All my fish dead! Why??

[Melia]

I checked your previous posts, by the time those feather dusters moved, they most likely were already dead for a while and were decomposing, and that was april 7th you lost the first one the second a few days later. Both of them dying most likely the cycle trigger and that was less than a month ago (by a few days). Also, for your nitrates to be that high, that took some time, a long time to get that high.

Is anything else remaining in the tank?

If the feather dusters were the cycle trigger (I assume you mean nitrogen cycle) is wouldn’t the ammonia or nitrites have been the death of these fish first?

 

[Flexin]

So where to go from here:

1. There is no quick fix.
2. Don't add any more inhabitants or corals to the tank.
3. Make sure your test kit has not expired.
4. Test water before adding it to the tank after mixing with salt. Know what your baseline is. (just once to see what you are adding to the tank)
5. Perform water changes to get the Nitrates down. I would do a large water change, 50% once you have tested it and it's ok meaning no ammonia, nitrites or nitrates in addition to your normal checks for temp and salinity.
6. Next week another large water change and so on until nitrates are lower (less than 20)
7. Once you get nitrates in control I would not add anything to the tank for two months, after the nitrates are down. During this time they tank will need to cycle on it's own and heal.
8. When adding something, go slow a fish at a time and wait for the tank to balance again before adding something else.

If anyone has anything to add or change please do... Don't be discouraged. Just focus on where to go from here and the right way to a healthy tank.

We did not talk about how often you normally perform water changes? Water changes are your friend, the best way to get you back to the baseline of healthy parameters. From there it tank maintenance.

Also, I read you lost a snail at some point, they can do much harm to a tank if they die. But here, it was the feather dusters that cause the cycle based on the info..

Hope this is helpful.

 

[Flexin]

If the feather dusters were the cycle trigger (I assume you mean nitrogen cycle) is wouldn’t the ammonia or nitrites have been the death of these fish first?

The feather dusters dying triggered the cycle (over feeding can also). When they die, the ammonia goes up to an unusual level and if your system can't convert that ammonia to nitrites and then nitrates quickly, the ammonia stays in the water column. And in this case so did the nitrites since it could not convert fast enough in your tank. Normally in a healthy tank, ammonia is 0, nitrites are 0 and then you will have nitrates at some level.

 

[Flexin]

Again, sorry to hear that happened. Just take your time and you can come back from this.

 

[Melia]

Thank you so much. I appreciate the help and I’ll keep you informed on anything new.

 

[paphater]

I would consider a larger tank. Smaller water volume = things can go south real fast, especially if heavily stocked and you don't have the time to regularly test.

 

[Fishfinder]

I do not use RO/DI water, whenever I add water to the tank I add the needed amount of salt and XTreme water conditioner.

This is also an issue. Is this your procedure for top off water?

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

You need a whole set up, first a RODI unit then not to buy fish from petco so you might have to drive a hour to a good store and a good salt mix and I would look at a sump and skimmer and maybe a algae scrubber I would say your going to need $700 for a good set up. Your going to have to spend money to get the results you want.

 

[reef lover]

I do not use RO/DI water, whenever I add water to the tank I add the needed amount of salt and XTreme water conditioner.

This is also an issue. Is this your procedure for top off water?

Agreed here. Have u been constantly topping off with salt water...salt doesn' evaporate only water. I would have your water tested with a reliable refractometer.

 

[Flexin]

So where to go from here:

1. There is no quick fix.
2. Don't add any more inhabitants or corals to the tank.
3. Make sure your test kit has not expired.
4. Test water before adding it to the tank after mixing with salt. Know what your baseline is. (just once to see what you are adding to the tank)
5. Perform water changes to get the Nitrates down. I would do a large water change, 50% once you have tested it and it's ok meaning no ammonia, nitrites or nitrates in addition to your normal checks for temp and salinity.
6. Next week another large water change and so on until nitrates are lower (less than 20)
7. Once you get nitrates in control I would not add anything to the tank for two months, after the nitrates are down. During this time they tank will need to cycle on it's own and heal.
8. When adding something, go slow a fish at a time and wait for the tank to balance again before adding something else.

If anyone has anything to add or change please do... Don't be discouraged. Just focus on where to go from here and the right way to a healthy tank.

We did not talk about how often you normally perform water changes? Water changes are your friend, the best way to get you back to the baseline of healthy parameters. From there it tank maintenance.

Also, I read you lost a snail at some point, they can do much harm to a tank if they die. But here, it was the feather dusters that cause the cycle based on the info..

Hope this is helpful.

One more thing to add, get an ammonia badge. Its simply an indication if something is wrong and they last a year. It's a color coded disk that will tell you if ammonia rises in the tank. I use it when I make a change to my tank, but with this conversation, it has me thinking I should have them in both of my tanks just as a quick indicator. I also go by my corals, I can tell if I have a swing based on how they behave, but that comes over time as you get to know the tank.

