All my fish are dead, heartbroken.

ApoIsland · May 16, 2020

windemerejack said:
Any advice on what to do about my corals? or is it a case of binning everything and starting again?

If your tank is only 100-150 gallons why not spend $30 on salt mix and change 100% of your water? Would only take a couple hours and could solve all your problems. No need to wait for RO water in this case tap will work just fine. That is minimal time and expense to possibly save much time and expense down the line.

windemerejack · May 16, 2020

Ok so this is my plan. I have done what I can with the corals and put them on some fresh rock rubble I have spare, I have some fresh saltwater and bags which I have put all my corals in and going to drive down this evening after dinner to my office (about 2 hour drive) and put them in my office tank until such time I can empty and clean my home tank and cycle it again with some new rock.
On a plus side I can start a build thread of this 'new' tank from scratch while I plan my other dream build.
is this plan ok do you think?

esther · May 16, 2020

So, so sorry!

windemerejack · May 16, 2020

LovesDogs_CatsRokay said:
Did you have your windows open? Maybe a neighbor sprayed some pesticides or something and it came in through an open window

Its worth a shot going to ask them as I do leave my windows open a crack, but my nearest neighbour is about 50 yards away.

Anihiel1 · May 16, 2020

Omg, I'm so sorry for your loss. That is heartbreaking.

Shaun_in_Cali · May 16, 2020

Sorry to hear about this, I know what a blow this would be if it happened to my tank.

Proteus Meep · May 16, 2020

Sorry to hear about your losses that really sucks

Electricity is a fiercely debated topic in aquariums and reef tanks even amongst qualified electricians, but it would be the very first thing i investigated one item at a time if suffering a sudden catastrophic loss like you have

I am no electrician but one thing the majority seem to agree upon in forum threads is the grounding probe is there to protect us from stray current (which of course takes priority) but allows any current in the water to flow to ground which would kill fish even with a gfci device that moment can be enough before it trips (if it trips)..like the bird on the wire with all that voltage they are fine but pop a grounding probe on them and it really doesnt end well for the bird

Personally I would check carefully wearing rubber gloves and a voltmeter each piece if equipment and also examine your setup as even moisture near sockets etc could provide a pathway to the water for electric to flow which could be a one off freak happening or have the potential to re-occur

Its worth bearing in mind if only to rule it out.....please stay safe

windemerejack · May 16, 2020

Proteus Meep said:
Sorry to hear about your losses that really sucks

Electricity is a fiercely debated topic in aquariums and reef tanks even amongst qualified electricians, but it would be the very first thing i investigated one item at a time if suffering a sudden catastrophic loss like you have

I am no electrician but one thing the majority seem to agree upon in forum threads is the grounding probe is there to protect us from stray current (which of course takes priority) but allows any current in the water to flow to ground which would kill fish even with a gfci device that moment can be enough before it trips (if it trips)..like the bird on the wire with all that voltage they are fine but pop a grounding probe on them and it really doesnt end well for the bird

Personally I would check carefully wearing rubber gloves and a voltmeter each piece if equipment and also examine your setup as even moisture near sockets etc could provide a pathway to the water for electric to flow which could be a one off freak happening or have the potential to re-occur

Its worth bearing in mind if only to rule it out.....please stay safe

Thank you I will get an electrician out tomorrow to check for me.

Dragon52 · May 16, 2020

Sorry to hear this especially the Flame Hawk, it's one of my favorite fish.

windemerejack · May 16, 2020

Once again, thank you all for your continuing messages of support, it means a lot.

jelazar · May 16, 2020

Very sorry to read this. It sucks to lose your pets, especially when it's so hard to figure out why.

Low oxygen will quickly kill both fish and corals. One evening the MP10 on my Red Sea Max got a shell in it so I turned it off, thinking I would fix it in the morning.

Even though the return pump was still running, almost all the fish were dead in the morning, and many of the corals. A lone clownfish was gasping at the surface in obvious distress. I turned the MP10 back on and heavily aerated, and the surviving clown recovered within an hour.

So, look hard at your system to make sure that your circulation pump or skimmer isn't intermittent for some reason. IMHO, this is the most likely cause. Pesticides or other airborne contaminants, as well as sabotage, are still possibilities. When you hear hooves, think horses, not zebras. Unless you're at a zoo or in Africa!

Hope you feel better soon.

ReefGrammie · May 16, 2020

I'm so sad to read this thread and I'm so terribly sorry for your losses. I would feel awful, too, but please don't beat yourself up. I lost a beloved tang I had had for 6 years a few months ago and I still don't know what happened. I hope you can find the cause and get back to enjoying the hobby. Chin up!

vetteguy53081 · May 16, 2020

windemerejack said:
Ok so this is my plan. I have done what I can with the corals and put them on some fresh rock rubble I have spare, I have some fresh saltwater and bags which I have put all my corals in and going to drive down this evening after dinner to my office (about 2 hour drive) and put them in my office tank until such time I can empty and clean my home tank and cycle it again with some new rock.
On a plus side I can start a build thread of this 'new' tank from scratch while I plan my other dream build.
is this plan ok do you think?

I like the positive attitude and plan and sounds like it will work.

TriggerFinger · May 16, 2020

I may have missed it but do you have any inverts in your tank? Hermits, snails, shrimp?? Are they alive? I would think an electricity jolt would harm them too.

Proteus Meep · May 16, 2020

windemerejack said:
Thank you I will get an electrician out tomorrow to check for me.

That's great, even though it may not be the most probable or popular of possibilities
( "ridicule is nothing to be scared of" ) it is the only one that can potentially cause harm to or even kill you.... so that is why it is always best to eliminate that possibility as a first priority

OrionN · May 16, 2020

I am so sorry to hear about your tank.
Are all the Fauna OK? Corals seem to be relatively unaffected.
Certainly O2 depletion at night can be the cause for Fish wipe out but not corals. If your tank have a skimmer, then O2 depletion can be rule out unless it got shut down somehow last night.
What left to consider is some toxin that is selective got into the tank somehow. Somebody clean the tank with Windex (or other ammonia base) Glass cleaner?

dwair · May 16, 2020

windemerejack said:
Ok so this is my plan. I have done what I can with the corals and put them on some fresh rock rubble I have spare, I have some fresh saltwater and bags which I have put all my corals in and going to drive down this evening after dinner to my office (about 2 hour drive) and put them in my office tank until such time I can empty and clean my home tank and cycle it again with some new rock.
On a plus side I can start a build thread of this 'new' tank from scratch while I plan my other dream build.
is this plan ok do you think?

"Might" be worth it to also dip the corals? Just in case? As we don't know what happened to your tank, and you don't want to introduce whatever that was to your office tank. Just a thought.