Fish Death CSI

[dochoot]

I have had a small sized yellow tang for one month. Doing just fine other then a little aggressive. Found him dead. It was the day after I had removed a bunch of soft coral from my tank and did stir things up a bit. Was assuming it was a coincidence but can't think of anything.

Bought from a reputable LFS. I did not QT. All other fish fine. Does this occasionally "just happen"? Has never to me.

 

[jbvdhp]

I've had 4 Naso tangs die (after QT) unexplained. Some think they may have been caught with cyanide. They were healthy and eating well, then slowly became lethargic and then died.

No explanation. No objective disease seen.

 

[jminick2]

I mean yeah it just happens but something caused it... Hard to say what though. I had an orange spotted rabbit fish for two years one night I looked in the tank saw him sitting there in his usual sleeping spot...about 30 seconds later I turn on the lights to the room with the tank in it heard a splash and looked over and he was floating the bottom deader than door nail...No clue why.

 

[Dmorty217]

I have had a small sized yellow tang for one month. Doing just fine other then a little aggressive. Found him dead. It was the day after I had removed a bunch of soft coral from my tank and did stir things up a bit. Was assuming it was a coincidence but can't think of anything.

Bought from a reputable LFS. I did not QT. All other fish fine. Does this occasionally "just happen"? Has never to me.

Keep a eye on the other fish. Watch for heavy breathing, erratic swimming, flashing (twitching and/or scratching) lack of eating. The corals and/or the stirring things up a bit wouldn't cause the tang to die

 

[scooter31707]

By you stirring up the sand, possibility you could have an ammonia spike, triggering a mini-cycle. I would test immediately, and be ready to make quick water changes and dose with Prime if that's the case.

 

[dochoot]

I've had 4 Naso tangs die (after QT) unexplained. Some think they may have been caught with cyanide. They were healthy and eating well, then slowly became lethargic and then died.

No explanation. No objective disease seen.

Cyanide thought is good one. Have heard of that happening; GI tract messed up I think I read.

 

[jbvdhp]

Cyanide thought is good one. Have heard of that happening; GI tract messed up I think I read.

You know, it wouldn't surprise me as I'm thinking the nasos I got were probably not from Hawaii. I hear they use cyanide with the ones caught from the Philippines. And it's only happened with Naso tangs for me

 

[dochoot]

By you stirring up the sand, possibility you could have an ammonia spike, triggering a mini-cycle. I would test immediately, and be ready to make quick water changes and dose with Prime if that's the case.

This was a thought as well given the timing of working in tank and the death. Not sure of impact of what I did would cause it tho. 440 gal system. Will check parameters tonight.

 

[Dmorty217]

This was a thought as well given the timing of working in tank and the death. Not sure of impact of what I did would cause it tho. 440 gal system. Will check parameters tonight.

I had a 6" sand bed in my 220g with 150 lbs of rock. I had taken all the rock out and dug thru all the sand looking for a wrasse on 3 separate occasions and it never caused anything to die and my tank was half the size of yours.

 

[ThRoewer]

Naso are not good fish for cyanide catching - it's way easier to use a net. Also, a fish that makes it that long after being caught with cyanide rather dies slowly due to liver damage.

What kind of soft corals did you remove? Did something stay behind for the fish to pick on? Some corals have toxins to protect themselves.

 

[dochoot]

I took out a bunch of Ricordia, much of which was on small rocks on the sand bed, broke of montiporia and a some hammerhead.

Just tested water. Nitrates and ammonia are undetectable. I just noticed the Niger Trigger I bought and added same time is gone. Has to be recent but not sure of day. They were both acclimated and not harassed. They ate from day one. Other fish fine.

 

[dochoot]

I have 7 very small fish adjusting in a 29 that is plumbed into my system (doing fine). Going to take my time, add them to the main tank in a month and then reassess.

 

[Fishmas]

It sounds like a serial killer. I would round up the suspects for questioning. Its always the one you least suspect.

I agree if poisoned durring capture premature death inevitable. These fish that have been wild harvested have had a harrowing journey. They do not recieve the kids glove treatment their final owners will provide. Many of these harvesters are the marine equivalent to a puppy mill. Needs to be better way to verify fish's pedigree. Until then mystery fish deaths will be common.

 

[dochoot]

A total of 8 fish from other sources are fine and the two that didn't make it were from a different source.