Lord Acans toxic to fish?

[compton384]

So I've had my tank (65gal) up and running for about 3 months and everything has been running beautifully- I have some soft corals, polyps, live rock and fish. My water has been testing nicely- 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, low nitrates, pH 8.2, 1.025, 80 degrees, low phosphates. Suddenly, I am having multiple fish dying overnight when I'm at work - ones that appear completely healthy an active when I leave, to come home to them dead. The only new thing (and I even checked my water) is that I added 2 small lord acan colonies on Friday, I was out of town all day Saturday and discovered on Sunday that my fish had completely eaten them - very sad in itself as you know they are beautiful and cost a pretty penny. My first fish to die was my coral beauty, then my yellow eye tang, then one lyre tail anthia and now the other two (a trio) are puffing and acting stressed. I did a large water change yesterday, I have my canister, a hot filter, and my protein skimmer running. I had my UV off, but just started it up. I don't have an official hospital tank but I'm setting up a 5 gallon to transfer my others into.

So do you think the Lord Acans could have poisoned them? I really can't think of anything else- my tank appears beautiful, and as I said, I tested my water and it looks good... None of them are developing lesions.. Help!

 

[scooter31707]

I do not believe they are toxic, but wonders the questions if something came in on the corals are causing hell for your tank. I think you may have velvet which causes death quickly, usually when you identify it, it's too late. Maybe put this thread into the Fish treatment Forum and see what the experts say.

 

[CStrickland]

Many of your fish wouldn't eat a coral if they were starving. I agree something else happened.

Can you post a pic of the sick fish, or describe their behavior more? What do you mean the anthias are "puffing"?

Can you give a clearer timeline of your tank, like what you added when? And is the coral beauty, tang, and anthias all the fish you had?

Did you do any type of quarentine or preventive medication when you added the fish?

Sorry for your troubles it sounds frustrating and sad.

 

[Sk8r]

Any chance of electricity hitting the water? Any airborne contaminants?

 

[compton384]

No airborne contaminants or electricity.

The angel had a little injury on his lip- could have been disease but I suspect it was trauma because that showed up right after I added a new kelp holder. For this reason, I was treating at the time with Melafix to be safe, but was on day 4 when the trouble started. Other than the lip though, the rest of him looked normal and he was eating and extremely active when I left for work and dead when I came home. There was literally nothing visibly wrong with the tang- healthy and darting around like normal and eating, dead when I got home from work the day after the Angel. The anthias had nothing visible that would show in a picture- they were just breathing rapidly and hiding before they died. Eyes, fins, scales looked completely normal. one died the same day but a few hours after the tang and the other, the next day.

I don't quarantine though I know I should get that setup. My anthias had been there three weeks, everyone else a few months.

I did about a 40% water change even though all my testable parameters looked good and I still have a domino damsel, a saddle puffer, a foxface, a pajama Cardinal, and one last anthia.

 

[tattoosandfrags]

Too many fish for a 65 gallon my opinion.