carpet anemone

[bolt696]

Hello,

I recently purchased a green carpet anemone and overnight it must have died. now all my fish are on thier side and 2 emerald crabs died and turned white. Is this due to the carpet? When I took it out this moring it stunk. Did this put toxins in my tank? This is what I am thinking. WHat should I do???

Could this be the problem I have been having with my tank if it has been slowing passing?

 

[DgenR8]

Bolt,
Don't take this the wrong way, but you GOTTA slow down. You are having issues keeping easy things alive, this is not the time to attempt animals that are known to be difficult.
A Carpet Anemone is on the list of difficult to keep animals. When they die, they can fould a large tank to the point of killing everything in it, You are only working with a 55 gallon tank.
What have you got that's still alive?
Test your Ammonia right away, and get ready with a big water change ASAP.

 

[bolt696]

I figured when I got my new lights it would be time to try an anemone. So I did. I am testing water now and already started water change.

 

[DgenR8]

Please do report back with your test results. Also who's test kits you're using.
What have you got that's still alive (ish, coral, inverts) other than your green Colt?

 

[bolt696]

I am using the tetra Laborett and nitrite is .03 and NH is zero.
Well the minute I took the anemone out the fish started to swim around with in 3 minutes. I lost an emrald crab, but all the corals exept for the colt look fine.

 

[DgenR8]

I'm really trying to get a feel for your tank, to do so, I need you to answer my questions. What have you got in your tank that's still alive (fish, coral, inverts)? How long since your last fish death?
Your test kit is one I don't think I've ever seen, but in all honesty, it's Tetra, you're talking training wheels for fresh water fish keeping. Maybe I'm just a snob, but I feel salt water, especially reef is too advanced for kits like Tetra, Aquarium Pharm. Hagen, etc. I trust Salifert and Lamotte, and Lamotte is out of my price range.
Take a water sample to a LFS and ask them to work it up for you. They'll probably charge you for Ca. and ALK tests, pay it, you need to know. No sense in chasing our tails here working with inaccurate test results.
Where in Nassau are you? What LFS do you use most often?

 

[bolt696]

It is a salt water test kit. right now I have mushrooms, leathers, yellow polyps, 2 colts, clown fish, pajama cardnial, brain, pagoda cup, candy cane, and a few other that I forgot the name. I usually buy all my stuff on line. I got my set up from Selmers because my fiance's father knows the owner. I don;t go there much because they only have one salt water guy and it is hit or miss when he is there.

 

[DgenR8]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7930143#post7930143 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DgenR8
I'm really trying to get a feel for your tank, to do so, I need you to answer my questions. What have you got in your tank that's still alive (fish, coral, inverts)? How long since your last fish death?

 

[bolt696]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7930208#post7930208 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DgenR8

I have mushrooms, leathers, yellow polyps, 2 colts, clown fish, pajama cardnial, brain, pagoda cup, candy cane, 2 urchins, and a few other that I forgot the name + snails and crabs assorted

 

[bolt696]

I also have 2 feather dusters, a gorgonia, and pipe organ

 

[DgenR8]

I'm not trying to "scold" you, What I see here is that you have only two fish, and neither is known for growing excessively large. If that's correct, you are far from overstocked, and we can eliminate that as a possible cause of problems. However, if "clown fish" is plural, and represents 700 clown fish, I just found the likely source of your problems.
I've got a couple of pieces in my tank that I can't name, too. I'm not expecting everyone that buys a coral to know it's scientific name. What I'm looking for there is how hardy or delicate your corals are. Are you keeping Acropora and clams, or mushrooms and Xenia.
Last fish death is important because it could directly relate to water quality issues. How many fish you have lost recently could indicate a ton of other things also.
The fact that you have inverts alive is promising. Got any shrimp?
The more info you give me, the more likely we are to stumble on what's causing your problems.

 

[bolt696]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7930297#post7930297 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DgenR8
I'm not trying to "scold" you, What I see here is that you have only two fish, and neither is known for growing excessively large. If that's correct, you are far from overstocked, and we can eliminate that as a possible cause of problems. However, if "clown fish" is plural, and represents 700 clown fish, I just found the likely source of your problems.
I've got a couple of pieces in my tank that I can't name, too. I'm not expecting everyone that buys a coral to know it's scientific name. What I'm looking for there is how hardy or delicate your corals are. Are you keeping Acropora and clams, or mushrooms and Xenia.
Last fish death is important because it could directly relate to water quality issues. How many fish you have lost recently could indicate a ton of other things also.
The fact that you have inverts alive is promising. Got any shrimp?
The more info you give me, the more likely we are to stumble on what's causing your problems.

I appriciate the help. I know you are not scoling me. I only have 1 clown. My last fish death was my yellow tang. Was alive about 8 months and died. It died 2 months ago and that was my only fish death. I had one cleaner shrimp and that died overnight. along with the emrald crab (unless they molt a white shell?)

Nothing else died except for the colt.
I had thriving xenia for months, and about a month or 2 ago they just melted away.
I also bought some clams at the supermarket because I was told they help lower nitrate. They lived for 5 or 6 months and died with in the last few months as well.

 

[bolt696]

here are some pics

here are some pics

This one I forgot the name and its not open all the way yet because lights had just come on.

This one I forgot the name as well. It was doing really well and then started to go down hill the past few months

 

[DgenR8]

Clams are actually pretty good filters, if you have enough of them. Problem is that they die in our tanks in a pretty short time, and can foul your water far beyond what they filter out if you don't remove them right away.
If this were a contributing factor, it would be evident through ammonia and nitrite tests.
The Yellow Tang is far enough down the road to not really mean much here. The fact that you lost a cleaner and an emerald last night could indicate bad water quality, that also killed the carpet, OR they could have bought the farm after the Anemone died and fouled the water. Shrimp tend to be sensitive to water quality issues, and that's why I asked about shrimp.
My next recommendation would be to get that second opinion on your water quality. I haven't been to Selmer's in a long time, but I expect them to be able to do some tests for you without messing it up.
You could also ask if there's a reefer local to you that would be willing to test your water, too.

 

[Neurotech]

The yellow tang did seem to go around the same time as the xenia, which are sensitive to water quality, I believe.

 

[bolt696]

to top it all off my BBQ just broke and I am having company today.