Am I bad at fishkeeping?

[BubbleTrouble]

It seems as though I can keep corals relatively happy and keep my CUC well fed and busy, but I can't seem to keep a clownfish alive. I do water tests and feed regularly. The longest I kept a fish alive for was a banggai cardinal that I traded with a fellow because I felt like my tank was too small

 

Is it bad luck or what do I do

[Woodini]

I’m leaning towards bad luck. Where did you get the clown from and was it totally healthy when you bought it? 

[BubbleTrouble]

1 minute ago, Woodini said:

I’m leaning towards bad luck. Where did you get the clown from and was it totally healthy when you bought it? 

I got it from j&l aquatics online store, recieved it yesterday and died today. 

 

I also got a yellow watchmen goby from them and a tuxedo urchin, I didn't have any fish in my tank for a while so I didn't quarantine so I am nervous for my other inhabitants now

[Woodini]

You probably got an unhealthy fish to begin with. Do you have any LFS where you can personally inspect the fish before you buy it? I’ve had bad and good luck ordering fish online. 

[mcarroll]

1 hour ago, BubbleTrouble said:

It seems as though I can keep corals relatively happy and keep my CUC well fed and busy, but I can't seem to keep a clownfish alive. I do water tests and feed regularly. The longest I kept a fish alive for was a banggai cardinal that I traded with a fellow because I felt like my tank was too small

 

Is it bad luck or what do I do

🤔

 

I think you might actually know what the problem is.

 

And subconsciously put the answer in your post.

 

Your tank is too small.

 

I don't think you'd mention it at all if it wasn't a factor.

 

Plus, too many (or too big) fish in a tank is one of the most common "errors" made, especially when starting out.

 

Another plus, Clownfishes are especially disease resistant due to their lifestyle and physiology.  So while getting a sick one is possible, it's far less likely than it is with most other fish.  In general, it is very unlikely.

 

So.....how big is your tank?

[BubbleTrouble]

50 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

🤔

 

I think you might actually know what the problem is.

 

And subconsciously put the answer in your post.

 

Your tank is too small.

 

I don't think you'd mention it at all if it wasn't a factor.

 

Plus, too many (or too big) fish in a tank is one of the most common "errors" made, especially when starting out.

 

Another plus, Clownfishes are especially disease resistant due to their lifestyle and physiology.  So while getting a sick one is possible, it's far less likely than it is with most other fish.  In general, it is very unlikely.

 

So.....how big is your tank?

It's the fluvial 13.5 which at the time of putting in the clown only previously had hermit crabs and snails. 

 

Currently only have the yellow watchmen goby and the CUC. 

[BubbleTrouble]

1 hour ago, Woodini said:

You probably got an unhealthy fish to begin with. Do you have any LFS where you can personally inspect the fish before you buy it? I’ve had bad and good luck ordering fish online. 

I think I will have to do that, my only local fish store that sells saltwater fish has questionable prices 

[mcarroll]

7 hours ago, BubbleTrouble said:

It's the fluvial 13.5 which at the time of putting in the clown only previously had hermit crabs and snails. 

 

Currently only have the yellow watchmen goby and the CUC. 

10 gallons is the lower limit for a Clownfish.  I wouldn't consider anything additional except possibly for some tiny nano fish.

 

7 hours ago, BubbleTrouble said:

I think I will have to do that, my only local fish store that sells saltwater fish has questionable prices 

Questionable to me means prices that are too low.

 

How can a store that isn't charging good (high enough) prices afford to hire good help?

 

If they have no good help, then they're going to be taking shortcuts.

 

If they are taking shortcuts, then healthy fish become less likely.

 

Waiting for your local store to have a sale is usually a better money-saving strategy IMO.  The only cost is patience.

[BubbleTrouble]

33 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

10 gallons is the lower limit for a Clownfish.  I wouldn't consider anything additional except possibly for some tiny nano fish.

 

Questionable to me means prices that are too low.

 

How can a store that isn't charging good (high enough) prices afford to hire good help?

 

If they have no good help, then they're going to be taking shortcuts.

 

If they are taking shortcuts, then healthy fish become less likely.

 

Waiting for your local store to have a sale is usually a better money-saving strategy IMO.  The only cost is patience.

Sorry, I meant questionable as in too high because then I question if I can spend that. I got this clownfish doing a group order with some other local people so it was affordable for me. 

 

Other than tank size, do you have any other recommendations for my situation? I want to be a responsible fish keeper 

[Woodini]

Keep trying

[ml86743]

What is your acclimation process like?  

 

Can you list your water parameters and the age of the tank?

 

Are you certain your refractometer and test kits are accurate and/or calibrated? 

 

Where do you source your water? Tap? RO? LFS?

[BubbleTrouble]

2 hours ago, ml86743 said:

What is your acclimation process like?  

 

Can you list your water parameters and the age of the tank?

 

Are you certain your refractometer and test kits are accurate and/or calibrated? 

 

Where do you source your water? Tap? RO? LFS?

Acclimated by floating the bag for 15 and then pouring out the bag water and putting fish into tank leaving light off for the day

 

I think my refractometer is good but unsure best ways to see about my tests being accurate 

 

Water from LFS, not the cheapest but it seems to keep the coral and CUC well enough 

[BubbleTrouble]

I also don't quite understand how in one day the fish could have developed white sores under my care, I've never seen that before 

[ml86743]

4 hours ago, BubbleTrouble said:

I also don't quite understand how in one day the fish could have developed white sores under my care, I've never seen that before 

Numbers check out fine 

 

Ultimately most of the fish we come across in the hobby are exposed to many infections and parasites.  Stress will amplify the issues many of these fish already have.   You could have received a fish that has already been exposed to something and the stress from shipping allowed for ich or brook or whatvever to overcome the immune system of the animal.  

