New tank. First fish dying? Normal?

[The avid anglerfish]

I setup my new tank and put my first fish in today. I put two damsels in and one is starting to lay on the bottom and is producing white stringy stuff while the other is just fine, hiding under my live rock. Is it normal for the first fish in the tank to die????

 

[hybridazn]

No not at all. How old is the tank and how did you acclimate the fish?

 

[The avid anglerfish]

The tank is brand new and I'm now doing the new cycle. One died overnight but the other is just fine. I'm keeping the temp at 75 degrees.

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

So it is not cycled? What do you have In there? Live rock? Live sand? If not, The ammonia will likely kill the fish (even damsels are not bulletproof). I'm a fan of adding the beneficial bacteria (Dr. Tim's One and Only) to shorten cycle time. You can also go the longer/smellier (sure...that's a word) way and drop a table shrimp in.

 

[Tahoe61]

Basically you do not stock the tank with live stock (fish or corals) until the cycle is complete. Ammonia burns gills and kills.

Do you have test kits for ammonia and nitrates?

There are multiple ways to cycle a tank, you can add a raw dinner shrimp, use a bacterial additive such as a Dr.Tim's product, use live rock, or just be very patient and wait 8 weeks.

 

[The avid anglerfish]

Befor I put the fish in, I put in live rock and live sand

 

[Tahoe61]

The beneficial bacteria must further colonize the rock, sand and other mediums such as filter material.

There is really no instant SW tank method, unless you've been a hobbyist for a couple years and use live cured rock. The exceptions are rare and the failure rate is high.

Please review the nitrogen cycle (the link below).

http://saltwateraquariumhobby.com/saltwater-aquarium-cycling/nitrogen-cycle/

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

What are your Ammonia readings? If you have more than your beneficial bacteria can handle, it lingers and does damage. Live rock is not always as alive as needed at first and sometimes there is die-off that actually adds to your parameters being out of whack.

 

[Just Keep Swimming]

Yikes! Can you say water changes[emoji226]

 

[Russ265]

it is normal for ALL fish to die if you set a brand new tank up and added them on the same day.

-had to.
everyone here has given great advice

 

[The avid anglerfish]

it is normal for ALL fish to die if you set a brand new tank up and added them on the same day.

-had to.
everyone here has given great advice

I set the tank up about a week ago and just put fish in today

 

[Russ265]

I set the tank up about a week ago and just put fish in today

got a few weeks to go broskie. (given an ammonia source)

 

[Cleo642]

Damsels turn into devils anyway. When your tank finished cycling, and the damsel are still in there, they will turn mean and stress out other fish. They get territorial, those little fish can pack a punch especially as they age. I have read some people say that damsels should not even be sold.

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

What are your parameters? If you have ammonia present, it is killing the fish (or doing serious damage). A partial water change might help, but that is barely a band aid. Knowing parameters would be good for getting suggestions.

 

[Tahoe61]

I set the tank up about a week ago and just put fish in today

The tank may very well be hitting or has hit the time when the ammonia spikes to it's highest levels. Next nitrites become elevated and lastly nitrates.

You want to add live stock after there are no detectable values for ammonia or nitrites, according to your test kit.

You're going to have to give it more time, add some bacteria in a bottle (Dr.Tims One and Only, Microbacter7.... there are quite a few products) if you want to speed up the process. You'll still need to let the tank cycle and continue to test though.

 

[Aussie paul]

I setup my new tank and put my first fish in today. I put two damsels in and one is starting to lay on the bottom and is producing white stringy stuff while the other is just fine, hiding under my live rock. Is it normal for the first fish in the tank to die????

I use straight sea water in my tank and pretty much cycled for 2 days before adding fish.

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

Two days probably did nothing. Most bacteria is in the sand/rock so the water does not make a huge difference.

 

[Tahoe61]

I use straight sea water in my tank and pretty much cycled for 2 days before adding fish.

NSW (normal salt water) carries very little of the nitrifying and denitrfying bacteria, certainly not enough to establish a system within a week. The beneficial bacteria need organics to feed off of and those same bacteria need time to reproduce and spread in order for those bacteria types to complete the nitrogen cycle adequately. If the system is not cycled ammonia is not converted to nitrites and then to nitrates quickly enough to prevent the live stock from suffering secondary to toxic ammonia and nitrite levels. Will some fish and simple inverts survive perhaps but they suffer needlessly.

 

[Bensadork]

My tank was full of water and sand and rocks for at least a month before I added anything. I probably had it running for 6-8 weeks before I added my first fish.

 

[Aussie paul]

NSW (normal salt water) carries very little of the nitrifying and denitrfying bacteria, certainly not enough to establish a system within a week. The beneficial bacteria need organics to feed off of and those same bacteria need time to reproduce and spread in order for those bacteria types to complete the nitrogen cycle adequately. If the system is not cycled ammonia is not converted to nitrites and then to nitrates quickly enough to prevent the live stock from suffering secondary to toxic ammonia and nitrite levels. Will some fish and simple inverts survive perhaps but they suffer needlessly.

Ammonia levels have never gotten anywhere near high. And the very first damsel I put in is still going strong as are the rest of my fish and corals. Most of them all wild caught