Why does everything I buy in Cartimar die??

by **smellzlikefish** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 7:24 pm

Hello everyone,,,

Thanks for taking a look at this thread.

I am new to the hobby, and my 300 gallon tank has been running for 6 months. I would desperately like to get stock in my FOWLR set up. The problem is,, every weekend I buy fish from Cartimar, and 95% of the time the fish dies with in the week. ( Just in time to go to Carimar again?? haha )

What do you guys think? My tank details are below.

My levels are good with the exception of nitrates 20ppm API test. Everything else is perfect.

My temperature is around 82,, Half open top in a semi air con room, no sunlight.

I have a 6-7" deep sand bed because I am hiding 22 feet of 3" pvc pipes for my 3ft long zebra eel. ( whom I did not get at cartimar, and is the only cool thing I have in my tank )

I'm running skimmer, U.V light, pre filter, etc, and do lots of maintaince on the tank. I have sufficent gas exchange due to skimming, air stones in the DT, and wave makers pointed at the top.

Basically I am doing everything I can to keep a healthy tank, and yet fish still die. Even if they eat, they will still die. However I do have fish at this time that were got from Cartimar months ago, and are still healthy.

I am concerned because, soon I hope to find the stock that I am looking for through advertising on this site. I will be looking for someone that can supply me with the fish I am looking for. So, I wonder if there is any obvious problem with buying from Cartimar? meaning,, I am worried that when I locate the fish I want, they will also die in my tank.

Any thoughts would be great.

Where do you guys get your healthy fish from here in manila?

Thanks again.

Peace!!!

by **jemzac** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 7:30 pm

You run UV light for your DT? I think it will also kill good bacteria needed.

by **smellzlikefish** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 7:37 pm

I only run the U.V light when I get new fish, so it kills any ick the fish may have.

I do not have any QT tank set up. ( no space )

Anyway, the U.V light is inside my sump.

Could running the U.V light remove enough good bacteria that it would cause 95% of the fish I buy to die?

Thanks for the reply.

by **created2praise** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 8:27 pm

Ingat po sa pagbili ng fishes sa Carti, they are shipped in bulk (big plastic bag). Cyanide was also used in catching the fishes. Big po ang chance that you will get a fish that was not healthy. Chambahan ika nga.. Ask ko din po if you already cycled your tank?

by **jemzac** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 9:55 pm

.... & UV light does not kill ich. Since you are a fowlr better if you'll just use copper. Dead agad ang ich living outside the fish's body.

by **Liowping** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:11 pm

i agree with jemzac
don't buy livestock from cartimar unless you are fully experienced
i know its tempting to buy bro but with the kind of water and filtration of cartimar its not really worth it
there are so many diseases from the water because this fishes comes from exporters reject which means no good quality some may thrive but as you said many just die off pushing you more and more to buy livestock from them makes you spend more money

willing to help you out bro!

by **thurrmac** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:53 pm

grahf11, ritchie and randell has healthy fishes

by **smellzlikefish** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 11:01 pm

Hey guys,,, thanks for all the replies.

Yes, my tank is already cycled. I've done 3 major water changes since I started the tank, and I am always checking the water.

I am aware that most ( if not all ) of the stock in Cartimar are exporter rejects. I am also aware of the water quality and other B.S. in cartimar. And I kind of guessed about the poisoning.

My problem is that I do not know any other place to buy fish here in Manila.

I wish I knew someone that could supply me with the fish I am looking for, so I could stop going to Cartimar hoping they have stock. haha.

Do you guys know any divers, fish suppliers, etc,,, anyone that can locate fish, can you please pass me their number or let them know what I am looking for.

I am looking for the following fish.

Rhinopias Aphenes ( 1 fish )
http://www.chertan.com/Gallery/22WeedyScorpionfish.html

Rhinopias frondosa ( 1 fish ) ( weedy )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weedy_scorpionfish

Inimicus didactylus ( 2 fish ) ( demon / devil stinger) ( m & f pair / they need to be caught in a pair )
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thailandbeach/5531630336/

Scorpaenopsis macrochir ( 1 fish ) ( flasher )
http://www.whatsthatfish.com/fish/fl...pionfish/925#7

Scorpaenopsis barbata ( 1 fish ) ( bearded )
http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=62

Scorpaenopsis venosa ( 1 fish ) ( raggy )
http://www.superstock.com/stock-phot...es/1566-414346

I am willing to pay a fair price.

