Lost a couple archers :cry: why???

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fishtex

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 1, 2009
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Fort Hood, Texas
:cry: So somehow while my wife was doing a water change on the 150 a week ago 2 of my archers died. Can't think of what would have caused this. She did the water change exactly as I would have done it - drained and gravel vac'd the refilled and treated tank with prime. By the time she had taken the hose back outside one had already died and the other was well on its way. My other archer was just fine as were all of the other inhabitants -puffers, cats, mono's and gobies. water tests fine and for the life of me can't figure out what caused this - being across the world doesn't help. So she talked me into replacing them because she felt bad, and of course i went ahead and ordered 4 more.
So I have 2 questions.
1. any ideas on anything I can check to what may have caused this? All other inhabitants are fine and water tests 0A, 0NI , and <15NA.
2. the new guys are coming soon and my wife will be handling the acclimation - do you think half and half mix of tank water and fresh for about an hour and then straight into tank will be enough acclimation to my salt level? tank is at 1.008 right now. Tryin to make the process as easy and painless as possible for her and the fish.

Please don't flame me on tank size - 2 ehiems and a packed sump are getting them through for 2 more months until i get home, hoping to get a 300!!
Thanks all!
 
hmm that is strange that two of the would get sick and die so very quickly and the other fish be fine. Was the temperature too hot when she poured it in and those two happened to be right underneath it?
Or maybe your prime bottle got contaminated by something somehow?

very strange indeed.

oh as for acclimation, i would give a little more time. Archers arnt quite as fast osmoregulatory wise as monos.
First mix in about 1/4rth tank water, come back half an hour, do it again. Then another half an hour and do it again, safer to go with a two hour acclimation than just one hour.
 
i want to get archers but i heard they are a brackish fish so maybe died from being in a stressful enviornment
 
fishtex said:
No ideas? 2 days til fish arrive...
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just throwin this out there....
are you on municipal water? my girlfriend and i have a very strict water change routine on all our tanks. water that comes in is always the same temp, and always the same amount. yet on a couple occasions, we have lost fish. once was a pleco she was very attached to, and another time it was a bunch of catfish.
all i can figure, is that there was something in the city water.
we have tested it before and since, and it fluctuates between 7-9ph. maybe a ph spike?
 
possibly on ph as that is one thing she didnt test for - don't know if it would have showed though. as to temp it was mid 70's that week and she used the faucet outside. she did let the water run for a few minutes before adding to the tank. I also have puffers and 2 brackish cats in this tank so i would have guessed they would have been more sensitive. the only thing i can guess is lack of aeration as we do turn the sump pump off while doing water-changes and that is main source of aeration.
I am upset that I lost fish because I do care for them like a puppy or any other pet you would have, but my main concern is the new fish. Me being the impulsive person that i am.... As all the other fish appeared fine I assume it was a fluke and they will be fine-
jonny5 I think I will try your method of acclimation but my only problem is maintaining proper temp while they are acclimating- if the temp drops to 70 and then drop them in a 78 degree tank would be just as bad as salinity shock right? The main thing is my wife is doing this and She won't be able to handle a complicated aclimation process.
 
fishtex said:
possibly on ph as that is one thing she didnt test for - don't know if it would have showed though. as to temp it was mid 70's that week and she used the faucet outside. she did let the water run for a few minutes before adding to the tank. I also have puffers and 2 brackish cats in this tank so i would have guessed they would have been more sensitive. the only thing i can guess is lack of aeration as we do turn the sump pump off while doing water-changes and that is main source of aeration.
I am upset that I lost fish because I do care for them like a puppy or any other pet you would have, but my main concern is the new fish. Me being the impulsive person that i am.... As all the other fish appeared fine I assume it was a fluke and they will be fine-
jonny5 I think I will try your method of acclimation but my only problem is maintaining proper temp while they are acclimating- if the temp drops to 70 and then drop them in a 78 degree tank would be just as bad as salinity shock right? The main thing is my wife is doing this and She won't be able to handle a complicated aclimation process.
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you have to worry about salinity and temperature shock. I have even read some articles that claim there is no such thing as pH shock and it is a myth. It is the difference in GH or i guess you could call it dissolved hardness shock, and is really not about the pH because they have done Ph swing tests of 1.5 or more with no ill results.

either way just play it safe, acclimate all day long if you can but if you dont have time at least do it for two hours.
 
fishtex said:
possibly on ph as that is one thing she didnt test for - don't know if it would have showed though. as to temp it was mid 70's that week and she used the faucet outside. she did let the water run for a few minutes before adding to the tank. I also have puffers and 2 brackish cats in this tank so i would have guessed they would have been more sensitive. the only thing i can guess is lack of aeration as we do turn the sump pump off while doing water-changes and that is main source of aeration.
I am upset that I lost fish because I do care for them like a puppy or any other pet you would have, but my main concern is the new fish. Me being the impulsive person that i am.... As all the other fish appeared fine I assume it was a fluke and they will be fine-
jonny5 I think I will try your method of acclimation but my only problem is maintaining proper temp while they are acclimating- if the temp drops to 70 and then drop them in a 78 degree tank would be just as bad as salinity shock right? The main thing is my wife is doing this and She won't be able to handle a complicated aclimation process.
Click to expand...


they arrive at 70 degrees when shipped? odd. Well i would try to meet in the middle. Lower your tank to around 75-76 the night before they arrive, place the bag in your tank and let them temperature acclimate. Do the method i said earlier (its work for me at least) and acclimate all day if you can but if you cant then at least two hours. Once they are in the tank for a bit crank your heater back up to 78

That way they do not gain 8 degrees rapidly. First 5 over a few hours, then a rest period, then 3 more. Your fish already in the tank should not be harmed by a day of slightly lowered temperatures.

Hell i keep my archers at 76-77 with no issues and ive had them for a year and a half.

edit- sorry for double post, i didnt think the first one went through.
 
well they arrived toady - after a nice 3 -4 hour acclimation process my wife got them added to the tank without any issues. Thanks for the help and I'll post a pic here when she sends me some.
 
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