Dr. Tim's One & Only Dead Clownfish

Discussion in 'DrTim's Aquatics' started by shawnriv, May 15, 2014.

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  1. shawnriv

    shawnriv Plankton

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    Hi,

    I purchased two true percula clowns from my LFS and put them in quarantine for three weeks using Seachem's Paraguard for preventative treatment. I was using cycled tank water from my other tank. Both clowns were eating and doing great. In the meantime I began a new 29G reef aquarium. I purchased 30lbs of live sand and 30lbs of dry rock. After the clowns were done with quarantine I added Dr. Tim's One & Only 12 hours before adding the new clowns and things were great. The clowns were very active and eating well. After 48 hours I turned on the protein skimmer and everything remained well in the tank. I came home today from work and one of the clown was on the bottom of the tank breathing heavily. I immediately took him out and put him back in the quarantine tank...he died one hour later. I have no idea what happened. Since the new tank is still cycling with Dr. Tim's the ammonia level has been around .50ppm. So far the other clown is still doing okay (knock on wood). :cry:
     
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  3. DSC reef

    DSC reef Giant Squid

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    You can't put fish in a tank during cycling when your ammonia reads .5 and Dr tims product isn't to blame. Bacteria is made to speed up the cycle but in no way does it mean you can add fish immediately. The ammonia has burned the fishes gills and I wouldn't be surprised if the other doesn't make it. The water from an established tank holds very little bacteria and your starting with dry rock. Don't add any fish until you read 0 on ammonia and nitrite. Could take several weeks.
     
  4. DrTim

    DrTim 3reef Sponsor

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    Hello

    Sorry to read about your dead clown - but 0.5 ammonia did not kill your fish (DCS is wrong about the gills being burnt in 48-60 hours and about not being able to add fish immediately) but is right about water not holding nitrifiers. Have you measure nitrite?
     
  5. ingtar_shinowa

    ingtar_shinowa Giant Squid

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    I used 4 bottles and had a 5 month cycle.

    The only way to safegaurd the lives of your reef is patience. I'm not saying you shouldn't use products to introduce bacteria, but that you should test and make sure the no2 nad nh4 are being processed before adding fish.
     
  6. shawnriv

    shawnriv Plankton

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    Hi Dr. Tim,

    I've been testing my Nitrite and they remain at zero. I have an RO/DI unit from Bulk Reef Supply and us Instant Ocean's sea salt.
     
  7. DrTim

    DrTim 3reef Sponsor

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    How is the other fish doing?
     
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  9. shawnriv

    shawnriv Plankton

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    Seems to be doing okay. It's the bigger of the two with a pretty substantial size difference. They both came from the same supplier and I quarantined them both.
     
  10. DrTim

    DrTim 3reef Sponsor

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    I think the problem was the size difference of the fish. I am willing to bet the bigger fish just beat-up on the smaller one - quite common
     
  11. Mr. Bill

    Mr. Bill Native Floridian

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    FWIW, many times a fish will die and we never find the exact cause. Perhaps it just finally succumbed to an internal disease or infection to which the Paraguard had no effect. Maybe the stress from being moved about had some influence. Fish have also been known to die from shock simply from someone approaching the tank too quickly. Lots of possibilities there, especially with a young specimen that had just been introduced into your tank.