So I came home looked for my chromis I didn't see him, I noticed that my rockwork didnt allow me full view and I looked and looked considering the past few days he has swam all around the tank. fearing for the worst I looked some more and finally decided to rearrange my rock figuring if he was alive when the rock moved he would move. move the first rock nothing the continues and I finnally get my top off bucket and begin removing rock from my tank trying to locate my second dead fish. (two cleanear snails are ok snorkels up cruising the sandbed.) I remove all the rock and still no chromis. I begin to suspect either jumpicide or cat assassin. After ruling out cat assasin considering my cats cant get to the tank. I search around the tank no chromis. I begin to put my rock back into the tank in a more pleasing manner for me, ensuring my nerite snails are OK. As i'm putting in my last piece of rock I notice my chromis swimming around in my topoff bucket! I gently scoop him up and get him back into the aquarium and he proceeds to run and hide back into the rocks that started this thing to begin with.
Thing I have learned from this experience.
Critters that you dont think can fit on live rock can. (My fish) My tanks footprint makes it difficult to fit 26 pounds of live rock on and it not look crappy SET UP YOUR ROCK FIRST to how you absolutely want it, dont move it later its a pain my tank is now cloudy and I worry about the health of my already stressed chromis.
Although my tank is supporting life via its live rock (sponges etc.) and I have successfully kept this fish for days now along with my cleaning crew guys. Im still a complete noob prone to idiotic mistakes.
my plans from here on out.
Dont move live rock until im resetting or unless its absolutely needed
Chromis from what I read do better in groups so 2 more blue greens will be comming home soon to hopefully give this guy a bit more confidence. (Hes beginning to act like a scared schooling fish now) this will give me a group of 3.
My thermometer is not good I will be investing in a digital one that makes it easier for me to read. I will be purchasing a refractometer that seems to be a step in the right direction although my gravity is still reading good. It seems like this will be useful as a tool.
My plans as far as fish stocking in my tank
26 gallon aqueon bowfront
3 blue green chromis 1 lawnmower blenny 3 more nerite snail bringing it to 5 total
What I need help with I want some inverts and I need a more rounded out cleaner crew. Also will a watchman goby and the blenny fight or will these two similar shaped fish do ok Finally Im still in love with clowns will a single perc clown in this setup work as well along instead of the goby?
Im fighting with my SD card my pc locks up everytime I try to get the photos.
Awesome keep us updated. Also check out the tank build section and make one of your own if you have time. Letting us know more about your setup will allow us to better help you if you have questions. Since leb mentioned water quality, how did you start the tank? Did you ever notice a spike in the ammonia,nitrite, and nitrates? What were they? Water changes recently? Hope all is going well and hope to see you at the meeting tomorrow at 6. Aquatix and exotics
Day Two came home turned on my light, didn't see my Chromis, Got worried looked looked looked. MOVEMENT HES ALIVE, I believed I woke him up he slowly poked out of the live rock and began his daily swimming. I've become quite attached to him already.
They are in the same family but all species have diffrent tolerances. The suggestion of blue damsels is that they are usually hard to kill and cheap if you loose the first one or two. Blue green chromases are generally the weakest of the damsel family. We are not talking water quality here we are talking bacteria build up in the tank and simply the clown was probably not as healthy as you thought. Good luck with your tank and further endevors in the hobby.
-- Edited by leb on Friday 22nd of July 2011 07:18:30 PM
Clowns are in the damsel family and are generally considered a novice type fish from what Ive read. Ive got the chromis in the tank now after drip aclimating him. We will see how this goes, I also purchased two sand sifting snails they have burrowed and are snorkling about the tank. If I can make the club meeting I'll definetly bring a water sample.
Aren't clowns in the damsel family??? Clowns should be hardy enough to withstand a cycled tank. I would do every water test possible. Bring a sample to the meeting and I'm sure sherry or someone wouldn't mind testing it for you.
Round two, purchased a blue green chromis and will be releasing into the tank after an hour drip aclimation. I also purchased two sand sifting snails to move around the bottome as well.
Well here is my 2cent hit happens!Not odd or unusual it happens. First off I think you would be better off to put cheap fish in your ank for a stare then move up to the more expensive fish.
So Ive had my tank running for 2 months now. Its a 26 Gallon bowfront I set up the tank two months ago utilizing Caribsea Live Sand, 26 pounds of Live Rock, R.0. Saltwater only. Running a Marine Land C130 canister Filter, and Coralife T5 HO lighting
My specs are
Gravity: 1.024
Temp: 78 F
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate:0
PH: 8.2
I gave the tank 2 months to cycle before I added any fish. I do have life in the tank in the form of a couple of sponges that came in on the live rock, and a snail I found yesterday cruising the live rock as well. I let the tank go through the stages of cycling and waited till I began seeing no nitrites and only nitrates in the water. Once I saw the nitrates rise to 10 ppm I did a waterchange got them down to an unreadable level and purchased my first fish.
I brought him home, put his bag in a pitcher and began drip methoding him to acclimate him. I let the drip occur for 1 hour and introduced him to the tank. He swam around no crazy behavior belly round no clamped fins or laboured swimming. Clown hung out around bottom of tank and the front, began exploring back and top of water colum later that day.
Next Day clown is doing fine swimming around top of water colum isn't going down around live rocks stays in top 3rd of aquarium. I put in a pinch of Marine flakes he eats 2 little bites and ignores the rest. Clean up uneaten food and observe him throughout the day. Still hanging around top of water colum.
Day 2: Can't find clown fish finally peak down in between two pieces of rock and my clown is lying there dead as a doorknob. Recheck water parameters and they are still good from what I can tell.
Any Ideas of what may have happened to him? I checked him out at the shopp to try and find a healthy specimen. Ive kept many freshwater fish, but to have a dead fish in 2 days at the cost of marine fish is highly discouraging. Im gonna give it another go, but do any of you have an idea of what might have been the demise of my Perc. Clown?
