Problems with fish

Waiting sounds like the most prudent course to take, I agree.

Just for the record what were the other fish types that died?

I have had similar episodes in the past were everytime I added another fish to a system that should have been able to handle a new addition easily the fish died within 4-7 days. Finally I decided that there must be some type of spike that I was not seeing and bulked up my biological filter, I have not had that problem since.

I am not a huge fan of long drip acclimations for most fish. The fish is already stressed enough and the introduction of O2 to the sealed container causes a pH swing. But everyone does things differently.

 

Sump intoduced to system-
Starry Blenny (was healthy but died after sump)
Mandarin Goby (was healthy but died after sump)

Week-long wait-
Ocellaris Clownfish (died roughly 3 days after introduction)
Red Fairy Anthias (juvenile, also died 2 days post introduction)

 

When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.

I've got my money on that sump being put together with a non-aquarium safe silicone.

 

Not to steal your thread or anything, but why would a serpent star be the reason for this?

 

I was thinking about that after it was mentioned. I guess the only safe thing for me to do is buy a real sump.

 

What is your sump made of? Was it intended to be used as an aquarium? Maybe just try a different brand. A 10 gal aquarium at pet smart would cost me 10-15 bucks. Swap it out and see what happens.

 

The green ones are known fish-eaters.

 

You have other critters that are much more sensitive to your tank than your fish. I would really doubt that it's your sump.

One possibility could be SG. Some stores tend to run a very low SG, and raising it is more dangerous than lowering it. I always test the SG when acclimating a fish. That will tell you whether it should be a quick one, or a long one.

 

I have to agree. This would be a simple (and cheap) solution. It may not be the problem, but it sure is an easy one to try.

 

Well it's done. I replaced the sump with a 20g long that I know for sure is saltwater safe. Now it's just back to the waiting game I guess.

I'm also going to try lower the SG a little bit. I agree with what you said barbianj, and I also think it will help if there is any kind of ich going on.