Bad LFS or is my tank a death trap?

Truely words of wisdom.

I believe the OP said that the fish had been in the system and eating for awhile so I do not see how his acclimation process contributed to the demise.

Chromis drop like flies so I do not see this as a concern, just bad luck. The only thing I would consider is the quality of the fish from the LFS.

 

I was just concerned it was something I was doing. It made me hesitant to add another fish after losing 3 in a row. I think I will shop from somewhere with a guarantee as all of the fish died within 14 days, and the LFS I had been using offers no guarantee on salt water fish...

 

+1 especially at night

 

Keep in mind that most LFS won't offer a guarantee on livestock b/c they have no idea your experience level or what your tank is like. As I said, if you take your time and carefully examine the livestock, you should be good. Ask to see a fish fed. Any reputable LFS should be fine with that. If they are not, you may want to look else where.

 

Nearly no store will offer a guarantee. The only places that do that (at least for fish) are the really big online stores.

 

I found a place about an hour away that offers a 10 day guarantee, I am sure there are stipulations tho. I have been recommended to the as they quarantine all of their livestock prior to placing it for sale. Apparently it is the best LFS in the state.

Of course, this does me no good right now. My dottyback is looking pretty bad today, fins are torn up a bit. I don't understand what is going on. There is no territorial war going on, I watched to tank for like 3-4 hours today, and the clowns just swim in their corner and chill. The dottyback hid all day and when he did come out, he looked bad. I doubt he will make the night. I am afraid I have some sort of parasite or something, but the clowns are just un-affected. It's not copper as I have 2 skunk cleaners who seem oblivious to whats going on.

At this point, I am at a loss for words, and am frustrated. I have that type A personality and don't like things I can't explain.

 

Possibly a predator in the rockwork. A crab or shrimp trying to grab it, maybe.

 

Most local stores do have a couple days guarantee. You have to return the fish with a water sample from you tank. I have to drive about 80 miles to Memphis for a saltwater store. They have a guarantee but it isnt worth the trip back for me and im usely broke when leaving.

 

What nobody has really asked here is is there plenty of hiing spaces in the rocks are the fish dying from stress and not dying of acclimation? I drip acclimate when I get new fish for at least an hour but usually more like 2 hrs. I mean for the price of air hose and a air hose valve at the lfs is less then 5 bucks so why not do it by the way its recommended. I will say I see alot of lfs simply float and net and into the tanks and the fish are there weeks later so I am not totally sold that the issue here is just acclimation. How old is the tank? It may have said it here I did not see it if so. How much rock? Nitrate levels? are the fish eating and if so eating alot?

 

acclimation depends on how you get it, i would take the source's word for it.

time in the dark, isolated for awhile for all shipped fish and even LFS fish who may have been in transport not long before they found you. i think fish that you get feeding and behaving normally in this environment do better when in the main tank