i have a 2 months old tank that i think had been well cycled. the fish have been there that long. what could be the cause of their death , i changed about 20% of water yesterday, everything seems to be fine since then not until i came back home 2-3 hours today and found them all lying down the bottom with their mouths open wide. the water became very cloudy to.there's one survivor though, a yellow damsel that seems not having any problem until this moment. What could have caused this awful thing to my fish?help anyone:frustrat:
need help
- Thread starter roblan17
- Start date
RAYRAY
Tiny Tank Club A+ Member
Sorry For Your Loses !!! Without Any Water Parameters, We Most Likely Won't Be Able To Help. Did You Test Your Water, Remove Anything As Far As Filtration??? Do You Do Weekly Water Changes ???? Just Some Quick Questions That We Might Ask.
RAYRAY
Tiny Tank Club A+ Member
You Know It Wouldn't Hurt. I Check Every Week And I Have A 35 Gallon That Just Went Through A Major Nitrate Spike In Under A Week. What Are Your Levels ?? DO YOU TAP WATER AS WELL WHEN YOU TOP OFF OR DO WATER CHANGES ??? I DID THIS AND AM BEING TOLD BY ALL OUR "PROS" HERE THAT IT IS A MAJOR NO NO .
It had never been my practice to check water parameters,I thought reef tank would be as easy to setup as fresh water tank.Anyway thanks a lot buddy, I think I would need to start all over again, and I will make sure this time that I will have all the necessary tools I needed.
RAYRAY
Tiny Tank Club A+ Member
THE ONE THING I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT SALTWATER TANKS YOU CANT JUST JUMP IN...... I Dont Think You Have To Start Over, Just Slow Down And Re-think Your Processed. You Can Fix The Tank... Take Your Time It Cant Work.
Doc
I don't work for anybody
It would be helpful to know what your tank consists of in regards to filtration, lighting, live rock, coral, etc. Parameters are important to keep track of in a small tank your size. IMO tanks smaller than 35 gallons can have a major problem keeping livestock stabile due to fast fluctuation in water quality. the smallest change can create a dangerous situation for your livestock. The larger the tank, the easier it is to maintain. Pls give us some more specific info and we can help. If you are using tap water, please stop and use only RO (reverse osmosis water) from the local fish store (LFS) or the grocery store. Tap water tends to have elements that will kill your fish over time as well as create algae problems, even if treated with a water conditioner.
-Doc
-Doc
Bifferwine
I am a girl
You had five fish in a ten gallon tank, all of them being damsels???
WHOA. A MATURE, fully established ten gallon tank cannot support more than two, maybe three fish. You have WAY too many fish in a tank that's way too small. Not to mention, damsels are the most aggressive fish out there, they would have killed each other until there was only one left anyways.
Saltwater is very different from freshwater. Knowing what your water parameters are is a MUST, especially in a new tank. And especially in a small, new tank, which are not forgiving of our mistakes.
If I were you, I'd do some reading before you try again. If you do your research before you set up your tank, you will have a much higher chance of success than if you just jump in.
WHOA. A MATURE, fully established ten gallon tank cannot support more than two, maybe three fish. You have WAY too many fish in a tank that's way too small. Not to mention, damsels are the most aggressive fish out there, they would have killed each other until there was only one left anyways.
Saltwater is very different from freshwater. Knowing what your water parameters are is a MUST, especially in a new tank. And especially in a small, new tank, which are not forgiving of our mistakes.
If I were you, I'd do some reading before you try again. If you do your research before you set up your tank, you will have a much higher chance of success than if you just jump in.
Doc
I don't work for anybody
Biff has a good point. a solid rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish for every 4-5 gallons of tank volume. That would put your tank somewhere in the realm of 2-3 inches of fish. That is 1 fish or maybe 2 really small fish. That is the main reason people get bigger tanks: the ability of keeping more and bigger fish. Plan your tank next time after reading a bit more about stocking, filtration and maintaining solid parameters.
-Doc
-Doc
