Fish dying after chiller installation

[Eggpaul]

I live near the fires in California . Friday night I installed a JBJ 1/4 chiller and dropped the temperature about 3 degrees. Since then it keeps the temperature between 78-79 degrees (goes up and down from 79 to 78 all day, not sure if that's okay). Not even a day later my cleaner shrimp was dead, anthias was on the sand acting weird. saw it swim a bit , ate some black worms, and has disappeared since. I think it's dead. Today my diamond goby was upside down breathing hard. Most of these fish have been in the tank for 2 years. I am so confused. mandarin goby is acting weird also, just sitting in the corner. The larger fish (blue jaw trigger, purple tang, copper band, foxface) seem to be okay. copperband isn't eating as fast as usual. I did a 55 gallon water change today and turned on carbon.

I did open the windows up the last few nights, and the air was a little smokey. Can it be some ash got into the tank? Is the chiller killing the fish? before the water change nitrates were around 15-20. skimmer isn't bubbling up the neck though. I see many micro bubbles coming off the side.

 

[Lasse]

Was it a new Chiller? Did you flush it before start using it? If it was new - it can have been residues from the manufacture process that come out in the water.

However I think is more likely something in the air that have get down in the tank. IMO - if you can smell something in the air - it will come into the water -. especially if you use skimmers. If it will kill or not - depends of what the smell come from. I think it is wise in the present situation where you live to use a filter to the skimmers air intake. Fill it with activated carbon

Sincerely Lasse

 

[OrionN]

I agree with Lasse as to the possibility of what cause the fish to die. However, I think the chiller is more likely is the cause rather than the air from the burn.

 

[j.falk]

I would recommend doing a water change asap.

When things start dying off quickly it's usually a water contaminant.

 

[jt17]

My LFS had an issue with a chiller leaking either oil or whatever coolant it uses internally. I don’t remember if it killed fish but it took out a bunch of coral. I don’t know if that chemical would show up on an ICP test but I would still recommend that test to see if there’s something else. And I agree with j.falk, a large water change would be a good idea.

 

[Eggpaul]

I did a large water change last night

 

[Eggpaul]

Was it a new Chiller? Did you flush it before start using it? If it was new - it can have been residues from the manufacture process that come out in the water.

However I think is more likely something in the air that have get down in the tank. IMO - if you can smell something in the air - it will come into the water -. especially if you use skimmers. If it will kill or not - depends of what the smell come from. I think it is wise in the present situation where you live to use a filter to the skimmers air intake. Fill it with activated carbon

Sincerely Lasse

It is a brand new chiller. I feel like by the time I get an ICP test I will lose more.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Water change and carbon would be first recourse and test your ammonia and nitrate levels. New or use, flush chiller units always and smoke has destroyed ozone in some states and probably played a role with windows open

 

[rossco]

I can confirm that forest fire smoke injection though a skimmer kills SPS , especially acros. Skimmer had intake of outside air. It never seemed to bother my fish. For that reason I have been skimmerless in my display since July 2018.

 

[Lasse]

How does the surviving fish looks like today? If I was near the fires - I would do an active carbon filter for the skimmer inlet and also use an active carbon filter in the water.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Eggpaul]

Last night I turned on the carbon canisters full blast after the water change. This morning the fish looked in high spirits and were actively swimming and ate a lot. Mandarin goby is just sitting in the corner. Seems it hurt the smaller fish more. Hopefully I see the other small fish emerge today. I put some carbon in the skimmer air intake. Outside air thankfully smells normal for the first time in weeks. Windows are closed. I have an air filter running in the fish room.

Also, for now I shut off the chiller. Does that make sense or should I leave it on?

 

[Conchman]

I would suspect as most, contamination of lines. Also maybe verify temperature is actual what it is, not the digital on the chiller, verify with a second source in tank. And a few more water changes will likely be needed if it was contamination, just as a precaution.

 

[Eggpaul]

Water change and carbon would be first recourse and test your ammonia and nitrate levels. New or use, flush chiller units always and smoke has destroyed ozone in some states and probably played a role with windows open

Last night nitrate was 15-20. I turned off the chiller for now, or should I leave it on? I took out some water to send for an ICP test. I ordered it so it should be here in a few days, so I wanted to take some water out before the carbon removes whatever was in there.

 

[h2so4hurts]

Dropped 3 degrees over what time period? 3 degrees is a lot for cold blooded animals. I did research with FW fish from a hatchery in undergrad and was told by the crew there to never change the temp more than 3 degree over a 24hr period. But that was with cold water trout which are especially sensitive to temp changes.

 

[Lasse]

Also, for now I shut off the chiller. Does that make sense or should I leave it on?

Difficult to know for sure. If it was residues in the heat/cold exchanger it should be away for now but if it is a leak between the two sides ...... If it is a leak - the efficiency of the chiller should go down fast and it should be more or less overheated.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Eggpaul]

I would suspect as most, contamination of lines. Also maybe verify temperature is actual what it is, not the digital on the chiller, verify with a second source in tank. And a few more water changes will likely be needed if it was contamination, just as a precaution.

Filling water tank today so I can do another water change soon. If lines were contaminated, should I keep the chiller running ? I'm assuming whatever was in there is gone now. I verified temperature with 2 different thermometers (one was digital).

 

[Eggpaul]

Dropped 3 degrees over what time period? 3 degrees is a lot for cold blooded animals. I did research with FW fish from a hatchery in undergrad and was told by the crew there to never change the temp more than 3 degree over a 24hr period. But that was with cold water trout which are especially sensitive to temp changes.

Chiller did that in less than 2 hours.

 

[Eggpaul]

Difficult to know for sure. If it was residues in the heat/cold exchanger it should be away for now but if it is a leak between the two sides ...... If it is a leak - the efficiency of the chiller should go down fast and it should be more or less overheated.

Sincerely Lasse

Seems the chiller is working fine, no change in efficiency. maybe just line contamination. I purchases an expensive JBJ chiller instead of a cheap China brand so I don't deal with anything like this. :mad:

 

[ApoIsland]

I have doubts it was temp change that killed them. Every summer there is a handful of times i come home from work and the tank is at 84. I use ice cubes to drop it down to 80 in a matter of minutes not hours. Granted the anthia is the only fish we have in common from your death list.

 

[Lasse]

Noway it is the temperature IMO. I have done larger than that and faster - and we use degree Celsius I have been working with coldwater salmonids and going down in temperatures fast was no problems. However - in the spring - when temperature have been below 8 during winter - we did not allowed more than 0.5 - 1 degrees Celsius a week because the fishes immune system must rise in the same speed as bacteria growth rise.

Sincerely Lasse