Tank chemistry

[slyrap]

I have 2 clowns, blue tang and a valentini puffer in a 60 gal water box setup. I have had these fish for 18 months now with no issues but every fish we add dies eventually. We have corals, snails and crabs all doing well also. Want to add a fish or two with some color but like we said have issues. Any good suggestions or are these fish just too much for adding?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sounds like too much fish for that tank. Not sure why they die, but I would not try to repeat it.

 

[Dan_P]

I have 2 clowns, blue tang and a valentini puffer in a 60 gal water box setup. I have had these fish for 18 months now with no issues but every fish we add dies eventually. We have corals, snails and crabs all doing well also. Want to add a fish or two with some color but like we said have issues. Any good suggestions or are these fish just too much for adding?

How much extra food do you feed after the new fish is added?

 

[slyrap]

How much extra food do you feed after the new fish is added?

I feed them one cube of frozen or 1/2 tsp of pellets when I add the extra fish it’s usually only one at a time I will jump to a quarter more then what I feed now.

 

[slyrap]

Sounds like too much fish for that tank. Not sure why they die, but I would not try to repeat it.

It’s only 4 fish… in a 60 gallon.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It’s only 4 fish… in a 60 gallon.

While disease seems a likely cause of the deaths, not size, both the blue tang and the puffer will get too large, if they are not already.

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/
Aquarium Requirements
Potential “tankbusters” that, depending on the species, can range anywhere from one foot
to three feet in adult length, puffers and porcupinefishes are best kept singly in a large
species aquarium. A tank capacity of 100 gallons or more is recommended. While some
puffer species will adapt to life in a large community aquarium, puffers are notorious fin-nippers and can do considerable damage to piscine tankmates with their powerful dental plates.
Not surprisingly, puffers also make poor mini-reef inhabitants. Like the closely related
triggerfishes and filefishes, puffers won’t hesitate to use those imposing dental plates to
sample the resident invertebrates, which are a part of their natural diet.
This nibbling behavior may also extend to aquarium décor and equipment, so it’s wise to
place heaters, protein skimmers, and other devices out of the fish’s reach, preferably in a
separate sump. “Aquascaping” should consist of rockwork, with plenty of caves or
overhangs where the puffer can seek refuge, as well as open sandy areas that the fish can
pick through looking for tasty tidbits as it would in the wild.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

do you have a lot of rockwork in your tank? Blue tank should be in a much larger tank, it might be stressed and attacking new fish , if there is not enough rockwork for new fish to hide. I have a feeling if you rehome that blue tang, it would be easier to add new fish.

 

[Dan_P]

I feed them one cube of frozen or 1/2 tsp of pellets when I add the extra fish it’s usually only one at a time I will jump to a quarter more then what I feed now.

The “eventual death” sounded like starvation. I would guess most aquarist underfeed their fish for fear of nitrate.