Rapid fish deaths why

[bucksfan1976]

Ok contacted supplier 6 weeks ago because I knew I would be getting new tank , advised what I wanted asked for fish to be placed in qt system for 6 weeks ( I've spent so much they never have a issue nor have I)

2 weeks ago transfered all current live stock over to new tank.

After everything was settled , water tested ok, advised fish supplier to ship fish. Fish had been in qt Aprox 5 weeks and 5 days.

Fish arrived here at 12:30 am so I could not pick up fish til 6 am which I did.

Fish were in box for 18 hours max. No deaths upon arrival.

Placed tangs in a bucket - drip acclimated for one hour

Placed angels in their bucket an drip acclimated for a hour

2 corals were dipped and placed in tank

Gobies and inverts were floated for 30 min

Fish , inverts and corals added to tank

48 hours no issues , noticed some wierd breathing on one of my clowns. Went to work , came home to dead powder blue tang, queen angel, flame angel.

Tested water no ammonia all other issues with water quality.

Next day came home from work and found imperator angel and gobies dead

Notice skimmer was almost filled I had emptied it the previous day. Showing the signs of ammonia. Took water to local fish store Nd had it tested still showing nothing wrong.

Rest of fish swimming and eating.

Next day came home to dead Caribbean tang and naso tang and 1 clown.

Then not knowing exactly what day the rest of my clowns have died and my copperband as well.

Now I'm writing this as if the deaths just happened so as far as time take it from the day I started this thread.

I want you to realize the fish were bought extremely small, they were going to our 300 gallon when we move. Everything pointed to a ammonia spike ( skimmer filling, rapid breathing)

Fish had 0 signs of parasites on them. So now my yellow tang has been hiding alot so I suspect ill find it in the morning.

I had water tested again Friday and all looks great. I must add why this is odd, everything shows amonia however I haven't lost one invert. I am letting tank sit and run for at least 10 weeks with no additions . I'm gonna keep a eye on everything

 

[miyags]

Stop buying fish. Period !!!!. Until you figure out The Problem. Maybe try a damsel and see if you can keep it alive for 1 year. then try again.

 

[bucksfan1976]

Stop buying fish. Period !!!!. Until you figure out The Problem. Maybe try a damsel and see if you can keep it alive for 1 year. then try again.

Ok first off I'm not a newbie to this hobby , so I do not appreciate you insults. Second off I am not buying any fish at this current time not even a damsel. I have successfully kept reefs for going on 5 years. I did everything in my power to do things the way I have in the past with success except for a ich outbreak and a power outage I have never lost a fish to disease and or issues that were under my control. So again I came here to ask the decent people on this forum a question not to have someone just in troll or try to start arguments. If you didn't mean to ten that's fine however you telling me what to do with your !!!!!! And also telling me to buy a damsel either shows 2 things you a. Just wanna start a argument or b. you are not that experienced and or can't keep a fish alive yourself

 

[Eienna]

I wonder if there isn't some other contaminant in your water. I'd try a 100% change....

Sorry to hear about all that.

I had almost my entire tank die on me from an unidentified contaminant in my city's water supply.

 

[ingtar_shinowa]

whoa someone brought a gun to a knife fight.....

 

[bucksfan1976]

I wonder if there isn't some other contaminant in your water. I'd try a 100% change....

Sorry to hear about all that.

I had almost my entire tank die on me from an unidentified contaminant in my city's water supply.

I have done that I think it was just to late for some. Thanks

 

[bucksfan1976]

whoa someone brought a gun to a knife fight.....

I just get ticked when people ask for advise then you get some who chimed in who thinks they are gods gift to aquariums or knows everything

 

[Kworker]

Sorry to hear about losses..

I think I had a similar issue several months back which I believe was either a ammonia spike but also I think something funky was living in a piece of rock I removed from the system. Luckily all good now. It was weird that healthy fish were just vanishing.

I hope it all works out for you keep your head up

 

[ingtar_shinowa]

I hear you. I have to think nh4 spike as well bud. Maybe the test was bad. ther than that the only thing I can think of is velvet.

 

[bucksfan1976]

Thanks guys and gals

 

[Eienna]

Thanks guys and gals

May it never happen to you again.

 

[Shadow1]

In reading your response to my question sounds very similar to some losses I suffered several months ago. Had too many fish in our 300, kept levels in check by carbon dosing, bacteria built up,in return hoses and had a release of bacterial slime, several fish ate it and died. No sure if o2 levels dropped or not cant test for o2

Between the new set up, any chance of crud from underneath rock work breaking lose? Or so many fish added at once causing a fast mini cycle that you did not catch with testing?

Would be great to know you figured it out, thanks for the timeline by the way.
Not trying to,be a jerk, just one,of those folks that can't stand to lose something and not know why.

 

[bucksfan1976]

I'm thinking mini cycle. You know just to make matters worse my yellow tang jumped , I know it's wierd I've had a butterfly (heniocis) jump once , so screens are being built today

 

[ingtar_shinowa]

That sucks dude. Screens are a must imo no matter what fish you keep (more-so for me i have 5 wrasse) I had a Golden Dwarf Moray push open a top to crawl out :-/

 

[bucksfan1976]

You know what it's beyond a cycle it's got to be velvet or another parasite worse then ick. Came home found 2 chromis, 2 damsels and a whip fin fairy wrasse dead. So tank will be fishless for 8-10 weeks.

 

[ingtar_shinowa]

I'm right there too. I picked up a coral beauty for my new tank and didn't QT, now its empty for another 6 weeks. I took a wet-erase marker and wrote down the date he died on the front pane.

 

[bucksfan1976]

I'm right there too. I picked up a coral beauty for my new tank and didn't QT, now its empty for another 6 weeks. I took a wet-erase marker and wrote down the date he died on the front pane.

I feel ya it sucks big time, well as of this morning all fish have passed except for a goby that I cant catch. What should I do? Because this goby could keep the bacteria going right? The worst part about this is telling my 3 year old that dori , bubbles and nemo are gone, he was upset at first but then he said its ok daddy , mommy told me fish get sick and she said once the tank is healfy (not a spelling error just how he said it) we can get a new bubbles and dori, but I want better nemos, he said I want nemos ummmmm black ice. I said where did you hear that from. He said "mommy showed me a picture and they are AWESOME!!"

 

[glb]

I'm so sorry about your fish. Hope you figure it out.