Ok, I know the drill, so parameters and system specs first.
180 gallons, has been up and running for a year but is a consolidation of multiple smaller long-established tanks. 55 gallon sump with fuge, skimmer, etc. Apex controlled, ATO, etc. Water is 0 TDS through a 5 stage RO/DI, IO reef crystals to 1.025 (refractometer). Lighting is a Hamilton Technology Cebu Sun fixture with 3x250W MH lamps and 4x80W T5s. Flow is via return plus 2 Vortech MP40's. GFO reactor, 16% weekly water change.
Parameters are run weekly, most recent values below:
Temp: 79.4
PH: 8.15
Phosphate: 0.034 ppm (Hanna checker)
Nitrate: 7.5 ppm (yeah I know it's high but it's normal for this tank)
Calcium: 460 ppm
Magnesium: 1305 ppm
Alkalinity: 8 dKH
Stock list
Sailfin Tang (5 inches)
Hippo Tang (6 inches)
Yellow Tang (5 inches)
Green Chromis (2.5 inches)
Sharpnose puffer (a canthigaster puffer of uncertain species, 4 inches)
Pair of hybrid occ/perc clowns (2.5 to 3 inches)
Target mandarin dragonet (2.5 inches)
Pair of royal grammas (2.5 inches and 1 inch)
2 springeri damsels (1 inch)
Stippled clingfish (2.5-3 inches)
War paint goby (1.5 inches)
Last fish added was over 6 months ago.
We have a mixed reef with everyone from soft corals to SPS and anemones. Nothing major added recently.
4 days ago we noticed the mandarin acting atypically. He was doing a weird repetitive "twitch" thing that looked neurological (not trying to scratch against rocks or anything purposeful). We've had this fish at least 18 months, he hunts pods all day but also happily eats frozen mysis and even pellets. He is fat. Anyway, we observed him for a bit and saw him go back to typical pod-hunting behavior. When I got home from work the next day, he was leaning up against some rocks at the bottom. Husband thought but he was dead but I could see his gills and mouth moving. He evaded capture briefly but was clearly having trouble keeping his body oriented upright and was weak. We put him into a hospital tank with fresh saltwater and an airstone. The pump that is part of our AIO hospital tank created too much flow and he would tumble, so we killed the flow. He has no physical damage on him, no discoloration, no wounds, bumps, spots, nothing. I fully expected him to die but was unsure what to even treat him for. All other fish acting normal at this point and none of them showing any bumps, spots, damage, etc. He spent the first 24 hours almost entirely upside down. 2 days later and he is now swimming properly (but a bit weakly) and has accepted food (as of a few hours ago). An hour ago I looked in my display and my stippled clingfish (we've had him 2 years) is out in the open on the sandbed in full light. This is unusual behavior, he is usually only out at night. I each in to give him a little poke and he weakly evades and then attempts to swim but is upside down!
I pulled him out and dropped him into the hospital tank but I have no clue what's happening. He too shows no signs of infection or illness. Normal body weight, etc.
The majority of my corals are doing fine but a number of my mushrooms look unhappy and a couple of my euphyllia seem upset. I've had several dead snails over the last few weeks and a dead serpent star (either injury or something else that caused a hole in the body). We removed it and attempted to treat but it died. We had that star for over 2 years.
Other inverts like crabs and shrimp are fine and acting normal. Conches are fine. Urchins are fine.
This feels like a contaminant situation to me. I just put a bunch more carbon online and I'm doing a large water change. Any other thoughts?
180 gallons, has been up and running for a year but is a consolidation of multiple smaller long-established tanks. 55 gallon sump with fuge, skimmer, etc. Apex controlled, ATO, etc. Water is 0 TDS through a 5 stage RO/DI, IO reef crystals to 1.025 (refractometer). Lighting is a Hamilton Technology Cebu Sun fixture with 3x250W MH lamps and 4x80W T5s. Flow is via return plus 2 Vortech MP40's. GFO reactor, 16% weekly water change.
Parameters are run weekly, most recent values below:
Temp: 79.4
PH: 8.15
Phosphate: 0.034 ppm (Hanna checker)
Nitrate: 7.5 ppm (yeah I know it's high but it's normal for this tank)
Calcium: 460 ppm
Magnesium: 1305 ppm
Alkalinity: 8 dKH
Stock list
Sailfin Tang (5 inches)
Hippo Tang (6 inches)
Yellow Tang (5 inches)
Green Chromis (2.5 inches)
Sharpnose puffer (a canthigaster puffer of uncertain species, 4 inches)
Pair of hybrid occ/perc clowns (2.5 to 3 inches)
Target mandarin dragonet (2.5 inches)
Pair of royal grammas (2.5 inches and 1 inch)
2 springeri damsels (1 inch)
Stippled clingfish (2.5-3 inches)
War paint goby (1.5 inches)
Last fish added was over 6 months ago.
We have a mixed reef with everyone from soft corals to SPS and anemones. Nothing major added recently.
4 days ago we noticed the mandarin acting atypically. He was doing a weird repetitive "twitch" thing that looked neurological (not trying to scratch against rocks or anything purposeful). We've had this fish at least 18 months, he hunts pods all day but also happily eats frozen mysis and even pellets. He is fat. Anyway, we observed him for a bit and saw him go back to typical pod-hunting behavior. When I got home from work the next day, he was leaning up against some rocks at the bottom. Husband thought but he was dead but I could see his gills and mouth moving. He evaded capture briefly but was clearly having trouble keeping his body oriented upright and was weak. We put him into a hospital tank with fresh saltwater and an airstone. The pump that is part of our AIO hospital tank created too much flow and he would tumble, so we killed the flow. He has no physical damage on him, no discoloration, no wounds, bumps, spots, nothing. I fully expected him to die but was unsure what to even treat him for. All other fish acting normal at this point and none of them showing any bumps, spots, damage, etc. He spent the first 24 hours almost entirely upside down. 2 days later and he is now swimming properly (but a bit weakly) and has accepted food (as of a few hours ago). An hour ago I looked in my display and my stippled clingfish (we've had him 2 years) is out in the open on the sandbed in full light. This is unusual behavior, he is usually only out at night. I each in to give him a little poke and he weakly evades and then attempts to swim but is upside down!
I pulled him out and dropped him into the hospital tank but I have no clue what's happening. He too shows no signs of infection or illness. Normal body weight, etc.
The majority of my corals are doing fine but a number of my mushrooms look unhappy and a couple of my euphyllia seem upset. I've had several dead snails over the last few weeks and a dead serpent star (either injury or something else that caused a hole in the body). We removed it and attempted to treat but it died. We had that star for over 2 years.
Other inverts like crabs and shrimp are fine and acting normal. Conches are fine. Urchins are fine.
This feels like a contaminant situation to me. I just put a bunch more carbon online and I'm doing a large water change. Any other thoughts?
