I can't keep a fish alive, please help

[keyta]

I have told my story so many times to so many people and no one has been able to get my tank "fish happy" yet.

We had tank set up freshwater for 3 years then converted. Added 75 lb figi rock New Year's Eve, didn't do it 100% correctly in the beginning. (Listened to local fish store guy and learned alot on our own. Spent many hours reading ReefCentral info) We bought sump and skimmer by March and we're still struggling.

75 gal, crushed coral, 35 lb lace rock (recent addition), 130 lb ultra premium figi rock, compact florescents, 50/50 strip light, Afiniti (?) sump (no bioballs), Aqua C Urchin Pro skimmer, 1 powerhead, Turbotwist UV sterilizer (4 weeks), and alot of time & effort. Using Red Sea salt, test kit, trace elements, calcium plus, and liquid invert food.

My substrate is approx 1 inch deep, pushed away from live rock to decrease "deadzone" as instructed.

Temp is steady 79 degrees.

Bought R/O water purifier in Jan and have had that water tested several times. Perfect.

My rocks are nicely arranged to provide interest and privacy.

My LR is awesome! Sponges, mussels, crabs, starfish, corals, polyps, featherdusters, snails, brightly colored slugs, urchins (grew too big and began to cause damage, gave to petstore), worms, lice/mites/fleas (?), everything you could ever hope for and then some!

Water tests have been great. Once in a while the nitrates will show a slight raise, a few days later the nitrites will be up slightly, etc. It's just normal cycling from the way I see it.

The non-fish life is thriving.
Leather coral has tripled in size since Feb.
Really large bubbletip anenome always seems happy.
Condy anenomes, 1 very happy, 1 curled into a ball when we added sump and powerhead hasn't recoverd yet BUT still alive.
Macroalgae growing. 1 red grape cluster, 1 thick flat green came on LR.
Various types of crabs doing well.
Various snails and slugs doing well.
Mussels, sponges, corals from LR still alive and doing well.
Polyps are the most beautiful I've ever seen. Bought green star polyp in March/April it's growing and doing very well. Bought another type (name?) 3 weeks ago, very happy.
3 Skunk Cleaner shrimp fine
1 Peppermint shrimp fine
1 Coral Banded shrimp fine
Yellow gorgonian SOOO happy since we bought lace rock cavern.

We have one fish. Strawberry Basslett we added approx 4 weeks ago, the day we added UV sterilizer. After 2 weeks he was still alive and fine, we added clown tang and he lasted about 4 days.

Since Jan we've lost hundreds of dollars in fish. We keep adding more equipment and trying new ways of doing things, but I'm about done. I've told my husband that if we can't get this fixed, we're going to have $5 fish and $100 corals. I'm so sad about all of the lost lives and no specific reason behind it.

Please. Please. I need some serious help. If I can offer any more info let me know.

Thanks!

[DonJasper]

I think that Eric's Myth#15 ( http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-01/eb/index.htm ) found in thread from http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=249112
should be required reading before you're allowed to by salt mix.

I've read it at least a dozen times. I'd suggest that you read it, slowly. And while doing so - notice that Eric talks about time in periods of months.

I limit myself to making one change a month (when I have to make changes). A change meaning: adding a new creature or changing feeding pattern or adding new water treatment gizmo.

Speaking only for myself I'd also not say that a creature is doing 'well' until I've had it for six months or longer. "Starving to death" and "doing well" look pretty similar for awhile this sadder but wiser reef keeper must admint.

[rshimek]

Hi,

Let me second Don's comments about Eric's article. I really can't say why you are losing fish, unfortunately. In many cases, it takes looking at the fish to determine the cause of death and it is really impossible to do this online.

There is a specific reason behind the mortalities. These animals don't "jsut die." However, I can't tell what cause is from your post.

The fact that you are gettting measureable nitrites is bothersome and possibly indicative of other problems.

Sorry not be able to help.

[keyta]

Thanks for the articles. I've been insisting that there's bacteria or an untestable something in the water. The local guys keep insisting that we've tested everything and that I need to add more devices.
Now I just need my hubby to stop buying stuff! He's working with local guy (actually very educated & services many successful tanks) to get our tank running smoothly. He brought home 2 green chromis Thursday (?) and Friday he went to another fish store and bought a Fire Shrimp. I'm going to have to empty his wallet every time I leave him alone.
I'm understanding the importance of patience & waiting BUT HE DOESN'T GET IT AT ALL!

The article suggested adding stony corals before soft corals. Are there many stony corals that could handle my lighting? I was advised locally that most stony corals need metal halides. I have many small corals from LR, one small leather, green star polyps, & another polyp (pink w/ long tubular "stems"). Do you think these would cause great competition?

[rshimek]

Hi,

Gawd... Get your husband under control! :D This is not a hobby that progresses rapidly to success. Slow and easy does it.

Some of the hardier stonies, such as common Pocillopora, and Montipora species as well as some of the so-called LPS corals can do fine in your lighting. Soft corals are experts at chemical warfare and can really rule a tank in an unseen manner. It doesn't take many of them to keep a tank stressed.

[DonJasper]

Originally posted by rshimek
Hi,

Gawd... Get your husband under control! :D

Here's a quote from a local guy that pretty much sums up my experience. Also, i have been given the goahead to get a tank as large as 75 or 90 gallons :lol:

I've not have much luck getting people to slow down - if the deaths/wasted money doesn’t get their attention. I've tried the "corn will only grow as fast as it grows no matter what you do", that I think is pretty persuasive, without success. :eek1:

I wonder about 'burn out' in those that my corn story doesn't reach, (The fact that it doesn't work doesn't bother me in the least!) having read posts that say, in effect, "I've had the tank for two years now, and it's doing the same thing it did when I first got it. Pretty boring all in all. What else does it do?"

I don’t think it’s possible to buy a ‘display quality’ reef tank, you have to grow it. The only exception I’d offer being when you pay someone to take care of your tank for you – something readily available in the landscaping industry. In either case the contractor will then enforce some sort of pacing appropriate to the garden/aquarium.