Fish dieing

[Rayhaifa469]

Hi I have a 38 gallon saltwater water tank. It been up and running for 5 weeks I added 2 clowns then salif tang and powder brown tang witch both tangs were very small also 2 green chromis and sleeper bogy, I know my tank is to small and added a lot of bio load to quickly anyways this morning I woke up and seen 2 of my tangs and omen of my green chromis breathing heavily the 2 tangs died. I still have 1 of my green chromis still breathing heavily but still alive. What I did today after I lost my 2 tangs I did a water changed about 30% before I did the water change my amonia was at .5 it wasn't high enough to kill them, my main concern now is my clown fish there not acting normal there not eating and swimming kinda slowly there not breathing heavily but there not like I'm use of them to be what happend to my tank? And what should I do to save the rest of the fish? I want to add that I have a canister,hob filter power head and wave maker live rock, live sand, hob protein skimmer
. Please help I need advice

 

[Macdaddynick1]

Oh man sorry to hear that , but you have to learn from this experience and do your research before buying new fish, you cannot keep any tang in a 38, regardless of the size, they don't stay small for more than a few months. Trust me I once rescued 2 baby blue tangs 1-2" , put them in my reef because i was too lazy to turn them into the store, these things were 5 and 6" within less than 6 months , i had to take them out and sell them. that being said, you shouldn't add more than 1 or two fish every month or so, since your tank is new. Do a large water change, add some prime for now, do not buy anymore fish for a moth or so , until you see consistent 0 ammonia, and 0 nitrite, and when you decide to buy a fish buy just one at a time and while you're at the store, go on your phone and type the name of the fish in google search, usually live aquaria reference pops up, it tells you the max size of the fish and its behavior also tells you minimum tank size etc. Also after you buy your fish you must quarantine it, because fish from the LFS come with a lot of diseases. Read up on that too.

 

[Duke4Life]

@melypr1985

 

[Duke4Life]

The remaining could have damage due 2 the ammonia, even a minimal amount is bad.

 

[justingraham]

Jesus wow ok that's a lot man like a lot of fish for five weeks. I don't have that much and I have a 90 at 2 months. So water change most def. like 14 gallon today. Then two days from now a ten and monitor ur ammonia. Also 0 ammonia is the best .25 is no good it's not like well it shouldn't kill them so it's fine to have it they are ur pets family if u will at least my fish are to me u took them out of their home which is perfect water conditions for them and then added them into a cycling tank and say well .25 shouldn't kill them they should be fine why did u guys die and u want the best for them so get to ZERO ammonia get ur other parameters stable and then wait and just when u think u have waited long enough wait another two week and then add A FISH that is sutible for ur tank not a tang or a mandarin cause there cool fish but a fish that will thrive in ur tank for years to come. I hope everything is ok with ur other fish and they all survive and u learn from this experience. Everyone makes mistakes i make them everyday but it's how u learn from them that will make this a fun hobby for u and ur family.
Good luck
Justin

 

[justingraham]

Jesus wow ok that's a lot man like a lot of fish for five weeks. I don't have that much and I have a 90 at 2 months. So water change most def. like 14 gallon today. Then two days from now a ten and monitor ur ammonia. Also 0 ammonia is the best .25 is no good it's not like well it shouldn't kill them so it's fine to have it they are ur pets family if u will at least my fish are to me u took them out of their home which is perfect water conditions for them and then added them into a cycling tank and say well .25 shouldn't kill them they should be fine why did u guys die and u want the best for them so get to ZERO ammonia get ur other parameters stable and then wait and just when u think u have waited long enough wait another two week and then add A FISH that is sutible for ur tank not a tang or a mandarin cause there cool fish but a fish that will thrive in ur tank for years to come. I hope everything is ok with ur other fish and they all survive and u learn from this experience. Everyone makes mistakes i make them everyday but it's how u learn from them that will make this a fun hobby for u and ur family.
Good luck
Justin

Wow I misread ur at .5 ammonia that's not ok at all man. What happened was u set up a death trap for ur fish and u wanna know why this is happening? Man seriously good luck I hope ur fish have some fight in them.

 

[andyg1960]

.5 ammonia was high enough to cause your issues. Do 50% water changes, and do your research!!! Check the stickies on this forum for great advice

 

[4FordFamily]

Tangs are very intolerant of ammonia, especially until they settle in. As said, your tank is too small for any tangs. You also shouldn't add any fish until fully cycled and at 5 weeks and showing the presence of ammonia at all you jumped the gun immensely.

Take it slower I know it's exciting but NOTHING good happens quickly in this hobby.

Also your powder brown tang is not going to make it without all of your fish being treated in copper for 30 days at therapeutic levels in a quarantine, so there's that.

Velvet is running rampant in the hobby right now and I wouldn't be surprised if you added it already with the two tangs you added that were not quarantined.