Hi, this is my first thread here, and I have a few questions about fishkeeping. Before I say anything, I'd like to get on my knees and BEG for forgiveness for not being active -- before I set up my tanks, it was painful enough to think about fish while my beautiful new 75-gallon aquarium sat in the corner, gathering dust!
Well, I'm pleased to say that I have a small hospital tank (though it's pretty much simply a small tank, now that I've decided on getting larger fish than I expected!) that is up and running and has been cycled. It's twelve gallons, but does not have a particularly powerful filter. That's okay, since I have some very hardy fish in there at the moment, three (now two) blue damsels and a Percula Clownfish named the Clownfish Formerly Known as Billie Jean. They're my pride and joy, since they have gained a spectacular amount of color since I bought them. I thought that they looked great at the fish store, but now they look simply marvelous, and are at the peak of good health.
Well, the other day, I noticed that the smallest damsel (Thriller) was looking a bit frayed. Its fins were slightly damaged and worn away, and it was hiding behind a small piece of live rock until I came up to feed it. Thoughts of quarantining the tank and fish again raced through my mind, and I searched through all my fish books for diseases that my poor little damsel may have caught. It didn't seem to have many symptoms, and the other fish were looking fine, so I pushed it out of my mind.
Yet today, I noticed that the poor little fish was floating upside down! It was breathing steadily, yet its beautiful fins were nearly no more. I stared at it for a while, hope for Thriller draining, when my biggest damsel (Annie) came up -- and stripped a bit of Thriller's flesh away before devouring it!
I couldn't believe it -- my peaceful little damsels were eating each other. All my fish were fed very well, and receive one serving of pellets, one serving of zooplankton a day. I understand that some damsels are very territorial fish, and were likely to n** at each other, but I have never heard of peaceful, hardy little damsels eating one another!
There's been no sign of aggression from my clown or medium-sized blue damsel, yet now I fear for both of them. It's a small tank, one that we did not intend to keep them in forever, so perhaps should I return my two healthy damsels to the fish store? Should I separate the big damsel from the clown and remaining damsel?
P.S. I have no tank dividers, so I took a chance and put the unhealthy damsel in my larger, cycling tank. Sure that the other fish weren't letting it feed, I got my zooplankton out and placed individual small lumps into its mouth. This took about thirty minutes to properly feed it, yet it wouldn't be able to get its own food since it could hardly stay in one place. I let it go, and it stayed put for a few moments before drifting to the bottom, rising a little, and falling again. I guess that the only thing I can do now is wait, but I'm still scared for my poor little fishes.
EDIT: A few minutes ago, I walked downstairs to find my poor little Thriller dead.
Okay, now for my second question -- I'll try to make this one more brief. I have a 75-gallon aquarium with a wet/dry biolfilter and about fifteen to twenty pounds of live rock (I plan to get a bit more once it's cycled!). I would pretty much be happy with most fish at this point, yet I really have become enthralled with the snowflake eel and volitan lionfish. Don't get me wrong, and eel or lionfish would be great, yet I just can't take my eyes away from these particular breeds. I don't think I'll have any problem with the snowflake eel, yet when I read up on the volitan, most sources said that they needed a minimum of anywhere from thirty to 120 gallons of water!
I'm sure that the lionfish wouldn't be happy in a thirty gallon tank, yet I'm beginning to worry that my 75-gallon aquarium would not be enough for this fish. I've been told not to worry by a few people at my local fish store, yet I'd really like a second (or third... or fourth...) opinion from you guys. I know that most people in this guild know most about freshwater fish, yet I'm desperate by now to find out if my "dream fish" would work out in my tank.
Thanks a bunch,
Ego
Well, I'm pleased to say that I have a small hospital tank (though it's pretty much simply a small tank, now that I've decided on getting larger fish than I expected!) that is up and running and has been cycled. It's twelve gallons, but does not have a particularly powerful filter. That's okay, since I have some very hardy fish in there at the moment, three (now two) blue damsels and a Percula Clownfish named the Clownfish Formerly Known as Billie Jean. They're my pride and joy, since they have gained a spectacular amount of color since I bought them. I thought that they looked great at the fish store, but now they look simply marvelous, and are at the peak of good health.
Well, the other day, I noticed that the smallest damsel (Thriller) was looking a bit frayed. Its fins were slightly damaged and worn away, and it was hiding behind a small piece of live rock until I came up to feed it. Thoughts of quarantining the tank and fish again raced through my mind, and I searched through all my fish books for diseases that my poor little damsel may have caught. It didn't seem to have many symptoms, and the other fish were looking fine, so I pushed it out of my mind.
Yet today, I noticed that the poor little fish was floating upside down! It was breathing steadily, yet its beautiful fins were nearly no more. I stared at it for a while, hope for Thriller draining, when my biggest damsel (Annie) came up -- and stripped a bit of Thriller's flesh away before devouring it!
I couldn't believe it -- my peaceful little damsels were eating each other. All my fish were fed very well, and receive one serving of pellets, one serving of zooplankton a day. I understand that some damsels are very territorial fish, and were likely to n** at each other, but I have never heard of peaceful, hardy little damsels eating one another!
There's been no sign of aggression from my clown or medium-sized blue damsel, yet now I fear for both of them. It's a small tank, one that we did not intend to keep them in forever, so perhaps should I return my two healthy damsels to the fish store? Should I separate the big damsel from the clown and remaining damsel?
P.S. I have no tank dividers, so I took a chance and put the unhealthy damsel in my larger, cycling tank. Sure that the other fish weren't letting it feed, I got my zooplankton out and placed individual small lumps into its mouth. This took about thirty minutes to properly feed it, yet it wouldn't be able to get its own food since it could hardly stay in one place. I let it go, and it stayed put for a few moments before drifting to the bottom, rising a little, and falling again. I guess that the only thing I can do now is wait, but I'm still scared for my poor little fishes.
EDIT: A few minutes ago, I walked downstairs to find my poor little Thriller dead.
Okay, now for my second question -- I'll try to make this one more brief. I have a 75-gallon aquarium with a wet/dry biolfilter and about fifteen to twenty pounds of live rock (I plan to get a bit more once it's cycled!). I would pretty much be happy with most fish at this point, yet I really have become enthralled with the snowflake eel and volitan lionfish. Don't get me wrong, and eel or lionfish would be great, yet I just can't take my eyes away from these particular breeds. I don't think I'll have any problem with the snowflake eel, yet when I read up on the volitan, most sources said that they needed a minimum of anywhere from thirty to 120 gallons of water!
I'm sure that the lionfish wouldn't be happy in a thirty gallon tank, yet I'm beginning to worry that my 75-gallon aquarium would not be enough for this fish. I've been told not to worry by a few people at my local fish store, yet I'd really like a second (or third... or fourth...) opinion from you guys. I know that most people in this guild know most about freshwater fish, yet I'm desperate by now to find out if my "dream fish" would work out in my tank.
Thanks a bunch,
Ego
