no luck with fish

[crankthecar]

Lot of problems here. I agree with most of what has been said above. Want to add that a potential problem is you are selecting inappropriate fish for the tank. Red Sea 250 is what 55gal 35x20in foot print. Powder blues and spot breast angels need a tank double that size. Checking your amonia and taking it slow is the first thing to do. For diseases velvet is possible given the time line, but in a new tank like that and adding that many fish over a short period of time I would lean towards ammonia. Fish in cycles are pretty dangerous even with bacteria in a bottle. They need more than a couple days to get through. And difficult and high bioload fish like tangs and angels should wait a while after cycling for an established tank. Remember the adage nothing good happens fast in a reef tank.

I know that's right my tank is too small that's why I was planning to exchange it but you are right definitely nothing fast is happening in a fish tank as that guy in brstv says! but it so hard not to enjoy a but it so hard to Stare on an empty expensive fish tank

 

[crankthecar]

guys it doesn't look that old because the lights was turned down but it's almost 2 months old

 

[laverda]

Nitrate is at about 8 im using rodi water

That would not cause a problem withfish.whatare your other peramaters "

 

[laverda]

I'm planning on getting a pair of dragonnets but not before a my thank is half year old

A pair of dragonets would be a poor choice for a tank under 150 gallons in my opinion unless you plan on buying pods on a regular basis for them. I doubt one would survive in your tank at this point. They eat pods all day long. It is amazing how many they eat.

 

[crankthecar]

That would not cause a problem withfish.whatare your other peramaters "

I don't know im ordering some test kits and will find out i only have Nitrite test kit refractometer and calcium what test kits are important ?

 

[crankthecar]

A pair of dragonets would be a poor choice for a tank under 150 gallons in my opinion unless you plan on buying pods on a regular basis for them. I doubt one would survive in your tank at this point. They eat pods all day long. It is amazing how many they eat.

A pair of dragonets would be a poor choice for a tank under 150 gallons in my opinion unless you plan on buying pods on a regular basis for them. I doubt one would survive in your tank at this point. They eat pods all day long. It is amazing how many they eat.

thanks for letting me know i didn't know that I'm planning on getting a refugium will that help?

 

[Twoddler]

Sorry but without information these people can't help you, but only guess, ammonia , nitrite, nitrate, ph at the least

 

[Sharkbait19]

Where did you get your fish? If they are all from the same store that particular store can have a parasite problem. How are you acclimating them?

 

[Lowlandreef]

Where did you get your fish? If they are all from the same store that particular store can have a parasite problem. How are you acclimating them?

I've had that problem as well. My first fish all came from a bad pet store. They all died within a week.

But as stated before, without more information it will be hard to tell. Your bacteria most likely weren't able to proces all the ammonia from the big fish you added early on. I would really take it slow. Add 1 small fish, wait a couple of weeks before adding another and so on the first couple of months. Later on you can add bigger fish or more fish at a time. For now take it slow and steady.

Please provide more information about where you get your fish from, how you acclimate them, waterparameters, water change schedule etc. so we can help you better

 

[laverda]

I don't know im ordering some test kits and will find out i only have Nitrite test kit refractometer and calcium what test kits are important ?

Ammonia and nitrites are toxic to fish and corals, but you only need those test kits early on. Do not get an API ammonia test kit as the give false results. A kit for testing chloramines in your RO/DI as they are also toxic to fish. Alkalinity would be the next kit.
A well established refugium would help supply bods and have other benefits for your system.

 

[Alaeriel]

guys it doesn't look that old because the lights was turned down but it's almost 2 months old

Two months is still a very young tank.

 

[gabrieltackitt]

How are you acclimating fish? And where are you buying them from?

These questions are extra vital if you’re buying fish online. I’ve found acclimating from shipping is a completely different process for me than from a LFS

 

[Tamberav]

The tank is too small and too new... and the fish you chose are too large and delicate. You are just burning your money away picking powder tangs and putting them in a 2 month old 36 inch long tank. Your expectations are a bit unrealistic.

Stick to things like gobies, flasher/fairy wrasse, perc or occy clowns, basslets, pygmy angels (add last as they can be aggressive and and when the tank is mature with algae for it to pick at) and other appropriate fish for your size tank.

Remember fish have a lot of diseases so every time you add one, you risk bringing something into the tank which will effect all fish or all future fish. Don't risk adding fish that have slim chance of surviving. You won't be thrilled going fishless for 6 weeks.

