3 dead in a month???

Kustom71 · Mar 14, 2023

Bad days lately,lost 2 maroon clowns same day then a month later lost my Biota baby yellow tang. Anybody have any ideas what could be going wrong or where to look next before i lose my hippo tang?
Temp is 77 degrees
PH 8.15
Phosphates.19
Nitrates on the high side 69
Both measured with a checker
Ammonia in between 0 and .25
No visible algea anywhere got rid of it about 2 months ago with peroxide dosing and water changes.
Total water volume around 100 gallons tank and sump
Using filter socks changed out about every 3-4 days
Thanks

Spare time · Mar 14, 2023

Were the fish quarentined? If not, that's probably where to start. If they had any symptoms that might be helpful. Did they die during the day or night?

Fishy888 · Mar 14, 2023

How big is the display tank? How large were the tangs? Can you get a picture under white light?

Kustom71 · Mar 14, 2023

Display is a 90 gallon
Tnag was a baby
No symptoms I seen all were eating day before all died overnight when lights were out
All was good
2 clowns were in there since 2/21
Hippo tang since 5/21
Yellow tang quarantined after delivery in tank 12/22
Cant get a pic till later but i will

Spare time · Mar 14, 2023

Hmm whenever it happens at night I start to lean towards some oxygen issue. Does the tank have solid lid by any chance?

Kustom71 · Mar 14, 2023

No it has a mesh lid.
They never picked on each other no fin nipping visible
no spots on any of them

Stephen8169301 · Mar 14, 2023

Electric shock possible? I’ve seen people post that

Kustom71 · Mar 14, 2023

How would I even measure that?

Stephen8169301 · Mar 14, 2023

Kustom71 said:
How would I even measure that?

Multimeter I’m sure there’s vids out there it’s a long shot but you never know

Using Multimeter to Measure Electricity in Water?

Can I use a multimeter to measure how much voltage is going through water?

www.reef2reef.com

Fishy888 · Mar 14, 2023

Any AC circulating nearby can induce a current in our systems. It doesn’t have to be equipment related to our systems. Even running a lamp on an end table can induce a current.

That said it’s highly unlikely to be an induced current in your system that caused the fish deaths. Some of the fish you had had been with you for two years. Now if water got into a heater or something like that then I would be more worried about electricity.

I know that tangs are ich magnets. I can’t say for sure it’s ich but it’s likely that a disease of some kind killed you fish. I’m sorry for your loss. I know how devastating it can be to have prized fishes or corals die on you.

deepseabc · Mar 14, 2023

Good point on the electric shock. You'd probably see signs and it would necessarily be limited to night time unless there is a specific piece of.gear you run only at night? Like the skimmer or something

Kustom71 · Mar 15, 2023

Here's the pic
And no voltage thru water

Stephen8169301 · Mar 15, 2023

Kustom71 said:
Here's the pic
And no voltage thru water

How much water movement is at the top of the tank

Uncle99 · Mar 15, 2023

Parasite?
The simultaneous death of two clowns is puzzling.

Kustom71 · Mar 15, 2023

Maxspect gyre on left side set to 50% plus normal return pump coming from right side

Uncle99 · Mar 15, 2023

Kustom71 said:
Maxspect gyre on left side set to 50% plus normal return pump coming from right side

Maybe the blue is a killer.
Mine is definitely the boss in my DT.
If the dying stops, then maybe he hits while you sleep.

Reeftanktraveler · Mar 15, 2023

Those nitrates seem very high. How often do you water change and how much?

Devaji · Mar 15, 2023

you prob. have done this but check your heater to make sure it working at the temp you set it.
could of been and over/under heat issue.

exnisstech · Mar 15, 2023

Stephen8169301 said:
Electric shock possible? I’ve seen people post that

I think this is a myth. I posted once trying to find anyone that had confirmed deaths from this and no one replied they had. I think it gets thrown out there for mystery deaths with no explanation. I had 50 volts (50 not .50 or 5.0) for how long I don't know. I stuck my hand in the tank one day and fell off the chair when I jerked from the shock. Everything in the tank was perfectly normal. The voltage was from karalia powerheads. I designated them to mixing salt but eventually tossed them because being the dolt that I am I kept putting my hand in the mixing station to scoop out water without turning off the power.

Kustom71 · Mar 15, 2023

Reeftanktraveler said:
Those nitrates seem very high. How often do you water change and how much?

Have pretty much always had some sort of high side phosphates and nitrates. Water changes 25 gallons every 2 weeks now was slacking a little before. Going to add a protein skimmer and see of that helps bring them down.

Devaji said:
you prob. have done this but check your heater to make sure it working at the temp you set it.
could of been and over/under heat issue.

I have checked and temp is right on low gets to 76.5 and high is 77.5
Don't know why I picked those numbers but I checked using apex and Hannah and both are very close