Livestock Dying :-(

[CodeBlueMedic]

:worried: I'm not sure what's going on, but in the past 24 hours, I have lost one of my bangaii cardinals and now my peppermint shrimp just died...Not sure what's going on, but I have noticed that both of my cardinals and shrimp have not been eating like they used to, albeit, I've had serious trouble feeding my bangaii's, they don't seem to like anything I feed. No new additions have been made to the tank and the only changes I have made is that I switched to Kent's Reef Salt from IO.

Current Tank Info: 29gallon with HOB filter, EHEIM heater, hydor koralia 425 gph powerhead, 30lbs live rock, 25 lbs live sand.

Current stocking list: 1 byno goby, 3 bangaii cardinals (was 3, now 1), 1 peppermint shrimp, 1 emerald crab, 15ish mixed snails (trochus, cerite, nassarius, nerite).

Coral list: radioactive zoanthid, bam bam zoa, scuba steve, pulsing xenia, green favia, gsp

Current Water Parameters:

Temp 77
SG: 1.024
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate .1
Kh: 9

To me, my water is fine...But the fact that I have livestock dying tells me that something is wrong. Could it be that they just aren't eating good enough? I'm feeding a combination of rods original, FLS thera a and mysis shrimp.

Anything else I could check and/or do differently?

Thanks so much

 

[edinphilly]

Assuming your test kits are all working properly (perhaps have a LFS or friend retest to confirm) the salinity would be my question since you changed salts. How are you measuring it? Hopefully a refractometer and if so have you calibrated it recently. Also something to get a friend or LFS to double check for you.

Good luck.

 

[edinphilly]

Also are you testing PH? Did your water change with new salt brand cause a swing?

 

[CodeBlueMedic]

Assuming your test kits are all working properly (perhaps have a LFS or friend retest to confirm) the salinity would be my question since you changed salts. How are you measuring it? Hopefully a refractometer and if so have you calibrated it recently. Also something to get a friend or LFS to double check for you.

Good luck.

Yeah, I'm using a refractometer that was calibrated about 2 months ago. I'll re-calibrate and try again, then post back.

 

[CodeBlueMedic]

just calibrated it again and salinity is the same

 

[CODE3EMT]

I don't think the change in salt brands is a problem. I have 2 Bangaii Cardinals and they will not touch any dry foods frozen mysis is all they will accept. You could have some aggression issues with your cardinals. If they were real small at time of purchase they can be fragile. As far as the shrimp are you sure he didn't molt? Your water seems fine to me. Yes use a refractometer not those Fisher Price swing arms hydrometers. Good luck keep us posted on your findings.

 

[CodeBlueMedic]

Yeah, I'm sure he shrimp is dead. Full body, curled up with eyes and everything. I'll try some frozen mysis to see what happens and report back. It really sucks to lose livestock that you've invested so much time into