Clownfish death

[surfisjah]

Yesterday was a sad day in our two month old tank. We lost all three of our juvenile clownfish. All other inhabitants are doing fine. Did I feed them to death? The tang, inverts, anenome, and zoas are fine. Tang was super hungry tonight. Phosphate level is a little high but everything else is perfect. The clownfish didn't look sick the just lost there ability to swim normally and then died pretty soon afterward all within 12 hours. 3/3 of them. I switched to pellet food from the fish store a couple of days back. They are the only ones that ate that food. Any ideas? Thanks

[jasonb]

clownfish are usually bombproof, did you notice any fighting between your fish?also i think it might be a little early to be adding an anemone to your tank.

[gregzz4]

Since your tank is so new I'd be testing for ammonia - and right now and probably would be doing big (25-50%) WCs if you can't test
If you need to buy an ammonia test kit and some ammonia binder stuff, such as ammo lock or something similar, so be it
Test for ammonia

With a new tank, you need to monitor your NH3, NO2 and NO3 during the cycle
During the 'whole' cycle you can count on losing critters, so you don't add any

Why did you add so many so soon ?

Once the cycle is complete, you add 1 or 2 critters
Then, when that cycle has gone around again, you add 1 or 2 more

I wouldn't have added fish so soon and would have stuck with crabs/snails to start with

[gregzz4]

Sorry to sound tert, but you need to learn about the nitrogen cycle and how it applies to our saltwater critters that we are responsible for

You can't just stuff them into a tank and expect them to live ...

[surfisjah]

Hmmm, I am new to saltwater. The anenomes came with the first rocks that were given to me and frankly I am shocked they are still alive. They are bubble tips. The tang was purchased to control algae growth which has worked great. The ammonia and nitrate levels seem fine but tested only at the local fish stores. I have changed 50 percent of the water. I am gathering that everyone is thinking that it was more of nitrogen cycle issue than an over feeding / phosphate issue?

[jasonb]

the phosphate won't kill the fish, it will only feed the algae. and i have never heard of a fish eating itself to death, so follow gregzz advise and check your water parameters . ammonia is the most toxic so i would start there