Mysterious Fish Deaths
- Thread starter KMP
- Start date
airinhere
New member
Not always. tube anems can sting a fish and not leave marks. Sometimes the fish gets stung and end up immobilized on the bottom of the tank. They only die after lying there for a while. Sometimes they are able to overcome the effects of the sting. If you are having problems with fish deaths and you had recently added a tube anem, get it away from your fish.
As for copper, I think your snails would be the first things to die if you had copper in your tank. Many fish wholesalers and stores dose copper into their fishtanks on a constant basis. It isnt good for the fish, but doesnt kill them outright unless introduced in massive quantities.
As for copper, I think your snails would be the first things to die if you had copper in your tank. Many fish wholesalers and stores dose copper into their fishtanks on a constant basis. It isnt good for the fish, but doesnt kill them outright unless introduced in massive quantities.
kevin95695
Member of the Registry
KMP, is this a clone of the same mother as the anemone in your 24g AP?
matttaylor
Jeeper in my free time
Have you been keeping an eye on the water temp? In most offices they turn of the AC when people leave, and since it has been hotter lately that could be a problem.
miracles38
Active member
One other thing to check would be O2. How is the circulation in the tank?
H20Sidhe
New member
Regarding your q about the anemone:
In my experience if an anemone (LTA, BTA or sebae) kills a fish, it usually catches & consumes it. I think you stated your dead fish are all becoming floaters . . .
10 years or so ago, I had (witnessed) a yellow tang caught by an anem during the day (apparently not the brightest fish). We rescued it. It would not have gotten away without help. It was clearly stunned for a day or so, but eventually recovered. It had distinctive scars on its body for the rest of its life. And it avoided the anem the rest of its life.
You also mentioned putting a new fish in the tank . . . are you quarantining? For how long? Many contageous fish conditions show no external signs.
From what you have said so far, I wouldn't hold the anem as the prime suspect.
The suggestions in this post are all good - checking the temp & water params, as well as unintentional predators sneaking in on your live rock. I think they are all being offered in the spirit of helping you keep your fish alive, and not trying to chastise you.
Other than temp, pH, (and fluctuations of them); toxins, disease, inappropriate nutrition, nitrogen compounds, phosphate, or predators, what else can you check for? Sometimes we just end up shrugging and assume the fish had pre-existing problems. And there are some chemicals secreted/excreted by critters in our tanks that we just don't completely understand.
When you do get it figured out, please share with the rest of us, so we can benefit from your wisdom.
In my experience if an anemone (LTA, BTA or sebae) kills a fish, it usually catches & consumes it. I think you stated your dead fish are all becoming floaters . . .
10 years or so ago, I had (witnessed) a yellow tang caught by an anem during the day (apparently not the brightest fish). We rescued it. It would not have gotten away without help. It was clearly stunned for a day or so, but eventually recovered. It had distinctive scars on its body for the rest of its life. And it avoided the anem the rest of its life.
You also mentioned putting a new fish in the tank . . . are you quarantining? For how long? Many contageous fish conditions show no external signs.
From what you have said so far, I wouldn't hold the anem as the prime suspect.
The suggestions in this post are all good - checking the temp & water params, as well as unintentional predators sneaking in on your live rock. I think they are all being offered in the spirit of helping you keep your fish alive, and not trying to chastise you.
Other than temp, pH, (and fluctuations of them); toxins, disease, inappropriate nutrition, nitrogen compounds, phosphate, or predators, what else can you check for? Sometimes we just end up shrugging and assume the fish had pre-existing problems. And there are some chemicals secreted/excreted by critters in our tanks that we just don't completely understand.
When you do get it figured out, please share with the rest of us, so we can benefit from your wisdom.
KMP
Wag More; Bark Less
kevin, no this is not a clone of the mother anenome. store bought.
matt taylor, water temp in check. we work for the military - they turn on the air between this date and that date, and then turn it off between this date and that date. once it's on, it's on for months at a preestablished and constant temp.
miracles30, we were talking about 02 today. buddy mentioned the skimmer was off for a day and thought it might have been 02. regarding circulation, two koralia 2's circulating the tank. when you figure all in one tanks seldom have skimmers, i couldnt' see how the skimmer being out would effect the 02 - i could be wrong.
h20sidhe, thanks for sharing the tang story. i'll file that one away on the roll-a-dex for future reference. no quarantine, that's a possiblity.
it was earlier stated that the food might have been bad. buddy replaced all food before the new fish (most recent casualty) was put in.
so, in summary, things to consider:
- have water parameters checked by someone else as a fail safe.
- copper, just realized earlier that effects the corals. which ours are fine.
- moonlights - mean anenome - maybe
- food has been replaced.
- inadequate quarantene - but the clown and wrasse have always been fine (throughout)
perhaps i shoud fish the damsels out of my hone tank and see how they fair
thanks all, good brainstorming session.
matt taylor, water temp in check. we work for the military - they turn on the air between this date and that date, and then turn it off between this date and that date. once it's on, it's on for months at a preestablished and constant temp.
miracles30, we were talking about 02 today. buddy mentioned the skimmer was off for a day and thought it might have been 02. regarding circulation, two koralia 2's circulating the tank. when you figure all in one tanks seldom have skimmers, i couldnt' see how the skimmer being out would effect the 02 - i could be wrong.
h20sidhe, thanks for sharing the tang story. i'll file that one away on the roll-a-dex for future reference. no quarantine, that's a possiblity.
it was earlier stated that the food might have been bad. buddy replaced all food before the new fish (most recent casualty) was put in.
so, in summary, things to consider:
- have water parameters checked by someone else as a fail safe.
- copper, just realized earlier that effects the corals. which ours are fine.
- moonlights - mean anenome - maybe
- food has been replaced.
- inadequate quarantene - but the clown and wrasse have always been fine (throughout)
perhaps i shoud fish the damsels out of my hone tank and see how they fair
thanks all, good brainstorming session.
kevin95695
Member of the Registry
Quit dunkin' your "horse's XXXXXX" in it, Mr. Smartie.
airinhere
New member
OOh! I thought of something else! Cyanide! Do you think there is any chance the fish you got were collected using cyanide? It can cause unexplained fish deaths at any time. Lots of people I know have reported not to buy from certain places cause the fish are cyanide caught. About six months of everything looking great and then the fish is dead for no good reason. (These people are 'Jobbers'. Folk who cherry pick animals and coral for clients.)
