My first salt fish problem

[Bob Escher]

Well my QT is just about finished cycling. But I decided after a month of staring at a empty tank to buy two damsel. Which I did at the same time. They seemed fine but one died sometime during the first night. Didn't have a chance to really observe them. That's ok. Now I know they could be territorial. But I bought another ( I guess I feel bad for a fish that's the only one in a tank) two days later and the first one started chasing the new one. I started searching what I could do. A suggestion was to move items around in the tank. I had three pieces of live rock in it ( ten gallon tank) and some pvc elbows. It didn't work. So I then removed both of them and placed them in plastic bags that they came in, inside the tank with tank water, left them in there for three hours, moved the rock around and then put them back in. Didn't work the picked on Damsel has been "hiding" at the top of the tank in a corner
Any ideas what else I can do besides take them back?
Thanks

 

[CodyRVA]

Damsels are notoriously territorial. Personally, I would get rid of them both, but if you do like them I would get rid of the bully. That fish is going to harass dang near anything that is put into that tank. Considering its only 10G, you're not going to be able to get the type of fish needed to put it in its place; the tank is too small, hence why I suggested you get rid of them both. Get a nice pair of clowns, I know everyone has clowns, but you can get a nice designer pair that the average person wouldn't invest the money in. If you're absolutely set on one of the damsels, sell/trade the bully, put the other one in QT for a month or so, add a new fish or two do your 10G display, and after they get settled add the damsel in last. This is your best chance, sometimes adding aggressive fish in last is the best chance of them becoming a model citizen. Best of luck!

 

[melypr1985]

Well you could use them to practice fishing, target practice and so on. I've never cared for damsels and this is why. You said you have a QT and a display.... I'm confused as to which one of these tanks the damsels are in?

I would get rid of both of these fish. People tend to buy them just to have a fish to look at or to cycle their tanks, then regret that decision later. My advice moving forward is to only purchase fish that you REALLY REALLY want and not just to have something living to look at. If by chance you really really wanted these damsels then I'm sorry for the presumption.

 

[Bob Escher]

I'm cycling the QT first, and they are in the QT. my DT will be a 65 gallon( can't have anything bigger) with a Emerald systems 26in sump. So they were going to go into DT after that cycled. Will the clowns be fine temporarily in the QT until the DT is cycled. Although I tested everything and all the parameters seemed find I bought them to finished the cycle. ( I want to do fish less cycle until the very end of the cycle process before I add anything) so I'm not adverse to taking one or both back.
So MELYPR1985 what fish would you recommend to finished cycling a tank?
Thanks

 

[Spschief85]

Well you could use them to practice fishing, target practice and so on. I've never cared for damsels and this is why. You said you have a QT and a display.... I'm confused as to which one of these tanks the damsels are in?

I would get rid of both of these fish. People tend to buy them just to have a fish to look at or to cycle their tanks, then regret that decision later. My advice moving forward is to only purchase fish that you REALLY REALLY want and not just to have something living to look at. If by chance you really really wanted these damsels then I'm sorry for the presumption.

Damsels are the devil worst nightmare of a fish to have in a reef tank take them back and get some hardy clowns.
How big is your tank as that will limit your fish selection. I personally have 1 yellow tang (juvenile) yellow bar wrasse, cleaner wrasse, 2 clowns ones maturing into the female, 2 bartletts anthias (2 more to come) and one in the tank is turning male... so cool may I add and a flame hawk (he's a creeper) but personally love his personality. He stares at me staring at him... lol

 

[CodyRVA]

A whole other topic, but I never cycle my QT tank. I only set it up as needed and just change the water weekly and it works great *just a tip/personal preference*. The clowns will be just fine in your QT until you place them in your DT. I recommend you leave them in QT for 4-6 weeks, as you should any new fish. Best rule of thumb is always quarantine regardless of how sure you are of the fish being healthy. Clowns are very hardy just like damsels so unless something is crazy out of balance they should do well.

 

[Spschief85]

A whole other topic, but I never cycle my QT tank. I only set it up as needed and just change the water weekly and it works great *just a tip/personal preference*. The clowns will be just fine in your QT until you place them in your DT. I recommend you leave them in QT for 4-6 weeks, as you should any new fish. Best rule of thumb is always quarantine regardless of how sure you are of the fish being healthy. Clowns are very hardy just like damsels so unless something is crazy out of balance they should do well.

I second always quarantine, I have personally always purchased my fish after I have fully inspected and have not quarantined and never had any problems, I don't suggest you doing as my lfs quarantines the fish he orders for me and then let's me know he's eating well and shows nothing but vibrance, great lfs for my fish, he told me a story of his trip to the breeding facility of the source of my bartletts. As he described it was like a school of 3000 anthias you would see while diving

 

[melypr1985]

I'm cycling the QT first, and they are in the QT. my DT will be a 65 gallon( can't have anything bigger) with a Emerald systems 26in sump. So they were going to go into DT after that cycled. Will the clowns be fine temporarily in the QT until the DT is cycled. Although I tested everything and all the parameters seemed find I bought them to finished the cycle. ( I want to do fish less cycle until the very end of the cycle process before I add anything) so I'm not adverse to taking one or both back.
So MELYPR1985 what fish would you recommend to finished cycling a tank?
Thanks

You could use clowns instead like mentioned above. Really, you dont need to finish the cycle with a fish. Once your ammonia and nitrites reach zero, your good to add a fish. Of course by the time your clowns are out of QT your tank will probably be fully cycled anyway.

