Major Tank Die-off

[Beff]

I posted this in the equipment section thinking it may be an equipment problem. However, I not convinced it's a disease problem.

Almost all the fish in my fish only aquarium has died in the last 48 hours. The last three fish look skittish.

The tank had damsels, clowns, tangs and a foxface. It was not heavily stocked. I lightly fed only natural seaweed and brine shrimp.

No visible signs of disease on the dead fish. No bloody gills or fins.

Water parameters are ok:

• Temp: 77F
• Salinity: 1.022
• pH: 7.8-8.0
• Nitrite: 0
• Ammonia: 0
• Nitrate: <15 ppm
• Phosphate: <.025
• Chorine (total and free

): 0

Water is clear; no cloudiness. I tested the water at least once a week to observe for a recycle condition, but everything was steady. The fish were doing fine for about 5 months until a couple of day ago.

The system is 150 gal marine, fish only. Marine-Pure bio blocks, skimmer, GFO reactor, GAC, and filter socks. Use RODI as change water. No other additives.

Tanks was re-started in June. However, the bio cycle was maintained for about 6 months using brine shrimp. I slowly added the new stock and used MicroBacter 7 (one week dose) as insurance.

I sort of restarted the tank to improve maintenance chores. The previous set up was 16 years old and many of the fish simply died of old age (12+ years old). So, I'm not a total green horn.

If I can't figure this die-off out, that's it for me. It's almost as if they were poisoned.

Any help is appreciated.

Jeff

 

[JustinM]

Have you checked got stray voltage? Was your equipment from the last build or was anything new?

 

[scuzy]

Any new addition lately?


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[Beff]

JustinM: I don't have a volt meter that is that sensitive that I could determine if that's the problem. However, I just added a titanium grounding probe just in case. The system is also on a GFCI protected circuit and it has not popped...perhaps a GFCI can't detect small stray currents.

Scuzy: Two powerheads and a QO1200 pump (for the GFO reactor) are somewhat new as far as equipment and have been operating for at least two months.

The newest fish was a yellow tang and sailfin tang about three weeks ago. The sailfin tang is dead and the yellow tang is still kicking as one of the last three survivors so far.

 

[JustinM]

We’re the new additions QT’d? I know there were no visible signs but sometimes it attacks the gills before any signs are visible. Did you see anything like heavy breathing or flashing, swimming into the flow or avoiding light?

 

[Beff]

None of the fish were QT'ed. The stock all looked healthy at the LFS and so were the tanks they were kept in. I've never QT'ed any of my fish (fresh or marine) for 40 years. Maybe I was just lucky until now?

None of the fish showed any visible signs of disease or erratic behavior before perishing. In fact, they ate and swam around fine just 24 hours prior. Oddly, their corpses looked great...as if they were sleeping.

In its last few hours, I saw the Sailfin tang swim into the flow. But that was the only fish. The rest went into a quiet area of the tank and died.

 

[Beff]

Oh, and to add, the Sailfin tang was added to the tank about 3 weeks ago. It was the last fish added along with a yellow tang.

It never had a hardy appetite and looked gaunt towards the end.

 

[JustinM]

Swimming into the flow is a sign of velvet. You may not see visible symptoms and fish hiding is also a sign. It’s possible you may have had velvet, especially because you had a wipeout of fish and how fast it happened.

A lot of LFS’s keep their stock in low levels of copper which mask many symptoms of parasites, including velvet. Being it was 3 weeks ago, it’s quite possible you had velvet in your tank.

I’m sorry for your losses, I know it’s quite frustrating. I lost all my fish to velvet in 2013. Every single fish died in a matter of days. Since then I have quarantined everything. I first started keeping fish in 2004 and qt was not even a thought. I never saw a spot, or anything that resembled a parasite and never had a fish die. Things seem to be different now. I don’t know why.

 

[Pslreefer]

Swimming into the flow is a sign of velvet. You may not see visible symptoms and fish hiding is also a sign. It's possible you may have had velvet, especially because you had a wipeout of fish and how fast it happened.

A lot of LFS's keep their stock in low levels of copper which mask many symptoms of parasites, including velvet. Being it was 3 weeks ago, it's quite possible you had velvet in your tank.

I'm sorry for your losses, I know it's quite frustrating. I lost all my fish to velvet in 2013. Every single fish died in a matter of days. Since then I have quarantined everything. I first started keeping fish in 2004 and qt was not even a thought. I never saw a spot, or anything that resembled a parasite and never had a fish die. Things seem to be different now. I don't know why.

I find your last statement very interesting. I started in 2008, but yes velvet and ich were just not common at all. These days it seems every fish has the parasites and are masked until they are put in to our aquariums and total break outs happen.

You see these posts every single day in most reefing forums.

Wonder why this is?

 

[Beff]

How do I confirm its velvet?

 

[Beff]

My ocellaris clown just died. Looking carefully at it, I notice its color seems a bit white-ish where it should be orange and black.

My yellow tang, which is still alive, appears to have a white cloudiness in its eyes with some white spots.

Good Lord...is this velvet?

 

[scuzy]

Major Tank Die-off

Velvet has a white film to the body. Most likely it's velvet especially if it fast die off. The white spots are not speckles. If you see a pale white film is most likely it.

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[JustinM]

Can you post a pic of your clown. Possible brook as well. It kills fast too!

 

[Beff]

I'm thinking its velvet

I'm thinking its velvet

I'd describe it as a pale white film. Some fish that died did not present with a film, but my research on this forum indicates that a lack of visual evidence on some fish is not unusual for velvet. This is what may have made me overlook the film on some of the fish and assume it was stress causing the discoloration versus velvet.

Assuming it is velvet, I really don't want to break the system down and start over. I'm also assuming that the last two fish, which seem lethargic now, will likely die very soon and likely too late for them.

With a fish-less tank, how should I eradicate this parasite?

I've read the following:

- No fish in the main tank for 90 days: no host and eventually no parasite.
- Hyper salinity (I'm not sure at what level though)
- High temp (85-90F) to speed up the dormant cysts in the sand, etc.
- Dose with Seachem Cupramine, then a full water change and activated carbon.
- Set up a QT tank to begin restock. Keep Cupramine ready to go again if another outbreak occurs.

Thanks for the assistance to diagnose. I had no idea a parasite can wipe a tank out so darn fast. It's like a form of poison which I first thought it was.

Any insight to my plan forward is appreciated.

Jeff

 

[JustinM]

For velvet and brook, the fallow period is 6 weeks. No need to dose cupramone to the system.

For future purchases, it’s sad to say, qt is needed. Cupramine is great to have on hand but if you can get CP as well, that is also a good med. with velvet, some antibiotics like kanaplex, metrodozanole, and furan 2 can help battle secodanry infections brought on by the parasite.

 

[Beff]

JustinM...thanks for the support in figuring this thing out.

Now that I know what likely caused my die off, and how to fix it and prevent it, I will likely stay in the marine fish world.

I must say that I really like fancy goldfish (orandas, lion heads, bubble eyes, pom poms, etc.). I kept them for 10 years and have found that folks seem to really take a liking to them more so than marine fish. Go figure.

But since I'm heavily invested in marine equipment, I think I'll stick around!

thanks, Jeff