouldnt not be unique or a secret. and again, its unlikely a fish sick from the store would die 2 weeks later. thats a long time to live and then die.
This is true. My lfs did find out they were recieving cyanide caught fish that would die within a week or two. Changed suppliers and they are doing well again with there fish.
My main thing with dripping the fish would be to match the sg of the store. Is something harrassing the new fish?
 
I will tell you my story. I had the same thing happening also. I could not figure it out. Almost every new fish I added died. I checked all my perameters and everything was fine. I finally took my water in and my salinity was at 1.030. I had been using a hydrometer to mix and test. I had lost my old refractometer. Although I was checking it against a refractometer every one or two months, it still proved to be horribly inaccurate. I was also a bag floater.

I got to talking with another extremely knowledgable member about this. I knew that my salinity was high but I had other fish thriving. It all seems to be in the acclimation. This is where a long drip acclimation comes into play.

I was told and the way I understand it is. Alot of LFS run hypo salinity in their fish systems including the one most of my fish came from. It seems that fish adjust better from regular salinity to hypo faster than the opposite. If you try to take a fish from Hypo and introduce it to hyper salinty (like in my case) it has to be very slow. From what I was told the fast change in osmotic pressure differential (IE. going from hypo to hyper salinty) can rupture cells in the fishes gills. This can lead to the fish dying and it can be around two weeks before it does, like yours and my case.

Here is what I did. I went and bought a new refractometer and got the salinity back down to 1.025. Also knowing that a lot of LFS run hypo I now drip all my fish for a minimum of three hours.

Not saying this is your problem at all. Its just something to ponder. Like Jeremy said. There is a reason its happening you just havn't found it yet.
 
Anytime someone mentions it, it gets deleted or you would be hearing alot of it.

I put a trio of fathead anthias in Diannes tank that I had for over a month and they just straight dissapeared once in the system. I did a 30 minute drip because she had been having problems.

A bariene tank that I had for over a month did well in her system for 2 weeks and capoohee, just died overnite.

I am still wondering if there is something about the man made rock wall that is leaching something. Might be a good idea to send a sample of your water to watertesting.com or a lab and see if there is something that we just cant test for.

One more thought, pm Danny Bradley as he is by far the most advanced maint. guy and may have a few good thoughts as well.

ares;441107 wrote: I feel that if there were an issue of a vendor having alot of fish they sell die... we'd know of it. it wouldnt not be unique or a secret. and again, its unlikely a fish sick from the store would die 2 weeks later. thats a long time to live and then die.
 
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