Desperate for Help!!!

[bubble_gum]

yup they are scavangers. a bristle worm is as good as a shimp. my cleaner shrimp aslo attacked wen my clam was in trouble. all these are jus scavangers

bristleworms just look ugly but a bristleworm is nt a the same as a fireworm. fireworms are the ones u have to worry abt

[Siput]

But according to the article fireworms do not attack fisg; their bristles are for self defense? Somehow cannot picture a worm managing to catch and consume a live fish...sleeping or otherwise...

[nicholasloh]

They do, I read it once in a book. Their victims are fishes who like to hide in rocks, eg: the firefish, who "bolts and locks" himself in the rocks if it got scared. Then the worm will wrap around it like a python. true lah..

[eDen]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the advices......really appreciate it. Will try some of the suggestions, hopefully it works........

i) add no new entrants for the moment until system is more stable. (P/S: yes, yes....no batches........will be more patient! )

ii) get a few more test kits (only have the sera test kit for ammonia & nitrate now)

iii) slow feeding

iv) try to change abit more water.....haven't been changing water, just topping up only so far. Now deciding between 100% water change (alot technical problem....don't have the space to quarantine my live stock & LR......??? )....and gradual water change (does 1-2 pail change a week over a period of time sounds reasonable?) How long to mature the water by the way, one aquarium owner was trying to sell me aqua salt (suppose to be from US) that mature much faster.......like less than a week???

A few more details of my tank (for some of the questions)

i) cycled my water for about 2-3 weeks before I start adding live stocks.....

ii) skimmer - not sure how to describe it. Comes with the system.........in the filter tank...the kind of with pump....???

iii) water paramter ok......meaning that using the Sera test kit (for nitrate & ammonia) shows ok result.

iv) mantis shrimp & crabs - many some crabs (<1cm) that comes with a rock. Once I saw a relative large mantis shrimp (4 cm), a suspect - but dont think it can go after fishes that is bigger in size, right?

Once again thank you........hanging on.......desperate but hanging on.....still not willing to give up.

wm

[sps_dude]

thats the spirit bro........ keep on trying and u will reach success.......

[RAV-65]

Patience in adding fish is a good practice bro, I add one fish every week or two, only when i buy something dat I like and have a good level of success so far... the fishes are happy, they acclimatise well and I have a chance to observe if its healthy... Beside the angel who hurt his lips from banging the betta box too much, I almost got a 100% success rate.... unlike last time when I lose fishes every week...

Vincent Ho

[blueheaven]

I really think you should remove the mantis.

There have been reports of mantis smashing the tank glass

Just be sure you don't touch it

[Guinness]

please do not EVER buy a batch of fishes!!!!!

especially to "test", they are LIVING ORGANISMS for gods sake!!!

your nutrient load might be too much for the bacteria to process

second that!

[ReDDeviLs]

remove the mantis..

u will regret keeping it..imo crabs too..i just dont feel safe having crabs with my lovely fishes..thats my style

i doubt salt helps much in cycling..

dont go the easy way..follow the upright path and you will have a successful tank..

easy way might cause u to fail in long term.

[Navyblue]

If the NO3 NO2 NH3 are ok then it is not stocking too fast, Unless you measured it after the spike has subsided.

Clowns with fungus are common if they just arrived in the LFS and not quarantined.

Did you measure your Ca before dosing? It might be overdosing. If you don't measure it is better off that you don't dose at all.

I would tend to think there is a murderer somewhere if you can't find the carcass at all.

Another posibility is the death of a coral or anemone caused a domino effect by the toxin released. Possibily your tank is a toxin soup by now.