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Normal mortality for fish


MHolden

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I'm new to saltwater fish.  I have a 30g biocube and I really like it.  my problem is I'm having a hard time keeping fish.  I've had same 3 fish for several weeks and they seem to be doing fine.  I added an additional clownfish to replace one that died and he did good for about a week and then found him dead this morning.    Water chemicals seem to be within good ranges.  Fish had been swimming alot with the other clown until yesterday and noticed he was swimming around the opposite corner of the tank by the nem more.  Didn't show any signs of sickness, etc.   Is it normal for fish to not live very long?    I've also had lawnmower blennie, yellow goby and pistol shrimp literally disappear in the tank.  put them in and haven't seen them in 2 weeks.   Still trying to figure this all out.

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Its not normal to lose fish that quickly or frequently. There is usually a cause.

 

Tank isn't cycled

 

Tank too small for the types/amount of fish being housed leading to aggressive behaviour

 

Disease- not all have visual symptoms

 

Improper acclimation

 

We definitely need more info on the tank 

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DISQUALIFIED-QQ
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I'm new to saltwater fish.  I have a 30g biocube and I really like it. 

Great!

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my problem is I'm having a hard time keeping fish.  I've had same 3 fish for several weeks and they seem to be doing fine.  I added an additional clownfish to replace one that died and he did good for about a week and then found him dead this morning.

If cycled correctly, then fish should be able to handle a new tank. How soon did you add fish to your aquarium? How did you introduce the fish? Describe your acclimation procedure.

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  Water chemicals seem to be within good ranges. 

Describe your parameters with detail. All of the parameters you or someone else tested. Also mention what did you use to test.

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Fish had been swimming alot with the other clown until yesterday and noticed he was swimming around the opposite corner of the tank by the nem more. 

Wait, there's a nem!? How old is this aquarium?

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Didn't show any signs of sickness, etc.   Is it normal for fish to not live very long?    I've also had lawnmower blennie, yellow goby and pistol shrimp literally disappear in the tank.  put them in and haven't seen them in 2 weeks.   Still trying to figure this all out.

Clowns can live up to 20 years in captivity. Other species not as long, but expect several years of mileage. Meanwhile animals can be susceptible to internal illnesses.

 

So in your 30 gallon cube we have a:

  1. Clownfish
  2. Lawnmower blenny
  3. a yellow goby (I'm assuming a watchman)
  4. a pistol shrimp (assuming they actually paired)

Gobies and pistol shrimp can be reclusive. It took a couple months for my goby to come out. The first two and half months it barely stuck its head out. But now for the past 4-5 months I see it all the time. The pistol shrimp I just hear "gunshots" throughout the day.

 

Do you keep a journal? It may help track your progress and can help retool and refine your methods in keeping your tank. Let's start from the top. When did you set up your cube? How did you set it up? Describe in detail.

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