# Fish Keep Dying, Snails Wont Last a Day!



## boi770 (Jun 16, 2007)

I set my tank up in February, I have two fish that have been around for about 3 months, as I bring them in, they come, they go  

I've lost every clown fish, generally after about two weeks, I just lost a cardinal fish (I had two, the second one who came along with the first is doing very well)

Every snail I've ever put in my tank has died within 24 hours.

I've tested my water and everything "Seems" to be okay:

Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm
Amonia >.25>.5ppm
PH: 8.4
Alkalinity: 4.5mEq/L
Phosphate: 0
Salinity: 1.021ppt

I've taken my water in to my local aquarium store but they told me it must have been where I bought my fish (PetCo) but I've since had other fish die, even from that aquarium.

I Understand that fish die, but I cannot keep them alive and something seems to be wrong but I cannot figure out what it is... Can anyone see what I am missing?

 

I also have a problem with Diatom brown algae and bought some hermit crabs to clean it...


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## MattD (Apr 25, 2007)

I'm not saltwater savvy, but the pH needs to be at 8.2, and the SG needs to be at 1.024 iirc.

Brown algae is a good thing if you look at it as the indicator that your tank is stabilizing.


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## Melissa (Nov 28, 2006)

are you putting any chemicals or anything into your water?


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## boi770 (Jun 16, 2007)

No chemicals, at one point (about two weeks ago but after the first and before others) I used Rid Ich because I was told a clown fish I had had Ich... I followed the directions (unfortunately the fish died before I began treatment) and continued treatment three days after the fatality. All of my other fish were fine for a week and a half until another fish died the same way.

The fish will start out by not eating and then after about three days die.


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## usmc121581 (Jul 31, 2006)

By your parameters your ammonia is to high that will kill fish within hours.


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## Picklee (Feb 22, 2007)

Your tank is fully cycled? Explain to me how you introduce the new fish to your aquarium. Those ammonia levels are extremely toxic. Your tank, for a pH of 8.4, should have only 0.1678 ppm, and that's at 86 degrees! Describe how your fish die. Do they seem to b e gasping for air at the water's surface? If so, then it's certainly ammonia poisoning. You're suffocating your fish.


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## usmc121581 (Jul 31, 2006)

Picklee said:


> Your tank is fully cycled? Explain to me how you introduce the new fish to your aquarium. Those ammonia levels are extremely toxic. Your tank, for a pH of 8.4, should have only 0.1678 ppm, and that's at 86 degrees! Describe how your fish die. Do they seem to b e gasping for air at the water's surface? If so, then it's certainly ammonia poisoning. You're suffocating your fish.


The tank doesnt seem like it has cycled yet. You should have no ammonia present in a established system. You will have Nitrates present all the time you will never have zero nitrates.


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## boi770 (Jun 16, 2007)

They do seem to be sort of suffocating... they will seemingly gasp - not at the surface but in their normally 'hang out' spot.

When acclimating I let the bags float for about 30 mins for temp adjustment, then I let a scoop of water in the bag and let them hang out for about 10-15 minutes followed by another scoop of water (I'll let some water in the bag out into a bucket before the second scoop) for another 10-15 minutes. I'll then let the fish in the tank and keep an eye on them to make sure they and the other fish play nicely.

What Can I do to lower the amonia levels?


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## ndjs (Jun 3, 2007)

You really need to let the tank cycle.. 

Most people buy some hardy fish and let them produce ammonia (waste), which gets converted by bacteria, and more conversion by more bacteria, etc. until the tank can handlet he amount of waste that the new fish will produce.

Search for tank cycling, lots of extraordinarily useful info on this site.


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