AboutNick Expertise I can help with most saltwater questions, relating to stocking levels, fish care, corals, technical, lighting, set-up and maintenence in both large and small saltwater tanks. Specializing in the care of saltwater fish, I can answer nearly all questions relating to stocking, feeding, acclimating, caring for saltwater fish, as well as compatibility with other fish and invertebrate as well as a bit on corals.
Experience I have kept fish since I was 6. I care for many saltwater fish tanks and I also work in a local pet store as the manager of the fish section.
Question QUESTION: Hi, my boyfriend and I have had a saltwater tank for over 8 months. We started with live rock and two damsels. Over time we added two sea anemones(haitian/sebae),clown fish and a tang. All have been doing great. We waited awhile longer and then started buying nicer fish. We bought a imperial angel first and after 2 wks she died, we assumed it was ich. Then 2 wks later we bought a coral beauty and she also died about a week after we bought her. Frustrated we added a ich treatment that was safe for the invertebrates. About a month later we bought a butterfly fish and she lasted about 8 days and died. We went to the pet store and they said that we should introduce our fish with a different method by doing a drip and turning the lights out. So with hope we bought a bicolor blenny, damsel and another coral beauty. The damsel died the next day and then the blenny died the next day and then the coral beauty. There wasnt any ich on the beauty and she was eating the first day and DIDNT seemed stressed at all. Especially the blenny seemed very content and comfortable when he joined the tank. We tested all the levels, ammonia, nitrates, ph, nitrites, all were normal. Throughout this time, the tang, damsel, clown and shrimp have all been fine. Please help I really want some angels and a coral beauty.
Thanks
Rachel
ANSWER: I need to know everything about your tank.
The size, the water change schedule, your equipment, your filtration, the amount of live rock you have, what you are feeding, what you SG is, what your pH is....etc.
And yes, your pet store was right. Drip Acclimating is the only was you should ever introduce a fish.
-Nick
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: honestly i havent done a water change in about 8 weeks, i usually just top
off the water with fresh water made from an ro/di maker. 15 gallon sump
water turn over about 6-8 times an hour. we have 2 anenemones, 1clownfish i
yellow tang i blue devil damsel 2 flamefish 2 shrimp. 70lbs liverock. we
feed the anenomes frozen krill, fish get flake food and keep a seaweed
strip on a clip in the tank. also have about 25 snails and 5 hermit crabs.
sg is 19-22 ph 8.2 amonia 0 nitrite 0 and nitrate 0. we dont test for
calicium or phosphate? should we? everything IN the tank seems healthy,
whenever we add anything such as angel fish, or the blenny, it dies within a
week. tank is about 7 months old. Thanks for the help....
Answer Ok, your main problem then would be dead spots and build up.
Even though you test 0 0 0, in another part of your tank it could be much higher. There are two things you need to change...and maybe another but it wasn't too clear from your response.
1) The water change schedule. 10% water changes once a week.
2) Your water flow. Water movement should be at least 15 x and hour, or preferably 20x and hour. Pick up another powerhead or two.
Also, you mentioned your sg to be 19-22...what does that mean? SG is usually 1.020-1.025. Try and keep it around 1.023.
And you still haven't given me the size of the tank.
