Frustrated New Hobbyist

67chevellemalibu2 · May 5, 2018

First time saltwater owner.
Bought an established 125 gallon tank a couple of months ago.
Has a wet/dry filter, bio balls , two power heads and a UV sterilizer.
Just did a water change this Tuesday. I add Prime water conditioner twice a week. Water is in pristine condition. All parameters are right where they are supposed to be at.
I just can’t seem to stop losing some fish here and there.
One day a fish is fine, eating and swimming around, the next day it’s struggling.
Now, I have a Clown Trigger that I bought less then two weeks ago.
Eating everyday, swimming around.
Now I noticed he’s sluggish, hiding, not eating and both of his eyes are glazed and popping out. I do have a few pieces of fake coral.
What gives?

67chevellemalibu2 · May 5, 2018

67chevellemalibu2 said:
First time saltwater owner.
Bought an established 125 gallon tank a couple of months ago.
Has a wet/dry filter, bio balls , two power heads and a UV sterilizer.
Just did a water change this Tuesday. I add Prime water conditioner twice a week. Water is in pristine condition. All parameters are right where they are supposed to be at.
I just can’t seem to stop losing some fish here and there.
One day a fish is fine, eating and swimming around, the next day it’s struggling.
Now, I have a Clown Trigger that I bought less then two weeks ago.
Eating everyday, swimming around.
Now I noticed he’s sluggish, hiding, not eating and both of his eyes are glazed and popping out. I do have a few pieces of fake coral.
What gives?

It’s a fish only tank.

Robink · May 5, 2018

Why are you adding prime twice a week?

Robink · May 5, 2018

How long has the tank been set up in your home?
What are your parameters? Temp, sg, should be no ammonia or nitrite if the tank cycled, fish don't care about calcium and alk so water changes would take care of that. Do you have a sandbed? Did you reuse the old sand?
I would get rid of the bioballs. Is there live rock in the tank?

67chevellemalibu2 · May 5, 2018

Robink said:
How long has the tank been set up in your home?
What are your parameters? Temp, sg, should be no ammonia or nitrite if the tank cycled, fish don't care about calcium and alk so water changes would take care of that. Do you have a sandbed? Did you reuse the old sand?
I would get rid of the bioballs. Is there live rock in the tank?

Robink said:
Why are you adding prime twice a week?

That’s what a Professional Aquarist said to do.

67chevellemalibu2 · May 5, 2018

Temp is 78-80. Sand bed that has been cleaned regularly.What’s wrong with bio balls? No live rock, just a few fake coral pieces.

cracker · May 5, 2018

Hang in there 67, We will help You . 1'st We need to ask a "bunch" of questions.
Like Robink says, we need basic parameters like the salinity, Ammonia, nitrites & nitrates. Stuff like how long since you brought it home & set it up. Did It sit empty for a while?

67chevellemalibu2 · May 5, 2018

It’s been set up for a few months. Transferred the same water and sand.

cmcoker · May 5, 2018

Tell us more. What fish were in the tank to start? What have you tried to add and when? Which fish died and when? What symptoms did they show? Hiding, scratching, etc

Is this the first water change you did since the move? Did you make your own water or buy from the store? Water parameters for ammonia, nitrate?

What is your acclimation procedure for new additions?

It doesn't sound like you quarantine new additions. Many (most) fish will come with one parasite or another so quarantine is recommended. However I would hold off any new additions until you figure out the problem. Fish can succumb to parasites while water tests are perfect.

67chevellemalibu2 · May 5, 2018

All my other fish are fine.
Two Bangai Cardinals
Yellow and a Blonde Naso Tang
Niger Trigger
Copperband Butterfly
Blue Spotted Puffer
New Guinea True Percula Clownfish
Diamond Goby
Starfish
Coral Beauty
Emperor Angel

cracker · May 5, 2018

Nothing wrong with the bio balls for now. We gotta start with the basics.
Ps Very important, No new fish for a while !

cracker · May 5, 2018

That's a nice fish list you have ! Did they come with the tank or did You add them after setting the tank up at your place ?

67chevellemalibu2 · May 5, 2018

cracker said:
That's a nice fish list you have ! Did they come with the tank or did You add them after setting the tank up at your place ?

That’s what I added. The only fish from the previous owner are the two cardinal fish. I gave away two fish and the other ones died. There were seven from the original owner. He had a five year old Clownfish that died. The first month I got this tank, I let the water get in bad shape. I just tested everything this Tuesday and it’s right where it needs to be. I have added carbon filters in the sump tank. I’ve had the tank up and running for three months.

ThunderGoose · May 5, 2018

Several things come to mind. First, we really need the numbers for salinity, nitrate, pH, not just "they're fine."

Second it looks like you added fish WAY too fast. If the previous owner had five small fish (cardinals and clowns count as small) and you've added nine (did I count right?) that's a big jump and your bacteria might not be able to handle the waste.

Third, I agree quarantine is very important. I quarantine my fish for about a month and many reefers do longer than that. I treat them for parasites and watch them closely for signs of illness while they're in quarantine.

Fourth welcome to saltwater! Take a deep breath, it's a steep learning curve but the folks here are nice and can help you figure things out.

67chevellemalibu2 · May 5, 2018

I feed them fresh shrimp, frozen brine shrimp, blood worms and mysis. Kelp flakes and pellets. Just got some algae sheets.

67chevellemalibu2 · May 5, 2018

I didnt write the numbers down. I know for sure ammonia and nitrites are at zero. Yes, I did add too many at once. Got excited. Definitely not nine at once or in one week. Now, one fish a week, I’ve been told is fine.

cracker · May 5, 2018

Your doing Ok 67 but "please "no fish for the time being. Believe me I know it's tough, but patience is the only thing to straighten this out.
I don't know who told You ,but 1 fish a week is way too much !

cmcoker · May 5, 2018

Something you will see repeated often is that nothing good happens fast in this hobby.

In this hobby, a week is considered fast, so I wouldn't try to add a fish weekly. In fact I add a fish or two every 6 to to 8 weeks. That's because they spend that long in quarantine were they can be observed for parasites or infection, make sure they are eating well and fattening them up after their journey across the globe.

I would recommend to run your fish list by the knowledgeable people who answer the stocking list advice thread that is stickied at the top of the new to the hobby forum.
I'm not sure all your fish will be compatible long term. Also ask there about other species that you would like to add once the tank is settled. Marine fish are so varied in their requirements, be it special feeding, levels of aggression, size tank, etc that it takes some forethought to have a successful community of fish.

If you can get some pictures of the sick fish, and head over to the Fish disease and treatment subforum, there are many people there willing to help you diagnosis the issue and figure out the best course of action.

This hobby requires lots of research and planning, your frustration level will drop if you slow down and take some time to figure out what is going on with the deaths and get that corrected before you proceed.

The other stickies at the top of the New to the hobby forum should be a good place to start your research, there is a thread about setting up an aquarium as well as a guide to acclimation and quarantine.