Chromis experiment a total bust!

[Integracer]

Well, my last chromis was waiting for me in my powerhead intake this morning. I have lost 2 or 3 to my powerhead. I assumed thay were just not happy living in a small school and beat eachother up but someone or something else must be involves now that the last one is gone. Water params seem fine. Could my Gobie have killed him? Do they just fall asleep and float into the intake? I guess I need an intake guard, but why are Blue Green chromis such spazzes!!!!!????

[tinyreef]

any overt damage/injury?

 

were they all from the same lfs/ols?

 

were they active all the time during the day?

 

what kind of timeline was involved with the various chromis? i.e. bought two then a week later got the 3rd, etc.

[Integracer]

I got 3, from Petco (i know, but they are like 1/2 the price anywhere else). They seemed to be adjusting well and were quite active. The next day 1 was in my HOB filter intake, I figured the others harassed him to death. Then about a day later the second one turned up dead. Durring this time, all my coral was doing great, and my gobie and shrimp seemed unafected. Then the thirds turnes up about a day after that in the powerhead intake. They looked pretty normal accept for the damage from the intakes. Mouths wide open though. ?

 

I guess it could be many things. Could an inadaquet aclimation be possible? My tank is running a few degrees warm durring the summer, probably hotter than the petco tank. Today I added a gaurd around the powerhead intake and got a false percula clown.

[tinyreef]

imo they're cyanide collected fish. not long for the world regardless of how you acclimated.

 

same store, same/similar type of fish, other fish still healthy, similar death times, mysterious cause of death (i.e. no overt trauma), and not the type of fish conducive for net collection (altho i've never dived so i can't truly comment on ease or difficulty). imo, all that points to cyanide but that's just a guess.

[Chamkeeper]

Chromis usually don't school unless there is something in the tank to scare them (big mean fish). As far as the dying thing goes, I would have to agree with Tiny.

[six-liner]

Unfortunatly its cheaper to collect fish with cyanide. Thus when you look for those SW fish for 1/2 price, watch out, they were probably collected the cheap way, thus the "savings" gets passed on to you.

How big is the tank? if the powerhead is strong enough in a small enough tank, a weaker fish may be pulled into it inadvertantly. These fish usually dont harass eachotehr like damsels will, so i doubt that was it. and sometimes 3 just isnt a large enough school to keep them stres free. They tend to fade away in schools less than 6-9.

 

later

6

[maroonclown]

I have my trio chromis in a 10 gallon tank. Three out of the four I bought are still alive, and they do school. The filter is just a HOB power filter, the Proaquatics from Petsmart. I have only lost one chromis, but I don't know why. The others have been in my algae infested, poor excuse for a nano FOWLR, for more than 6 months. I agree with six-liner on the cyanide. I originally had two 4 stripe humbug damsels at petco, because I had a school project involving them, and needed things to be ULTRA LOW COST. The smaller died over night, with it's mouth wide open, the second one is difficult to tell if cyanide or stress got him. He died at the school, mouth open too. Could that be a sign of cyanide? Also, the only other animals in the tank are two blue leg hermits. Healthy fish don't just get sucked into intakes (except for the ocasional seahorse). But, you should put some intake screens on the powerhead and filter. It will save your fish and the impeller from debris and fish. If you want more chromis, set-up a 10 gallon or larger tank, make them the only fish in it, and use a powerfilter or canisterfilter only. I also use my chromis tank to make tufa and dead coral skeletons into live rock, so you might want to try that too. Don't give up on chromis. Just set-up another, small, cheap nano for them. I think you can do it for less than $100.

Tank- $10, unless you have a spare one

Full hood-$25, unless you have a spare one

Filter-$15-$25, unless you have a spare one

10lbs. puka gravel-$9

Heater-$10-$20, unless you have a spare one

Dead coral-$5

Tufa-$2.99 a pound

LR rubble-$?

This is about $116. Not bad