Fish keep dying

[SirKevinD]

Water parameters are as follow.
Tank is 2 months old.
PH 8
Ammo 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
KH 9
Calc 440
Mag 1200 (little low for sure)
Phos 0
Salinity 1.025
Temp 79
Weekly water changes 5 gallons
60 cube with 20 sump, two MP10's, bubble magus curve 5.
In the past week I have had three fish die. First was a firefish, he just disappeared. Second was another firefish that had its fins gnarled and in the same night a royal Dottyback which also had some gnarled fins. I come to my tank tonight to see one of my clowns on the sandbed, which I usually don't get to worried about. His back fins are a bit nipped and my yellow tang is hanging out ROGHT NEXT to him. What's going on here? Do you think my tang is killing my fish??? Please give me some ideas and opinions on what may be happening here.

 

[SirKevinD]

i literally just caught him in my hand.....very strange.

 

[Tek]

Was the tang added before the other fish? They can get territorial and will stab other fish with their tail bone. Are the fish breathing hard? Any signs of parasites or disease?

 

[NC2WA]

my guess is the dottyback is the aggressor...they can be mean little...plus a 60g for a tang and dottyback creates a very stressful situation.. I can tell as the color of your yellow tang tells me that by its whiteness in color.....I would move the tang to a large tank....basically the 60g IS the dottyback's tank..period...

 

[SirKevinD]

Tek, the tang, Dottyback and two clowns were moved into this tank at the same time from my old 46G. No signs of disease or anything like that. The tangs color is a result from my LEDs dimming I think. The Dottyback ideas last night and now this clown just died.

 

[SirKevinD]

*died last night. I only saw the fins getting messed up on the clown this afternoon.

 

[Tek]

Crazy to think the tank is still cycling but a water change never hurts. I also suggest checking for stray voltage.

 

[SirKevinD]

I do a 5g water change every Wednesday, did one today since the two other fish died. There's still diatoms but my SPS, zoos and torch are thriving. Cycles is complete, it finished a little under a month, when I added the fish from my previous tank.

 

[SirKevinD]

How do I test for stray voltage?

 

[Tek]

Voltage meter or if you have an open wound a shock will be felt. I had fish dying in the past and it was due to stray voltage. Your parameters seem fine so it has to be something else.

 

[Tek]

The clown is a bit skinny. My fish when they were under the stray voltage all looked skinny no matter how much I fed them.
If it is not stray voltage I would blame the last fish standing as a yellow tang can get very aggressive with that scalpel on its tail.

 

[SirKevinD]

I'm starting to think maybe the tang has had it in a 60G and is making all his. I think I will return him to the pet store to trade in on some smaller fish.

 

[evolved]

If it's not the Tang, then I'm willing to bet it's an unknown hitchhiker (like a Mantis).

 

[SirKevinD]

Evolved, normally I would agree with you but I used dry rock, live sand (which a mantis would be very rare). Everything in this tank was new and ALL corals have been dipped.

 

[NC2WA]

SirKevin,

I am fairly confident you are correct...issue is tank size and tang is stressed. I would rehome it.

 

[SirKevinD]

I plan to tomorrow. That's everyone for helping me brainstorm!