The untimely deaths of our fishy friends, what we can learn...

with saltwater fish i have a good record only 3 fish
1. occilarios clown it had ich when i bought it, bought it from petco bad idea
2. yellow watchman goby jumped
3.bicolor dottyback sixline wrasse killed it same day i bought it
all of these fish lasted less than 3 days

 

Atlantic blue tang sucked into my vortech and couldnt get off, found him in the morning

Banghai cardinal sucked into my overflow found him in my filter bag

Vanderbilt chromi from Royal Gramma agression

Vampire tang to shipping issues

Fire Angel to a very large Brittle Star

 

Hey Heidi, sorry for your loss! I agree, I think Local Fish Stores should always educate the buyers. Or at least have an info sheet detailing how to start the hobby, where to research, and what mistakes to avoid. I also think that if you are looking to buy a fish or getting into the saltwater hobby, you should always research beforehand! Research, research, research!

 

My first SW tank in a while...bought 2 clowns and 2 purple firefish.

1 clown had some type of parasitic growth on the side within a day and was very stressed when it arrived to me. 1 pff had a parasite growing from its side. Clown died within a few days and the pff died in about a week.

My lesson learned....unless you KNOW the shop you're getting fish from will supply you with healthy fish, go somewhere you can PICK your fish. That doesn't guarantee you healthy fish but it's a much better chance. I see people get healthy fish shipped all the time but I am still spooked and only feel comfortable shopping locally.

 

2 Main Newbee Mistakes to avoid.

Alright SO after letting share their stories I am hearing 2 major things that can help avoid some of the heart ache of losing our fish.

Number one, Cover it.

Lets talk about what that means. I would venture to say that a wooden hood with our lights attached is not enough to keep our fish from harm because I know some folks who have had fish burnt and die a day later by jumping into their light fixture. I have a tight fitting clean mesh cover that I made out of a screen kit I bought at lows and the clear mesh stuff. I bought mine on BRS they have a whole video about making the cover if you are interested. A benefit of this type of top would be it allows light to pass through and little or no par is lost. BUT.. What about the odd shapes in the back that need cords, overflows, pumps, filters, etc. that would make a screen need gaps that fish could get through? I have done my best to rectify this by the two smaller screens (made of the same materials) on either side of my overflow. Acrylic, nylon screen and glass are other materials used to cover our display tank to keep fish in. No matter how you cover it, it NEEDS to be covered because even fish that are not prone to jumping might jump. In the ocean they would be fine, landing back in the water. We need to keep a covered tank as one of our important husbandry things for our fish. As well as the top we need to keep dangerous pumps and even our overflows covered in a creative way as well, to keep our fish safe.

Number Two, know the Fish, before you Buy the Fish.

My friend (not of forums) who I asked to use as an example called me up all excited one afternoon. We will call her Sally
Sally: "Heidi! I got a really neat fish!! He was sooo cute I couldn't resist. PLus I got a great deal on him because he has a crooked fin, but its ok He just hasn't been eating well in the store I can get him to eat I am sure." Heidi: "Hmm, doesn't sound too good what kinda fish?" Sally: "He's a Goby, a really pretty one, green, blue, all kinds of stripes, he looks like a painting." .....

I month or so later and she informed me that one of the hermit crabs had "eaten the Mandarin goby" Sad story, yes but how many of you have impulse bought a fish? . . . : Raise your hand... lol (mine is up just so you know and yours is most likely up as well)

The watching of the fish at the local fish store for a few times before you take him home is a really great way to keep a story like the one above from happening to you. It seems silly, I know, but it keeps you from buying a fish you are unprepared for, a sick fish, or a bully you wish you never bought. All of which can lead to the untimely deaths of that fish and sometimes entire tanks full of fish if you are super unlucky.

So next time you want to impulse buy a fish, buy a book about fish instead, or something new for your tank, and come back in a few days and visit that "adorable goby", ask them to feed him. Watch him eat, and then come back in 2 more days... etc. Also, only buy from people or retailers that you trust, or you know people who trust them, and if you ever go into a Local Fish Store and there seems to be "something fishy" (you know that sixth since alarm bell thats telling you to high tail it...) be polite and walk. Your other fish will thank you.

Ask what they treat their tanks/fish with. This is 2011, I may get a lot of crap feed back from this but there are so many ways to sell clean fish now days there is really no excuse not to have copper, prazi, hypo-salinity Organic treatments, whatever in the tanks at the LFS. They should be responsibly treating their fish to keep from spreading the bad stuff on to us hobbyists. This doesn't mean don't QT your fish.. DO, DO, DO, QT them if you have that ability (because ultimately the responsibility falls on you to keep your other fish and tanks healthy). But I really think that if you ask a retailer what they treat their fish with and they say...uhhh..or Umm Nothing that I know of.. or "Nothing" Thats cause to walk. There is no reason to buy untreated fish these days with our many online options and the great stores that pride themselves in only selling healthy fish. Buy from the stores the quarantine and treat with copper, or something.

Hope these tips help someone from making some of the same preventable mistakes that I made. And again sorry for all of your losses, I don't care "they are just fish" Whatever.. still stinks.

Heidi

 

I had a black ribbon eel that jumped in March of this year. He had been in the tank since October last year. I had the tops but they were on the side of the tank.

My other story was when I first got into the hobby with my 125. After it cycled everytime i went to a fish store or someone said "Hey that would look cool in your tank", I bought. I cant tell you how many fish I lost in that first setup.