Mysteeious deaths

[brendude313]

So my tank has been up for 6 months now. 75g with 20g sump. Running a protein skimmer and a refugium.. Currently have 2 occellaris clowns, a tomini tang, a firefish, royal gramma, a bunch of snails, 2 coaches, and a brittle starfish.

Water parameters
Nitrates 5ppm
Phosphate ~.25
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
All other reef parameters are within spec.
Was daily dosing chaetogro a little below the recommended amount but then stopped. Recently also.

Within the past two weeks, my coral beauty angelfish died suddenly, was healthy the day before then next day dead. Then I bought the tang out of sadness. Then my starry blenny died randomly, again healthy and eating the day before and then next day dead. And then today my red scooter blenny died, but for him he wasn't doing the greatest yesterday I did a 30% water change and now today he's dead. Not sure if its because he didn't have anymore pods to eat or what but he was eating frozen food a bit before. Im just so confused and upset im not sure what is going on. All my other fish appear healthy and happy and are eating and acting normal. No other predators. I did put in a large emerald crab from the refugium to the DT somewhere in the time when my angelfish died but definitely before my starry blenny died then I took the crab out just in case he was the culprit. Any help would be much appreciated. I dont want this to turn into all fish dying at the end.

 

[blaxsun]

Scooter blenny might have been due to starvation - did it look really skinny? Emerald crabs are really only a threat to your corals (all bark and no bite).

 

[davidcalgary29]

You can't rule out disease with that death pattern. I lost most of the fish in my RSR350 last August to something that presented with no symptoms at all; the fish were alive one day, and dead the next. It was probably a parasite, as copper treatment saved the lone survivor.

It's also possible that the coral beauty died, but not from an infective pathogen, and then the tang took out the others. Tangs can certainly be aggressive.

Water contamination is possible, but unlikely if it didn't affect the inverts. Anoxia is also possible, but unlikely given the smaller fish deaths; starry blennies are very hardy.

I'd keep a diary or log and carefully check all fish for five minutes each day. Write down anything that you note that's out of the ordinary. You can also record your parameters on a daily basis, and take note of anything that changes.

 

[brendude313]

Scooter blenny might have been due to starvation - did it look really skinny? Emerald crabs are really only a threat to your corals (all bark and no bite).

Yeah I'm kinda thinking thats what probably happened with him. I had him for like 5 months. The others, no idea.

 

[brendude313]

You can't rule out disease with that death pattern. I lost most of the fish in my RSR350 last August to something that presented with no symptoms at all; the fish were alive one day, and dead the next. It was probably a parasite, as copper treatment saved the lone survivor.

It's also possible that the coral beauty died, but not from an infective pathogen, and then the tang took out the others. Tangs can certainly be aggressive.

Water contamination is possible, but unlikely if it didn't affect the inverts. Anoxia is also possible, but unlikely given the smaller fish deaths; starry blennies are very hardy.

I'd keep a diary or log and carefully check all fish for five minutes each day. Write down anything that you note that's out of the ordinary. You can also record your parameters on a daily basis, and take note of anything that changes.

I haven't seen the tang be aggressive at all and he's only 3 inches right now. I've been trying to pay close attention to my tank lately because of all of it. Copper treatment would take out inverts correct? If so then I'm not sure i want to go that route or not. Not sure if it makes a difference or not but all the fish that died I bought from the same store. Red scooter blenny last November, coral beauty in January, the starry blenny about 3 weeks ago.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I haven't seen the tang be aggressive at all and he's only 3 inches right now. I've been trying to pay close attention to my tank lately because of all of it. Copper treatment would take out inverts correct? If so then I'm not sure i want to go that route or not. Not sure if it makes a difference or not but all the fish that died I bought from the same store. Red scooter blenny last November, coral beauty in January, the starry blenny about 3 weeks ago.

You are rarely able to suss out aggression issues by watching the tank; you often have to catch any issues by setting up a remote camera on the system.

And no, don't treat your display with copper. You can set up an easy quarantine system with a tote or garbage can, HOB filter, powerhead, and heater (and get some Prime, as well).

 

[brendude313]

You are rarely able to suss out aggression issues by watching the tank; you often have to catch any issues by setting up a remote camera on the system.

And no, don't treat your display with copper. You can set up an easy quarantine system with a tote or garbage can, HOB filter, powerhead, and heater (and get some Prime, as well).

Ok I gotcha. I mean is it possible that everything is just a coincidence? The red scooter blenny I've chalked down to starvation, the angel and the starry blenny maybe just due to natural causes or internal parasite like you were saying. I mean I just don't know where to go from here. Part of me thinks those are the explanations but the other part is unsure.