I’m KILLING fish! HELP! :(

[Cmartin7739]

I need some help/guidance for someone only about a year in. I have a QT tank that is 20g. It is a DEATH chamber. Regardless if we do copper or just salt it kills everything and I check levels every morning and never let anything get out of normal or I do a water change. But when I just go against the norm/suggested and just put it in the tank they will end up in they get ich and I have to pull them out, freshwater dip them (pH same as tank, temp the same and air line) and find them dead the next morning OR they just show up dead before I can do any treatment. Seems like no matter what I do or try I kill them. In the last month I’ve lost a lavender tang, naso tang, saddleback butterfly, and a red tail filefish and I’m so sick and disheartened from losing fish.

Thanks!

Ammonia: 0-0.25(never allowed to go more without a water change)
pH: 8.2
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm
Salinity: 1.024

 

[Dine]

How do you acclimate them when they are going in? Where are the fish coming from, shipped or local?

 

[Cmartin7739]

@Dine

I do drip acclimate for about 1-1 1/2. They all are coming from a LFS that does copper and hypo-salinity.

 

[Dine]

You said “some show up dead”. Does that mean they don’t even make it home?

 

[lapin]

When I just go against the norm/suggested and just put it in the tank they will end up in they get ich.

So your main tank has ich?

I have a QT tank that is 20g...... Regardless if we do copper or just salt it kills everything.
I check levels every morning and never let anything get out of normal or I do a water change.

1st solution
Perhaps a new QT tank and any equipment that goes with it. If its in your budget. ( could be electrical issue killing fish, bad heater ect....)

 

[Cmartin7739]

You said “some show up dead”. Does that mean they don’t even make it home?

No. I will acclimate them and they will be acting fine for a few days and then just one morning show up dead.

 

[Cmartin7739]

So your main tank has ich?

1st solution
Perhaps a new QT tank and any equipment that goes with it. If its in your budget.

Yes the main tank has ich. I have thought about doing a large QT and letting the Ich settle out of the current tank for 72 days but all of the current fish are acting okay so I hate to kill them from the stress of the switch.

 

[Dine]

Tell us about your QT. Type of filtration? How many fish at once? WC frequency? Meds running and how much?

 

[New&no clue]

They all are coming from a LFS that does copper and hypo-salinity

If your LFS has them in hypo-salinity are you matching that and then slowly increasing the salinity over a couple days, or are you putting them straight from hypo to 1.024?

 

[Cmartin7739]

Tell us about your QT. Type of filtration? How many fish at once? WC frequency? Meds running and how much?

The QT is 20gal, HOB filter, once a week water change unless I test and it needs it before. I have tried just plain saltwater, cupramine following bottle instructions, and Prazipro following bottle instructions.

 

[Cmartin7739]

Tell us about your QT. Type of filtration? How many fish at once? WC frequency? Meds running and how much?

I have had success in it with one fish(squirrelfish) the other times when it’s failed it has been more than one in there (3 & 4)

 

[Cmartin7739]

If your LFS has them in hypo-salinity are you matching that and then slowly increasing the salinity over a couple days, or are you putting them straight from hypo to 1.024?

I haven’t been matching it and didn’t think about that at all! Good thought. I’ve just been drip acclimating them to my 1.024

 

[Dine]

If they’re truly in hypo and your bringing it up within an hour there’s a big problem. One of my suggestions was going to be try a different source. An LFS in hypo all the time would probably have a lot of angry customers who didn’t know better I would think...

 

[Dine]

Have you ever tested their waters salinity?

 

[Redfoxtang]

Most LFS around me keep SG at 1.018. With that said I match SG to LFS to float and then drop in. With your situation I would completely drain your QT tank clean everything very well then start over matching SG to LFS. I also have my copper at 2.0 and go straight in Copper Power solution with no issues. Remember fish in QT are already stressed so take it slow with them and try not to make changes everyday. Also when you by fish from LFS make sure they look healthy and they are eating well also. I always make LFS feed fish before purchasing.

 

[jlts21]

First, if your DT has ich, you need to remove all fish and run the tank fallow. Not removing all fish because they look okay is the problem. The one and only way to completely remove ich from your DT is fallow so that there is no food source. The fallow period is to kill off the current ich and prevent newly hatched ich from eating and produce more.

Second, if your LFS runs hypo-salinity, you need to match that in your QT and slowly increase the salinity to whatever you run it at. Drip acclimating over an hour or two is not enough time.

 

[Cmartin7739]

Have you ever tested their waters salinity?

I haven’t. They told me at the store that it was hypo at 1.015

 

[artieg1]

"I have had success in it with one fish(squirrelfish) the other times when it’s failed it has been more than one in there (3 & 4)"

There's your answer right there. I guaranty you it is from overcrowding and ammonia. Don't trust a test kit, and don't trust an ammonia badge. I am certain it is ammonia from overcrowding, also perhaps oxygen deprivation. A HOB is not adequate, either for bio filtration or flow. Learned all this the hard way. Here's what I would do (what I do):

(1) Load (cram it) the HOB filter with bio media from your main tank. I pull a handful of matrix from my sump, and usually have a sponge filter pad that's been in the sump as well, and use that in the HOB. You want to go overboard.
(2) Add a powerhead. A HOB is not enough flow for a 20g (what I use). Keep the water lively in there for good oxygen exchange.
(3) Add biofilter supplements daily.
(4) 25% water change every 3 days (I use DT water, personally). You're going to use a lot water.
(5) 2 fish max for the 20g (unless/until you get very confident after several successful QTs). If you need to QT a bunch during the 72-day fallow period, you are going to need to buy a bigger container for them.

 

[Cmartin7739]

First, if your DT has ich, you need to remove all fish and run the tank fallow. Not removing all fish because they look okay is the problem. The one and only way to completely remove ich from your DT is fallow so that there is no food source. The fallow period is to kill off the current ich and prevent newly hatched ich from eating and produce more.

Second, if your LFS runs hypo-salinity, you need to match that in your QT and slowly increase the salinity to whatever you run it at. Drip acclimating over an hour or two is not enough time.

Thank you so much! We are getting ready to QT everyone and start the fallow period after hearing this. Hate to lose anyone else from the stress of the move but it seems like that is our only choice.

 

[Dine]

I haven’t. They told me at the store that it was hypo at 1.015

I’d test it just to confirm and I would not bring them up that fast. Set your qt at their lvl and bring the QT up slowly over the coming days/weeks.