So... I am an idiot

[bjmartie]

So i feel like this hobby, well anything in life really, is about lessons learned.

So i upgraded my 35 FOWLR to a 55 FOWLR. Everything was great and established in the 35 that been up and running for probably 18 months, no issues.
Once i upgraded to the 55, i lost my valentine puffer, 2 clowns, a new flame angel and fairy wrasse, all fish dying mysteriously. All looked fine after death, besides the marks from the emerald crab eating on them, so i had NO clue what was going on.

But i thing i figured it out after killing off a few hundred dollars worth of fish, which i am ticked OFF at my self for doing.

I had a wave maker, but it was not directed towards the surface. The water i filled up almost to the brim, so the HOB filter did not really create much surface agitation....

I think i may have suffocated my fish. They were dropping one by one, all at night. During the day before, all swimming around totally fine. Next morning we wake up and one is dead.

I feel like such an idiot.... I directed the wave make towards the surface now, added a bubbler, and dropped the water level some so the HOB filter can help as well.

 

[mattrob]

Sorry for your losses, definitely agree with life is all about lessons learned. We've all made mistakes but that's what makes us better.

 

[Doctorgori]

I think i may have suffocated my fish. They were dropping one by one, all at night. During the day before, all swimming around totally fine. Next morning we wake up and one is dead.

possibly, but IME a few other things make my list first…
I’ll wait for other replies but perhaps more tank params and detailed background?

 

[stewy14]

I am so sorry, it must feel horrible losing all those fish.
but did you cycle the 55? or did u just plop it all in there, and did u acclimate? any aggressive fish? and in what order did you put the fish in? it could have been ammonia, and since you just added the water in(maybe idk)there should have been enough water oxygenation, if the fish were not breathing heavily, it could not have been suffocation(or something), you could tell that It was suffocation if they were gasping for air at the surface
again,
I am so sorry for your loss

 

[bjmartie]

All parameter are great.

Nitrate was in the 20s but doesnt nitrate not harm fish unleas its really high? I havent checked the nitrates in a few days so unsure what it is now.
Checked ammonia yesterday (API) before water change and it was .25, which i know with API is generally zero. Also have an alert badge showing 0.

Had live rock i brought over. Was doing 25% water changes weekly. I could not tell if you if they were breathing heavily or not. During the day, they were all fine, no issues. Then morning, dead.

Never seen any agression from any of them. The new flame angel was the first to go. Had zero signs before he went. Then the clown, which i had for 18 months. Then the new fairy wrasse, then the puffer i had for 18 months. Then the other clown.

Purple fire fish, melanurus wrasse and yellow watchmen are totally fine. Choclate chip star, also fine. I added a bubbler and they look as happy as can be.

 

[stewy14]

All parameter are great.

Nitrate was in the 20s but doesnt nitrate not harm fish unleas its really high? I havent checked the nitrates in a few days so unsure what it is now.
Checked ammonia yesterday (API) before water change and it was .25, which i know with API is generally zero. Also have an alert badge showing 0.

Had live rock i brought over. Was doing 25% water changes weekly. I could not tell if you if they were breathing heavily or not. During the day, they were all fine, no issues. Then morning, dead.

Never seen any agression from any of them. The new flame angel was the first to go. Had zero signs before he went. Then the clown, which i had for 18 months. Then the new fairy wrasse, then the puffer i had for 18 months. Then the other clown.

Purple fire fish, melanurus wrasse and yellow watchmen are totally fine. Choclate chip star, also fine. I added a bubbler and they look as happy as can be.

how did u cycle the tank? how long has it been up?

 

[bjmartie]

what i did was set the new tank up, moved most of the live rock over and ran it for about two weeks. Then i moved the fish over with the rest of the live rock. Mirrored all parameters when moving fish over. Would also add bacteria boost to help with the cycling too.

Then i had the fish in there over a month before they started to die. While doing atleast 25% water changes weekly, some times twice a week.

 

[bjmartie]

how did u cycle the tank? how long has it been up?

The 35 was up i say close to two years. With probably 30- 40lbs of live rock.

 

[stewy14]

The 35 was up i say close to two years. With probably 30- 40lbs of live rock.

edit:
sorry, didn't read the last post, I am very confused too!
@vetteguy53081

 

[bjmartie]

I ran it with out fish, adding bacteria, watched the ammonia spike and then drop. Did water change then added the rest of rock and fish.

 

[PharmrJohn]

So sorry for your losses. That's a tough situation. Just as an aside, your CC Star is gonna get big eventually. Those bad boys can grow to a foot across. Just have a plan when it gets too big for your tank.

 

[bjmartie]

So sorry for your losses. That's a tough situation. Just as an aside, your CC Star is gonna get big eventually. Those bad boys can grow to a foot across. Just have a plan when it gets too big for your tank.

Yea we will rehome him when that day comes. He makes the wife happy. As long as she is happy, i get to spend more money on my stuff lol

 

[Doctorgori]

Just an irresponsible guess but I’d put more money on pathogen than environment ….but that’s just the feel of it over plain text

 

[PharmrJohn]

Yea we will rehome him when that day comes. He makes the wife happy. As long as she is happy, i get to spend more money on my stuff lol

KEEP IT, KEEP IT, KEEP IT!!! LOL. My wife just wants Hermit Crabs in the tank. So I shall comply. I'm lucky in that Karen knows what my future build will cost and doesn't mind. It's her belief that I've worked hard over the 37 years we've been together and I deserve it. Love that gal! I really lucked out.

 

[bjmartie]

Well my 90 is a reef tank, so he isnt going there. Plan to upgrade to a 120+ when we move into a bigger house. So maybe turn the 90 into a FOWLR and keep him there.

KEEP IT, KEEP IT, KEEP IT!!! LOL. My wife just wants Hermit Crabs in the tank. So I shall comply. I'm lucky in that Karen knows what my future build will cost and doesn't mind. It's her belief that I've worked hard over the 37 years we've been together and I deserve it. Love that gal! I really lucked out.

 

[bjmartie]

Just an irresponsible guess but I’d put more money on pathogen than environment ….but that’s just the feel of it over plain text

Im at a total loss as to what it could be. No spots on any of them and zero signs before they were found dead the next morning. Which i had read that is usually a sign of low oxygen with them dying at night.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Well my 90 is a reef tank, so he isnt going there. Plan to upgrade to a 120+ when we move into a bigger house. So maybe turn the 90 into a FOWLR and keep him there.

Ohhhh, yes. Not for a reef tank. I missed that. I had FOWLR on the brain.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I ran it with out fish, adding bacteria, watched the ammonia spike and then drop. Did water change then added the rest of rock and fish.

Often when fish are dying and inverts are fine- it points to disease. There are many possibilities such as spikes and not pointing powerheads at surface is not going to cause this.

 

[code4]

Anything new added to the tank that could have brought in some nasties? I like to shorten my lights if there is stress in a tank. So sorry

Shelley

 

[Mickey]

what i did was set the new tank up, moved most of the live rock over and ran it for about two weeks. Then i moved the fish over with the rest of the live rock. Mirrored all parameters when moving fish over. Would also add bacteria boost to help with the cycling too.

Then i had the fish in there over a month before they started to die. While doing atleast 25% water changes weekly, some times twice a week.

If the fish were in the new tank for over a month and you made no other changes, then I highly doubt it was lack of oxygen. Is it possible something got into the tank from outside, like a chemical of some sort?