Absolute disaster.....

S

scarysdad

New member
Lights went on this morning to a graveyard..........lost my Clown Tang, Koran, Harlequin Tuskfish and my beloved clown Trigger. This is a relatively new set up 3 months all the se fish have been introduced slowly over the past 6 or 7 weeks and last night before i went to work were all swimming about happily. Been racking my brains trying to work out what's happened ? My Maroon Clown and Bursa Trigger are swimming around happily. My foxface is a little stressed breathing quite heavily on the bottom. I did a small 40l(10 gal) w/c yesterday same drill as always nothing different added. I fed Mussel last night for the first time so I double checked that it was only mussel meat in the packet but def no additives no preserve only mussels plus water. Just wondering most of the bodies were in the vicinity of the Foxface can they release toxins into the water when stressed ? Can't imagine she stabbed everybody she has been the most timid fish since I introduced her around 6 weeks ago....

Params all check out

Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0.25 (the water was sitting with these 4 dead fish for a few hours at least so I would imagine some nitrite would be inevitable)

Nitrate < 5
ph = 7.8 (varies from 7.8 to 8.1 over 24 hrs)

Tanks is a 6foot x 20" x 18" ~ 125 gal

Any thoughts.....no signs of any aggression....

Should have stuck with freshwater....
 
I'm betting oxygen shortage. What's your oxygenation like? Skimmer type? Sump downflow fall? Fuge y/n?
So sorry for this. I've had it happen. It's such a terrible shock.
 
For flow on the tank I have a Hydor Koralia 2 plus another powerhead rated a 600lph. I run a cannister filter with spraybar in the tank this turns over another 800lph my skimmer is a Deltec MCE 600 HOB model. none of the fish were at the top gulping air.....I have added an airstone with a pump as a precaution. Think I may get another powerhead as well.

Still wondering about the foxface perhaps she pannicked at being too crowded an lashed out ?

Whatever it was it was sudden my wife saw the koran swimming about normally this morning at 9am...?

Clown and Bursa still swimming about as if nothing had happened so it can't be the water surely...? I have started another salt mix going another 30l but am wondering if this will do any good ?

I feel sick......:confused:
 
If you doubt it was the water conditions, look for other possibilities. Electrical shock?

I once had a freshwater tank that had the heater get stuck on, and then quit all together. It "cooked" all my fish and then left the tank at room temp after a few hours. It took me a bit to figure that one out.

Sorry for your loss. I also have a clown trigger.
 
Deltec ought to have oxygenated ok. Overheating, possible. I'm not inclined to suspect the foxface to have gotten so many, unless that fish totally ran amok for reasons I've never experienced.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13191611#post13191611 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
Overheating, possible. I'm not inclined to suspect the foxface to have gotten so many, unless that fish totally ran amok for reasons I've never experienced.
Click to expand...

I agree. It's unlikely to be the foxface.
 
Did you notice if the Clown and Bursa ate any mussels ?

I'm wondering about last nights dinner. :(

Sorry for your losses.

Although a little expensive, I stick with the frozen foods. Costs more to feed my fish than my wife.
 
Im really sorry to hear about your loss. Im not really sure what I can add to what people have said but I feel really bad for you. These kind of things are just so terrible...
 
Not sure if the clown sampled the mussel i know that the bursa definitely did.

foxface not looking to clever now on her side....checked temp = 76 where it should be.

The Tusk was the newest fish in and when I got him he was almost dead in the bag but he has lived against all odds until last night. The clown Tang and the Maroon Clown were a bit nippy with each other over territory but surely he couldn't have taken the Tang out so quickly, the Tangs body was right next to the Maroons fake anenome......

The Clown Trigger and the foxface swam everywhere together they were inseperable the Trigger hid 24/7 until I got the foxface. Maybe he's bumped her spines by accident; he was actually underneath the Foxface when I found him...looks like he's been dead longest as he had virtually no color left. The Angel was by the Foxface....the Angel had never been in that half of the tank since I got it which i thought was strange....
 
I agree with others that it probably was not the foxface although I know it seems like the only logical explanation right now. The chances of the foxface killing one fish, let alone a bunch, are very slim. I have actually seen my rabbitfish "sting" my Niger Trigger and he was fine. He did swell up a little but acted like nothing had happened.

You never know though, it may have happened.
 
"The Tusk was the newest fish in and when I got him he was almost dead in the bag but he has lived against all odds until last night."
----how long ago? Possibly virus?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13191971#post13191971 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scarysdad
Forgot to add the Mussel is frozen, sell by date Jul 09......

I just feel so guilty.........really sucks
Click to expand...
I wouldnt feel too guilty, it isnt as if you purposefully bumped off your fish.

Obviously you're going to feel bad, but take it as a learning experience and move on. If we never had accidents or hardship, we would never learn.

And when you stop learning in the saltwater world, you might as well throw in the towel.
 
Sometimes a preservative is added to frozen foods to help it stay fresher... This is deadly to fish, so I've read. I've heard people saying they've lost many fish overnight because of one bad meal. Maybe the bursa was just hardier than the other fish and didn't succumb? I too doubt a foxface could kill so many fish in one night.
 
Sorry for your losses.

What are you checking you temp with?

I had a digital thermometer that was reading 10 degrees to low.


Your tank is pretty new so there will be sudden fish loss even in perfect water called NTS (new tank syndrome).

Have some patience and stock it more slowly and QT your fish before putting them in the main tank.

I have made all these mistakes times 10 and have now learned the hard way and to the loss of thousands of dollars to it right now!!!



Chris
 
Any possibility of volatile chemicals near the tank? It sounds like some sort of poisoning to me, whether from the food or some other means. I'm very sorry for your loss.
 
^^ Good question. When feeding fresh foods, they always have to be frozen before feeding. I usually wait a few days. You also have to be 100% sure nothing has been added to the food.

I have a feeling the food could be the problem.
 
Justin,

When feeding fresh foods, they always have to be frozen before feeding.
Click to expand...

see below...

Forgot to add the Mussel is frozen, sell by date Jul 09......
Click to expand...

Doesn't mean the food couldn't be the problem, but sounds like it was purchased frozen.
 
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