I really appreciate any help.

I am at the point where the tank is no longer fun, if I dont have the stock I want, haha

Peace everyone!!!

by **kenzu0911** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 1:54 pm

Im always there in cartimar.. Im willing to help without any charges or payment..
If you want, text me kung kelan ka ppunta don.. I will share my ideas that may guide you..

Anyway, hindi lahat don, quality.. mas marami reject, swerte ka na lang mkapili ng maganda.
300gals laki nun?! pero once na infected na yung tank mo or if meron ng mga prasites, khit quality pa lagay mo, mamatay din sya.. UV light, ok din un.. 90percent of good and badbacteria, patay dun..

Choose una yung walang sira yung fins, etc..
Dpat hindi mabilis yung huminga, or hindi sya parang hinahapo?,.
Hindi nagkakamot, hindi nagsasapot, and most of all, dapat yung kumakain na..
kse once na kumakaen na fish, its a good sign na pede na sya mgtravel kasi kundisyon na sya, but it doesnt mean na hindi sya carrier ng white spot, etc..
kaya kahit na sa tingin mo healthy na yung nabili mo, use quarrantine tank..
coz once na magkaron yung tank mo ng parasites, 6weeks mo ulit dapat i-cycle ng wlang fish, para mamatay lahat ng parasites..

now, prepare ka quarantine tank.. yung saken, 20gals lang, walang laman, sea water lang, pati overhead filter.. meron sya copper.. For me, use NSW para sure.. I dont use salt mix, lalo na ung ordinary na blue..

once na meron ka bago fish, acclimate mo muna, wag direct lagay agad sa tank..
temperature, malaking factor yun and the salinity..
while nsa plastic yung fish, hayaan mo muna nakalutang sa tank mo, para magpreho ung ung temp
ng water sa plastic and sa tank.. para hindi mabigla yung fish..
parang tao din yan, pag galing sa init bigla lagay mo sa malamig, vice-versa, 1 or 2days magkakasakit na..

after acclimation, bawasan mo ng 50percent yung water sa plastic nung fish, then add 50percent from your tank, then hayaan mo muna ulit, after 20 or 30mins, ganun ulet.. 3x mo gawin un..
then lagay mo na yung fish sa tank..
Yung iba gumagamit ng hose ng aerator, para drops-drops lang pumapatak dun sa fish na salt water from their tank, til ma-acclimate na temp and salinity..

by **pepperghost** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 5:15 pm

ako when i buy fish at cartimar this is what i do...

1. Look for a healthy fish... it all starts through this screening part if you choose a good looking... good swimming fish then you have more chances for it to live...
2. When i have decided to buy the fish i prefer it to be placed individually in a plastic bag and ask them to catch them individually also... because most of the time they just ask you "what else ?" and then place the fish in the same net making the fish that you choose bolt and bump into each other making them injured from all the bolting they are doing to get out of the net.
3. When the fish is already in the bag i make sure that they dont spin the bag when they seal it. Some dealers spin the plastic bag before they tie it with a rubber band... it should be the other way around... mastrestress yung fish...
4. When they place water in the bag i prefer them to add a little more water. I believe that if they are in low volume of water and they are already undergoing alot of stress... ammonia levels will get to higher concentrations faster..
5. Transportation time... the faster the transport time the better... if you commute its better that you put it on your lap or better yet hang the bags to avoid it from shaking... if you shake the bag or leave it on the floor of the bus to vibrate and splash... for me its the very chaotic scenario for a fish to be inside an air tight bag... vibration.. nakakabingi siguro yun kahit pa 10 mins lang... kung i tap mo nga lang glass ng aquarium eh nagugulat na sila paano pa kaya kung yumayanig eh di akala niya end of the world na!
6. Finally acclimation... I know you do this pero this is how i do it... Acclimate the fish using a slow drip method... place the current water volume from the bag in a container... get Quarantine water from your QT. let it drip... when the water has doubled its volume... throw away half of the present volume and let some water drip from the QT again... after you get double volume of water again... remove most of the water... transfer the fish from your container to your QT. and try not to include any water from your container to your QT. its Done... buhay fish mo if not... malamang hinuli nga sa cyanide so madedead siya anyway...

