Massive fail- utterly devastated

[JonPhillips]

Yup fully agree if all those fish were in one bucket that would be the cause. Sorry about your luck. Learn and move on. I feel like you have been doing a lot in just a few days. Might want to take your time so you can make sure you have all your bases covered. Keep your head up!

your right.

 

[JonPhillips]

Hold on one second. Fresh saltwater. As in brand new-mixed right before the move?

Could have been chemically burned. Super freshly mixed saltwater sometimes does that. It has to mix for a few hours to a day before its fully safe to use.

She said her husband made it the night before or that morning. I was there at 12:30

 

[JonPhillips]

Hold on one second. Fresh saltwater. As in brand new-mixed right before the move?

Could have been chemically burned. Super freshly mixed saltwater sometimes does that. It has to mix for a few hours to a day before its fully safe to use.

It was half and half. I mixed some of the tank water with the new water.

 

[Lowstorm]

Okay, that mostly rules that out. Were the starfish alive when you pulled them out of the bucket?

 

[JonPhillips]

Okay, that mostly rules that out. Were the starfish alive when you pulled them out of the bucket?

Yup. they gone now

 

[sheepdog76]

If the salt was mixed in the bucket I wouldn't rule that out not that it really matters at this point. I would have just used the water from the tank and tried to have as many buckets as I could. I have a few of the banded sea stars they never go after fish unless the fish is already dead. So did you end up with anything out of this deal besides a long day and pile of sushi

 

[JonPhillips]

If the salt was mixed in the bucket I wouldn't rule that out not that it really matters at this point. I would have just used the water from the tank and tried to have as many buckets as I could. I have a few of the banded sea stars they never go after fish unless the fish is already dead. So did you end up with anything out of this deal besides a long day and pile of sushi

3 yellow tangs
2 clowns
peppermint shrimp
clam

[wrass, cromi, blue hippo, and file fish hanging on]

lots of live rock

unidentified coral colony hanging on

$150

all day

 

[Triggreef]

No doubt in my mind that it was the brittle star.

My uncle has a 225g mixed reef and had one of these... He lost about $200 in a LA order because while his clowns were sleeping, they went missing, slowly, more and more went missing. After we decided to investigate, we pulled all the rock out of tank, and lo and behold: the brittle star was there with a fairly large sized pile of fish skeletons.

This is the only other incident where I've heard of these brittle stars going rouge. I guess they decided live food tastes better.

EDIT: after reading the thread a bit more, it seems it may have been lack of oxygen. However, be careful with brittle stars.

That story isn't surprising. The brittles would find them all as soon as the die and drag them under a rock. But look elsewhere for the killer. Flukes I would bet on. Taking out the fish slowly one by one, more agressively even as they die and dispersing to left over living fish.


At the original poster, I had a similar experience when breaking down / selling some older bigger fish. Tangs use a ton of O2 and use it fast. Even bagged separate you need a good amount of water.

 

[DSPENCE]

Super bummer but no, serpents and brittles don't sting fish. I've heard that the larger brittles can go after smaller perching fish but have never had it happen. That's a lot of large fish in the same bucket and if detritus was in the rock and in the transport water...could there have been an ammonia or ph issue? With no air supplementation, wouldn't take long for ammonia to spike and a serious ph drop to occur. Just a guess, either way.....sorry they didn't make it for you.

 

[JonPhillips]

Super bummer but no, serpents and brittles don't sting fish. I've heard that the larger brittles can go after smaller perching fish but have never had it happen. That's a lot of large fish in the same bucket and if detritus was in the rock and in the transport water...could there have been an ammonia or ph issue? With no air supplementation, wouldn't take long for ammonia to spike and a serious ph drop to occur. Just a guess, either way.....sorry they didn't make it for you.

Thanks. One of those days you contemplate throwing in the towel...

 

[JonPhillips]

Super bummer but no, serpents and brittles don't sting fish. I've heard that the larger brittles can go after smaller perching fish but have never had it happen. That's a lot of large fish in the same bucket and if detritus was in the rock and in the transport water...could there have been an ammonia or ph issue? With no air supplementation, wouldn't take long for ammonia to spike and a serious ph drop to occur. Just a guess, either way.....sorry they didn't make it for you.

In hindsight, I was way out of my league attempting to transport those fish that far with just a few buckets!

 

[DSPENCE]

I had to move my reef set up once and it was a major pain in the tuches...took every bucket that I had plus rubbermaid tubs that I bought. At least you got a few of them. How's the clam looking? I got one from a vendor that was in cloudy, stinky water and the mouth was gapping open. Got it into my tank and it's doing awesome. Seems the toughest things about moving a clam is taking care to not tear the bissell muscle. I pray the others will pull through for you too!!

 

[JonPhillips]

Thanks. I really appreciate that. Yeah, I am over my head tending to the clam as well. Got it acclimated and put it on the sand few min later it seemed to fart? Oh boy. A bunch of cloudy matter blurted out. It's mouth is currently opened now as well. Is that a good thing? It doesn't seem to have any tears...

 

[Lionfish Lair]

It's probably gaping for you to mention it and no, that wouldn't be a good thing.

 

[JonPhillips]

?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Brother.
Read the thing in my signature by Diesel.
Many of us study for months before attempting this.

Stop what your doing and slow down. its ok. Learning curves are sharp. We have all done it.


And I did say Id laugh at you pain right?
I am.


Because Ive felt it. One day youll laugh too.

 

[Reeferfourlife]

Thanks. One of those days you contemplate throwing in the towel...

Sorry you feel about it this way but reefing has a lot of ups and downs. This is why I reef. Love the challenge and sense of accomplish when there is a living reef in my house. You live and learn from mistakes. Next time you will be well prepare for the next score. Then can brag about it lol.

 

[Bdog4u2]

What size tank were you going to put that many fish in? Big fish too. Probably would of lost everything even if they made it i doubt your bio filter could of kept up, you would've needed a 200 gallon tank some of those fish get huge

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

FWIW
I like anything Renee says.

 

[JonPhillips]

What size tank were you going to put that many fish in? Big fish too. Probably would of lost everything even if they made it i doubt your bio filter could of kept up, you would've needed a 200 gallon tank some of those fish get huge

They were going to go in a 220 my wife wasn't going to let me get!