Saltwater help

[Z06killinsbf]

So I've had my salt water tank about a year now. I haven't really had many issues with it and it had been stable. I switched foods to some I got at the pet store and within 3 days, all 3 of my fish, a snail died and my urchin got sick. Obviously it was bad food. So I do a have water change and eveything seems fine. My crab, 2 snails and urchin are happy and moving around. Cool, I go buy some new fish. 4 damsels, nothin special. Before I even get home (Plano to McKinney) one fish is almost dead and dies that night. Since that I have had 2 more fish die and now I'm down to one. WTF!?!?!?! Did I get bad fish or is there something else wrong? I got new food with the new fish. Sorry for long ass post!!

[TEAMJACOB]

Sounds like the fish were shocked between the ride home. How far do youj live from the fish store?

[Z06killinsbf]

About 20-30 minutes

[DamonH]

This is probably better asked on dfwmas.org, but there are a few saltwater tank owners on here.

What size tank? What are your water parameters? I doubt you had bad food, possible, but I don't think likely. What did you switch from and to?

If you have a smaller tank, it's likely that when one fish died, he was left in the water too long and contaminated the whole tank causing a die off. The way you wrote it, it sounds like the damsels were in trouble from the store. Are you going to Petco or something? Sounds like your store could be bad.

[Sleeper]

Qt new purchases if you can.

I suggest water changes, a lot of carbon, and skim wet.

Then wait a few weeks and te stock slowly.

I only feed rods reef frozen food or ocean nutrition flake, and pe mysis for my anemones. The fish get some as well.

[Jasonone]

If I remember correctly damsels were the guppies of the saltwater world. They're cheap, and can withstand your bacteria colony repopulating themselves. Check your water paramaters and salinity. You did a water change, was the water change enough to knock down the bacteria colony? It's probably the fish but you're not going to know until you verify your water parameters. Don't forget that if the tank is cycling you'll get swings. First your ammonia will go high and kill all but the ammonia bacteria, then it will get turned into nitrites which will feed the nitrite population and cause them to grow, then finally the nitrates. What most people don't realize is those three chemicals are poisonous to the bacteria that doesn't eat them, so as one blooms the others die and vice versa until a balance is reached. Also the chlorine chemical neutralizer doesn't work properly if you don't use it right. If you add the water directly to the tank the chlorine can go 'run and hide' for a few minutes before the neutralizer gets mixed thoroughly. This can be enough to kill your bacteria colony which has the cascading effect of throwing your ammonia cycle out of whack, which in turn kills your fish. When I established a new tank I threw a piece of shrimp into the tank with live rock and let that sit for a week. Be careful with the carbon suggestion, it's an excellent filter and it will remove the food in the water for your bact. colony. No food = dying bact. colony. Dying bact. colony puts you in the cascading problem again. It won't be as severe but weak or sensitive fish could be effected.

[Z06killinsbf]

It is a 20gal tank and I know the small tanks swing much faster. I have live rock, live sand and creatures (clean up crew) living in it already. Plus I have a protein skimmer and carbon filter system. The water is clear as can be. I haven't had it tested but my salinity is spot on.

[Rick Modena]

Test it, it sounds like you have something off balance. I don't think that some food would kill everything unless it was truely bad.

<----60 gallon salt water here...

[Z06killinsbf]

It didn't kill everything, just the fish.

[Blakeski]

What store did you go to, my buddy just purchased a Flame Angel from Petco I believe and it turns out the little bastard had Ick and killed all of his fish. PS if you would like a free Damsel, I have one that I don't want.

[Blakeski]

Oh and dfwmas.org sucks, imo.

[kpc01]

like said earlier, probably a bad amonia spike after the first death and it could have added to the others. your alk and ph are pretty important too. A PH spike could do that over a few hours, but you would have seen that in the corals too

[DFWtechie]

In my old 80g salt tank I had a Red Lion fish die and within 3 hrs everything in my tank but the crabs died.

[Z06killinsbf]

I get my fish from Aquatic Designs off 75 and 15th/Park. I have nothing but great things to say about that place.

I'll take that free damsel if you are close, they're only $5 but I have to drive to Plano to get them.

[Blakeski]

I get my fish from Aquatic Designs off 75 and 15th/Park. I have nothing but great things to say about that place.

I'll take that free damsel if you are close, they're only $5 but I have to drive to Plano to get them.

I am kinda on the fence about AD, but to each their own. I have a Blue Damsel I don't want, if you have a trap bring it on over and he is yours! If you have any frags you might want to trade I have a few small frags I am willing to trade as well.