Green chromis keep dying

[ReefFrenzy1974]

I have a 40g breeder fowlr tank that I’ve had about 6 months now. First fish I added was 2 black and white occilaris clowns, and red sail fin Molly along with my cleanup crew of 4 red legged hermits, 1 Halloween hermit, 1 emerald crab and a peppermint shrimp. A month ago I added 3 green chromis and 2 died within a week. My lfs guy said I got them right after they had arrived at his store (arrived 1/4/22 and I got them on 1/7/22) an it was possible they were still stressed as I told him the two that died didn’t seem interested in food. He replaced them now today (2/7/22) I woke up and found 1 of the replacement chromis dead. I do a 10% water change every week along with dosing with vibrant and prime as well as a water test. Took a water test this morning due to the dead fish and my readings were: 
 

Ammonia: 0.0

ph: 8.0

Nitrite: 0.0

Nitrate: 10.0

 

water is clear although I am fighting a green hair algae bloom. Any thoughts on this? Are chromis prone to fighting til death? Thanks. 
 

joshua. 

[brandon429]

It’s fish disease most likely. You have other inverts unaffected, chromis rate high like tangs on disease import and potential, fish bullying potential is low and these mixed lfs additions to the tank without any qt or fallow brings disease to #1 likelihood and very highly likely to take fish beyond the chromis soon, in a few more months on average. See any humblefish post on how to remedy, it’s quarantine and fallow you’d use, not an elixir you dump into the display

 

each new wet addition from a pet store that didn’t pass through fallow or at minimum watch-only quarantine compounds disease vectoring until a breakpoint is reached. Your fish don’t have to have marked symptoms in order for disease to be the culprit. We’d only rule it out if specific disease prevention methods were being applied but that’s missing here on the new tank.

[Jakesaw]

1 hour ago, ReefFrenzy1974 said:

A month ago I added 3 green chromis and 2 died within a week. My lfs guy said I got them right after they had arrived at his store (arrived 1/4/22 and I got them on 1/7/22) an it was possible they were still stressed as I told him the two that died didn’t seem interested in food.

Did they get a reddish fish rot on them or did they just die normally? The former is fish specific disease, the latter - may be acclimation.

 

Is it possible the the chromis fought til the most dominant fish was left.  My LFS guy said that does happen with small groupings of chromis fish.

 

 

[ReefFrenzy1974]

Jakesaw no they didn’t. Didn’t seem to be any discoloration or marks at all on it. 

[Tamberav]

Chromis are prone to urenoma which can also infect them internally.

 

It is the one fish I would never add to my tank. Urenoma can not be removed once in your system.

 

They do/can fight as well. I would probably pass adding any more. They seem to be coming in very sick/not lasting long at my LFS these days. 

[ReefFrenzy1974]

Tamberav thanks. Hopefully, it’s not Urenoma. I’ve noticed my Sailfin Molly has been chasing one of my other Chromis so maybe it was just stressed. Playing the waiting game on my other two but will not be getting anymore.