Short version: all of my fish are dead and I don't know why.
Longer version: This was my FOWLR set up:
125 Uniquarium (the one with the built-in wet-dry in the back).
Sand on the bottom. About 90 lbs of live rock. I use various salt mixes, most recently for the past 8 months, Ocean Pure, which was the cheapest I can find.
I have the bio-balls in the back and a Remora hang on the back skimmer (largest model).
I have a Rio pump running the skimmer and a Rio pump for the return for the wet-dry.
I have 2 Koralia power heads for circulation. I forgot which model but they're pretty big and cost about $75 when I got them.
Ex-livestock:
Bluering angel 4-5"
Majestic angel 3-4"
Auriga butterfly 3-4"
Klein's butterfly 3-4"
2 damsels 1"
Stripey 3-4"
The tank had been set up for at least 2 years. All the fish have been in for at least 1 year. There was an ich outbreak about 6 months in and I hypo'd the tank for 3 MONTHS. It appeared to have done the trick. The fish were doing very well. I have people comment that the butterflies were the fatest they've seen. I quarantine all the fish in a separate tank for 6-8 weeks usually.
And then it happened. About 6 months ago, one by one, each fish became listless, would slow then stop eating altogether, and would die. Each took about a week to die off. Even the damsels died. There was no mass die off. The Stripey was the last to die.
During this time, I checked the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH repeatedly and everything checked out. The nitrate was slightly detectable but that was it. The temperature was fine. Now, the tank is in my fish room in the garage. I have 6 other tanks in the same room, including a 60 gal reef using the same salt mix and a 40 gal "quarantine" tank now with a permanent fish. All the other tanks are fine!
Do I need some other water tests?
Does anyone have any idea??
thanx,
Longer version: This was my FOWLR set up:
125 Uniquarium (the one with the built-in wet-dry in the back).
Sand on the bottom. About 90 lbs of live rock. I use various salt mixes, most recently for the past 8 months, Ocean Pure, which was the cheapest I can find.
I have the bio-balls in the back and a Remora hang on the back skimmer (largest model).
I have a Rio pump running the skimmer and a Rio pump for the return for the wet-dry.
I have 2 Koralia power heads for circulation. I forgot which model but they're pretty big and cost about $75 when I got them.
Ex-livestock:
Bluering angel 4-5"
Majestic angel 3-4"
Auriga butterfly 3-4"
Klein's butterfly 3-4"
2 damsels 1"
Stripey 3-4"
The tank had been set up for at least 2 years. All the fish have been in for at least 1 year. There was an ich outbreak about 6 months in and I hypo'd the tank for 3 MONTHS. It appeared to have done the trick. The fish were doing very well. I have people comment that the butterflies were the fatest they've seen. I quarantine all the fish in a separate tank for 6-8 weeks usually.
And then it happened. About 6 months ago, one by one, each fish became listless, would slow then stop eating altogether, and would die. Each took about a week to die off. Even the damsels died. There was no mass die off. The Stripey was the last to die.
During this time, I checked the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH repeatedly and everything checked out. The nitrate was slightly detectable but that was it. The temperature was fine. Now, the tank is in my fish room in the garage. I have 6 other tanks in the same room, including a 60 gal reef using the same salt mix and a 40 gal "quarantine" tank now with a permanent fish. All the other tanks are fine!
Do I need some other water tests?
Does anyone have any idea??
thanx,
