Killer in tank

[bdorval]

Need help with ideas please.

Last week I lost 4 fish to a killer in tank. 2 clowns, mandarin, and powder brown tang. I had seen clown and tang with fins ripped before deaths. The Tang was boss of tank and all damage happened at night.

LFS has guessed it may be a Bobbit Worm, and I have seen a thin black banded worm come out from rock once months ago.

Tank mates are:

Yellow tang
6 Line Wrasse
Cardinals
Dragon Goby
Scooter
Watchman
Fire shrimp
Cleaner Shrimp
Peppermint Shrimp
Pistol Shrimp
Anemone crab
Lyretail Anthias

Your Help is much appreciated

 

[bdorval]

crime scene photo

 

[fishchef]

What size system do you have?

 

[bdorval]

65g reef is where deaths are

pic of tang is in my 40g, had to throw him in there before i left for work

 

[bdorval]

Also I did rip tank apart and put my 6 line in my small in tank refugium, woke next morning to Powder brown in the refugium with him. I guess that would take 6line off suspect list

 

[TokiHacker]

Over packed tank... Yellow tang and powder brown? That can cause some issues by itself... If it was a bobbit worm I would assume your shrimp would be the first to go.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

Honestly that fish looks diseased not beaten up. You have a lot of aggressive fish in too small a tank. My money is on disease exacerbated by stress. If you had a bobbit worm it is highly unlikely you'd find the fish bodies as they would have been eaten. However, I also doubt you have a hobbit worm. One large enough to kill fish that size would be hard pressed to hid in a 65 gallon tank.

 

[bdorval]

2 days before that tang was health and fat, next day tail attacked, following is pic. Unfortunately I had zero spare time to address it

 

[CarrieB]

What was the most recent addition to your tank? Do you QT? I agree that tang looks sick. Maybe an infection?


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[bdorval]

6 Line was last about a month ago ish. No QT. Sadly I was done with fish just wanted 6line for his function in tank. Tank has been running 2 years.

 

[CarrieB]

I have been told that it can take a month for velvet to show up if a fish has been in copper in an LFS, but I am not an expert. I would try posting your picture in a fish disease forum.


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[fishchef]

Too small for Tangs. Noticed that you didn't ask for advice until 2 years in. Your LFS is a poor source, if that's been the norm. If you kept buying fish and they really cared they would of stopped you at some point.

 

[Tripod1404]

That powder brown tang seems to have brooks/velvet or ich. All your dead fish, with the exception of mandarin are highly susceptible against these diseases and would have died first.

You can put a bottle trap for a hiding predator and check the tank during the night with a red flashlight.

 

[bdorval]

so diseased then picked on for weakness? Powder chased into in tank refugium over night

Also I appreciate the feedback and ty much

 

[CrayolaViolence]

2 days before that tang was health and fat, next day tail attacked, following is pic. Unfortunately I had zero spare time to address it

Disease like velvet can drastically alter the appearance of a fish in hours. 2 days is more than enough time for a fish to go from fat and happy to dead.

 

[heathlindner25]

so diseased then picked on for weakness? Powder chased into in tank refugium over night

Also I appreciate the feedback and ty much

He wasn't necessarily chased, he probably just jumped

 

[monkeysee1]

Honestly that fish looks diseased not beaten up. You have a lot of aggressive fish in too small a tank. My money is on disease exacerbated by stress.

Bingo!

That tank is SEVERELY overstocked!

 

[OrQidz]

You may be reaching a point where the tangs are growing and getting more territorial and the inevitable fighting to the death is happening. Also stress from being in too small of an area can worsen as the fish grow. Sometimes if you start with teeny tiny fish they do ok for a while, but eventually that tank size catches up to you. I suggest doing a lot of research on what fish are good choices for your setup. Not criticizing - just pointing out the opportunity to learn better what will be happy in your tank long term.

 

[TokiHacker]

Bingo!

That tank is SEVERELY overstocked!

im just saying I said it first!

haha! :lolspin:

Anything we say is to be taken as constructive criticism (most of the time).

I def think that the stress from size of the tank played a factor in this, that the disease just ultimately finished it.