Foxface dead after cleaning algae

[Docdiggy]

So I decided to clean the back glass of my 125 since the turbos weren't really touching it. I scraped some film type algae which floated all over the tank so I did a quick 5 gal WC. I noticed my foxface breathing heavy and staying near the surface. 10 min later it was laying on its side and came out swimming upside down while shaking like a seizure and died. Now my yellow tang is staying in one corner. I tried feeding some mysis to see what happens and he wouldn't even look at it. My 2 clowns, starry blenny, and yellow goby seem fine. These fish have been in the tank for months and witnessed many cleanings, just not the crud on the back glass. I'm baffled and my day has been ruined.

 

[AshwinRavi]

so sorry to hear that. not sure what this issue is, have you been using RODI for your salt mix?

 

[JonJ]

It sounds like you had something on your hands! I’d run carbon and do a water change ASAP.

 

[Docdiggy]

I got out of the shower 15 min before

 

[Docdiggy]

This system is about 140 gallons. If there was a bit of soap residue on me it wouldn't be the same as putting my hands in a 10 gallon tank. I won't rule that out though.

 

[JonJ]

Could be residual soap or shampoo. Either way, I’d still do what I stated above. Sorry this happened to you. Losing fish sucks!

 

[Subsea]

If it was residue on your hands, all fish would be effected.

Most algae have developed defense strategy agaist predators. There are many toxins in algae.

 

[Docdiggy]

I don't have water prepped to do WC, but I just put the carbon reactor up. If I had gasoline on my hands I could understand. All corals, other fish, and clam look good.

 

[Docdiggy]

If it was residue on your hands, all fish would be effected.

Most algae have developed defense strategy agaist predators. There are many toxins in algae.

It was strange that the turbos weren't touching it, but I would occasionally see the foxface nipping at the algae. If it turns out it was the algae, how could it be removed? It's been growing for about 6 months and I never bothered cleaning it cause it wasn't bothering me.

 

[dealseer]

Maybe this should be moved to the fish disease forum to get those experts’ thoughts on this? @Humblefish

 

[Subsea]

Maybe this should be moved to the fish disease forum to get those experts’ thoughts on this? @Humblefish

@Scrubber_steve
Which one of the nuisance macro can be toxic to fish grazing?

 

[SDK]

Sorry to hear about your problem. I’m one town over in Shrewsbury if you need anything.....

 

[Docdiggy]

Sorry to hear about your problem. I’m one town over in Shrewsbury if you need anything.....

Thank you. At this point all I can see is if carbon makes a difference.

 

[Silver14SS]

Possible it wasn't the algae and it was the WC?

 

[Subsea]

http://www.montereybayseaweeds.com/the-seaweed-source/2018/10/12/which-seaweeds-are-toxic

While seaweeds are classified as macroalgae. There are currently no known poisonous or toxic seaweeds in existence. There are a few seaweeds that produce acid (acidweed), but these are no more acidic than your own stomach acid and would not harm you if consumed.

Incredibly there are only 14 reported deaths ever linked to eating seaweed, and the reports state that it’s not the seaweed itself but bacteria that had grown upon the seaweed. We say incredible because there are huge populations (Japan, Korea, China) that consume raw seaweed daily, while in the USA there are 31 reported deaths by E. Coli every year.



http://hab.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=16

What are harmful algae?
Phytoplankton blooms, micro-algal blooms, toxic algae, red tides, or harmful algae, are all terms for naturally occurring phenomena. About 300 hundred species of micro algae are reported at times to form mass occurrence, so called blooms. Nearly one fourth of these species are know to produce toxins. The scientific community refers to these events with a generic term, ‘Harmful Algal Bloom’ (HAB), recognising that, because a wide range of organisms is involved and some species have toxic effects at low cell densities, not all HABs are ‘algal’ and not all occur as ‘blooms’.

Why are they harmful?
Proliferations of microalgae in marine or brackish waters can cause massive fish kills, contaminate seafood with toxins, and alter ecosystems in ways that humans perceive as harmful. A broad classification of HABs distinguishes two groups of organisms: the toxin producers, which can contaminate seafood or kill fish, and the high-biomass producers, which can cause anoxia and indiscriminate kills of marine life after reaching dense concentrations. Some HABs have characteristics of both.

More than likely, bacteria are the culprit.
http://hab.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=16

 

[Docdiggy]

Possible it wasn't the algae and it was the WC?

It was 5 gallons in a 140 gallon system. Rodi and had been mixing for days. Water was warm too.

 

[Docdiggy]

http://www.montereybayseaweeds.com/the-seaweed-source/2018/10/12/which-seaweeds-are-toxic

While seaweeds are classified as macroalgae. There are currently no known poisonous or toxic seaweeds in existence. There are a few seaweeds that produce acid (acidweed), but these are no more acidic than your own stomach acid and would not harm you if consumed.

Incredibly there are only 14 reported deaths ever linked to eating seaweed, and the reports state that it’s not the seaweed itself but bacteria that had grown upon the seaweed. We say incredible because there are huge populations (Japan, Korea, China) that consume raw seaweed daily, while in the USA there are 31 reported deaths by E. Coli every year.



http://hab.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=16

What are harmful algae?
Phytoplankton blooms, micro-algal blooms, toxic algae, red tides, or harmful algae, are all terms for naturally occurring phenomena. About 300 hundred species of micro algae are reported at times to form mass occurrence, so called blooms. Nearly one fourth of these species are know to produce toxins. The scientific community refers to these events with a generic term, ‘Harmful Algal Bloom’ (HAB), recognising that, because a wide range of organisms is involved and some species have toxic effects at low cell densities, not all HABs are ‘algal’ and not all occur as ‘blooms’.

Why are they harmful?
Proliferations of microalgae in marine or brackish waters can cause massive fish kills, contaminate seafood with toxins, and alter ecosystems in ways that humans perceive as harmful. A broad classification of HABs distinguishes two groups of organisms: the toxin producers, which can contaminate seafood or kill fish, and the high-biomass producers, which can cause anoxia and indiscriminate kills of marine life after reaching dense concentrations. Some HABs have characteristics of both.

More than likely, bacteria are the culprit.
http://hab.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=16

You think it was bacteria acting that quickly? If it was from cleaning what ever off the glass this concerns me since I didn't clean all of it and this could happen again.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

@Scrubber_steve
Which one of the nuisance macro can be toxic to fish grazing?

I don't know about any of them being toxic to fish? Some have a defence mechanism that makes their flesh taste awful to grazers. Some algae can release alleochemicals that inhibit the growth of other algae. Dinoflagellates can be toxic.

 

[Docdiggy]

I've been kinda wondering what I scraped off, but it was not stringy and never had air bubbles in it. There's no dinos or cyano that I have seen in the tank. Here's a pic. I cleaned the dark stuff on the back.

 

[Subsea]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2525493/

Neurotoxins from Marine Dinoflagellates: A Brief Review


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinoflagellate

Interesting stuff. Some Dino’s eat Diatoms.