 

The only thing I would recommend would be a longer drip acclimation, especially with shipped fish.  The bag float is not enough in my experience to give the fish the best chance of survival. They're already in shock from shipping so a slow transfer process to the tank is best.  Again, this is just my experience..I'm sure there folks who have success just dumping them right into the tank haha!  I bet your next go-around you're gonna have a winner:)

[TheKleinReef]

clownfish are soooooooooo over bred now, it's probably that you ended up with a clownfish from a bad breeder or something.

My mom had super bad luck with clowns from the LFS, se finally caved and ordered a pair from BlueZoo and she hasn't had a problem since.

 

23 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Your tank is too small.

 

this is such a classic L mcarroll take. lol.

[BubbleTrouble]

1 hour ago, ml86743 said:

Numbers check out fine 

 

Ultimately most of the fish we come across in the hobby are exposed to many infections and parasites.  Stress will amplify the issues many of these fish already have.   You could have received a fish that has already been exposed to something and the stress from shipping allowed for ich or brook or whatvever to overcome the immune system of the animal.  

 

The only thing I would recommend would be a longer drip acclimation, especially with shipped fish.  The bag float is not enough in my experience to give the fish the best chance of survival. They're already in shock from shipping so a slow transfer process to the tank is best.  Again, this is just my experience..I'm sure there folks who have success just dumping them right into the tank haha!  I bet your next go-around you're gonna have a winner:)

I'm looking at a drop acclimator at my LFS so that is definitely my next best bet, thank you 🙂

[BubbleTrouble]

1 hour ago, TheKleinReef said:

clownfish are soooooooooo over bred now, it's probably that you ended up with a clownfish from a bad breeder or something.

My mom had super bad luck with clowns from the LFS, se finally caved and ordered a pair from BlueZoo and she hasn't had a problem since.

 

 

this is such a classic L mcarroll take. lol.

I knooow I keep seeing people say they're "so easy" but I've had the worst luck and it's really bringing me down.

 

I respect the feelings towards small tanks hahaha I always give people shit for small beta tanks, my freshwater 20g is a mansion for my fancy beta 

[banasophia]

I think we are missing a lot of important info here. First of all, have you had more than one fish die on you?

 

 

Also, it’s really essential to post pictures when trying to figure out a problem like this… a picture really is worth a thousand words. Did you get a pic of the fish and can you also post a pic of the tank? 

[BubbleTrouble]

7 minutes ago, banasophia said:

I think we are missing a lot of important info here. First of all, have you had more than one fish die on you?

 

 

Also, it’s really essential to post pictures when trying to figure out a problem like this… a picture really is worth a thousand words. Did you get a pic of the fish and can you also post a pic of the tank? 

The only fish I have had die on me have been clownfish, I have tried 3 times now with clowns out of stupidity.

 

When I had a Banggai cardinalfish it did well! I traded him for some coral.

 

When my tank light comes on in the morning I will take updated pictures of the tank.

 

The fish: (pictures are just in the light of my office, the tank light didn't come on yet and when I came home for lunch the clown had passed and my hermits were eating it)

 

[banasophia]

I just saw your journal I think… a Fluval 13.5 g is big enough for a pair of ocellaris or percula clownfish, that wasn’t the problem. Clownfish are pretty hardy, something is going on with your tank if you’ve lost three (or three sets). We can try to help you figure it out. 
 

Did they all seem to die in a similar fashion? What were the dates/timeframes?

 

What is that substrate you are using? 
 

 

[BubbleTrouble]

2 minutes ago, banasophia said:

I just saw your journal I think… a Fluval 13.5 g is big enough for a pair of ocellaris or percula clownfish, that wasn’t the problem. Clownfish are pretty hardy, something is going on with your tank if you’ve lost three (or three sets). We can try to help you figure it out. 
 

Did they all seem to die in a similar fashion? What were the dates/timeframes?

 

What is that substrate you are using? 
 

 

One jumped out, one I believe just slowly started to look sickly until it passed, and this more recent one had the raised white wounds on its side (which I did not thoroughly check this one before putting in my tank, definitely and error.)

 

I believe this is the sand I have? If it is wrong how do I remove it

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/fairmount-santrol-aquaquartz-pool-filter-sand-20-lb-0814253p.0814253.html

[BubbleTrouble]

Looking back at my tank journal I lost one of the banggai cardinals too, it did a slow decline if I remember correctly. The internet led me to believe a bacterial infection but I am no expert

[banasophia]

I don’t know much about fish disease… whenever disease is a possibility it’s good to check with Humblefish by tagging him here or in his forum. Diseases that come to mind that you should look at pics of to see if you can identify are brooklynella, velvet, and uronema. 
 

But there are other things to rule out too. 

[BubbleTrouble]

4 minutes ago, banasophia said:

I don’t know much about fish disease… whenever disease is a possibility it’s good to check with Humblefish by tagging him here or in his forum. Diseases that come to mind that you should look at pics of to see if you can identify are brooklynella, velvet, and uronema. 
 

But there are other things to rule out too. 

@Humblefish does brookynella have a white appearance when the skin sloughing happens?

[banasophia]

Check out the info here: