Chromis keep dying

[nat_a126]

I'm new here so just wanted to say hello I have a 65 gallon FOWLR aquarium that has been cycled for 3 weeks 3 days. Ammonia/nitrite/nitrate are 0. PH is 8.0 and salinity is 1.023. Temperature is 79. I added three chromis (all died within 12 hrs). I got one more and tried to acclimate him better then before ( died within three hours) waited a couple of days with carbon in the sump and added one yesterday. He is currently lying on the sand struggling to breath and he lived for about 13 hours. I honestly have no idea what's happening!!! This is the only fish in the tank so I know another fish is not killing him!

 

[Deinonych]

What is the salinity of the transport water (i.e. the water from your LFS)? How are you acclimating?

 

[nat_a126]

What is the salinity of the transport water (i.e. the water from your LFS)? How are you acclimating?

I'm not sure, but I drip acclimate

 

[ritter6788]

What kind of chromis?

 

[nat_a126]

What kind of chromis?

Blue/green

 

[Kworker]

Your LFS could be keeping salinity low. I just picked up Bartlett Anthias in 1.015
Which could be the issue. Acclimating them slowly over several weeks to your salinity is best approach.

I used to hate it, but it forces me to QT now so I don't lose anything from something like salinity plus QT is good practice.


Ask your LFS what they keep it at, than test It when you get home. If they tell you anything drastically different from reality you know to never go back there.

 

[NanaReefer]

What kit are you using to test your water parameters? How long is your drip method?

 

[Reefing Madness]

Accliamtion should be over a 4 hour period, if you think that the SG in the LFS water is lower than yours.
Whats your PH? Are you running a skimmer?

 

[nat_a126]

Your LFS could be keeping salinity low. I just picked up Bartlett Anthias in 1.015
Which could be the issue. Acclimating them slowly over several weeks to your salinity is best approach.

I used to hate it, but it forces me to QT now so I don't lose anything from something like salinity plus QT is good practice.


Ask your LFS what they keep it at, than test It when you get home. If they tell you anything drastically different from reality you know to never go back there.

We had this fish man come over today and he said that actually might be the issue as well. And he is also bringing something that instantly cycles the tank even though it's been cycled already. And I'm not going to get the chromis from the same fish store

 

[nat_a126]

Accliamtion should be over a 4 hour period, if you think that the SG in the LFS water is lower than yours.
Whats your PH? Are you running a skimmer?

No skimmer but planning to. I dripped them for an hour 15 min but probably longer so the fish don't get shocked from salinity change. Would you acclimate your fish with an air stone in the water?

 

[nat_a126]

No skimmer but planning to. I dripped them for an hour 15 min but probably longer so the fish don't get shocked from salinity change. Would you acclimate your fish with an air stone in the water?

And Ph is 8.0

 

[nat_a126]

What kit are you using to test your water parameters? How long is your drip method?

1 hr 15 min the first time and an hour the last two times. Planning to get the API test kit tomorrow, and that's what the fish store used as well.

 

[Deinonych]

I don't drip acclimate anymore. I simply match my QT's SG to that of the transport water, float the bag to equalize temperature, and transfer the fish to the QT. Haven't lost a fish to acclimation since.

 

[NanaReefer]

Do you have any other live stock in the tank? Have you checked for possible stray voltage?

 

[nat_a126]

Do you have any other live stock in the tank? Have you checked for possible stray voltage?

The only place it could be coming from is the pump. If the fish guy doesn't work, than I will defiantly check for that.

 

[nat_a126]

I don't drip acclimate anymore. I simply match my QT's SG to that of the transport water, float the bag to equalize temperature, and transfer the fish to the QT. Haven't lost a fish to acclimation since.

The thing is that I don't have a QT tank

 

[Dalmatia]

Try adding an air stone to your DT till you get a skimmer, your oxygen levels are probably to low and the fish are suffocating? You may just get a lot of salt creep from using one

 

[-Logzor]

I recommend letting your tank run for another month before you add fish.

 

[Railcar79]

If nitrates are at 0, and tank has been up for 3 weeks, how was it cycles? Ammonia turns to nitrite, then nitrate, so a cycled aquarium should have nitrate.

 

[PlumCrazy]

honestly I've had the same problem with my tank since i started it. Ive never been able to keep more than 1 chromis. (It is a blue/green). my tank has 4-5 tangs, other wrasses and anthias as well as small perching and burrowing fish, i have an extensive invert list and corals and nothing is unhappy or off with the levels or system. But if i add more chromis to the system, my same one always prevails and the others turn up dead 1 by 1 every couple days till I'm left with 1. I have a 200g tank and a 275g system, so it is plenty big, i have just found them to be butt holes and either kill off the others or stress them until they die.