Two Dead Fish - Please Help.

V

VGT

New member
I'm really pretty upset about this, hopefully someone might have some insight onto what happened.

Tank has been set up and extremely stable for 4 months. Inhabitants are:

  • 2 Juvenile Clownfish (~1" each) (TB)
  • Emerald Crab
  • 4 Nassirus Snails
  • 1 Turbo Snail
  • Plenty of Bristleworms
  • Galaxia Coral
  • Torch Coral
  • Goniopora (Probably spelled incorrectly)

Last night I fed the fish, they were appeared to be vibrant and healthy, and ate right away. I then turned the pumps off for a little while, and spot fed the goniopora and galaxia with Kent Microvert (something I've done many times before with no ill effects). After a little while, I went to turn the filtration back on - Powerhead fired right up, but the pump on the aquaclear wouldn't turn on. After a couple of minutes fiddling with it, I noticed that the pump motor was very warm. Great, motor died, its 10:30 and I can't get a new one. The powerhead is still running so they'll be fine until tomorrow when I can get a new one.

This morning - they're both dead... one laying in the sand, the other stuck to the powerhead. All of the snails and the emerald are out and frankly, looking more active then ever (they hadn't found the fish yet), and the corals are open and looking fine. *** could have happened?

I checked WC after I pulled the fish out, and levels were slightly elevated, but (in my opinion) not enough to kill two formerly healthy fish in seven hours, and was probably a result of them being dead more than anything.

  • pH 8.0
  • Ammonia .25
  • Nitrite .5
  • Nitrate 10
  • SG - 1.025
  • Temp - 80

I last changed the water about 4-5 days ago, and Ammonia/Nitrite were zero, so I don't understand what could have caused that spike prior to the fish dying.

Also, I noticed for the first time this morning these small shrimpy-looking crustaceans. Dozens of them, some as long as 1cm. Anyone have an idea what this is? I had seen a bunch of them on the glass a few weeks ago, but only for a day and then they were gone. Now, the morning I found the fish, they're back again and quite large.

fc35dc99.jpg


Here's a picture I took of one of them just two days ago:

_MG_0542.jpg


:(
 
The one power head was not enough circulation without the filter pump and caused a decrease in oxygen .try to keep a replacement pump for every pump you have and Sorry for your loss!!!
 
ReeferBill said:
The one power head was not enough circulation without the filter pump and caused a decrease in oxygen .try to keep a replacement pump for every pump you have and Sorry for your loss!!!
Click to expand...

I'm certainly going to now, I adjusted the powerhead so that it was moving the surface, and this tank's lasted through a 24+ hour blackout with zero circulation. It baffles me that between 10:30 last night and 6:00 this morning, both of them died.
 
sorry for your loss, I unfortunately dont have any suggestions on what killed the fish, but that "shrimp" is just an amphipod, harmless and good to have little scavengers in the tank
 
I had a heater explode that was in my overflow, killed a bunch of stuff...You didn't name the fish Romeo & Juliette by any chance did you?..LOL
 
Heater's fine.

Any other ideas? I'm extremely hesitant to restock, and almost ready to entirely throw in the towel. :(
 
You should do something to lower you Ammonia levels down. Even at 0.1 ppm can be lethal. You can either do a water change and/or dose some ammonia neutralizer like Amquel or Kent has something for that.

You want ammonia levels to read 0.
 
Sorry for the lost, i have tons of those shrimp thing in my tank. have you tried cleaning the pump to see if it comes back on. I had a hang on back style filter a long time ago where it would work fine, but after a couple of months it would get dirty and it would stop spinning. I would have to clean it and it works again.
 
VGT said:
Heater's fine.

Any other ideas? I'm extremely hesitant to restock, and almost ready to entirely throw in the towel. :(
Click to expand...

Don't give up you just getting stated! Things like this happen without rhyme or reason - do what you can to possibly avoid this happening again...

GL!!
 
ultraxr said:
You should do something to lower you Ammonia levels down. Even at 0.1 ppm can be lethal. You can either do a water change and/or dose some ammonia neutralizer like Amquel or Kent has something for that.

You want ammonia levels to read 0.
Click to expand...

Ammonia usually is zero, and was a few days prior to the fish death. I don't know if something caused it to spike and then the fish died, or if it spiked after their death.
 
I just got home with the new filter. Crab died, lots of dead amphipods, however the snails and corals are doing great. Given the appearance of the coral, I'm thinking it might have just been depleted oxygen rather than some toxic water issue.

Anyone disagree?
 
Air stones do no good for oxygen in a salt water tank. Oxygen is drawn in by a gas exchange at the surface. Low flow and or a lid will reduce this. If you had low o2 then even a little time without flow will cause enough stress to kill them. Turning of pumps for a little while with good saturation will cause little to no effect.

You need steady high water flow for proper gas exchange. You also remove unwanted gases at the surface as with high water flow you get the best results from the best bio filters money can buy , the LR ans SB as water will be pushed through them properly.

Also good high flow reduces uneatin food and fish waste to collect in low flow spots and reduce unwanted algea growth.

In my opinon high constant water flow in a salt water tank is the most important thing you can do.
 
hollister said:
Air stones do no good for oxygen in a salt water tank. Oxygen is drawn in by a gas exchange at the surface. Low flow and or a lid will reduce this. If you had low o2 then even a little time without flow will cause enough stress to kill them. Turning of pumps for a little while with good saturation will cause little to no effect.

You need steady high water flow for proper gas exchange. You also remove unwanted gases at the surface as with high water flow you get the best results from the best bio filters money can buy , the LR ans SB as water will be pushed through them properly.

Also good high flow reduces uneatin food and fish waste to collect in low flow spots and reduce unwanted algea growth.

In my opinon high constant water flow in a salt water tank is the most important thing you can do.
Click to expand...

please elab on the air stone - it was my belief that it would cause/help the exchange at the water surface with the disruption by the bubbles? Not doubting just looking for a clarification because when reading the instructions for things like red slime remover and chemi-clean they mention putting an air stone or another type of aerator to increase O2 levels...
 
Air stones very helpfull in fresh water tanks , and may add small amounts in the salt water tank but not near enough .

Just how efficient are those little bubbles that come out of air stones, or diffusers? Many aquarists believe they play an important role in an aquarium when it comes to oxygenation and aeration of the water, and that this air source is adequate. Not so! When it comes to the increase of DO (dissolved oxygen) in an aquarium, the water surface is one of THE main places where this exchange takes place. Oxygen is dissolved down into the water, carbon dioxide is released out into the air, not to mention that other gases readily pass through the permeable surface of water as well. This is the principle that our bodies work on when we breathe; good air in... bad air out. It's the same way with your tank.
 
Sorry i thought i was helping with out belittling. This is why i added that i was a newbie once also.

Anyway, i hope i helped.. :) :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Where to get California two spot octopus
Replies
1
Views
114
griss
griss
oceangopher
Tankpocalypse Now
Replies
2
Views
160
Reefing102
Reefing102
Brian60077
Anyone know anything about the Sicce in tank skimmers?
Replies
9
Views
469
Brian60077
Brian60077
P
New saltwater toxic?
Replies
8
Views
160
pelagic
P
T
Trying to identify what ate my Torch Coral
Replies
12
Views
236
Uncle99
Uncle99
Back
Top