"puffer-poisoned" tank?
I have had a 39 gallon tank going for over a year now. I had an ocellaris clown, two blue damsels, a saddle puffer, hermit crab, and chocolate chip star.
Two weeks ago I changed the charcoal out of my canister filter. I have twin compact fluorescent bulbs and changed one to a 50/50 actinic/daylight and the other is full daylight. I did this so I could add my 2" bubble tip anemone at the same time.
A week ago I introduced a 3-4" yellow tang to the tank. No problems until I awoke 20 hours after placing him into the tank. The clown and tang were lying "stunned" on the bottom of the tank. The puffer was barely moving behind the live rock. The damsels were nowhere to be found.
I immediately touched the tank and clown and turned the light on. The tang began to slowly move and the clown "awoke" and started swimming lethargically. I changed out 4 gallons of water. Everyone seemed AOK until the second morning...the tang had died.
The tank has been doing fine all week. I sent the 3" three stripe damsel to the pet store because he had terrorized the first tang and I thought he may have been part of the trouble with stress in the tank. I introduced another yellow tank last night. The puffer went to sleep...straight up and down as always. The tang was swimming around normally - checking everything out. I introduced him with the lights off. This morning, the clown was stunned again, the tang and puffer were lying dead on the bottom.
Two blue damself, hermit crab, clown, and starfish seem fine again. I changed our nearly 1/3 of the water.
Could the puffer have "released" a toxin? I know they are not supposed to be able to. Is there any way to test for this and what should I do to remove toxins from the water effectively?
Jesse
I have had a 39 gallon tank going for over a year now. I had an ocellaris clown, two blue damsels, a saddle puffer, hermit crab, and chocolate chip star.
Two weeks ago I changed the charcoal out of my canister filter. I have twin compact fluorescent bulbs and changed one to a 50/50 actinic/daylight and the other is full daylight. I did this so I could add my 2" bubble tip anemone at the same time.
A week ago I introduced a 3-4" yellow tang to the tank. No problems until I awoke 20 hours after placing him into the tank. The clown and tang were lying "stunned" on the bottom of the tank. The puffer was barely moving behind the live rock. The damsels were nowhere to be found.
I immediately touched the tank and clown and turned the light on. The tang began to slowly move and the clown "awoke" and started swimming lethargically. I changed out 4 gallons of water. Everyone seemed AOK until the second morning...the tang had died.
The tank has been doing fine all week. I sent the 3" three stripe damsel to the pet store because he had terrorized the first tang and I thought he may have been part of the trouble with stress in the tank. I introduced another yellow tank last night. The puffer went to sleep...straight up and down as always. The tang was swimming around normally - checking everything out. I introduced him with the lights off. This morning, the clown was stunned again, the tang and puffer were lying dead on the bottom.
Two blue damself, hermit crab, clown, and starfish seem fine again. I changed our nearly 1/3 of the water.
Could the puffer have "released" a toxin? I know they are not supposed to be able to. Is there any way to test for this and what should I do to remove toxins from the water effectively?
Jesse