losing fish

[leslee5050]

I have been up and running since February, 2007. I now have a 75 gallon reef. I started with a 55 gallon. I have been trying since that time to keep fathead anthias. It seems that everytime I get one, they are gone within 2 days. 2 weeks ago, I decided to try again. First off, in my tank, I have: sixline wrasse, green chromis, purple basslet, red hawkfish, bar goby, baby clown, and a 3" blue spot goby. 2 weeks ago, I put in 2 fathead anthias. 2 days later, hadn't seen one of them, so I went out and bought another one. When I got home that Sunday, I found the other one and there was 3. The next morning, 1 of the anthias was dead on the bottom of the tank. The next night I came home, the second anthias was dead. On Wednesday evening, I put in 2 baby clownfish. Thursday and Friday, both baby clownfish and my single anthias that was left were fine. I came in from work today, Saturday, and one of the clownfish is gone. All of the fish I have listed above are fine. I now have 1 anthias and 1 clownfish. Took my water to the LFS and water was fine. Pretty sure no bristle worms. Help???

[rynon]

Read this and the part about Sunburst anthias....I think that's what you have...the feeding is VERY important. The fish you list may be taking food away from the anthias. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-04/ac/index.php

[Sk8r]

Bristleworms don't kill fish; they dispose of the dead so they don't spike the nitrates.

Anthias are touchy. That's one. Wrasses are a bit aggressive: if I had to look for trouble, that's where I'd look. Basslets and hawkfish have been known to cause trouble.

First, get your own test kits, for alk, for ph, for nitrate/ammonia. LFs is too long a wait, and 'fine' is too broad a statement. I recommend Salifert.

I'm not totally expert in all those fishes, but go to LiveAquaria.com and look at their compatibility chart. You may turn up your problem.

The only other thing I can immediately think of is the possibility of stray voltage from a malfunctioning heater, but that usually takes out everybody.

A water quality issue will hit the species most susceptible to that issue first, ie, oxy shortage will get tangs first, angels second, while gobies and blennies stay alive longest, etc.

Anthias, being a freerunning species, I would suspect have a high oxygen requirement. But I would think there would be enough.

Do you have a skimmer? That's usually an oxygenation source.

[leslee5050]

I have all the test kits, and usually test myself. When the second anthias died this week, I took the water to be tested at the LFS to make sure that my testing was accurate. But I also lost a baby clown fish too. Most of the time, the fish are disappearing/dying during the dark hours. I looked at the compatability chart and the fish that I have should be ok together. I am also feeding live plankton, frozen mysis shrimp, and other varieties of frozen food. I was only feeding once a day, but LFS told me this week to feed 2-3 times a day. Anthias, being hard to keep, but both my anthias and clown fish dying? Other baby clown and anthias are alive so far. Lights haven't gone out yet.

[Saltwaterstart]

Could be a mantis shrimp.

I don't know a lot about anthias, but I know that I have had a few problems with fish mysteriously dying.

Also, I have also experienced stress in the fish when moving from system to system. My green chromis died because of that.

[usmcsgt]

I just have a problem adding new fish because my Yellow Tang is a bully and he bullied my pair of anthias and a week later they were dead.