Seizing fish

[Big G]

I'm not a big believer in coincidences:

Permethrin is the most common active ingredient in insecticides applied by licensed exterminators. It is one of a large class of chemical insecticides known as pyrethroids. They mimic pyrethrins, which are botanical insecticides typically derived from Australian and African chrysanthemum flower varieties. Both pyrethrins and pyrethroids work to paralyze and eventually kill a wide variety of insects.

Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are included in more than 3,500 registered products for household insect mitigation, as well as pet protection, mosquito control and in agriculture.

These insecticides are generally safer to humans and other mammals than many alternatives, and they do not seem to trigger asthma and allergic reactions. However, they are highly toxic to aquatic organisms, so care must be taken to minimize spray drift and runoff that could get into water.

 

[Dom]

I just found out that Orkin came in and sprayed for ants about a week ago. Little did we know that when we bought this house 1 1/2 yrs ago, it was located on an ant hellmouth.

I am inclined to think that if it was something related to this, ALL of your tanks and the fish they contain would be effected.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Actually, I got a watchman goby about a week ago. He was placed in the 50 gallon and yesterday I noticed under his jaw it looks like there is a black spot that wasn’t there before. He is still eating like a pig as everyone was. But he never was exposed to the clowns or 30 gallon so not sure what to think.

Add carbon to the tank. One positive I can say is many never know what happened during a loss. At least you were able to identify it

 

[rock_lobster]

I am inclined to think that if it was something related to this, ALL of your tanks and the fish they contain would be effected.

Possibly the larger more active free swimming fish will be effected more so considering their higher metabolism they would uptake a much larger dose of the toxin in a shorter period of time. Also considering the toxin may be cleared from the water at some rate depending on filtration such as skimmers and carbon, smaller fish or less active fish may receive a much smaller dose.

 

[curlysearcher]

I thought that I would give everyone a quick update. As of today, all of the other fish are still living. The mushrooms are looking amazing but my anemone still won't eat. He has been changing water but today is very turgid with no mouth parts hanging out etc. He is a mystery. I threw away the salt that I was using thinking maybe there was some kind of contamination and changed to tropic marin. This might be why my mushrooms are so happy. I still have everyone in the 10 gallon quarantine tank and am doing 25% approximately water changes every couple of days with ammonia staying 0 and nitrates 0.25 to creeping up on 0.5 on one occasion. I put an entire jug of carbon in also. It's in a net bag and just floating in the tank. Queries to the water company didn't reveal any Chloramines but the person that I talked to didn't seem to know what the heck I was talking about so I still wonder. My other two tanks I have totally torn them down, throwing all of the gravel away. I took the rocks, etc., to the local do it yourself car wash and blasted the crude out of them. The really porous ones I boiled also and now everybody is in various trash cans with saltwater curing. So incredibly frustrating to not know the answer but here we are, no more the wiser and a lot poorer. But, what can I say, I am addicted. Thanks to everyone who helped and commented. I appreciate it more than you know.

 

[Big G]

I admire your dedication to your fish and the hobby in the face of such a horrid situation. Be of good cheer!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I’m glad it working out!

 

[Dom]

I thought that I would give everyone a quick update. As of today, all of the other fish are still living. The mushrooms are looking amazing but my anemone still won't eat. He has been changing water but today is very turgid with no mouth parts hanging out etc. He is a mystery. I threw away the salt that I was using thinking maybe there was some kind of contamination and changed to tropic marin. This might be why my mushrooms are so happy. I still have everyone in the 10 gallon quarantine tank and am doing 25% approximately water changes every couple of days with ammonia staying 0 and nitrates 0.25 to creeping up on 0.5 on one occasion. I put an entire jug of carbon in also. It's in a net bag and just floating in the tank. Queries to the water company didn't reveal any Chloramines but the person that I talked to didn't seem to know what the heck I was talking about so I still wonder. My other two tanks I have totally torn them down, throwing all of the gravel away. I took the rocks, etc., to the local do it yourself car wash and blasted the crude out of them. The really porous ones I boiled also and now everybody is in various trash cans with saltwater curing. So incredibly frustrating to not know the answer but here we are, no more the wiser and a lot poorer. But, what can I say, I am addicted. Thanks to everyone who helped and commented. I appreciate it more than you know.

I respect your commitment to getting things right.

 

[ToadstoolCoral155]

Don't take my word for it- after all I'm "stupid" enough to take care of a scallop, but I will lead towards poisoning.
I'm sorry this happened to you however. I've never lost any clownfish or anything significant but I know I would be incredibly distraught, I wouldn't think it's any different for you.
You cared for them for 7-8 years, longer than most. Rest in piece.

 

[curlysearcher]

And it begins. Fed my last 3 fish with some flake food about 4 hrs ago. Everyone happy. Just went back into the kitchen (we were eating late) and my chromis is upside down, breathing about 140 a minute, dying. It’s almost like being struck by lightning. Coloration is normal. The fish looks completely normal. Ammonia 0, nitrate 5. Did about 50% water change. No idea what is going on. I was actually going to move everyone back to the new tank tomorrow. Needless to say, not now. What could this be?

 

[Dom]

And it begins. Fed my last 3 fish with some flake food about 4 hrs ago. Everyone happy. Just went back into the kitchen (we were eating late) and my chromis is upside down, breathing about 140 a minute, dying. It’s almost like being struck by lightning. Coloration is normal. The fish looks completely normal. Ammonia 0, nitrate 5. Did about 50% water change. No idea what is going on. I was actually going to move everyone back to the new tank tomorrow. Needless to say, not now. What could this be?

Wow... perhaps some sort of contaminant found its way into your food?

 

[Big G]

Could be a delayed reaction to the previously suspected poisoning. All kinds of potential neurological, physiological damage that was done previously may have caused the fish to suddenly pass: heart attack, stroke, etc. Chromis have a pretty fast metabolism. Changes happen fast with them.

 

[curlysearcher]

I was thinking maybe some food contaminate also so threw out what I was using but can’t dismiss that maybe this is some kind of delayed reaction also. Also, my anemone had taken on a grayish color. He still isn’t eating so I started him on Cipro 250 mg a day with 50 % daily water change. I am dosing the last two fish as well. Kinda desperate I know but I don’t know what else to do.

 

[curlysearcher]

I just thought I would give everyone an update. No more fish have died and my anemone is actually doing very well. It had lost all of its color and became a light brown but today its tentacles are very rosy red actually much more pigmented than originally. They remain stubby compared to how it was originally but still it’s a huge improvement. And it’s alive. It still won’t eat anything given to it where it got fed at least once a week. Maybe due to the tentacles being so short now, I just don’t know. But, I am convinced that without the Cipro, it would have died. However, still have zero idea what happened.

 

[Big G]

Great news. The nem looks so much better than you described. Nice

 

[vetteguy53081]

Way to go. that's the news we like to absorb !!!

 

[Durandal]

Given that inverts seem to be doing well in these tanks...any chance this is an endoparasite / fluke issue? When inverts are thriving and vertebrates are dying, I look for disease. I should point out that pyrethrins have a much higher affinity for the invertabrate nicotinic acetylcholine receptor than the vertebrate receptor, that's why they are are effective, relatively safe compounds. If any arthropod(shrimp, copepods, etc) is living in the tank, then you don't have pyrethroid poisoning.

Anything wet added to any of the systems in the last 3 months?

*did not see the time stamp on the thread, glad your losses have stopped!**