New fish die in 24 hours

[Jl330]

Ive tried adding new fish a few times this year. Every time they die in less than 24 hours.

The existing fish are still fine. What could cause perfectly healthy fish to die in 24 hours when introduced to a new tank?

 

[Ruben's Reef]

Ive tried adding new fish a few times this year. Every time they die in less than 24 hours.

The existing fish are still fine. What could cause perfectly healthy fish to die in 24 hours when introduced to a new tank?

What fish are on the tank now and wish one is the ones you're adding?

 

[azbigjohn]

Just a thought, but I would test the salinity of your source fish, and then compare it to the salinity of your home tank.

Sometimes that is the entire value of using a QT / Observation tank, in that you can slowly raise the salinity if your new fish are coming from significantly lower salinity. Fish are able to handle rapid drops in salinity (such as a fresh water bath) but going up in salinity needs to be done very slowly, or can over stress the fish.

Many vendors keep their tanks at a level such as 1.016, so the jump to a reef tank (usually 1.026) is very hard on a fish.

Just a thought...

 

[foxt]

Ive tried adding new fish a few times this year. Every time they die in less than 24 hours.

The existing fish are still fine. What could cause perfectly healthy fish to die in 24 hours when introduced to a new tank?

Are you sure they were healthy?

 

[Jl330]

What fish are on the tank now and wish one is the ones you're adding?

Currently
2 clowns
2 pajama cardinals
Royal gramma


In the past year have lost
3 chromis
2 filefish
Anthia
Mandarin goby
I think there are some more but can't remember

 

[Jl330]

Are you sure they were healthy?

They've come from multiple sources

 

[sde1500]

They've come from multiple sources

That doesn’t say they were healthy. What was salinity? What is your acclimation process? Did you do any QT or observation time before adding them?

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

How is the aggression of the clowns? Notice anything odd about the dead fish?
My next bet would be salinity acclimation/shock.

 

[JasonK84]

How long are fish bagged before opening and what do you do to acclimate?

I would wonder about ammonia burning gills if they are in the bags for any length of time.

 

[SDK]

Parameters? Is it a FOWLR tank?

When I managed an aquarium store some years back this would happen to customers that allowed nitrates to get really high....

 

[Jon Fishman]

Clown-murderers is my #1 suspect.

Need to know acclimation process though

 

[Jl330]

I've just floated them for about 30 minutes then added them to the tank. It's a mixed reef tank. I have nowhere to setup a QT currently.

These have either been fish that were shipped or came from a store an hour away.

 

[Deezill]

Not saying this is your problem but I would do a drip with your water and the source water so that the fish can acclimate even more. Floating the bag will help with temp but not the other parameters of your system. This may not be the problem but just trying to help.

 

[Jl330]

Not saying this is your problem but I would do a drip with your water and the source water so that the fish can acclimate even more. Floating the bag will help with temp but not the other parameters of your system. This may not be the problem but just trying to help.

How long should I drip?

 

[Deezill]

How long should I drip?

I would do a drip long enough to where your water is the majority in the container. THe way I do it i use a bucket after the 30 minute float. I pour 25% of fish store water to where it covers dorsal fins and then I start my tank water going in every 10 minutes increasing the amount. When I see my water has saturated LFS and everyone is still living I dim tank lights and pop them in. Make sure temp is same as tank.

 

[moz71]

If you are just floating and dumping I highly suspect salinity difference.

 

[stanleo]

Not saying this is your problem but I would do a drip with your water and the source water so that the fish can acclimate even more. Floating the bag will help with temp but not the other parameters of your system. This may not be the problem but just trying to help.

I second this. I have always read that you don't have to drip acclimate fish but I do it even with my freshwater (though admittedly not as long as the salt.)

I float bag for 30 minutes and then put them in my acclimation bucket. I drip for an hour while removing a cup of water every 15 minutes.

As far as the clown fish go, you could try an in tank acclimation or breeding box to keep the new fish and see how the clowns react.

 

[Jl330]

The store is replacing this last drop. I'll drip this one and see how it goes. Might release in a breeder box so I can watch for some time

 

[moz71]

Not sure if you answered but do you check your salinity? I had a tank creep up and even with drip it was too much of a change. The fish you have may have been slowly adjusted to the overly high salinity. Just a thought since I did not see your parameters. Just trying to help

 

[Jl330]

Not sure if you answered but do you check your salinity? I had a tank creep up and even with drip it was too much of a change. The fish you have may have been slowly adjusted to the overly high salinity. Just a thought since I did not see your parameters. Just trying to help

Was 1.026 when I checked just a few days ago. Been there for 2 years.