My fish were all bought from cartimar... buhay sila lahat until now... basta when i buy it this way usually it will live... yung brown tang ko nga nalaglag pa sa kalsada pumutok yung plastic bag eh buhay din hanggang ngayon... kainis tuloy di ko malimutan yung sa kathrinas na binentahan ako ng yellow tang brown tang pala!

yung Blue Tang ko ngayon Baboy Tang na! ang baboy eh! taba taba... tapos style pa niya bago ko pakainin fish ko tatae siya ng marami para mabusog na yung mga kasama niya sa tanke.. tapos siya lalamon nung fresh food! haha!

Hope this helps

by **nicetroll** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:43 pm

hi bro i just want to share my 2c

when you buy a new fish even when they looked healthy, you should always quarantine them first in a seperate tank for a month in 1.025SG.if white spots appears,it may have been infected by ich. IMO the easiest method would be to put them in hypo(1.009SG) for a month then slowly increase the salinity back to 1.025SG.Then let it stay there for another 2 weeks and observe if white spots will appear again.

if whte spots still appears after undergoing the above treatment,your fish might be infected by fluke and medications should be administered. i bought paraziphro from ebay to treat this and im still evaluating it right now if its effective in removing this.You can also have it researched on-line if you still got white spots after treating your fish with hypo.

also if the infection is severe ,you can perform a fresh water dip just to relieve your livestock of some parasites.i do mine for 10 minutes every other day with purified water until at least half of the white spots has gone.This method is not a cure but just a temporary relief and You must still perform the above methods for your LS for them to get well.

"quarantine" should be a creed among FOWLR keepers, dont learn the hardway like me. you should always resist the temptation of putting your new LS straight to your DT tank even if they came from a reputable seller or a fellow aquarist with a healthy tank.

HTH

by **nicetroll** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:53 pm

BTW, remove your UV they are wothless in preventing these diseases,i even had 2 of them in series but they still didnt do the job,they just waste electricity,they are only effective in removing algae from my koi pond.I even used ozone to combat these parasites but it also failed. Administer hypo in a seperate tank,it will be your best bet

by **iricchua** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 3:06 am

wow! 300 gals... ang dami mo pwede alagaan diyan, pwede na gawin micro-reef system

can you describe what you have in your DT and system? if meron, post mo pics of the system, pics of the tank's rockscape & inhabitants, pics of the sump & contents... ano prefiltration?

Baka hindi pa mature system mo even after the 6mos - kulang ang LR, kulang bacteria population ng system mo... medyo malalaman mo na mature, pag madaming coralline (if you have enough Ca and lights), none or decreasing cyano, anything you throw in will sort of survive except for poison caught fishes or non-eating fish

lose the UV stuff, madaming mapapatay yon na walang kasalanan sa yo...dont worry about the ich stuff, if you have a mature system, the inhabitants will be healthy & happy and can fight the parasites themselves...

lose the airstones, bawal ang air bubbles sa marine tank, pag nagka airpockets ka sa mga bato, deads yung area, sayang bacteria... i think that air bubbles are scary to fishes too, and deadly to sponges

ang lalim sand bed mo sir... di ba sayang yung space unless it was for DSB sa DT? Better siguro for the eel if you use lots of rock formations rather than lots of sand to bury pipes... (IMO lang naman kasi i dont have cool fishes like eels and stuff)

by **obet_carlos** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 8:33 am

From the fishes you posted, mukhang predator tank ang gusto mo.. The thing is, when buying ambush predatory fishes in carti, mas mahirap madetermine condition nila kesa yung active fishes kasi naka steady lang sila palagi.. Try to go to exporters in gatchalian or grahf11..

by **arvin** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 3:50 pm