3 x missing fish

[ricky stubbs]

Hi everyone

I am completely confused by what is happening
I recently bought some live rock from someone locally who had a running tank.
A week later my blue tang started getting horrible skin patches. (Photo attached) I ordered treatment but the day it arrived my blue tang had completely gone no signs of it what so ever??
3 days later a perfectly healthy clown fish dissarpered with out any signs of been ill. Then the next day which is today my other clown fish has completely gone. I have taken all the love rock out and searched the sand and there is nothing.
I now only have 5 fish and a bit of a clean up crew including a couple snails. 5 x hermit crabs and 1 x boxer shrimp. 1 x star fish
My boxer shrimp yesterday shread his shell and now has a new one.

What could cause this how can they eat that much?? Could there be something in the live rock causing this

Any help and advice please

See photos attached of all fish

 

[MSB123]

#reefsquad

 

[JoshH]

What do you have for a CUC in the tank?

NVM somehow missed it in your original post lol

I am feeling you're dealing with a fast moving disease and your CUC is taking care of the casualties...

 

[EmdeReef]

Is your coral banded shrimp aggressive to fish as they swim near it? In the last pic, are those spots on glass or your chromis?

Fish decompose very fast. It's common not to find remains of even large fish over a few hours. As this is happening after you added new rocks, you either introduced a pest or a pathogen. In either case it'd be good idea to move all the remaining fish to QT. Any signs of velvet?

Personally, I would restart the tank if this was happening to me. Alternatively could try removing all the rocks and very closely examining it by leaving it in a dry tub/container for a bit to see what might come out - it's not guaranteed anything will even if present though.

 

[ricky stubbs]

Thanks for the replies everyone I am pretty new to this so this is Defo a tough learning process


This smudge looking spots were on the glass but the skin pealing was on the blue tang

What is velvet ???

Also I like the idea of removing the live rock to see if any thing appears. How long can you leave live rock dry for in a tube?? Some have small corals or zoas on them ??

Is your coral banded shrimp aggressive to fish as they swim near it? In the last pic, are those spots on glass or your chromis?

Fish decompose very fast. It's common not to find remains of even large fish over a few hours. As this is happening after you added new rocks, you either introduced a pest or a pathogen. In either case it'd be good idea to move all the remaining fish to QT. Any signs of velvet?

Personally, I would restart the tank if this was happening to me. Alternatively could try removing all the rocks and very closely examining it by leaving it in a dry tub/container for a bit to see what might come out - it's not guaranteed anything will even if present though.

 

[ricky stubbs]

I will do all the tank parameters tonight and post the results ??

 

[EmdeReef]

Thanks for the replies everyone I am pretty new to this so this is Defo a tough learning process


This smudge looking spots were on the glass but the skin pealing was on the blue tang

What is velvet ???

Also I like the idea of removing the live rock to see if any thing appears. How long can you leave live rock dry for in a tube?? Some have small corals or zoas on them ??

See this thread for pics of velvet: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/

You don't want to leave corals out dry for too long, so you'd have to remove the corals first.

How long after adding the rocks did you see the changes on the tang?

 

[ricky stubbs]

It doesn't sound like velvet from the physical symptoms and they always had there appetite

How do I check if there is pathogen

See this thread for pics of velvet: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/

You don't want to leave corals out dry for too long, so you'd have to remove the corals first.

How long after adding the rocks did you see the changes on the tang?

 

[Captain Quint]

I'm sorry about the Yellow Belly Blue Tang and other fishes in your 65g. I think a week ago you posted pics of the livestock and some parameters which deviated from normal parameters for a healthy environment.

Could you please get a full panel of current parameters so we could try to help?

You mentioned a starfish. Do you know what type it is by chance?

Do you have a top on the tank?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm just trying to understand.

 

[ricky stubbs]

Just working on the water results now so will post shortly. Is there one which is more important than the other tests ??

There is a lot on the tank, it is a red sea max 250 l

I will try and find out the type of star fish from the guy I bought it from.

I bought the live rock, star fish and boxer shrimp from the same guy as he was shutting his tank down

I'm sorry about the Yellow Belly Blue Tang and other fishes in your 65g. I think a week ago you posted pics of the livestock and some parameters which deviated from normal parameters for a healthy environment.

Could you please get a full panel of current parameters so we could try to help?

You mentioned a starfish. Do you know what type it is by chance?

Do you have a top on the tank?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm just trying to understand.

 

[ricky stubbs]

I forgot to say I also have a Algae blenny

Here are my results compared to the test just over a week ago

I'm sorry about the Yellow Belly Blue Tang and other fishes in your 65g. I think a week ago you posted pics of the livestock and some parameters which deviated from normal parameters for a healthy environment.

Could you please get a full panel of current parameters so we could try to help?

You mentioned a starfish. Do you know what type it is by chance?

Do you have a top on the tank?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm just trying to understand.

 

[ricky stubbs]

Also I have been told the star fish is a Sand sifter star fish

 

[ricky stubbs]

The anemone seems pretty happy as well

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I would ask the guy who you bought the rock from why he broke his tank down. Did he ever say why?

 

[Jvesche20]

You ever hear a clicking noice? Maybe person before had a mantis shrimp that’s hiding not sure why the fish are disappearing like that

 

[rkpetersen]

One thing we know for certain is that something in the water caused your hepatus tang's skin to suddenly start peeling. That's unlikely to be due to any predator, so that leaves an infection or reaction to water condition. As far as infection, that doesn't look like crypto or velvet. I've never seen brook on a tang but I suppose it could look like that. Brook would also explain the disappearance of the clowns.

As far as water condition, I wonder about the live rock. Was it out of the water for a long time between when it was taken out of the other tank and placed in yours? If so, it's possible that some of the algae and microfauna on the rock died, and then caused an ammonia spike.

As far as your parameters, your ammonia NH3/NH4 really should be 0, but some kits might read false positive low levels. Is your pH really 8.6? That's way high, if correct. None of the other parameters there should be killing fish.

A predator or scavenger introduced with the live rock can't be entirely ruled out either, but I don't think anything like that is the root cause here.

 

[ricky stubbs]

Thanks for that, well it has been a good day today I did not Lose any more fish !!

One thing we know for certain is that something in the water caused your hepatus tang's skin to suddenly start peeling. That's unlikely to be due to any predator, so that leaves an infection or reaction to water condition. As far as infection, that doesn't look like crypto or velvet. I've never seen brook on a tang but I suppose it could look like that. Brook would also explain the disappearance of the clowns.

As far as water condition, I wonder about the live rock. Was it out of the water for a long time between when it was taken out of the other tank and placed in yours? If so, it's possible that some of the algae and microfauna on the rock died, and then caused an ammonia spike.

As far as your parameters, your ammonia NH3/NH4 really should be 0, but some kits might read false positive low levels. Is your pH really 8.6? That's way high, if correct. None of the other parameters there should be killing fish.

A predator or scavenger introduced with the live rock can't be entirely ruled out either, but I don't think anything like that is the root cause here.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

"Skin peeling" sounds like brook.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/brooklynella.247938/

 

[vetteguy53081]

What are you feeding and how much. Seems like vitamin deficiency and can be external from overfeeding, low salinity or something in tank decayed causing skin issues.