Tragic night ... get rid of your cukes!

[platax88]

Last night I did a 20 gal water change on my 125 and within 2 hours my powder brown and flame angel were laying on the sand and breathing heavily, not moving. My other fish seemed a bit stressed but still swimming and seemed like they would be ok.

The PBT and Flame past away shortly. Both had been with me for quite some time

Here is what i think happened; While doing the water change a cucumber fell of the rock-work and got sucked into my maxi mod. I was able to remove it without it getting chopped into pieces, but half his body was sucked through the propeller cover, pretty badly.

So obviously either the cuke released toxins (which i am leaning towards) or the new water was contaminated.

I am running new carbon and poly filter floss, and getting ro water together for another water change. Any other suggestions?

Everyone seems ok today except for the fox face breathing a bit heavier than usual.

This was one of those "reef safe" cucumbers, but after doing some research i found that ALL cucumbers have the ability to release toxins.

 

[fallinapart]

WOW!....sorry about the loss of your fish, and I hope the rest do ok. & thanks for the warning on the cucumbers

Norman

 

[rcmike]

I have had several holothuria cucumbers die over the years and none ever caused a problem. Most of them I didin't even know died until I couldn't find them.

 

[cczarnik]

Do you know what kind of cuke it was? I've lost a couple of donkey dungs with no ill effects either (in a small system).

 

[crumbletop]

Sorry to hear that, Jack. Those are both beautiful fish. Did you measure your tank params during this? C_stowers mentioned to me a few weeks back that his new mixup water was a super high alk compared to how it usually mixed. Maybe mix up a batch today and see how the fresh mixed stuff measures out. It could also be something else. I don't have any experience with cukes.

 

[platax88]

I'll do that Jack, I did use a new batch of IO salt. If it was high alk then i am sure i would have noticed the corals reacting to it... coral seemed fine through all this. Do you think alk would have such effect on the fish. Right now everything is a possibility.

cczarnik -- I'm not sure of the type. i think it was your typical ones collected at the fl keys and considered safe. No fancy colors or anything.

rcmike -- I wonder if it would be different if they just died naturally vs. being sucked in and releasing toxins as a defense?

Don't know guys

Thanks for your help

 

[platax88]

Just checked my make-up water params and all in check. The alk was at 11 dkh, so nothing crazy high.

 

[platax88]

Here's an update!!! I did a nother 20 gal change and all seems back to normal.

Breathing patterns are ok, fish are responsive and got their appetite is back! I still want to do some more water changes as precaution and continue to run poly and carbon.

Do you think a daily 20 gal change is ok, or will this be stressful? I change water through the sump so the display is not bothered much. and obvioulsly make sure salinity, temp and ph matches.

This was the weirdest experience. Funny how some fish reacted so bad and some where not even bothered by the mystery killer.

Oh well, at least i did not loose my whole tank ... although my PBT and Flame will be missed.

 

[gflat65]

I think there is a diffeence, Mike. I've lost some in the tank with no ill effects, but cukes in powerheads in small tubs during the move took out at least two tubs of corals and fish (domino effect after the first deaths, I figure). I wonder if when they die naturally, their toxins would be more localized to the body, where one that had planned a light dusting of the powerhead and ended up with an extreme buzz cut is mixed into the water column... I still have cukes in both of my larger tanks (mop heads from Fl), so I've gotten over it. I have all of my ph's mounted higher in the tank than the cukes ever go (I never see them above the sand line...), so not much fear in cuke cocktails.

 

[platax88]

I will never have cukes again!