New fish die in 24 hours

[moz71]

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

That’s good. So if your fish are coming in at a salinity of 1.018 ish that is a huge jump. Then slow drip would be best if no way to QT

 

[Deezill]

That’s good. So if your fish are coming in at a salinity of 1.018 ish that is a huge jump. Then slow drip would be best if no way to QT

The rule is you can drop salinity fast but raise it slow so if the fish were going from low to high very fast the dense water could have shocked them. The higher the salinity the fish can tell because If i am not mistaken less o2

 

[Leslie Tabor]

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?

I had this problem since moving my tank. I am tagging along, as of now, I just gave up adding fish.

 

[foxt]

That’s good. So if your fish are coming in at a salinity of 1.018 ish that is a huge jump. Then slow drip would be best if no way to QT

What is the salinity of the water that the incoming fish have been in?

 

[Saltyreef]

What are you checking salinity with?

 

[MichaelReefer]

Did you drip acclimate them?

 

[Jon Fishman]

Did you drip acclimate them?

He did not.


But on that note..... I do a version of “drip” acclimation minus the drip. Dump whatever it is (coral/fish/invert) into a bucket with the water it came with. Add a cup from my tank every 5 minutes or so for 4-5 times, or until it is 75% “my water” and then I place the coral/fish/invert in the tank and discard the water

 

[K95ranger]

I would suspect salinity shock too. I don't drip acclimate but I float the bag in my tank for about an hour. Then every 10 minutes I add 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of tank water into the bag. I keep doing that until the bag gets full and then I pour out 1/2 the water. I keep doing that for 3 to 4 hours and never had any issues.

 

[Afterburner]

I am having the same issue. Have the same fish in the tank for many many months, but over the past couple of months I have tried to add some and every time they die after a few days. They look really healthy right up until I find them dead with no signs of stress. It is a reef tank with healthy corals and good water parameters (close to zero nitrates as was mentioned could be an issue). This has literally cost me $100's in the last couple of months. I am about to just buy a damsel and see if it dies, but don't want to have the little %$#@%# in my tank after the experiment or kill another finned friend. This is driving me crazy. I have the following in my tank now
2 clowns
1 firefish
5 green chromis
1 split tail blenny
4 shrimp - coral banded, red fire, cleaner, tiger pistol
3 emerald crabs, plenty of blue leg hermits and turbo snails
Lots of SPS, LPS, softies

I have lost the following even though I have been diligent in my acclimation with almost zero salinity swings and no one seems aggressive.
Ruby Dragonett
black blenny
2 green chromis
2 firefish
2 royal gamma
cleaner wrasse (actually lasted a few weeks)

If/When I find them, they look fine, just dead and stiff. Any advice would be appreciated.... maybe a bacteria that the others have built up an immunity too?????

 

[Dine]

I think it’s worth mentioning WHEN to drip and when NOT TO. The bags from your LFS drip away. But the bags you’ve shipped in. Those are trickier and you have to decide: is it more harmful to have the salinity swing or to have ammonia burn their gills. Personally I’d take the salinity swing. Ask what SG they keep their tanks at when you order. It might help you decide the lesser of 2 evils. Also make sure not to dump the bag water into the tank. All you’re doing is adding ammonia and whatever else into the system. Not ideal.

 

[MichaelReefer]

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.

Drip them. I slow drip them for at least an hour before I add them, depending on how sensitive they are.

 

[Saltyreef]

Im wondering if theres a rogue killer besides the thought of the clown fish. My clowns are mean, but they arent killers.
Possibly a hidden mantis shrimp killing off smaller fish?
I put a reef safe hawkfish in my tank once and he wanted to fight every new smaller fish i put in there. Even watched it kill my baby starry blenny the night i put it in the tank........

 

[Afterburner]

Im wondering if theres a rogue killer besides the thought of the clown fish. My clowns are mean, but they arent killers.
Possibly a hidden mantis shrimp killing off smaller fish?
I put a reef safe hawkfish in my tank once and he wanted to fight every new smaller fish i put in there. Even watched it kill my baby starry blenny the night i put it in the tank........

I thought that also, but the dead bodies show no sign of attack, or any sign of why they died. I am now thinking that there is a virus in the tank that the other fish have grown immune to, and it is staying in the tank because I keep bringing it new hosts. I might just try not adding any fish for a couple of months and see what happens then. This really sucks because I finally have good water quality and very happy Corals with near zero nitrates and wanted to add some additional fish. I did add a couple of frags today since there seems to be no problem with coral health.

 

[Qasimja]

for what its worth i dont drip acclimate anything and ive never had a loss because of it

 

[Afterburner]

A buddy mentioned possibly fish pathogens somehow got in my tank. Does anyone know how to test or eradicate pathogens?