Can't keep fish alive

[Hop]

Originally Posted by prixmo67

I already tried a chromis...it lasted one day.
Yes, I fed frozen shrimp only...I tried flakes but it spit them back out. I got the chromis at the fish store at the mall, the cardinalfish at Petco...those are the only saltwater fish alternatives here. I'll take a water sample for testing, how big of a sample does a LFS need?

Hence the reason I suggested getting one from another store

The problem could be where your getting them from.

[Mr.Peanut]

Originally Posted by prixmo67

I already tried a chromis...it lasted one day.
Yes, I fed frozen shrimp only...I tried flakes but it spit them back out. I got the chromis at the fish store at the mall, the cardinalfish at Petco...those are the only saltwater fish alternatives here. I'll take a water sample for testing, how big of a sample does a LFS need?

Feeding brine shrimp only is a potential problem. There is not to much nutritional value. They could be starving to death. But, you say a Chromis only lasted one day, I doubt he died from malnutrition.

Weird.

[aquawolf]

The Chromis may have had other problems already, but feeding the Cardinal nothing but brine shrimp for 9 days may have been enough to starve it. Next time see if you can get some mysis shrimp for them to eat, or better yet something like Rod's Food or at least Marine Cuisine. That will give them a varied diet that will be much more nutritional. Brine shrimp for them is like popcorn for us, while it may taste good it has no real nutritional value.

I would also find a different store and see if the results are better.

[quader94]

if you cant find another LFS you can order fish online

[pepper815]

well....... let me think!

ok so some more ?s i have r
1. where do u get your fresh water to top off the water level?
2. how often do u feed?
3. r u mixing ur salt or buying it ready to go?

[YLChik]

i make my own rodi water in my basment
I feed every other day with mysids or Rods or nori
I mix my own

[pepper815]

well iv never mixed but id double check to see if u r getting ur mix right!

[prixmo67]

I mix one gallon R/O water with 1/2 cup instant ocean sea salt mix per the directions on the bag. I fed the cardinal twice a day...I've read different things...one person fed four times a week, one person said three times a day. The cardinal was so hungry I thought twice a day seemed right, but if brine shrimp has no nutritional value now I understand why is was so hungry. Makes me sick to think I may have starved him. Petco said to feed brine shrimp mixed with marine flakes and bloodworms, the flakes it spit out and the bloodworm didn't interest it at all. Also I started my tank cycling the end of December, in a previous post I said end of January which is wrong. It should be ready for fish by now, maybe it's all about food selection at this point.

[pepper815]

well it should be ready...but if u have been losing fish...then i would say u still need to cycle it!

but i would just wait and lett it sit for a couple weeks...then test the water and go from there!

[aquawolf]

Don't beat yourself up too badly over the loss. It is sad, but these things do happen. Unfortunately that is how many people learn this hobby, getting bad advice before they finally stumble upon a site like this that can help them.

As long as your tank is reading 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and the nitrates are not above 10 I would give it another shot. Use some of the food recommendations given above.

Best of luck.

[viler]

I have had similar problems and have looked into a few things, sounds like you use a similar kit to test as I do and it can be a litle off at times. I use API to test.

I have had recent sipkes in ammonia due to over feeding, particularly the brine shrimp, too many float off and get lost on the rocks or the top of the sand or worse yet in the back chambers of the cube.

The fish eat a lot of them but miss more it seems. Ive had to do several 50% water changes to bring my levels down to zeros. Chromis i added would swim vertically and 'pant' and then die and be eaten by the CUC, i noticed an oily film on the top of the water which kind of tipped me off something was 'wrong' its a month later now and i havent lost anything, corals are lovely and the clownies i added are doing fine. I notice if i rearrange my rocks then it stresses them out and they pant for a day or so but then recover.

the LFS doesnt need a large sample maybe 5 mil is all

[prixmo67]

I took a water sample to the LFS. The sample tested fine...ammonia, nitrate, nitrites all were zero. He said I should be good to go. I brought home two clowns that day, he said he had them at the store for a month and he would be really surprised if anything happened to them. I have been feeding mysis shrimp and New life spectrum pellets. They are great little eaters. At night they sleep in the sand in one corner of the tank. Once in a while I see the one clown laying down in the sand and the other one on top of him or hovering above. Yesterday they spent most of the day doing that. I have read that some people have clowns that lay in the sand. I have had them 10 days now. The one that lays directly on the sand has a couple places where he looks scraped on his white stripes on the side that lays in the sand. It doesn't look like spots, more like when the other clown sits on him maybe he getting rubbed into the sand. Should I be concerned about this? They are the only fish in the tank. Could this be breeding behavior?

[aquawolf]

The fact that they are hanging out together all the time is good, at least they are not fighting. Are they both about the same size right now?

If it looks like scrapes, then it may be. I would keep an eye on it though just in case some type of an infection starts to set in. Clownfish are usually a hardy species and I wish you the best with them.

[prixmo67]

Yes, they are about the same size. They are buddies for sure. Thanks.

[kv2wr1]

See #15. I saw this and it sparked my interest greatly.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-01/eb/index.php