25% Water change...everything dying...?

J

Johny123

New member
I have a 16 Gallon Biocube with live sand and live rock. It was set up almost 2 months ago. I bought a clownfish and a shrimp a month ago, and a firefish a week ago.

The Tank is impeccable.

Amonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
Salinity - 1.025
pH - 8.0

So it has been about 3 weeks since my last water change. Everything is doing beautifully. On the advice of my local fish store, I buy a 5 gallon bucket of premixed saltwater, and do a roughly 25% (4 gallon) water change with gravel suction.

I am such a nerd, I keep an excel spreadhseet for the tank, with all levels, and any significant events (water change, fish added, filter change, etc.)

Two days the 25% water change, I came home to find the shrimp sluggish...the next day he was dead.

Today I noticed the clownfish isn't eating and swimming sluggishly while the firefish watches him die (I can tell when a fish is dying...my clownfish is dying).

What the heck am I doing wrong? When I was a kid, I had tons of saltwater tanks. I was excited to get back into this hobby, but now I'm remembering what a nightmare is was back then. Perhaps I just have to admit I'm not good at it.

I am impeccably disciplined. I just can't see to keep anything alive.

Is it likely the water change that killed the clownfish and shrimp?
 
Sorry for the typos...I can't seem to edit my post:

"Everything WAS doing beautifully"
"Two days AFTER the 25% water change, I come hoe to find the shrimp sluggish..."
 
You need more tests, and your OWN tests, for alkalinity as well as the other things. PH won't tell you as much.
Before you add any water, test it. We had an instance in OK where supposedly distilled water came in high in copper, because of the hood they were using in the process. My guess is that it came in a bottle that had been used for something else.
 
Did you test the salinity of the water? Even if it were off by a bit, only adding 25% of the volume shouldn't kill stuff like that. I've had bigger swings with no ill effects. (ato run a muck)

I also wouldn't really trust premixed. Better to either buy RO water or better yet, get an RO unit and make your own.
 
Have you checked with your lfs, to see what they think, or if anyone else is having the same problem using the saltwater? I have a 40 gallon reef tank, and only use the RO, and saltwater they provide. I'd look into the cost of a RO unit before buying one, especially with a nano tank.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
 
Sk8r;25118042 We had an instance in OK where supposedly distilled water came in high in copper said:
With the water change being the ONLY thing you did differently then I would have to say that its something with that new water. Sadly it doesn't take much to disrupt the balance in a 16gal tank. I hope the fish can bounce back from this but also how are you testing those levels; as in what kits. I ask because its odd to me to hear you had purchased pre mixed saltwater as I don't know of a LFS that sell that around here(Wisconsin). Either way I hope we can help solve this deadly mystery.
Click to expand...
 
Coralfuture said:
With the water change being the ONLY thing you did differently then I would have to say that its something with that new water. Sadly it doesn't take much to disrupt the balance in a 16gal tank. I hope the fish can bounce back from this but also how are you testing those levels; as in what kits. I ask because its odd to me to hear you had purchased pre mixed saltwater as I don't know of a LFS that sell that around here(Wisconsin). Either way I hope we can help solve this deadly mystery.
Click to expand...

I have my own test kit. And basically I used a 5 gallon plastic bucket from Home Depot, the store fills it with water and I drive it home. It's the same bucket I've been using since the beginning. And I setup my tank with the water they gave me. It's like 11$ for 5 gallons. I trust this store. But who knows.
 
Update: The clownfish is still alive, but swimming sluggishly and has no interest in food. He is skinny and pale.

The fish store did kind of warn me about getting him. He was a very young juvenile, and I was told that they are more finicky at that age and less likely to thrive. Is it possible that the shrimp died from the water change, but this clownfish is just a weakling and isn't going to make it....and I should have gotten a stronger fish?

Who knows. But the purple firefish is watching him thinking "what the heck is wrong with this guy?" It's strange.
 
This is a strange problem to have at the end of the day I'm gonna guess that something changed in your water chemistry that caused this. Could be a number of elements I will keep watching this thread tho to see if we cannot figure it out.
 
Johny123 said:
Update: The clownfish is still alive, but swimming sluggishly and has no interest in food. He is skinny and pale.

The fish store did kind of warn me about getting him. He was a very young juvenile, and I was told that they are more finicky at that age and less likely to thrive. Is it possible that the shrimp died from the water change, but this clownfish is just a weakling and isn't going to make it....and I should have gotten a stronger fish?

Who knows. But the purple firefish is watching him thinking "what the heck is wrong with this guy?" It's strange.
Click to expand...

Doubt it's the fish fault if he was doing fine before. Check Magnesium, check Alk and grab a copper test and check for that as well.
 
silly question but are you sure the shrimp died and it wasnt a moult? youde be suprized how many people have been fooled

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garethwood said:
silly question but are you sure the shrimp died and it wasnt a moult? youde be suprized how many people have been fooled

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

He was shrimp scampi my friend.

Actually, I noticed he molted the week before. He was acting strange, then the next day I saw his skin and he was running around the tank healthy as a horse.

But I assure you my friend...this was one dead *** shrimp!
 
Update: (With Videos)
Ok, so I uploaded a few videos this morning. As you can see the little clownfish actually looks like he is doing a lot better. I know it sounds crazy, and I'm probably personifying this, but the Purple Firefish almost seems to have befriended him...like he is trying to help him along.

The problem is, I still haven't seen the clownfish eat in 3 days. So I'm not sure what to do.

See the video: please comment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVcUU5dNwfk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL5LF37EM_k

As you can see my tank is pretty pristine. (For now anyway).
 
I had to feed my young clown fish by putting flakes in a baster and putting it right to him with no flow in the tank. Did you cover the bucket with a lid when you drove home so no car fumes got in? Like it has been mentioned you also need to make sure alk and salinity are the same from lfs water to your tank.
 
Everything looks pretty good to me according to your video. Kinda cool they are hanging out together. One thing that stuck out to me is your duration of water cgange. I have 2 Nanos and I do weekly 15% water changes and I have a clown and bta in my 10 gallon. What are you using for filtration?
 
ReeferNoob4ever said:
I had to feed my young clown fish by putting flakes in a baster and putting it right to him with no flow in the tank. Did you cover the bucket with a lid when you drove home so no car fumes got in? Like it has been mentioned you also need to make sure alk and salinity are the same from lfs water to your tank.
Click to expand...

My bigger concern was his change in behavoir. I've had him in the tank for 1 month, and he started out highly energetic and a ravenous feeder. After the water change, his swimming has slowed down and he hasn't been eating.

But yes, he looks pretty good in the video. That said, flakes are literally floating over him and he shows no interest.

The purple firefish is looking at him like "hey buddy...you can make it.!"

For filtration I use the stock biocube carbon filter that I changed recently, and I think it has a protein skimmer too. Whatever is stock in the biocube 16 box.
 
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