please help me, what happened

[boeingcorp]

Hello everyone, I have a 155 gallon fish only tank and been in the hobby about 15 years had a queen angel fish that was looking stressed

and had frayed fins, she was swimming in circles and her eyes where moving back and forth quickly, her health was falling I checked the water, ph. 8.0, ammonia 0 ppm, nitrite 0 ppm, nitrate 5.0 ppm, temp 80 degrees, I can back from work she was dead on the bottom, my other fish where acting strange swimming near the bottom breathing heavy, in then looked at the flame angel and then he had frayed fins and one cloudy eye, I did a water change put marine stress coat in the tank, zoe, and amquel plus, just because they where breathing heavy, next day I came home most of my fish where dead on the bottom, flame angel, lemon peel angel, hippo tank, yellow tail damsel, two clown fish, one I had for 14 years, blue streak goby, my five green chromis are swimming around and still look fine, I have another blue streak that's in bad shape, and a guttda goby who might not make it, was it the food I put in, food that might have been laying on the bottom that went bad, I put the lemon peel in about two month ago from the store, the store has great and well looking tanks, been buying fish there for many years with out problems, I do have a chocolate chip stars fish I added a month ago, he is doing fine and moving around the tank, help me get back on my feet again I love this hobby and this is a major blow, I miss my fish pets very much already. thank you

 

[J Rog]

Humm, is there a chance some sort of chemical got in the tank that wouldnt effect the stuff you tested? Anyone cleaning around the tank?

 

[tonkaoz]

I just had the same thing happen . my flame angle had frayed fins and a cloudy eye then died . I don't know what happened . I lost a couple of tangs too . they got a brown spot on them and a couple days later just died . ill be watching this thread

 

[TheClark]

That is a shame for sure, sorry for your losses! Sometimes when fish are breathing heavy, people will treat with Prazi Pro for flukes. I did it and saved a precious Naso tang a couple of months back. However, the cloudy eye and torn fins don't match flukes in my limited fish disease experience.

 

[boeingcorp]

I did no cleaning around the tank,

 

[boeingcorp]

I wonder if it could be some type of virus, I wonder when I would be able to add fish again a month or longer, keep doing water changes, the tank has been setup for three years

 

[Humblefish]

I'm not saying for sure this is what it is but... a fish afflicted by ich or flukes or some other "manageable" disease is always at risk of a secondary bacterial infection. It's these bacterial diseases that often spread, spiral out of control and kill off a bunch of fish. The bacterium that causes these diseases is almost always present in your water, but a fish with a healthy immune system can keep it at bay. A fish with ich or flukes DOES NOT have a healthy immune system; as it is already stretched to the limit fighting off the preexisting parasitic infestation(s).

Bacterial infections come in two varieties: gram positive & gram negative. Gram positives are usually manageable by a fish's natural immune system and rarely spread. Gram negatives are super deadly and can spread like wildfire. Probably responsible for just as many tank wipe outs as marine velvet disease. I'm mentioning all this because cloudy eyes/frayed fins are both symptoms of a possible bacterial infection.

 

[boeingcorp]

How is the bacterial infection spread? From fish to fish, through water contact? how long should I wait till I can restock the tank again? Also, my 5 green Chromis seem ok. I know damsels are pretty hardy.

 

[Humblefish]

How is the bacterial infection spread? From fish to fish, through water contact? how long should I wait till I can restock the tank again? Also, my 5 green Chromis seem ok. I know damsels are pretty hardy.

Harmful bacteria, present in the water, spreads from fish to fish. It's impossible to say how long you would need to go fallow for without knowing the exact strain of bacteria you are dealing with. However, while a UV cannot eradicate all parasites due to their (almost) never ending life cycle... one will eradicate any "waterborne" bacteria in short order - protecting your fish from reinfection. This is why people who run UVs 24/7 are under the false belief that their tank must be free of ich, because their fish never get sick. They are actually shielding their fish from bacterial infections (which do the most damage); but the parasites (which can be managed) are always there.

 

[boeingcorp]

Is it possible my fish could have ingested the flukes thinking it was food? Thus causing internal issues to them?

 

[boeingcorp]

Just boiled all my rock work, looks similar to white rice floating on top of boiling water.

 

[Marshall O]

Just boiled all my rock work, looks similar to white rice floating on top of boiling water.

For future reference, and for others that see this, NEVER boil live rock! Families have wound up in the hospital from toxins turned into gas and released into air.

 

[RalphsReef]

+1 on the above. I'd open the windows. I am sure it's cold in Jersey, but I'd air the house out real quick.

 

[Humblefish]

I'm not understanding why the OP chose to boil all his rocks. oh:

 

[Greenwave jack]

Why did you boil the rocks agin? Was that before this happned. i would be suspicious of any thing you mite have changed or touched recentily. know matter how minute. Seems to fast for an infection that came outta know where. I would think you would have seen something.

 

[boeingcorp]

hello guys let me clarify a few things I'm leaning towards flukes, I do have four chromis and one orange spot goby still living in my tank, I did not boil all of my rocks I only do a couple at a time waiting a couple of days in between, I dont boil all of them that would upset the beneficial bacteria, whenever I do clean or boil any rocks i'm always checking my water parameters, and everything is right where it should be.

 

[Marshall O]

Again, please do not ever boil any of your rocks again! Do some searching and you will see what has happened to others. I am serious when I said families have wound up in the hospital. Dry them out if you need to, but never ever boil.

 

[saltyphish]

Palytoxin is the 2nd deadliest poison in the world! By boiling your rocks you risk creating toxic fumes which as the above people have posted can and has lead to people being rushed to the hospital. This stuff is serious and has lead to death as well. The poison works quickly and leaves very little time for treatment. Please take care when working with your reef tank. There is so many things that can and will cause harm. You can not be sure if the rock you are boiling has any or not. Take a moment to read up on palytoxin. There are many different creatures that have this and you would not know it. It is not limited to Palythoas only.

 

[ebushrow]

Also a thought....could there have been any stray voltage....seen this type of thing with power heads leaking voltage into the water...just another thought though.

 

[Triggreef]

They probably all just got frustrated with run on sentences. Lol just kidding. Seriously sorry for your troubles. It was most likely something brought in from your angel recently. Flukes certainly could do this.

I second everyone else that said not to boil your rocks, when people use the term, cook your rocks, they don't mean to litterally boil them. It just means to cure them in one of several different ways. I prefer bleach if something is really needed to be killed, but that requires a lot of rinsing and drying.