Unexplained GSM death.

[glenns]

I picked up a small pair of GSM clowns Sunday. I temp acclimated for 15 minutes. Then drip acclimated for an hour. Added them to the QT tank and left the lights off. Both fish were alive the Monday morning. They were swimming together. When I got home last night, the small male was dead. He was 3/4" - 1" in length. I don't understand what killed him. The only thing I can think of is cupermine. Saturday I added the first dose of 16 drops/10.5gal. Are small clowns more sensitive to copper?

Last night, after I removed the dead male clown, I added the 2nd dose. This morning the female is still alive.

[Quickcord]

Were they sold to you as a pair or just two GSMs that might pair up? If the latter, she might have killed him. How large is the female? Did he appear to have been bitten, any ripped fins, missing scales or other marks on him?

Quickcord

[glenns]

They were sold as a pair. she was only 1.25 - 1.5 inches. Definitely larger than him, but I don't know if she has changed to female yet or or is just a dominant male. They behaved like a pair at the LFS.

Didn't see missing scales or marks. But the tail appeared to be deteriorating on the edge. And one peck may have been split. But I don't know how long he had been dead. They were staying together late Sunday night and Monday morning. Like while at the LFS, I did not observe any aggression.

[bues0022]

How long had your QT system been up and running? could you have had an ammonia spike or other contaminant that killed off the "weaker" of the two?

[glenns]

It's been running since 3/19/11. I did have an outbreak of oodinium in this tank that wiped out the previous occupants. That is why I'm running copper in it now. But I do not see any on either fish. Ammonia badge doesn't show any Ammonia. Tank had 3 larger occupants before.