So here is a question that is asked over and over again.

[Dilan Patel]

So as some of you all know I started up a new tank. It was a major upgrade from my 55gallon sumpless reef. I now am a proud owner of a 135 reef ready tank. It has been a working progress and some of the paths I took with this tank was different on how I usually start up a tank. Anyways, my question is I bring home fish from my LFS which I visually inspect and watch eat before I bring it home. I get them home and they eat and are happy. But then all of a sudden within overnight from the last time the fish ate/I saw swimming around the fish is dead. Within a week or so this happens(not all fish thankfully). Usually when I can keep a fish for over a week I call that a success and usually I am able to keep the fish long term. What I am trying to figure out is why is it that sometimes when I bring seemingly healthy specimens home they die? I do have a much better success rate when ordering from LA/DD I just don't always have time to order and be home to receive the fish. My parameters are always 0 for everything...my fish store is really surprised/accustomed to how I run my tanks. they know I run them clean and I have built up a relationship with this fish store. I do not quarantine...my personal opinion about quarantines are usually the opposite of what others think (I know their are firm believers in quarantines, i am just not one of them)so I will not get into that(plz don't bring this up all it does is get the topic sidetracked). I have had better success when using safety stop before introducing the fish. So am I missing something when evaluating the fish or is it just my luck. Keep in mind these tanks are to reef standards. Maybe I just need to stick to where I get better success with and keep going to LA and DD for fish. Sorry for this long paragraph but advice is appreciated

 

[mitch91175]

Stick to where you have success. Fish die for a number of reasons, some known, some unknown. It could be that they are stressed so they hide in the rocks and starve or you could have something in the tank that is killing them. Answers to why they are dying from your LFS more frequently than they are from online points to maybe your LFS are getting in subpar product. No true answer for it.

I know with my tank it has essentially stabilized meaning that my current fish have made their territories and when I add another fish, they get beat to death. I will wait until I change my rock work before I add any additional fish so maybe the territorial behavior will subside some.