Sailfin died in QT. What went wrong?

[taulgrl]

I had my first QT death today and I’m trying to figure out where I went wrong. Bought a small Sailfin tang and diamond goby from trusted source 4 hrs away. My 10g QT wasn’t running so floated bags in DT sump and did 8 gallon water change. DT has been running ~4 yrs and is healthy. Put DT water in QT, started up HOB filter w sponges (that live in DT sump). Put big live rock w algae on it and pan of sand that had been sitting on a shelf for a year in QT. Temp: 78, SG: 35
No copper or meds. Just DT water

Acclimated fish w DT water over 45 min. Using my usual method: take some water out of bag, put DT water in. Did this 3x. Didn’t check SG in bag but I had only done this once before (for my Copperband) so didn’t think it would matter much.

Poured fish into QT w minimal bag water. Next morning (Thurs) both were perky. Tang was munching on rock algae. Both took some frozen Mysis. Noticed same up until yesterday. Neither seemed as interested in food but both seemed to eat some live white worms and, later, some Mysis.

This morning (Sunday) tang is dead. Goby is ok and eating Mysis I just put in. Ammonia badge consistently reading 0. Temp and SG are same as Wednesday

Thoughts?

 

[Sleeping Giant]

might have been a big salinity change from the bag to the aquarium. it might have got to close to the heaters maybe too. how did it look this morning when you found it? any marks, spots or skin discoloration?

 

[taulgrl]

might have been a big salinity change from the bag to the aquarium. it might have got to close to the heaters maybe too. how did it look this morning when you found it? any marks, spots or skin discoloration?

Ya, I’m regretting not dealing w possible salinity swing. No obvious marks on fish

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Ya, I’m regretting not dealing w possible salinity swing. No obvious marks on fish

sorry for the loss. it's always a good idea to check the salinity of the packaged water and drip acclimate until the salinity matches the aquarium water

 

[kenchilada]

Match salinity of QT to the bag water, float to match temperature. Open bag and transfer fish to tank. Straight into 2.0 copper for me.

I use a plastic colander to move the fish and don’t add bag water to QT.

Note that rock can absorb medication. A little sand is ok.

 

[kenchilada]

sorry for the loss. it's always a good idea to check the salinity of the packaged water and drip acclimate until the salinity matches the aquarium water

Drip acclimating risks ammonia poisoning in shipped fish. Going from a salinity to a lower salinity is safe, but going to a higher salinity needs slow acclimation. A benefit of QT is you can simply change it to match the bag and get them straight into meds.

 

[taulgrl]

Ya I’m just surprised that he was so lively for two days after release into QT. Wondering if SG change has fast or more prolonged effect.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Drip acclimating risks ammonia poisoning in shipped fish. Going from a salinity to a lower salinity is safe, but going to a higher salinity needs slow acclimation. A benefit of QT is you can simply change it to match the bag and get them straight into meds.

hense the drip acclimation. I wouldn't change my qt tank water to match the salinity level of the bag it came in. I would change the bag water to match my qt tank water

 

[kenchilada]

hense the drip acclimation. I wouldn't change my qt tank water to match the salinity level of the bag it came in. I would change the bag water to match my qt tank water

Rather than us disagree, I recommend @taulgrl read this article by someone more knowledgeable than both of us.

How To - Acclimate

How to Acclimate The purpose of this write-up is to discuss proper acclimation procedures for saltwater fish, corals and invertebrates. Improper acclimation is probably one of the leading reasons why livestock suddenly die after being introduced into an aquarium. This inevitable death can take...

humble.fish

 

[OrionN]

I don't think salinity change was what cause the demise of your tang. If this is the case, the fish will be in trouble right away.
These are not the cause:
1. Salinity changes
2. Shipping capture trauma (this does not rule out trauma the hours before he died)
3. O2 drop (you have a hang on back filter with water flow back into the tank, which mean enough surface agitation)
4. Ammonia or toxin (or else the Goby also in trouble)

T have no idea why your tang died. Maybe he has some diseases that we don't know.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Rather than us disagree, I recommend @taulgrl read this article by someone more knowledgeable than both of us.

How To - Acclimate

How to Acclimate The purpose of this write-up is to discuss proper acclimation procedures for saltwater fish, corals and invertebrates. Improper acclimation is probably one of the leading reasons why livestock suddenly die after being introduced into an aquarium. This inevitable death can take...

humble.fish

I'm with you with that. no point in disagreeing about our own processes, better to get advice from someone with way more knowledge than either of us

 

[taulgrl]

I don't think salinity change was what cause the demise of your tang. If this is the case, the fish will be in trouble right away.
These are not the cause:
1. Salinity changes
2. Shipping capture trauma (this does not rule out trauma the hours before he died)
3. O2 drop (you have a hang on back filter with water flow back into the tank, which mean enough surface agitation)
4. Ammonia or toxin (or else the Goby also in trouble)

T have no idea why your tang died. Maybe he has some diseases that we don't know.

Thanks! To add to the puzzle, the tang had been at the lfs for at least two weeks so shipping trauma prob not a factor.