Mysterious Death

[ZWesley]

Well shoot, the Midas blenny I picked up in the last week or two just died last night and is currently being picked apart by the cuc in a hard to get to spot. So I am now writing this post before attempting removal. Re have been no signs of aggression in the last two weeks, as for testing which was done by my lfs yesterday by chance, nothing dangerously high however my phosphates are at 0.15 and some things have started to rise a bit, but it is water change time and it was my intent to do one in the next few days. The only other losses in my tank have been the mysterious death of 2 totally different flame angels. They just mysteriously started struggling and died (the first a day and a half later and the second about 12 hours later but there has been no clear explanation for those either) with no other signs to cause something like this from happening. I have noticed that my hair algae issue has about cleared itself up now, perhaps the hermits killed it because they were hungry? Yet by that I still have an urchin running around the aquarium doing just fine. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what may have happened?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Well shoot, the Midas blenny I picked up in the last week or two just died last night and is currently being picked apart by the cuc in a hard to get to spot. So I am now writing this post before attempting removal. Re have been no signs of aggression in the last two weeks, as for testing which was done by my lfs yesterday by chance, nothing dangerously high however my phosphates are at 0.15 and some things have started to rise a bit, but it is water change time and it was my intent to do one in the next few days. The only other losses in my tank have been the mysterious death of 2 totally different flame angels. They just mysteriously started struggling and died (the first a day and a half later and the second about 12 hours later but there has been no clear explanation for those either) with no other signs to cause something like this from happening. I have noticed that my hair algae issue has about cleared itself up now, perhaps the hermits killed it because they were hungry? Yet by that I still have an urchin running around the aquarium doing just fine. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what may have happened?

Hermits don’t generally hunt down fish. Any lethsrgic behavior or rapid breathing prior to death
Any aggression from tank mates?
Also what is ammonia-ph-nitrate-salinity?
What test kits are you using?

 

[ZWesley]

Hermits don’t generally hunt down fish. Any lethsrgic behavior or rapid breathing prior to death
Any aggression from tank mates?
Also what is ammonia-ph-nitrate-salinity?
What test kits are you using?

I can’t say anything more than a few days older for ammonia but my last test read 0, same for nitrite. Salinity is looking like 1.024 but I will be starting to bump that back up to 1.025 in the next water changes. Nitrate is 0, confirmed by Hanna checker at lfs and Red Sea kit here at home. I can run a ph test pretty quick and get back to you then.

 

[ZWesley]

Hermits don’t generally hunt down fish. Any lethsrgic behavior or rapid breathing prior to death
Any aggression from tank mates?
Also what is ammonia-ph-nitrate-salinity?
What test kits are you using?

As for behavior, none of note, he was pretty active in the tank yesterday according to a family member. (I was gone most of the day) and there was no aggression and hasn’t been any since introduction. Looking at test kits, I have a Red Sea phosphate and nitrate while the lfs has a mix of Hanna and Red Sea testers. Outside of the Red Sea test kit, I have basic api for general readings.

 

[ZWesley]

Hermits don’t generally hunt down fish. Any lethsrgic behavior or rapid breathing prior to death
Any aggression from tank mates?
Also what is ammonia-ph-nitrate-salinity?
What test kits are you using?

Api reads ph of 7.8-8.0. Looking more like 7.8 to me.

 

[tharbin]

Chances your hermits attacked it are almost zero. I would guess either disease or environment. Like @vetteguy53081 asked: was there any heavy breathing, odd swimming behavior, or lethargy? Was it eating?

 

[damsels are not mean]

sounds kind of low if during the day, it will tend to swing lower at night. I don't think that's it though. Did you quarantine the fish? How sure are you there is no disease? Are there other fish?

