this is really puzzling...

[kien]

Sometimes it is just luck. There is that element in this hobby as well. Marine life in general can be fragile and unpredictable (especially invertebrates). Powder Blue tangs are difficult to keep and many people are quite unsuccessful with them, but you have one :-). Starfish as well are notoriously hard to keep. For a lot of starfish scientists don't even know what they eat!

Bottom line is don't get discouraged. Sometimes you will bring something home that is supposed to be easy to keep but just ends up dieing and sometimes you'll get lucky and cam keep something that is supposed to be difficult. All else being equal, that is, if your parameters are in check and you're maintaining everything, there are elements that are just out of our control.

[BlueTang<3]

Kien is right on the whole luck thing in this hobby. Do you shop at the same pet store as well? Could be a condition of the livestock at the store. Whats your salinity at inverts are very sensitive to changes in this stores could be way different and even acclimating them wont help.

[marvinsae]

thanks for the reply guys... but yes we do shop in the same stores, and live in the same neighbourhood..he doesnt have a water softener in his house either... as for the tang being stressed and effecting other livestock, i had my first starfish die before the tang was in there. i dont believe the tang is stressed though, he is swimmin actively and eating a lot off the LR and from what i feed it. he actually had ich the second day in the tank but it went away the next day. but anyways, i haven't had any fish die on me yet, but just this morning i noticed one of my snails hasnt moved in a day. its dead now... as for my parameters... 420 calc, 0 ammonia 0 nitrite about 5 nitrate ph is around 8. i dunno the exact reading on my alk but on the bottle it's compared as "ideal" as apposed to "not desired". the issue MIGHT be over feeding but i dont feel like i feed them too much. I'll feed them some flakes and they eat them all up, i put about a pinch. i'll throw in a 1"x2" size of seaweed for the tang...that might be a bit too much. and i'll feed them about half a block of that frozen fish food. and this is throughout one day. so am i over feeding?

[Nebthet]

That is over feeding a bit by doing it every day. Try every two days and cut back a little.

[marvinsae]

thanks for the info guys. but if im over feeding wouldn't i notice this in my ammonia/nitrates?