Big mistake. All fish dead after adding elegance coral.

[Born2beblack]

So back story
I got an elegance coral today and a new dottyback and purple reef lobster.

In the tank i have 2 pink skunk clownfish
2 starfish
Emerald crab
Open brain
Torch
Duncan
Chalice

So i come in after a few hours fish are not fully getting along
Lobster his under my.rocks so i assume its fine.
Come back more and all fish are dead with my clownfish with red marks. My lobster came out but doesn't look like its doing good at all

I should say i have an animal room and for the most oart im not new to this

Did the coral do it or did the fish do it why did they have these red marks.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Wow dude I am so sorry, horrific tragedy

 

[LardLad]

How old is your tank?

 

[NB Reefer]

Red marks could be a sign of ammonia burn.

 

[NB Reefer]

My apologies, very sorry for your losses.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Sorry I have to ask. How long has this tank been setup? Also how long were the other fish in the tank? Sorry this happened.

 

[uhgster1]

I’ve never had any issues with mine. Had it since it was the size of a nickel. The second pic was when it started in a Nuvo 10. I actually have a lawnmower blennie that hangs out underneath it. It will definitely eat dead fish.

 

[Kellie in CA]

I don’t think the Elegance had anything to do with it. Probably just a coincidence. The white rock makes me think this tank is new. I’d test everything ASAP, something is off.

 

[PicassoClown04]

The sand is super clean and so is the glass/back wall... looks like a brand shiny new tank, test perams!

 

[Hydrored]

NB Reefer nailed it, ammonia

 

[Han]

It does looks like ammonia, but I wouldn’t rule out the lobster attacking them. Probably not what happened to those guys but I recently lost a lionfish to an infection caused by lobster wounds so they make me a bit weary, keep an eye on him.

 

[NB Reefer]

Thanks @Hydrored. I think that is what everyone is dancing around. New tank plus a large bio load that the current biological filter can’t handle equals excessive free ammonia. I would do multiple large water changes and add bacteria to help save what is left. As others have said it’s probably not the elegance. They will eat things that are dead/dying but not healthy specimens. I have kept a few and I have never seen them catch healthy fish.

 

[Born2beblack]

Okay so im back after checking stuff lobster died

Tanks 6 months old rocks are newer
Clown were 3 months plus in the tank
I assume the dotty got stressed or maybe stung and couldn't handle it
I just dont know why my lobster passed.
Basically just dissapointmeant from this coral
All those fish were desd in front of it lobster was a bit passed it

 

[Born2beblack]

I did my change on the tank before this so idk why it went off *** corals are fine atleast

 

[Hydrored]

Like NB Reefer said, Get a large water change ready and complete it tonight. What are the current tank parameters and do you have an ammonia test? How did you cycle the tank? Did you cycle it with the rock?

Those fish have all the signs of ammonia as the cause.

 

[Born2beblack]

I don’t think the Elegance had anything to do with it. Probably just a coincidence. The white rock makes me think this tank is new. I’d test everything ASAP, something is off.

I did another water change just to make sure im out of Ni sadly die to this bs i live in a small town sadly -_-
Tanks new but not crazy new its still half a year old it just never had rocks before or corals. I just had some pink skuns and a green spotted puffer. I moved him into his own home so i could turn tha into a reef

 

[Copingwithpods]

Sorry for your loss @op. I do see some red flags that could be the issue, like mentioned above it's a very new tank with very little rock and a high bioload. The sand sifting star unless fed daily will starve, it eats microfauna in the sand. Is it still around? If not it could have died and fauled the water up. Test your parameters and see what comes up.

 

[sawdonkey]

If there was no live rock before and you just added it now, it’s likely you kicked off an ammonia/ nitrate cycle, just like a brand new tank. I agree with the others that said the elegance likely had nothing to do with the deaths.