New Fish Die within a week
- Thread starter RandyRovegno
- Start date
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It's really not that hard tho -- there's an unfavorable condition in the tank the long-timers have adapted to over time, but newly introduced fish cannot. Like the story I posted about the broken thermometer leading the owner to turn the heat up too high over time.
RandyRovegno
Community Member
So the fish are healthy and normal (they eat, explore, etc) then after like 4-5 days, they suddenly start to fall to the bottom and look distressed. Then the next morning they are dead. Not all eat so stress is obviously a factor but I have sturdy, healthy clowns for example that move for a week and then overnight, go from 100 to zero.
RandyRovegno
Community Member
Oh believe me, it's not freak deaths. I KNOW there is an issue. But we test everything and it looks good so I try it and no luck. I DON'T want to kill anymore fish. I want a solution so we can avoid it. That's why all of you are so awesome to help me solve the problem. I'll check out the disease forum now.
My point is your logic makes no sense.
1. Add new fish
2. Fish dies
3. Hypothesize bad water chemistry
4. Water chemistry is fine
5. Return to step 1
Obviously if your water chemistry is good, but your fish keep dying that is not the problem. So why do you keep checking your water, finding out it's fine, and then keep adding fish only to see them die?
davidcalgary29
2500 Club Member
What exactly do you have in the way of powerheads or wavemakers? The surface of your tank's water doesn't look turbulent at all. And do you have a sump in that cabinet?
RandyRovegno
Community Member
Dude, I'm asking for solutions. I understand your point which is the reason I'm here.
Double monti 61
Well-Known Member
Maybe that is all the fish your system can handle and may be able to sustain more fish as it matures?
RandyRovegno
Community Member
I'd rather solve the mystery. It's maddening.
Truly your current fish look healthy and balanced, possibly the bosses of the aquascape ~ the disease offer isn’t pinpointed it comes from the % rate of problems in systems nowadays if active prevention means aren’t in place. I watch Jay do troubleshoots and he always remarks that loss challenges where inverts and corals remain unaffected and only fish are lost is nearly always a disease issue, and in this case it honestly seems to extend out similarly where only new fish die and current inhabitants look happy and healthy.
unfortunately the going recommend from the disease forum would be to fallow the current system and treat preemptively the current fish in quarantine for the expected/ most likely maladies they present or share in the system as hosts (but seem to be not overcome by here) per species.
since necropsies aren’t available this is nearly certain your required fix path.
unfortunately the going recommend from the disease forum would be to fallow the current system and treat preemptively the current fish in quarantine for the expected/ most likely maladies they present or share in the system as hosts (but seem to be not overcome by here) per species.
since necropsies aren’t available this is nearly certain your required fix path.
Townsaquaria
Community Member
I have a possible explanation that was the case for our tank. Our biocube has been running for 4 years now. We had a handful of fish that lived peacefully together for 3 years until we decided to rehome these fish and start over. In that 3 years we tried a couple fish, but our clown goby murdered them and we decided that the current tank balance was met and nothing else could work unless we start over. So I think you have to consider the fish relations as well as hiding places. Here's what happened next...
We got rid of all of our rock except a few pieces so the tank would be easier to clean, but didn't realize we had no hiding places. We would add a few fish at a time but nothing survived except a pistol shrimp and crabs and snails. We got an ICP test showing nothing was abnormal, and we changed our RO/DI filters thinking something was leeching in undetected. But everything was dying except the inverts.
One day I decided I'm done. I can't see another fish die because of me, but the LFS owner encouraged me to not give up. He said to change or clean my sand, and to add a lot more rock for hiding places are bacteria growth. We filled the tank with cycled rocks from the LFS and magically, not a single fish died afterwards. We rescued a dying goby by isolating it in a mock QT, and when it was in good health again, moved it with its ornament it was hiding under. It stayed with that ornament.
So there was no measurable water chemistry change. No treatment for disease or any sickness. It literally was that we needed more rock. So my conclusion was that every fish needs their own safe place to go at night, and that includes safety from aggressive inverts and fish. This is how they act on the reef after all, isn't it? We need our own safe place, too! And also that there is magic to live rock beyond hiding places. There's something about it that makes for a healthy tank that goes beyond BB.
So I'd first analyze your fish stock right now and see if they can even handle more fish with how their current behavior is. Then if you think they can take more, first add serious hiding places for each new fish.
We got rid of all of our rock except a few pieces so the tank would be easier to clean, but didn't realize we had no hiding places. We would add a few fish at a time but nothing survived except a pistol shrimp and crabs and snails. We got an ICP test showing nothing was abnormal, and we changed our RO/DI filters thinking something was leeching in undetected. But everything was dying except the inverts.
One day I decided I'm done. I can't see another fish die because of me, but the LFS owner encouraged me to not give up. He said to change or clean my sand, and to add a lot more rock for hiding places are bacteria growth. We filled the tank with cycled rocks from the LFS and magically, not a single fish died afterwards. We rescued a dying goby by isolating it in a mock QT, and when it was in good health again, moved it with its ornament it was hiding under. It stayed with that ornament.
So there was no measurable water chemistry change. No treatment for disease or any sickness. It literally was that we needed more rock. So my conclusion was that every fish needs their own safe place to go at night, and that includes safety from aggressive inverts and fish. This is how they act on the reef after all, isn't it? We need our own safe place, too! And also that there is magic to live rock beyond hiding places. There's something about it that makes for a healthy tank that goes beyond BB.
So I'd first analyze your fish stock right now and see if they can even handle more fish with how their current behavior is. Then if you think they can take more, first add serious hiding places for each new fish.
RandyRovegno
Community Member
Yes, I have a sump. I have two powerheads that create a good flow. When I feed them the food flows all around so of the hundreds of issue it could be, I don't think circulation is one of them. But keep helping, I want to solve the issue.
Also Randy it dawned on me earlier the fish that were added without preps which didn’t make it/ even if was bullying and not disease/ put the current adapted fish load at risk by importing potential issues they deposit into the reef before dying. Must fallow and qt for best possible fix am sure.
RandyRovegno
Community Member
RandyRovegno
Community Member
RandyRovegno
Community Member
I have a condy and a long tenticle. The candy has been slowly dying in the last few weeks but he'd been fine for 6 months. I have put in a bubble but he died too. The fish have zero sings of trauma and I've had my LSF examine them as well.
Sebastiancrab
2500 Club Member
I would put your current fish in QT and treat per Jay Hemdal's outline. Let your DT go fallow. Then, I would try a different fish store and QT them also.
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