POLL: Number of unexplain deaths

[danmhippo]

I want to know the answer to this as well. How many of the reefers here have critters that wastes away reasons unknown??

I see many people comes to this board with question about "This and that is sick....help!" or "Why is my fish sick?", " Why is this coral deteriorating?"

There are advises that I do not practice myself over the years. Such as garlic treatment for ich, or kick-ich. In a healthy environment, most fish can rid of ich quickly. The question is not how to cure the symptom, but what is the root of the symptom. Parasite is only a symptom of deteriating water quality and stress, not the cause of it. Simply treating for ich do not solve most problems.

Thus my question is:

How many critters (corals, inverts, macro algae, or fish) passed away in your tank with cause unexplained? The point of the question is, if you know the cause of the problem, you can pretty much avoid the same happening again in the near future.

To answer my question first........One. The Tang Heaven that I got from ISPF never root, and eventually I have to feed them all to my main tank. I just can't get them to root and propagate! Still can't figure out why.

 

[JennM]

I guess I'm just too curious. I've never had an "unexplained" death. I've always snooped around and watched and looked and asked questions until I was satisified that I knew what had happened.

I totally agree with your post, that when there is illness, there must be a CAUSE, and that is the secret to curing/preventing relapse etc. When working with other hobbyists/clients, I reinforce that it's almost more important to find out WHY, than to treat the immediate symptoms.

I've seen more people have more long-term success when they learn to look at the bigger picture, verusus the immediate problem of symptoms.

I've been lucky this time around..and patient and careful too, but I do think that there IS some element of luck, good and bad.

I've had bad luck with ONE fish in the last year...a clown goby who just wasted away. I'd ruled out parasites, aggression, anything physical. I just don't think this fish wanted to live. It took 2 1/2 months to waste away, but it did, and nothing I could do would save it.

Otherwise, I've been lucky at choosing healthy, happy specimens, who give me great joy.

Jenn

 

[Anonymous]

I lost a toadstool, just disintagrating after five days. It could have been a bad acclimation, a clam dying and starting a small spike, who knows. All the parameters were perfect, well calcium was 370 but that could not have been it either. Sometimes things die. I lost a whiptail in one of my Freshwater tanks, his mates are 1 red capped Oranda, 1 Black Moor, 1 calico Fantail, 1 celestrial eye, 2 rainbow sharks. As mellow a tank as there is. it was just his time. No parisites. Parameters perfect.

 

[DKKA]

My clove polyps are withering away after a year and a half. The first year was great, I even sold a frag or two to my lfs. But over the last 6 months they are slowly dying out.
I guess it's not a total unknown as the decline started after a move to a new house. But water parameters and maint. routines haven't changed since the move. And everything else is sporting lots of new growth.
Dan

 

[Quillen]

The only unexplained death I had was when I purchased something from the bad fish tank in town, it was dead in less then hours. I aclimated it (live five minutes from the store) and everything in good time, when I came home (friend broke down) it was floating. I had actually said I wanted another one of the same fish, but he gave me the one easiest to catch. I found out later that they do all sorts of horrible practices there with the fish and I haven't went back since. I haven't had any unexplained deaths since.

 

[jdeets]

I added 5 small yellow-tailed damsels as my first fish. Four of them died within three days. Those are my only fish deaths. I believe the reason was poor selection--I was new and took the fish that the LFS bagged for me--the four that died already had their tails chewed off at the LFS before I even took them home. It took this experience to make me really picky about the livestock I buy...

I've also lost two long-tentacled plate corals for no apparent reason. Each of them did fine for 2-3 weeks, then they would "collapse" and the tissue would begin to recede and disintegrate around the perimeter. Each was consumed within 5 days. I love these corals but won't try one again.

I also lost a goniopora (newbie purchase) and an elegance. The goniopora lasted about 4 months before withering away. The elegance lasted about 4 weeks. I also tried a flame scallop without success. No excuses for any of these--just bad stocking choices. They are on my "forbidden" list as well.

These are the only deaths I've experienced. I've now got 11 fish in my 180 and no plans for further additions, as adding fish is too stressful (for both me and my existing fish). I also have various softies, LPS and some SPS frags I'm trying. (Nick--they're all doing really well...)

I plan to add a few more corals but at this point everything is doing really well in my tank and growing and I'm not really "shopping" for anyting in particular, as additions only tend to disrupt balance.