 

[siniang]

One more thing to add, get an ammonia badge.

I'm just a silent reader, but I wanted to shout out a thank you, because I'm a novice myself (with a busy lifestyle) who just re-started a tank and am constantly worrying about parameters (and don't have corals as indicators), especially after reading a little bit in the emergency subforum (boy, that other thread where all fish just died is scary as hell). I'm gonna get one instantly, especially since they're not expensive.

 

[PSXerholic]

So I guess you do not run a Skimmer in this tank? Or do you?
Can we see a picture of it?
Doesn't sound like that a functional biology has been established for whatever reason.

 

[omykiss001]

I didn't see anyone mention this but your alkalinity really isn't 300ppm is it? That would be a dKH of 16.8??? Way too high... ppm of 155-170 is more in the normal range.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

I do not use RO/DI water, whenever I add water to the tank I add the needed amount of salt and XTreme water conditioner.

Are you mixing salt in the tank ?

 

[JoshH]

Agreed here. Have u been constantly topping off with salt water...salt doesn' evaporate only water. I would have your water tested with a reliable refractometer.

+1 on this, an RO/DI system is definitely recommended for water changes and top off water. As mentioned previously you do not add salt to top off water. And your hydrometer is practically useless you do need to invest in a proper refractometer and celebration fluid.

 

[kyle wenham]

Hi there I have been having trouble with my tank for about 6 months now .. I have a 400l tank I have a sump with uv / skimmer / pellet reactor / air stone / media and carbon . I have loads of live rock in my tank . My water is always crystal clear and I test it every couple days and I take it to the shop and get tested aswell .. I have two clowns a vampire tang a sail fin tang/ coral beauty/ peacock wraps / 2 cleaning shrimps / 2 bubble tips and about 6 hermit.. for about 6 to 8 months now every time I add a new fish it can last about 3 weeks then dies . My fish in there don’t attack them they are all heathly and growing quick they are perfect but I can’t get to bottom of why I can’t add anymore fish

 

[reef lover]

Hi there I have been having trouble with my tank for about 6 months now .. I have a 400l tank I have a sump with uv / skimmer / pellet reactor / air stone / media and carbon . I have loads of live rock in my tank . My water is always crystal clear and I test it every couple days and I take it to the shop and get tested aswell .. I have two clowns a vampire tang a sail fin tang/ coral beauty/ peacock wraps / 2 cleaning shrimps / 2 bubble tips and about 6 hermit.. for about 6 to 8 months now every time I add a new fish it can last about 3 weeks then dies . My fish in there don’t attack them they are all heathly and growing quick they are perfect but I can’t get to bottom of why I can’t add anymore fish

Could be a number of things, disease, aggression....best bet would be to start a new thread and get some Good feedback...

 

[40B Knasty]

What is your biological media?
Are you rinsing the biological media with tap water killing your beneficial bacteria?
How much live rock and flow do you have?
Your dkh is through the roof! Get that in check.
Your pH is way to low. You want to be 7.8pH on the low end. Not the high end. 8-8.3pH is where yo want to be. Open a window. A protein skimmer will also help a little, but not a ton.
Topping off with salt water is not good.
I had a 20g before with 6 fish, inverts and corals. Get yourself a good protein skimmer like a Reef Octopus BH1000 or 90. You don't need a sump, refugium, and whatever else. Just a good filter. Clean the sponge out every 3 days. You have a small tank. It only has so much that can process your export of nutrients. A FLUVAL 30 or 50 worked for mine. Cut a plate of Marine Pure to fit in there. This will quadruple your beneficial bacteria to help process the nitrogen cycle. Add some Nite-Out ll or Dr. Tim's starter bacteria right to the plate. Let your tank finish its cycle. Get the tank back in check with 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites. Get your nitrates down below 5ppm.
Help us by letting us know what you have so we can help you. Keep your head up. This is not an overnight fix as stated already. What's done is done.

 

[Danh Ngo]

Few things I found that could happen with your tank
- Amonia and nitrite is not good for fish, can poison them
- 500 ppm nitrate could be a failed reading, I think at some level the test kit will give you a fail reading(read from some article before)
- 100% water change when the fish are stressed is not ideal. It even shocked them more. It could crash the tank imo
- Try to keep only one hardy fish during cycle, or do not cycle with fish. It is very risky.
I think you should let the tank cycle fishless in this situation, seed with live rock or some established tank water.
Good luck

 

[kecked]

Puffer fish died? That could trash your tank. They put out a toxin. Same with box fish. In 20 gal it would not take much to kill everything. 500 ppm nitrate is truly unlikely.