 

[Sharkbait19]

If you’re looking for an oddball you could do a snowflake eel or dwarf lion but they’re not the friendliest. As a beginner, you should stick to dartfish, clowns, damsels, grammas, and gobies. For bigger fish you could try angels but they are rather sensitive and should be in an established reef.

 

[excell007]

How did you cycle your tank and how did you know that the cycle is completed. Having lost this many fish in 2 months, my assumption is that your tank is not yet completed its cycle. Adding fish during the cycling process means they are getting exposed to toxic level of ammonia and nitrite. A lot of people will cycle fishless, dosing ammonia and testing to detrmine if the bacteria have established enough to process the ammonia. Damsels are very hard fish and some people will use them during the cycling process as their ammonia producer, sadly not all fish are as tough as damsels. Tangs are specially notorious for being sensitive, that's why it is only recommended for a well established tanks.

 

[crankthecar]

Sorry but without information these people can't help you, but only guess, ammonia , nitrite, nitrate, ph at the least

Sorry but without information these people can't help you, but only guess, ammonia , nitrite, nitrate, ph at the least

I'm afraid that I have Nitrite im getting a test kit tomorrow i though that if you have nitrate you can't have amonia that what my LFS told me

 

[Sharkbait19]

I'm afraid that I have Nitrite im getting a test kit tomorrow i though that if you have nitrate you can't have amonia that what my LFS told me

That’s not true, ammonia is produced as nitrites and nitrates are produced, as it is an ongoing cycle.

 

[crankthecar]

How are you acclimating fish? And where are you buying them from?

These questions are extra vital if you’re buying fish online. I’ve found acclimating from shipping is a completely different process for me than from a LFS

floating bag method how would you recommend Acclimating the fish ?

 

[gabrieltackitt]

floating bag method how would you recommend Acclimating the fish ?

For fish from an online store you shouldn’t float them with the bag open for too long or you risk ammonia burns from the shipping water.

My Methods:
Online Fish:
Float bag to temp acclimate, while it is floating cut a small hole and suck enough water to test the salinity with my refractometer, then immediately seal the hole with duct tape. Then while it’s floating I match the salinity of my QT to that of the bag. I normally start my qt a week or so before I get the fish, and start it at 1.020, that’s the salinity fish from my LFS come in at so it’s always a good starting point. Then I raise or lower it with RODI or fresh saltwater at 1.026 until it matches the shipping bag. This whole process takes around 30 minutes or so. Then once the salinity matches I’ll untape the hole in the shipping bag and check the temp inside really quickly. I usually shoot for within a half degree or so, and once temps match I’ll take the bag out of the tank, cut it open and pour the whole bag through a colander, into an empty bucket. then take a few scoops of fresh RODI and rinse off the fish with that while it’s in the colander, then put the fish straight into QT from the colander, this way there is no water transfer from the shipping bag to the tank. After this I take about a week to raise the salinity to display levels, then start any qt meds I feel are necessary based on observation.

You don’t necessarily have to take this long to raise the salinity, it can be done in an hour or so, just HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO get them out of the shipping water very quickly.

 

[crankthecar]

For fish from an online store you shouldn’t float them with the bag open for too long or you risk ammonia burns from the shipping water.

My Methods:
Online Fish:
Float bag to temp acclimate, while it is floating cut a small hole and suck enough water to test the salinity with my refractometer, then immediately seal the hole with duct tape. Then while it’s floating I match the salinity of my QT to that of the bag. I normally start my qt a week or so before I get the fish, and start it at 1.020, that’s the salinity fish from my LFS come in at so it’s always a good starting point. Then I raise or lower it with RODI or fresh saltwater at 1.026 until it matches the shipping bag. This whole process takes around 30 minutes or so. Then once the salinity matches I’ll untape the hole in the shipping bag and check the temp inside really quickly. I usually shoot for within a half degree or so, and once temps match I’ll take the bag out of the tank, cut it open and pour the whole bag through a colander, into an empty bucket. then take a few scoops of fresh RODI and rinse off the fish with that while it’s in the colander, then put the fish straight into QT from the colander, this way there is no water transfer from the shipping bag to the tank. After this I take about a week to raise the salinity to display levels, then start any qt meds I feel are necessary based on observation.

You don’t necessarily have to take this long to raise the salinity, it can be done in an hour or so, just HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO get them out of the shipping water very quickly.

thanks so much for your help!