Another one dead....why?????????????

[jweisman54]

Another fatality...............pj cardinal dead. That makes 4 fish that have now died. I wish someone would please tell me why they are dying with all parameters ok. If this is ich would they just die off one by one? I am not adding any more fish to this tank...there are 4 left plus the snails.

I am frankly getting very frustrated by this hobby. I should have done much more research into it before I got involved and spend over $2,000. I am tempted to sell the entire set up at this point. If anyone is interested, please email me at jweisman54@gmail.com.

 

[mnavick]

Sorry for your frustration
1 month running and all your parameters are ok? Did you bring all the rock and sand from another established system?

 

[beckbrass]

Some if might be that the tank has not been up to long and the bio filter can't handle the load

 

[newenglandreef]

8 fish in a 60 gallon tank within a month of setting up is probably way too soon and too much. I did the same thing when I set up initially, and sometimes you have to learn the hard way, but if you follow all the "rules," it can be a really enjoyable and rewarding hobby.

 

[sixspeed]

If it is Ich then you will see little white dots on the fish. Do they show any other type of physical irregularities?

 

[aiaman]

sorry for your losses
IME my tank was bare for maybe 2 months before I started adding anything
I started with a clean up crew and waited to see what lived or died
and I started w/lr & live sand, no spikes
it was torture looking at a barrren tank
then I added 1 fish and waited, tested, etc
this is a slow hobby and change happens slow, at least for me
I too had my ups & downs, just chalk it up to experience and take it easy the next time
once you get everything settled, its pretty easy to maintain

 

[jweisman54]

Everything was new from scratch, live rock, live sand, clean up crew. Funny, my two original clowns are alive and well. Yes it was definitely ich, white spots and all, but the spots eventually go away but is still living within the tank, or so I've been told. Will do another water change this weekend. My RODI system is not working, waiting on parts from spectrapure to come in. Have to purchase water in the meantime.

 

[Bruno]

Everything was new from scratch, live rock, live sand, clean up crew. Funny, my two original clowns are alive and well. Yes it was definitely ich, white spots and all, but the spots eventually go away but is still living within the tank, or so I've been told. Will do another water change this weekend. My RODI system is not working, waiting on parts from spectrapure to come in. Have to purchase water in the meantime.

The WHITE SPOTS may go away but it's going to do some damage in the mean time. Your tank has a bad outbreak of Ich I think that's all of your problems.

FYI it will always be in the tank.

 

[wrassefan]

so tank is brand new and approx 2mo old....sounds like you should test for ammonia or nitrites. Your tank is new and not far from just finishing its cycle. Clowns are tougher and can withstand unstable water parameters. Obviously your other fish cannot. Stress prob caused the ich. How's flow? PH? It can take upto 6 mo. to completely stabilize a tank.

 

[Kiah]

Where did you get the fish? Many wild caught fish die when initially introduced to aquarium life, especially if tank is not fully cycled

 

[jweisman54]

Fish were purchased at Tropic Isle. The PJ Cardinal that died yesterday is the one who came home with it and spread it.

So, the ich will always be present in the tank, even after many water changes? What if all the water is removed and start from scratch with the water?

 

[livewire]

only way out is no fish in the tank for 6-8 weeks and a qt tank for the future....

 

[RayD]

Very sorry for the losses. It can be very frustrating.

2 months running from scratch is kind of too soon for that many fish. The Clownfish may survive the cycle process and many Damsels will. Remember Clownfish ARE in the Damsel family.

I would leave the Clowns in there and keep an eye on them Adding livestock to a brand new tank has to be done slowwwww. I started this hobby many years ago from scratch and waited 4 months to add my first fish. Patience is the most important part of this "thing of ours" (LOL!!) and it's also the hardest.

Hang in there and good luck.

 

[Yanni]

+1 on patients. We have all gone through this at one time or another( some more than they will ever admit). After almost 10 years of no ick outbreak i had one last year when i transfered tanks, it was also a pair of cardinal fish that brouhgt it into my system.... but it was also the fact that i didnt wait long enough for the tank to settle after the move. I added a bunch of new fish over the coarse of a few weeks and all of them met the same fate. I left the tank fishless for almost 6 weeks then slowly introduced fish into the system again. So far all is back to normal.... so for all the experince i had gained over the years i still managed to break one of my own rules and try and force too much on the tank and inhabitants at once and the stress cost me well over a grand in fish. If the clowns make it or not just leave the tank fishless for a solid 6 weeks. I know its alot of time but it will save you money, frustaration and the lives of your fish in the future. Good luck.

 

[jweisman54]

Thanks, yeah for some reason it was the cardinals. I think my flame angel now has symptoms. There are 5 fish in the tank, although I can't find the blenny today. I would assume that at some point they will all die. I will not put anything into the tank for many months now.

I also found out that the RODI system that I bought which I am returning is not for use with someone who has well water. My pump in my well was constantly running and could have possibly burnt out. I needed a different ro unit which has its own pump included. Something which I cannot afford to purchase.

 

[Sherri]

I have spectrapure and a well ... never had problems. No -- all of the fish do not have to die. I had a break out and lost my cleaner gobies but that was it. I bought dried mysis and soaked them in H2O vitamins and it seemed to see them through.

 

[jweisman54]

I had the spectrapure also, but my pump in the house is not new and I can't afford to replace my water system if it breaks down. I will either buy ro water or use it from the tap. Not sure yet.