Fish keep dying but parameters are normal

[kryan13]

1st....slow down. Trust me and everyone on here when we tell you go slow w fish tanks....especially small ones that don't dilute the pollution as much. 2nd....I would wait to add anything new until you know what is going on. Adding more life means adding more bioload which means more ammonia etc. It takes a few weeks to stabilize ammonia after adding anything to a tank. I would wait 4 weeks, get parameters all in check, have proper filtration/etc set up and then add either a fish or a few more snails and go from there.

Thanks. I get so panicked when they die. I’m trying so hard to keep everything stable and everytime I think I’ve finally got it, someone dies. I’ll order better tests and see where I am. If you have time can you elaborate on what you mean by proper filtration?

 

[neo1738]

Why would this tank have ammonia if it cycled in Jan? Something seems off. It would certainly be cycled by now... has a goby and CUC in it since then even. The API kit will often say 0.25 even if it is 0.

Because she is adding too much livestock too quickly to a small 10g nano. Also the description of the fish acting drunk then dying fits encephalopathy which is exactly what ammonia does. Low O2 is another option but seems less likely at this point.

 

[neo1738]

Thanks. I get so panicked when they die. I’m trying so hard to keep everything stable and everytime I think I’ve finally got it, someone dies. I’ll order better tests and see where I am. If you have time can you elaborate on what you mean by proper filtration?

Read through this, crash course on how to get going from a friend of mine. Free to anyone who wants it.

 

[Tamberav]

Because she is adding too much livestock too quickly to a small 10g nano. Also the description of the fish acting drunk then dying fits encephalopathy which is exactly what ammonia does. Low O2 is another option but seems less likely at this point.

Maybe she lost the first fish from ammonia since it was early on and perhaps the tank wasn't really done cycling... BUT If fish are still dying and this tank has been up since Jan... it can certainly handle more than just one goby. It has been 4 months unless it doesn't have any live rock/bio media and has goldfish gravel and a sunken ship.. then there could be an issue.

@kryan13 can we get a photo of the tank? Just want to see how much rock is in it and get a basic visual, etc.

 

[kryan13]

Read through this, crash course on how to get going from a friend of mine. Free to anyone who wants it.

Thank you

 

[kryan13]

Maybe she lost the first fish from ammonia since it was early on and perhaps the tank wasn't really done cycling... BUT If fish are still dying and this tank has been up since Jan... it can certainly handle more than just one goby. It has been 4 months unless it doesn't have any live rock/bio media and has goldfish gravel and a sunken ship.. then there could be an issue.

@kryan13 can we get a photo of the tank? Just want to see how much rock is in it and get a basic visual, etc.

 

[kryan13]

It has live rock, bio bricks and balls in the back of the tank and live sand

 

[Tamberav]

Thanks. How are you acclimating the fish from the LFS? Have you ever tested the salinity in the bag to compare to your tank? Some run fairly low salinity.

 

[BoneDoc]

We’re the gosh eating in the Lfs?

 

[Tamberav]

I do think adding a small powerhead would be a good idea. Reef fish are used to very oxygenated water in the wild. Much more than we can typically provide.

 

[kryan13]

Thanks. How are you acclimating the fish from the LFS? Have you ever tested the salinity in the bag to compare to your tank? Some run fairly low salinity.

Drip method. I use the same water that the store uses so I didn't think I had to check the salinity?

 

[kryan13]

I do think adding a small powerhead would be a good idea. Reef fish are used to very oxygenated water in the wild. Much more than we can typically provide.

I’ll do that. Thank you so much

 

[Tamberav]

Drip method. I use the same water that the store uses so I didn't think I had to check the salinity?

hm… I wonder if they misinformed you as nutri water is very expensive so I can’t see them using it in their systems. Assuming it is the box water I am thinking of.

I would definitely check next time. I once had a fish sold to me and they accidentally added freshwater to the bag. So the fish was at 1.006 salinity when I tested. Random freak accident.

It’s just good to rule things out or if it is bigger difference then you know to drip longer.

 

[kryan13]

We’re the gosh eating in the Lfs?

Yes and then happily for weeks in my tank

 

[kryan13]

hm… I wonder if they misinformed you as nutri water is very expensive so I can’t see them using it in their systems. Assuming it is the box water I am thinking of.

I would definitely check next time. I once had a fish sold to me and they accidentally added freshwater to the bag. So the fish was at 1.006 salinity when I tested. Random freak accident.

It’s just good to rule things out or if it is bigger difference then you know to drip longer.

Would it be possible for them to die weeks later from that?

 

[Tamberav]

Would it be possible for them to die weeks later from that?

weeks might be too long but osmotic shock is a slow/delayed death.

I don’t think that’s what happened since you dripped them but it’s just a thought to test next time anyways. The drip acclimation kind of rules it out.

#fishmedic

 

[lobstermeet]

If ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all in order (as they seem to be) the next culprits would be temperature and salinity as simple as they sound. Temp should be 75-80F. Salinity should be ~1.025 specific gravity or ~35ppt make sure you use a properly calibrated measuring instrument.

High temp (combined with low flow) reduces oxygen levels which can lead to a slow gaspy death like you described. This is more likely if you have a tank with a sealed top which it looks like you don't so I'd say this is unlikely.

Elevated salinity dehydrates the fish over time also leading to a slow death after enough time. If you haven't been testing it consistently I would say that's the no 1. suspect. It normally creeps up when people replace evaporated water with more saltwater rather than fresh water. As I said make sure you measure it with a well calibrated hydromer/refractomer/whatever you're using.

If temp, salinity, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are all in order I'd do a mail-in icp water test to see if there's a mystery contaminate in your tank such as certain metals. Be responsible and don't add any more fish until you get to the bottom of it.

When you do add fish again just add one to start, 10g is a small volume of water.

 

[WVNed]

Without some help in the aeration department it is going to be very hard to keep 2 fish alive in that tank. Judging by the pic there is probably only 6 gallons of water if that much. I am guessing with very little flow.
The hardier fish will live and the other wont.
I suspect it is fine with one fish and slowly goes bad with 2.
This was a big reason my first tanks quickly got upgraded from a 8 gallon to a 20 and then 30.

 

[Gtinnel]

My money would be on not enough oxygenation. I would definitely start with increasing the surface agitation.

Also, I noticed you said you didn’t check salinity from the lfs, but you do check your tanks salinity periodically dont you? This may seem like a stupid question but when you have water evaporation you are replacing it with fresh water not saltwater aren’t you?

 

[kryan13]

Without some help in the aeration department it is going to be very hard to keep 2 fish alive in that tank. Judging by the pic there is probably only 6 gallons of water if that much. I am guessing with very little flow.
The hardier fish will live and the other wont.
I suspect it is fine with one fish and slowly goes bad with 2.
This was a big reason my first tanks quickly got upgraded from a 8 gallon to a 20 and then 30.

Thanks. I’ll try adding aeration, better testing, and wait a while before attempting to add anything else and see if that helps.