Baby died

[ravendove]

I'm new to the board and am sadly starting with the news that my baby died.

I purchased a small octopus from an LFS who had no idea what he was. Size was about 1/2 that of a standard shot glass. Too small to distinguish between a Bimac and a Vulgarus.

Anyhow. I've been very worried about him. He wasn't really eating at the LFS, they were feeing ghost shrimp. I brought him home and he ate 3 guppies in 12 hours. After that he really wasn't eating any more.

I would watch him and he was really active up till yesterday. I did a 10% water change and he seemed to freak out. Started charging the glass and such. All params were zer0 (Nitrate/Nitrite/Amonia) with 7.8pH and 72 degrees at 1.024 salinity.

Today I dropped a guppy in and I couldn't even find him. Later, I saw the little guy sitting in the PVC tupbe. After awhile his legs had curled around him and he stopped moving.

I don't know what happened. I'm very sad. I haven't had many pets die and am very distraught. I just don't know what happened.

Strangly, I did a water change on the guppy tank at the same time and they all died as well, although much faster. All params at zero. Lord, what am I doing wrong?

ravendove

 

[aquaman67]

Sorry for your losses.

Sounds like there was something in your water change procedure that is to blame, since two tanks were affected. How long have both tanks been set up and how did you acclimate your octo?

You didn't mention how you do your water changes, maybe a bucket was used to wash a car and there was soap reside left?

I hope you figure this out and don't get too discouraged.

 

[ravendove]

I spoke with my LFS and he felt the Prime may have been to blame. A toxin mixed in with the H2O. I use a dedicated saltwater bucket so there is no contamination.

I am discouraged and traumatized from the death. I'm raising seahorse fry in another tank and hopw it doesn't continue to be an issue. Returned to premade saltwater to see if I can irradicate the use of prime.

Thanks for the sympathy.

ravendove

 

[Ladipyg]

I have been using PRIME for years with no problems at all. Sounds like a toxin of some sort...was your salt well sealed. A friend of mine kept hers in the laundry room in a bucket and didn't realize when her hubby did the clothes he threw the extra soap into the salt bucket instead of into the laundry bucket....luckily she changed the water in her nano BEFORE she went to the 125 gallon...lost everything in there though...It doesn't take a lot of prime to treat water...are you putting too much in??...either way sorry about your loss...guppies aren't the best food for your little guy...thawed silversides or squid would be better.

 

[ravendove]

I think I did overdose, but I was told that it shouldn't have caused the problem.

I keep all my saltwater supplies completely seperate than everything else in their own room so no chances of accidental crosscontamination.

Thank you for the replies.

ravendove

 

[Ladipyg]

Hope you figure out what the problem was...it can be so maddening not knowing...good luck...

 

[cirri]

Dont know about the guppies, maybe they knew their fate as octo food and spazzed, but I would suspect copper to be an issue if you have not already ruled that out yet!

 

[scolex]

Yeah my first thought was copper, but would that make a diffrence with the guppys? Dont think so. Do you use tap water or what? It would take a lot to overdose with prime. How much did you change? more than 25%?

 

[cirri]

never use tap water for octos, RO/DI only or distilled water is best. There are lots of contaminates in tapo water that are bad in my opinion for almost all saltwater species. Maybe no so much for a FO tank.

I do a 10% water change weekly, and make sure to have a great skimmer.

I too am at a lost about the guppies, but I would look at each situation/tank seperately, and not try to think it was the same reason for both. It could have been the same issue, but octo and freshwater fish usually are to far away on the spectrum to have similar time of passing unless it was a cointamination of sorts.

Best Regards!