 

[Freenow54]

Well shoot, the Midas blenny I picked up in the last week or two just died last night and is currently being picked apart by the cuc in a hard to get to spot. So I am now writing this post before attempting removal. Re have been no signs of aggression in the last two weeks, as for testing which was done by my lfs yesterday by chance, nothing dangerously high however my phosphates are at 0.15 and some things have started to rise a bit, but it is water change time and it was my intent to do one in the next few days. The only other losses in my tank have been the mysterious death of 2 totally different flame angels. They just mysteriously started struggling and died (the first a day and a half later and the second about 12 hours later but there has been no clear explanation for those either) with no other signs to cause something like this from happening. I have noticed that my hair algae issue has about cleared itself up now, perhaps the hermits killed it because they were hungry? Yet by that I still have an urchin running around the aquarium doing just fine. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what may have happened?

How are you clearing up the algae issue?

 

[Freenow54]

Forgot what type of skimmer are you using hang on back or in sump? has it overflown?

 

[ZWesley]

Chances your hermits attacked it are almost zero. I would guess either disease or environment. Like @vetteguy53081 asked: was there any heavy breathing, odd swimming behavior, or lethargy? Was it eating?

I did not personally see any things like that and neither did any family members. I was gone most of the day and am relying on that information from others who were. As for eating, I believe it was however I feed mostly pellets and it would do was carry one off behind the rockwork and then come out for another or nibble on the outside. I try to feed frozen every one or two days because pellets are just easier to drop in when things are happening.

 

[ZWesley]

sounds kind of low if during the day, it will tend to swing lower at night. I don't think that's it though. Did you quarantine the fish? How sure are you there is no disease? Are there other fish?

I buy qt’d fish from an lfs. Most of the swish in my tank are from said lfs and I have never had an issue until the angels. I know there is a one to two week quarantine in medicated water and with medicated food. There are and were no signs of disease in the tank.

 

[ZWesley]

How are you clearing up the algae issue?

I have not been running my skimmer lately on recommendation of the lfs. It has been about a month now with no nitrates whatsoever. As for how I am combatting it, I have plenty of hermits and 2 emerald crabs and an urchin combined with manual scrubbing. Has worked very well and it is almost gone.

 

[Freenow54]

I have not been running my skimmer lately on recommendation of the lfs. It has been about a month now with no nitrates whatsoever. As for how I am combatting it, I have plenty of hermits and 2 emerald crabs and an urchin combined with manual scrubbing. Has worked very well and it is almost gone.

Just wondering. Mine overflowed, and wiped out 4 fish except the hard butt clownfish

 

[vetteguy53081]

I did not personally see any things like that and neither did any family members. I was gone most of the day and am relying on that information from others who were. As for eating, I believe it was however I feed mostly pellets and it would do was carry one off behind the rockwork and then come out for another or nibble on the outside. I try to feed frozen every one or two days because pellets are just easier to drop in when things are happening.

Pellets are not as high in fat and amino and less palatable. Diet is import as is water quality
I am 90% frozen and 10% on foods.
hermits are scavengers and will eat any carcass when offered
What is age of tank and are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Api reads ph of 7.8-8.0. Looking more like 7.8 to me.

Not low enough to cause death instantly- other numbers?

 

[Freenow54]

I have not been running my skimmer lately on recommendation of the lfs. It has been about a month now with no nitrates whatsoever. As for how I am combatting it, I have plenty of hermits and 2 emerald crabs and an urchin combined with manual scrubbing. Has worked very well and it is almost gone.

That's how I did it. Just was wondering if chemicals were involved. That's all I have good luck

 

[ZWesley]

Pellets are not as high in fat and amino and less palatable. Diet is import as is water quality
I am 90% frozen and 10% on foods.
hermits are scavengers and will eat any carcass when offered
What is age of tank and are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet?

Tank is over a year old and I have been dealing with a nitrate deficiency since the beginning. Only realized it was bad when it started killing inverts. I am using rodi water from the store but made the switch from RO water from my home a while ago.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Hermits are scavenger's not hunters, you know this

 

[ZWesley]

Hermits are scavenger's not hunters, you know this

And that’s why I am here, it doesn’t make sense

 

[ZWesley]

Not low enough to cause death instantly- other numbers?

I will run an ammonia test and nitrite test but no nitrates and phosphates at 0.15 (again, was going to do a water change) I believe it was magnesium and calcium (could be wrong, those were only briefly mentioned as being higher but not dangerous) we’re the only other things of note outside of no accurate Ph test