Need help

[Maxstar81]

Recently changed water and bought some new fishes to add to tank.

All fishes died except 1 which is in quarentine now.

My prawns from the sea are all ok. (caught myself)

Ammonia and Nitrite are "ok" range.

What other factors might be causing this ???

Fish tends to gasp for air when put in tank.

Prawns are acting normal.

Anemones looks fine too....

Only fish leh !?

Why huh?

Why huh?

Heart ache ....

Wallet pain ....

[cityofangels]

Alot of fishes, esp Clown fishes, tend to be intolerable of Nitrate levels. Check your nitrate levels.

And how you introduce the fishes into your tank plays a role too.

[Maxstar81]

I only have test kit for Ammonia and Nitrite.

How to lower Nitrate ???

Will probably do it just in case.

Thanks for the help.

Anybody have other tips or solutions or views !?

[cityofangels]

How long has the tank been running?

[FuEl]

Heavy gasping is a classic sign of ammonia poisoning, much less of nitrite and nitrate. Your filtration is probably not matured enough to handle the bioload. Shrimps and other invertebrates or even fish caught from the coast are more tolerable of such water conditions compared to full-fledge reef fish. Improve your filtration, if possibly protein skimming, let your tank run longer till ammonia and nitrites are undetectable before attempting to add new fish. Before adding your fish you might want to perform a major water change to reduce nitrate levels (let the salt mix with the water for 24 hrs prior to use and remember to add anti-chlorine). Regardless of tank size or fish size it would be a good measure not to add more than 1 fish per week. Then again it depends on how much strain it puts on your filtration. If you introduce fish (ammonia producers) before the bacterial population adapts to the existing bioload you'll probably experience such problems again. If there are currently other fish in the tank it would be good to make daily water changes to keep ammonia in check till the bacterial population can handle the load. Patience is the key.

[AREA51]

bro Maxstar,

you sure sound familiar

[Maxstar81]

Using test kit, Ammonia and Nitrite already at lowest level....

AREA51,

what you mean sound familiar ???

[Cardinal Tetra]

I read somewhere before that it is the Nitrates that kills the fish instead of Nitrites. Do a water change to reduce the Nitrates.

[Cardinal Tetra]

I read somewhere before that it is the Nitrates that kills the fish instead of Nitrites. Do a water change to reduce the Nitrates.

Sorry, typo.

I read somewhere before that it is NOT the Nitrates that kills the fish instead of Nitrites. Do a water change to reduce the Nitrates.