Can't keep fish alive

WhiskeySteph · Feb 19, 2015

Help! So MY tank is a 75 gallon, set up in August. I got a few snails in November. I got my first 2 fish January 12th. Had them both for about 3 weeks then got a diamond Goby, and a sand star . About 2 weeks after I got the Goby one of my clowns vanished. Not in the overflow, not in my sump and couldn't find him in the tank. I then noticed my goby was missing as well..No sand being moved, no rocks rearranged. I then decided to get a Bristletoothed Tang and added him to the tank. Had him for a good month and then added a purple bubble tipped hem, a some green polyp. Everything was going great so I got another fish, a Purple Queen Anthias. Well the Tang swam into the nem about a week ago. Pulled him out and tested the water.
PH-8.0
Ammonia-0ppm
Nitrates -5ppm
Nitrites-0ppm
S.G 1.023

So I decided to do retail therapy, and brought 4 Chromis on the 14th

On the 17th I found the Queen Anthias dead,
tested the water again
PH 8.2
Ammonia-0ppm
Nitrates-5ppm
Nitrites-0ppm
S.G 1.026

On the 18th 1 of the Chromis was dead retested the water and it was the same as above.
Today another Chromis is dead.
I'm feeding pellets, which everyone seemed to be eating and they also get a bit of frozen krill that I feed to everyone including the nem.
My snails, sand star and the nem all seem happy.
Do you think the fish could be starving?Maybe they look like they are eating but really are not?
Thanks for any advice.

Tahoe61 · Feb 19, 2015

How often are you feeding?
Do they die at night, do you have enough gph turnover to achieve adequate oxygenation.
No physical signs or symptoms of disease?

Have you looked at night for a predator like a Mantis?

WhiskeySteph · Feb 19, 2015

I feed krill twice a day and pellets at night. They seem to die at night. I find them in the morning. No physical signs of disease, nothing that looks like ich, and everyone was swimming around happily.
No physical wound that I saw.
I have not looked for a Mantis but maybe I will pull a all nighted and see if one is in there. Good thought!
and I'm not sure how to figure out gph turnover.. but I have 2 return powerbeads, and the nem's tentacles sway and dance at the bottom of the tank.

redfishbluefish · Feb 19, 2015

My first thought was a miscreant crab....especially with the fish disappearing.

Longnose Hawkfish · Feb 20, 2015

Are you finding the dead fish or do they disappear?

saltyphish · Feb 20, 2015

But your snails and other inverts live?

WhiskeySteph · Feb 20, 2015

I had a clown fish and a goby disappeared, the Tang I booted away from the nem and that I found dead a few hours later. The Anthias and Chromis I found dead in the morning. Snails and other inverts are doing great! My nem has grown a bit, and the starfish is happy. I just can't figure out what's up with the fish.

Tahoe61 · Feb 20, 2015

The Anthias and Chromis are hit and miss, not always the best shippers and acclimation stress. The Anemone takes credit for the Tang and possibly the Goby if you had the anemone at the time. So that leaves the clown.

Do you have a lid on your tank?

How are you acclimating the fish?

Are you always getting them from the same source?

Reefing Madness · Feb 20, 2015

Couple things some to mind. the Chromis, well, lets just say, they are bound to kill each other, so its to tough to tell whats up there, I'd say you only end up with one here shortly, and that doesn't have anything to do with water quality.
The others. How did you acclimate them?
Now I know many don't like this answer, but if you don't see them eat in any time frame, its new tank syndrome, and they die for stress related issues normally.

WhiskeySteph · Feb 21, 2015

Thanks for the insight! I do not have a lid, probably should invest in one. I get all my fish from the LFS and they are salt water only. I usually acclimate by floating the bags and slowly adding water.
I thought Chromis are schooling fish? and peaceful....
I thought all fish were eating, but maybe not enough to sustain life..

Tahoe61 · Feb 21, 2015

Starvation is most likely not your issue. Regarding Chromis, they are a hardy fish once acclimated (as in acclimated for a couple weeks to the new tank, not initial introduction), but initially they can drop like flies, they ship poorly.
Your other looses can be partially explained.
Feed more (if really doubt your not feeding enough) and get a lid and try a hardier fish.

WhiskeySteph · Feb 22, 2015

And all the chromis are dead. No white spots, no physical injuries. Woke up one morning and another was dead. The remaining fish was seen twitching in the water, and went missing yesterday afternoon. Found him floating belly up on the bottom of the tank.
The clown fish is happy and eating and swimming around.
All inverts are happy.
Maybe I'll just stick corals and inverts..