 

[melypr1985]

A whole other topic, but I never cycle my QT tank. I only set it up as needed and just change the water weekly and it works great *just a tip/personal preference*.

Right. As long as your willing to do many large water changes at the start and have an ammonia alert badge, you can just set up the QT when its needed without cycling.

 

[cmcoker]

So your qt has rock and sand? Are you planning observe only and have a separate tank for treatment if disease is observed?
rock and sand in the QT will absorb and release meds and make dosing difficult.

 

[melypr1985]

So your qt has rock and sand? Are you planning observe only and have a separate tank for treatment if disease is observed?
rock and sand in the QT will absorb and release meds and make dosing difficult.

Good catch! I didn't even pay attention to that part. Agreed... remove the rock and/or sand from the QT before medicating.

 

[Bob Escher]

Oh I will remove the rock, I have some live rock (2lbs) and some other but they're just in there to help with the cycling and get the non live rock a start once I'm comfortable with everything and I'll have the display set up ( yes I started my thread a little early) ( don't have everything yet so it not in operation, I'm staring at my 37 gallon.) then I will move all the rock to the DT
I took the damsel back both of them. My better half liked them a lot ( several years of freshwater fish and she could care less, get two damsels and she's in love amazing)
Anyway I got three juvenile green Chromis
Here's the pic of my QT
Any and all comments are welcome need all the help I can get

 

[New2Saltwater]

Well my QT is just about finished cycling. But I decided after a month of staring at a empty tank to buy two damsel. Which I did at the same time. They seemed fine but one died sometime during the first night. Didn't have a chance to really observe them. That's ok. Now I know they could be territorial. But I bought another ( I guess I feel bad for a fish that's the only one in a tank) two days later and the first one started chasing the new one. I started searching what I could do. A suggestion was to move items around in the tank. I had three pieces of live rock in it ( ten gallon tank) and some pvc elbows. It didn't work. So I then removed both of them and placed them in plastic bags that they came in, inside the tank with tank water, left them in there for three hours, moved the rock around and then put them back in. Didn't work the picked on Damsel has been "hiding" at the top of the tank in a corner
Any ideas what else I can do besides take them back?
Thanks

Same thing happen to me. I bought two. A domino damsel and a yellow tail damsel. Domino damsel harassed the yellow tail and the yellow tail passed away two days later. Very cute fish but your probably going to have to get rid of it/them.

 

[Bob Escher]

A whole other topic, but I never cycle my QT tank. I only set it up as needed and just change the water weekly and it works great *just a tip/personal preference*. The clowns will be just fine in your QT until you place them in your DT. I recommend you leave them in QT for 4-6 weeks, as you should any new fish. Best rule of thumb is always quarantine regardless of how sure you are of the fish being healthy. Clowns are very hardy just like damsels so unless something is crazy out of balance they should do well.

I find that interesting that you don't cycle the tank, I would be scared with out leaving a fully cycled tank
I'm willing to add the additional chore of changing water in the QT tank

 

[CodyRVA]

Well, the minimal bio load in a QT tank shouldn't build up enough ammonia fast enough to harm the fish. So, if you have many fish in QT, you'll just have to do your water changes more frequently. I had a coral beauty angel in a 10G QT, replaced 5 gallons every 5 days with no issues. Like I mentioned, I set up my QT as needed, but it's a trade off. Either let your QT cycle and do less water changes, or set it up on demand and do more water changes. I prefer the water changes because some medications recommend you do a large water change after treatment anyways.

 

[Bob Escher]

Make sense but I'm using a sponge filter plus a fluval C2 HOB, and I would think that if medicated the tank then I would put carbon in the HOB and let it clean the medication or is this not a good idea? I also have a 5 gallon that I can use that is empty. I would probably use it and the ten gallon for tank to tank issues like ICH
Am I on the right track?

 

[CodyRVA]

Make sense but I'm using a sponge filter plus a fluval C2 HOB, and I would think that if medicated the tank then I would put carbon in the HOB and let it clean the medication or is this not a good idea? I also have a 5 gallon that I can use that is empty. I would probably use it and the ten gallon for tank to tank issues like ICH
Am I on the right track?

It depends on the medication. Something like copper, to my knowledge, can only be removed from water changes, it leaches into everything. I don't recall being able to remove copper via filtering or carbon. Something like Melafix, yes. It just makes me nervous adding a treatment to a volume of water and relying on the filtration to remove it, and then adding a different medication later.

 

[melypr1985]

Copper can be removed with carbon. You shouldn't have much of anything that will absorb meds in your QT anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem. You'll be doing water changes anyway, so doing one along with the carbon is never a bad thing. Dont run carbon while medicating as this will defeat the purpose.

 

[Bob Escher]

Well Nothing would be in the tank itself except the sponge filter and I would remove the biomedia from the HOB if I had to, Then a water change
I'm just afaird without a cycled tank then harm would come to the animals, But then what do I know

 

[CodyRVA]

To my knowledge carbon does little in the way of removing copper ions. While copper can be removed with carbon, specifically when it has binded to organics, using something like CupraSorb is ideal; paired with carbon even better.