Help! Installed new 160 gallon tank and already have 3 dead fish :(

[brandon429]

You need to pull all fish from the tank

Fallow the tank 90 days, treat them in observational qt. Nothing short of that works

You wouldn't do assessment in your display, that's the cause of the issue.

If you don't have access to a separate holding system, ouch. You'll need one and can't get around it. Until you complete fallow, your tank can't carry fish.

Skipping all disease preps was the cause, we've got to reverse that

 

[TnFishwater98]

Any thoughts on how to identify the disease? I'm trying to see which remedy would be the best path. The main thing I noticed was heavy breathing...so is it likey Brook?

Why do you think you have a disease?

 

[Tamberav]

I see very heavy breathing and flared gills, the gills may be a defect.

The LFS should have never sold you those fish... even if they were disease free, the cardinals kill each other off and the clowns later on may kill each other when they pair up. Wild bangaii cardinals can be finicky and we really should not be taking those fish from the wild. I believe they are listed as threatened in the wild. You want to purchased aquacultured ones as they seem to prove more hardy as well.

LFS seems to know nothing about stocking a successful tank.

I would pull them all, turn the temp on the tank to 82 (too speed up the parasites cycle) and go fallow for 45 days.

I don't know if you checked the salinity in the bags? You also did not say how you acclimated.

With numerous un QT fish direct from LFS, disease is likely either way even if that is not the initial issue.

 

[TnFishwater98]

One last piece of information. My clownfish did show a symptom of having long white poops prior to it getting sick. I had no idea that was an issue until reading about it on the forums. Just curious if that is consistent with marine velvet or not and whether I also need to treat for something else with the remaining fish

I think you need to take a breathe and Slllooowwww it down. If you start blindly diagnosing and start throwing a bunch of stuff in your tank, it’s going to be a long road. IMO you put a lot of fish in your tank after a very short “cycle”. Especially if you’re using dry rock. How many fish are still alive? What kind of CUC have you added to the tank? Did you add them the same time you added the fish?

 

[threebuoys]

One last piece of information. My clownfish did show a symptom of having long white poops prior to it getting sick. I had no idea that was an issue until reading about it on the forums. Just curious if that is consistent with marine velvet or not and whether I also need to treat for something else with the remaining fish

Focus on the other issues but keep an eye on the poop. Unless it worsens your best bet is to ensure a good quality diet. White stringy poop is not a primary symptom of velvet although it could occur due to other reasons including poor diet.

 

[knockout]

I know, just curious about the amount of fish that is suggested to add at one time.

for me, I don't think the number of fish is an issue,
or being added together is an issue,
but adding them on a new yet-to-be-proven safe system is an issue,
when you're new and your system is new, adding fewer fish saves both money and more importantly disappointment,

I love fish and love corals and I have learned the hard way to slow down many, many times, and don't buy that next fish that looks so amazing, I know all too well that even adding a single fish can wipe out a tank, did that not long ago, and it is still painful even after many years of doing this.

 

[SebM]

The more I read the more I think low salinity at the LFS to “normal” salinity.

 

[rishic78]

I am surprised nobody is talking about aggression being the possible cause here.

I agree to add 11 fish is too much too soon, but without any signs of infection, the cause could just be the type of fish...

Clownfish are particularly aggressive, add 2 and you will have a skirmish until one becomes dominant, add 4 and then you have a problem, probably would have been better off adding 11 clowns (this is not a recommendation)

then there are the beautiful Bangaii cardinals, they look so peaceful - they are not!
they are just as aggressive to each other as much as clownfish are, these fish will kill each other until there is a mated pair established, then they will mate and after that usually only one of the parents survives, (I think the male) will guard the eggs/offsprings against the dangers of the reef (clownfish-in your scenario), this fish will protect until it dies of starvation, very few LFS can be trusted with information, they need to sell product aka fish



EDIT: I would do nothing at this point, a) you don't have a QT system, b) bringing the fish back is probably not an option

So quick follow up to my post. It does look like the issue may have just been the fish being aggressive with each other. I noticed that the other two clownfish were bullying the remaining clownfish and it also started to exihibit heavy breathing. I ended up putting the clownfish into the sump and then it calmed down. I ended up taking it back to the LFS to avoid further war.

So good news is that I may have avoided disease, but bummer that I lost 3 fish. The remaining 5 cardinalfish seem to be getting along pretty well and no issues with the two remaining clownfish.

This scare definitely got me to rethink quarantining...so I now buy a 20 gallon quarantine tank. I'm going to wait a few more weeks to make sure no other issues before adding new fish

 

[Nemo&Friends]

these cardinal look peaceful, but they fight each other. I am suspecting you will end up with only one, unless you get a pair.