# New fish keep dying



## GNR1985 (Jul 20, 2010)

I've had 2 new fish in my aquarium die this month. One a dwarf lionfish and another a sleeper goby. Both were eating, had full color, and appeared totally healthy. I had the lionfish for a little more than a month before it died, the goby only 2 days. I was told by the staff at the store that both died for no apprent reason.

I consistently do water changes (10 per week), and levels of nitrates, salt, ect are normal.

I have 2 clownfish and a teenage snowflake eel (not very aggresive to other fish). All 3 appear very healthy and happy.

The tank obviously can support life, and I would like to get a new fish that is very hardy, compatable with the other fish, and not too expensive. Any suggestions would be helpful .


----------



## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

if your fish are wild caught they might have been captured by the use of cyanide.they will look healthy and active at first but after that they'll just die for no apparent reason.


----------



## GNR1985 (Jul 20, 2010)

Come to think of it maybe they are wild caught. However the store I buy from has fish that have been alive for years that just havent been sold.

Im not a quitter. Id rather solve problems than give them up.


----------



## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

check online at wwf for a list of fish species that do well in aquaria, are on the endangered list, are wild caught using destructive methods or are bred in farms then keep from buying the ones that are red listed


----------



## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

first off WELCOME to TFK!!!!!!!!!! nice to have a new salt lover here!!

it may be the stock. did you QT? how long did the LFS have them before you ?
and since have you checked all your water parameters? the stock you have had may be used to the conditions but they could be off a little and a new addition may not be able to adapt dependent on your acclimation process...


----------



## GNR1985 (Jul 20, 2010)

Um could you spell out those abbreviations? I dont understand hahaha. I know the store had the stock for quite a while before I bought them. It's a really nice store and the staff really does know a lot more than other stores ive checked out. lets just say they wouldnt sell a bad fish if they knew it was unhealthy.
I aclimate them by opening the bag and letting it float in the water, adding a cup of tank water every 10 minutes for an hour. Then I put them in the tank with a net and dispose of the water because its full of pee and stuff.
I don't test the water myself... the equipment is a little too expensive... but I get it tested at the store every 2 weeks and the only problems they find are nitrates which I fix with a water change.


----------



## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

TFK tropical fish forum, QT quality test, LFS local fish store


----------



## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

QT - Quarantine tank (should be used to house new fish for 3-4 weeks before the are introduced to the main tank to keep infection or disease out of it
LFS - Local Fish Store
TFK - Tropical Fish Keeping
DT - Display Tank

i am not saying anything bad about any store (particularly one i have not been to) but at the end of the day every store is a business and they have a bottom line to worrie about...

at any rate for salt water it is recomended that one use the drip method as it ensures that the live stock are fully acclimated to the new tank... 
take a section of air line tubing long enough to reach a container located lower than the top of your tank (i use a bucket on the floor with a small tank set on top but thats just me)
cut the line in half and insert an adjustable air valve (the twist kind to restrict flow)
put new creature (still in there bag) in the empty vessel with bag open
place end of tube in main tank
start a siphon through air tube and adjust flow to about 1-2 drops per-second
place place the now dripping end into the bag with your new friend
and wait until water volume doubles
dump out half to three quarters of new volume into the vessel and continue to drip into the bag
repeat the doubling and dumping three times
then (this is where you must be careful) if the creature can tolerate air for a moment transfer to tank if not then place bag below water surface and release creature to place in the tank...

keep in mind this is how i do it after reading a ton on line and it appears to be effective and has been for me in the past... when using a QT i would use the same procedure by dripping off the DT and then adding the fish to the QT which i set up with water from the DT any how...
Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...-problem-need-help-46022/page2/#ixzz0uJmRYq5l
​


----------



## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

aaaaaaaaaaaaaa........i got QT wrong =p you should have wrote ( did you QT them) .


----------



## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

dont want to sound rude but the best way to put this... i wouldnt plan for a baby if i couldnt afford diapers.

what i suggest doing, is saving your money and not buying ANY fish for awhile. while your saving it would be a good idea to do some reading, lots of reading.your going to want your own amm, nitrite, nitrate, ph, alk, cal, mag liquid test kits at the bare minimum. you will also need a REFRACTOmeter, not a HYDROmeter for testing salinity. for one of these, check ebay. the shame is ( no matter how good you think a store is ) they tend to not care so much testing your water ( maybe because they do it all day ) or tell you its "safe" so you buy fish, only for the fish to die, so you come back. ofcourse not every single store is like this, but id rather trust myself testing then the 16 year old kid making minimum wage to net fish.

care to share more about your tank? how long was it setup for? filtration? lighting? size? the more info you provide, the better we can turn around and help you with. welcome to the TFK forum.


----------



## GNR1985 (Jul 20, 2010)

Yeah new fish dont seem like a good idea anyway if theyre just going to die. ill check out ebay or amazon or something. does it matter if its used? (its just cheaper)

my tank was set up around febuary or march. I had to upgrade it from a 20 since a past store sold me the snowflake eel and didnt tell me that it need wayyyy more room. The filter is a Fluval 305 (canister filter). I cant figure out the lighting... theres no label on it and the box is long gone, but I know it's a fish only / non coral light. And the tank is 40 gallons with a heater, live sand, and a couple pieces of live rock. By the way how much live rock am I supposed to have?

Thanks everyone for your help


----------



## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

general rule of thumb for Live Rock is 1-1.5 pounds per gallon but you cant have to much in my oppinion. as for the canister filter i personally would suggest building a sump instead and dump that filter.... i would look at this thread for more information. http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...-filtration-101-how-differs-freshwater-31955/
and this one
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/saltwater-articles/understanding-sumps-15930/


----------



## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

i dont think it would matter if it is used, but me personally i would go with a brand new one as you want your salinity reading as accurate as possible ( regardless of reef or fish only setup and what people may tell you IMO ) i think i got mine for $30 from china brand new on ebay as opposed to $50 from a fish website and even up to $100+ in an actaul fish store. you could also get an API liquid saltwater test kit online for i think $20. they dont include cal, alk or mag tests but those are a few dollars each. come to think of it i dont think API makes a mag test kit that im aware of and i think for this reason i purchased a salifert brand test.

both of those links are good starts and i agree about the canister filter. either loose it completely ( maybe sell it for some funds ) or run it empty/ with carbon only

if you still have the 20 ( pref. a 20 long ) that would make a great DIY sump. i would also slowly increase the amt. of live rock you have too before even thinking fish. patience is very hard but its key to being successful with fish tanks.

again reading is your best bet, asking questions works well too. its prob. best to read everything you can and then make your own judgement on what to do sounds right. another good place for information, people with the same interests, possibly used equipment would be looking in your area for a local reefing club.


----------



## GNR1985 (Jul 20, 2010)

Ok thanks everybody. Ill look in to buying some testing supplies, adding more rock, and setting up a new filtration system. and reading... before any more fish.

Thanks!!!


----------

