Pets Warehouse - Carle Place

[Vettemedx]

Hi....I'm new to the forum. Just wanted to know if anyone else here had trouble with any fish purchased over the last few months from the Pets Warehouse in Carle Place. Let me start by saying that the staff is always helpful and friendly. I was very new to this several months ago and they were a huge help in getting me started.

I have a 29g Biocube mixed reef, with top of the line mods and I have psychotic husbandry habits. The tank is very meticulous, and water parameters are spot on for a mixed reef. I have a ton of corals from softies to LPS that are all doing amazing. I have a few fish from different vendors that are all doing well, eating, active, and fun to watch. Some of them developing routines with me already.

This brings me to the point of this post. I purchased a pair of ocelaris clowns from Pets Warehouse and within a week or so they both just didn't look well and suddenly died. They were generous and replaced the pair for me after i did a water change and waited a week. Those died after about 10 days. All of this while my Bengali Cardinal was perfectly fine. Ive added a small Harlequin Bass and replaced the clowns from another vendor. Several weeks later and all are doing well. As it would be the one other fish I got from Pets Warehouse, a small Royal Gramma, died this morning for no apparent reason. A water test revealed no abnormalities. I am pretty upset by this and not sure how to approach it other than never buy livestock from them again.

I welcome any of your comments and suggestions as I am new to the forum and looking to meet some great people here.

 

[marrone]

Most, if not all, of the clowns that you see in stores are pretty much coming from the same sources. What were the symptoms that the fish had before they died? Did they have spots or discoloration on the body? Where they scratching or breathing heavily? Where they eating and where other fish bothering them? By the way, a 29gal tank is too small for a Harlequin Bass, plus it's an aggressive fish to have with such peaceful fish.

 

[Vettemedx]

Hi...

Both pairs of clowns were acting the same. Not very active, ate well, and hid mainly in the rear part of the tank near the power head. I saw white poop which usually means brooklynella disease. The also had very rapid breathing hours before they died. The gramma was pretty normal for a few weeks then yesterday wasn't very active, didn't eat and I found him dead and my cleanup crew picking at him several hours later when I returned home.

In regards to the bass, I did a ton of research. I liked the fish so I did my homework. Theyre many conflicting reports as to growth and tank requirements. I decided to take him with the understanding that if it becomes and issue I can transfer him to my friends 180 gal tank. He is actually the most docile fish I have. Doesn't bother anyone...just picks on the rock and sand and perches on the lower rock. I really like him alot.

 

[marrone]

A number of people have had the problem with a white film on clowns purchased within the last couple of months. Some of the clowns have made it while others have died from it. It has also taken quite sometime to kill, which isn't how Brooklynella works, so it's probably something else. Clowns for the most part aren't very active, and a lot of them will hang out around power head and pipes, even if there are anemones in the tank. As for the the RG, well if it was doing well for a while, and then it all of a sudden died, I would think that something in the tank may have done it in.

 

[Vettemedx]

I agree but I can't imaging what. As far as water chemistry goes, I test like a maniac. Parameters are rarely changed. Water changes are like every 7-9 days. I mix my own water and buy RODI from a local vendor tested everytime with a 0 TDS reading. And, a big tell tale of the tank are the corals. They look amazing. Great colors, fully opened each morning, and I feed the ones that need it regularly. I'm stumped.

 

[marrone]

Water condition are much more important for corals, as fish can easily hand a wide range of difference conditions without any problems. In a reef tank many things can kill fish, including all of kinds of inverts that may come hidden in the rocks to parasites that may come with the corals or rocks.