Still having issues with 125

[underthesea]

I posted about a month ago how I had total death in my 125g almost overnight. I lost around 6 or so large fish. After researching and talking to all the local stores I left my 125g empty for 1 month. The only things that are still alive are the anemones that I have in there and everyone tells me that they usually die first. I started adding fish back into the tank after doing a major water change and testing the water. Everything checked out great so in went the fish. First was a coral beauty, left it alone for about a week to see if it would be OK. Beauty is still alive, so added a hog fish and a dwarf angle and they are still alive. Everything is checking out added a saddle back butterfly and a red sea sail-fin tang. So far everything is checking out, no death. Added a lion fish and two clown fish. I researched lion fish and nothing in my tank do they eat, plus it is a very small lion fish because believe me I first thought of him when my fish began to die over night because he comes out at night.

Life is good in the big tank so I thought. It has been about 3 weeks and everyone seemed very happy and just 2 days ago I get home from work and the butterfly is dead. Tested the water and EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!! Did a water change for fear of ammonia and re-tested the water, perfect. Both clown fish died later that night and today I get home from work and my dwarf angle is dead.

WHAT THE $%#^!!! EVERYTHING IN THE WATER CHECKED OUT. AT NIGHT THEY EAT AND LOOK HAPPY IN THE MORNING DEATH. No signs of ick at all. Can someone please tell me if there is some type of bacteria that can get in the water that will do this or anything that you might have heard off. I have 4 fish left and do not want to lose them.

 

[lcstorc]

Well, we would need a lot more information before even making a guess as to what is going wrong.
The first question would be what do you mean by everything checks out perfect? Define everything and perfect. Also give us a bit of information about the tank hardware and your maintenance habits. Feeding habits. Water source. Butterflys are often difficult to get to eat prepared food so that would be my first guess on that one, but in general your tank is way overstocked. How much LR do you have in the system? How long has it been set up?
Just way to many questions to make a guess.
Hopefully we can figure something out when we have a bit more information. Meanwhile the best general advice I would give is to do another water change making sure you are using a pure water source and checking the PH and temp in particular to make sure the new water matches the old.

 

[LittleFish]

I'm not entirely sure what to tell you because I'm not an expert on this topic, but could your anemones be releasing toxins into the water? They usually do this when they are stressed or dying but I have heard of cases where they release toxins for no real reason at all. It's really strange that they survived while your fish are dying. Maybe try removing them before you restock again? Hope you figure it out.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

#1 piece of advice: SLOW DOWN. With how much you are rushing, it's going to be almost impossible to tell you what's wrong.

If you're being careful (which you should be after all this bad luck), you should be quarantining all fish for 1 month at the minimum to ensure they are disease free and are eating well. After that they can be added to the display. You should be adding no more than 1 larger fish or 2 smaller fish at any given time. So, to get all the stock you had in your tank with the coral beauty, hogfish, sailfin tang, etc, it should have taken you anywhere from 8 months to a year. Leebca (if I recall correctly) quarantines his new arrivals for up to 6 months. Things need to go much slower than you think in a reef tank, and for animals that have evolved for thousands of years with no change in their environment, even our slowest speed is probably too fast for them.

Patience is a virtue this hobby is trying desperately to teach you. Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates all being in check do not a good reef make. Illnesses and other toxins that can be released by reef creatures are just a few of many immeasurable things in our reefs that can injure or kill fish. Slow it WAY down and I bet things will settle down a bit.

 

[BigAl07]

Wow! I am sorry you've experienced yet another episode of problems. I think we need to get back to basics here. First your LFS is going you no favors other than making your wallet a LOT lighter. Here is why:

• A) You had (or at least suspected) an ICH outbreak. In order for the tank to be ICH FREE your tank has to remain FALLOW (no fish) for a MIN of 8 weeks. That was the first clue your LFS isn't helping you.
  
• B) They should not have sold you such an assortment of fish for a new tank. One of the LFS here will even DENY you a sale if the tank isn't ready and they know it. You need to re-evaluate your LFS and find one that is morally upstanding AND has a deep knowledge of REEF KEEPING (as opposed to First In First OUT retail mentality because they are NIGHT and DAY).

Now let's ask some specific questions in order here so we can get an idea of where you are now.

• A) Are you testing the water yourself? If so ask a friend or LFS to run an alternate set of tests just to make sure it's not a testing error happening.
  
• B) What is being tested when things are "Checking out GREAT"?
  
• C) Give us specific values for what you're testing for. (ie SG 1.025, Temp 78....)
  
  
• D) How much water do you change at a time and how often?
  
• E) What salt mix are you using?
  
• F) What are you feeding? How much at a time? How often?
  

These are some of the "general" items we need to know in order to better help you get your tank back under control. I want to ask you to NOT add anything else to your tank until it's been safe and stable for a couple of months. We've got to get it back under control without introducing any more "variables" to the system.

You'll want to read through some of the links I'm about to post to get a good handle on "What/Why" of reefing. The more you know up front the more equipped you are to not waste $$ at LFS and the quicker you can get/make positive results with your tank:

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...01-setting-up-successful-marine-aquarium.html

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...hat-do-i-test-water-reef-tank.html#post632618

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...ners/20945-just-exactly-what-cycled-tank.html
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...something-cycling-breaking-new-reef-tank.html

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...7-how-make-safe-water-change-marine-fish.html

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/24702-marine-fish-stocking-limit.html

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...eeding-marine-fish-marine-fish-nutrition.html


Good luck and Happy Reefing

 

[underthesea]

I think I have figured it out. I have been hearing a clicking noise in the tank and after much research I think I have a mantis shrimp. I would like to buy something that would eat it, but can't find anything that is a sure thing.

 

[Robzilla]

Are you sure its a mantis? Could be a pistol shrimp. Good lluck on something that will eat a mantis....the mantis will eat the hunter most likely. You willprobably have to remove the whole rock that you think is hosting the mantis.

 

[BigAl07]

I seriously doubt your on-going problem is with a Mantis. They don't usually wipe out a population of fish like this so quickly. Many times a fish just "Goes missing" and there's evidence of a "Killing Event".

 

[dmatt88]

My best guess? Slow down big fella. We have all hurried in this hobby n had our losses n we learn. Some of us (like me) have to learn those lessons a few times so don't feel bad just proceed s l o w. Say it with me. S l o w. Good luck I know your frustration

Sent from Matts DROID x using Tapatalk

 

[tnwillia]

Have you looked external for something getting into your tank... Paint windex sprays the list goes on. Good luck