Help! What did I do!?

JacquieBeginnerReef · Mar 27, 2019

Everything has been fine with my fish - the coral haven’t been thriving, but fish always seemed okay. I did a water change today, glued some coral down, added fresh phosphates minus and now my little clown is dying! He was swimming oddly and is now lying on the bottom of the tank. His eyes look strange and his colour seems off. I’m worried about the colour of my other clown now. What happened!? I’m distraught
My female clown is sticking to the bottom of the tank which never happens, and appears a bit pink in the front white stripe. What’s happening!? Help!

Crabs McJones · Mar 27, 2019

How long has the tank been set up, how was it cycled ? Have you tested parameters?

Jon Fishman · Mar 27, 2019

Test the water that you are using to change your water.

RODI? What salt mix? Any additives ? (Reef Buffer/Builder etc?)

Texas Reefer · Mar 27, 2019

How's the flow? Maybe put a bubbler in for a while.

JacquieBeginnerReef · Mar 27, 2019

Will test parameters now. The aquarium is about 6 months old - parameters have always been very good. I’m thinking it could be velvet, but I don’t know how as I haven’t added any new fish since December!

JacquieBeginnerReef · Mar 27, 2019

Amonia is fine, phosphate fine. Just waiting on nitrate. Did a freshwater dip, but I’m pretty sure he’s not going to make it. Wish the LFS was open at 11pm at night!

JacquieBeginnerReef · Mar 27, 2019

Nitrates are bad. Clownfish is dead

JacquieBeginnerReef · Mar 27, 2019

Worried now about the other clown which looks discoloured (see pic), and my fish that are sleeping (wrasse and royal gramma). Can’t see them this time of night. I suppose I should go to bed and see what tomorrow brings.

JacquieBeginnerReef · Mar 27, 2019

Me again - I’m sure most people in this time zone are sleeping. I don’t understand how my nitrates are so high as I just did a 20% water change yesterday - and I regularly do them! I’m so confused.

KIRBLIT · Mar 27, 2019

Your nitrates are perfectly normal and no concern at all. They would have nothing to do with your fish not doing well whatsoever. If your fish was fine prior to the water change and showed no symptoms of disease I would suspect that the wc did it or adding the po4 reducer could have lowered the O2 in the tank possibly? I would suspect something with the waterchange though. Did you use ro water, any chance of chlorine? Was the water the same temp and specific gravity? Your ammonia test looked a little green but it could be just the picture. If it were me I would run some carbon, increase O2 transfer and put in some amquel, prime, or similar in case of chlorine, chloramines, or ammonia. To me there is something that happened with the waterchange if it was that abrupt.

JacquieBeginnerReef · Mar 27, 2019

Thank you. What on earth could it be then? They were perfectly fine this afternoon - something changed this evening.

KIRBLIT · Mar 27, 2019

We need more information from you to have any chance of helping. Please let us know what your water source is and answer some of the questions to possibly narrow it down. There could be alot going on that could contribute and we need to start with simple items. If it's as abrupt as you say I wouldn't suspect disease as there would have been other signs. Honestly it could be as simple as him getting spooked and running into the glass at a high rate of speed when you weren't looking and it messed him up, it happens.

cracker · Mar 28, 2019

I agree with KIRBLET . Your water is fine , nitrates for sure are OK. Did You say how long You have had the fish?
Honestly You will lose some fish for unknown reasons. We ALL have ! Please relax & don't beat yourself up over this.

Hemmdog · Mar 28, 2019

You have powerheads in the tank right? I have a feeling it’s the phosphate reducer and he got a full breath of it when it was put in the tank. It doesent look like disease to me. More like brain hemorrhaging, the pink under his stripe gives that away. But was it from trauma or chemical is the question. Trauma would be a big coincidence, that could of happened any day any time, but why now? Your tank looks very sterile for 6 months old so that’s a concern as well. 10 nitrate is good, if you’ve been doing some sort of nitrate reducer or waste away or anything like that, and added phosphate reducer, you could of comepletely depleted your O2.

cancun · Mar 28, 2019

Hemmdog said:
You have powerheads in the tank right? I have a feeling it’s the phosphate reducer and he got a full breath of it when it was put in the tank. It doesent look like disease to me. More like brain hemorrhaging, the pink under his stripe gives that away. But was it from trauma or chemical is the question. Trauma would be a big coincidence, that could of happened any day any time, but why now? Your tank looks very sterile for 6 months old so that’s a concern as well. 10 nitrate is good, if you’ve been doing some sort of nitrate reducer or waste away or anything like that, and added phosphate reducer, you could of comepletely depleted your O2.

I totally agree! I don't add any phosphate reducer, nopox, or anything like that. I just do a weekly 10% water change, and use Chemipure Blue which I chg out monthly. Doing a weekly wc and not over feeding keeps phosphates and nitrates in check. Fish can tolerate nitrates, and yours wasn't bad at all. Sorry about your fish also.

JacquieBeginnerReef · Mar 28, 2019

Hemmdog said:
You have powerheads in the tank right? I have a feeling it’s the phosphate reducer and he got a full breath of it when it was put in the tank. It doesent look like disease to me. More like brain hemorrhaging, the pink under his stripe gives that away. But was it from trauma or chemical is the question. Trauma would be a big coincidence, that could of happened any day any time, but why now? Your tank looks very sterile for 6 months old so that’s a concern as well. 10 nitrate is good, if you’ve been doing some sort of nitrate reducer or waste away or anything like that, and added phosphate reducer, you could of comepletely depleted your O2.

I had no idea that phosphate reducer could cause that - and that the pink stripe indicates such a thing.

My tank isn’t too sterile - the small rock you see in the pic was just added - but it’s a 6 month old aquarium. I had cyano issues, so the LFS staff gave me a bunch of things to do. Yesterday I was told to put in a new bag of phosphate reducer by the LFS. Must be that, but I really wish I knew that could happen. It could have been prevented.

madweazl · Mar 28, 2019

For the record, you don't want, nor need, 0 phosphates. Measurable but low levels are desirable (your color strip notes .01-.03 being good for corals). I haven't noticed much of a difference from .01-.2ppm in regard to phosphates. Phosphate minus is GFO from what I understand; I dont believe there would be an oxygen level concern using it.

JacquieBeginnerReef · Mar 28, 2019

The larger clown is still alive!!! Also, she looks a bit better than last night. She was the one in the picture above with the pink in the white stripe. I have attached a pic of her this morning (I keep her in the net last night as the crabs were after her last night). I’m hoping she continues to improve, and I do hope the other two are still just sleeping as they normally do this time.
Updated pic - do you think she looks better or am I imagining things?

JacquieBeginnerReef · Mar 28, 2019

And thank you very much to everyone who was able to respond. Very helpful to be able to ‘talk’ it through

JacquieBeginnerReef · Mar 28, 2019

madweazl said:
For the record, you don't want, nor need, 0 phosphates. Measurable but low levels are desirable (your color strip notes .01-.03 being good for corals). I haven't noticed much of a difference from .01-.2ppm in regard to phosphates. Phosphate minus is GFO from what I understand; I dont believe there would be an oxygen level concern using it.

Good to know!