saddest day of my reefing life
- Thread starter reefle
- Start date
Sorry!
lbiminiblue
Well-Known Member
Do you have any corals? Any invertebrates affected? What fish died and which survived. The first step in bouncing back is to assess what killed your fish. List any changes/ additions/ behaviors you noticed before the deaths.
it's kinda like a criminal investigation. Let's get this thing sorted out.
it's kinda like a criminal investigation. Let's get this thing sorted out.
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
Sorry for this loss.
But, I just read your reef chronicle and... well.... is this the same tank that you just setup in late July this year (~3.5 months old)? The one you have had nothing but issues with, the overstocked one, the ich issues, the one w/water flooding issues, etc. with?
If you set it up again.... take it REALLY slowly this time - it is the best advice any one can give to you. Add one fish a month, slowly add at a time, and slowly build up this time. Keep the bio-load in mind and don't overstock the tank. Again, it is the best advice to avoid issues in the future.
Good luck to you.
But, I just read your reef chronicle and... well.... is this the same tank that you just setup in late July this year (~3.5 months old)? The one you have had nothing but issues with, the overstocked one, the ich issues, the one w/water flooding issues, etc. with?
If you set it up again.... take it REALLY slowly this time - it is the best advice any one can give to you. Add one fish a month, slowly add at a time, and slowly build up this time. Keep the bio-load in mind and don't overstock the tank. Again, it is the best advice to avoid issues in the future.
Good luck to you.
OH NO!! 
This is awful & I feel so bad for you!
I hope you figure out WHAT CAUSED THIS to happen.
Don't rush into restocking...allow time and lots of thought before you do.
You have to find out what the cause was...that many that fast is a BIG RED FLAG.
So so so SORRY you lost your fishes
This is awful & I feel so bad for you! I hope you figure out WHAT CAUSED THIS to happen.
Don't rush into restocking...allow time and lots of thought before you do.
You have to find out what the cause was...that many that fast is a BIG RED FLAG.
So so so SORRY you lost your fishes
Very sorry to hear !
Looking back at your tank, on 11/05/13 below... think it could have had an ammonia spike? Run some fresh carbon & do a 25% water change is where I would start, to help the remaining fish. Sudden deaths without any signs is rare, here hoping it's not external contamination.
Looking back at your tank, on 11/05/13 below... think it could have had an ammonia spike? Run some fresh carbon & do a 25% water change is where I would start, to help the remaining fish. Sudden deaths without any signs is rare, here hoping it's not external contamination.
Sorry to hear about this. I hope you get it all sorted out.
reefer gladness
Well-Known Member
Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank.
But BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN FAST :cry1:
Ashley Hamlett
New Member
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. :tears:
reefle
Active Member
Thanks for the condolences.
Here is the story.
so about a week ago I set up my 100 gallon reef. Cleaned out all of it with Novus and then washed it out to make sure the product was gone (at least as much as I could tell.)
I spent a day filling it to about 40 gallons of new saltwater. Tested salinity and everything was fine. I then transferred all the water from my 46 Gallon DT+20 gallon sump to the 100 to the top. I again tested parameters and everything seemed fine. I added the rock and sand that same night. I stuck 3 powerheads in there to mix everything really well for about 1.5 hours. After that i acclimated the fish all together and stuck them in. It was pretty cloudy but I thought it was just microdust that wouldnt matter too much. I didnt want all my fish to stay in a 5 gallon compartment overnight while the water cleared.
The next day the water was mostly cleared, but the fish were mostly hiding among the rocks. I had ordered plumbing parts for my sump so I stuck a carbon filter on the back of the tank until it arrived. 2 days after the transfer I came home to find my blue hippo stuck to the HOB filter and I thought he was dead but when I took him off he swum off. shaken but seemed ok. one day later he was looking like crap so I transferred him to a QT where he didnt last the night.
SO that caused me to freak and I put a UV sterilizer into the tank and let it run a night. Next day I found a clown got sucked into the HOB filter and I took him out immediately. checked paramters and still 0-.25 ammonia no nitrates. phosphates clear. salinity and temperature fine. That same day I rushed to just buy plumbing parts cause this filter was obviously a problem. I setup my sump and had everything running. I even added 2 carbon filters in the sump in the case of foreign invaders. Then all the deaths happened at once the next day...
dead:
Coral angel
Flame angel
purple dottyback
yellow tang
clown
tail spot cardinal
anthias
6 line wrasse
Coris wrasse
flasher wrasse
alive:
green chromis- this guy deserves a medal. he was my first fish in the 29 gallon went through 3 tank transfers and a QT period.
firefish
lawnmover blenny
hopefully there's still a royal gramma and green goby hiding somewhere...but I havent seen them
the wierd behaviors for most of the transfer period was fast breathing and constantly hiding in the rocks
my parameters are all reading solid...
any advice?
Here is the story.
so about a week ago I set up my 100 gallon reef. Cleaned out all of it with Novus and then washed it out to make sure the product was gone (at least as much as I could tell.)
I spent a day filling it to about 40 gallons of new saltwater. Tested salinity and everything was fine. I then transferred all the water from my 46 Gallon DT+20 gallon sump to the 100 to the top. I again tested parameters and everything seemed fine. I added the rock and sand that same night. I stuck 3 powerheads in there to mix everything really well for about 1.5 hours. After that i acclimated the fish all together and stuck them in. It was pretty cloudy but I thought it was just microdust that wouldnt matter too much. I didnt want all my fish to stay in a 5 gallon compartment overnight while the water cleared.
The next day the water was mostly cleared, but the fish were mostly hiding among the rocks. I had ordered plumbing parts for my sump so I stuck a carbon filter on the back of the tank until it arrived. 2 days after the transfer I came home to find my blue hippo stuck to the HOB filter and I thought he was dead but when I took him off he swum off. shaken but seemed ok. one day later he was looking like crap so I transferred him to a QT where he didnt last the night.
SO that caused me to freak and I put a UV sterilizer into the tank and let it run a night. Next day I found a clown got sucked into the HOB filter and I took him out immediately. checked paramters and still 0-.25 ammonia no nitrates. phosphates clear. salinity and temperature fine. That same day I rushed to just buy plumbing parts cause this filter was obviously a problem. I setup my sump and had everything running. I even added 2 carbon filters in the sump in the case of foreign invaders. Then all the deaths happened at once the next day...
dead:
Coral angel
Flame angel
purple dottyback
yellow tang
clown
tail spot cardinal
anthias
6 line wrasse
Coris wrasse
flasher wrasse
alive:
green chromis- this guy deserves a medal. he was my first fish in the 29 gallon went through 3 tank transfers and a QT period.
firefish
lawnmover blenny
hopefully there's still a royal gramma and green goby hiding somewhere...but I havent seen them
the wierd behaviors for most of the transfer period was fast breathing and constantly hiding in the rocks
my parameters are all reading solid...
any advice?
reefle
Active Member
in terms of corals and inverts.
I had a hammer in there that didnt look very hot for 2 days since I got him and I put him in my fallowing 29 biocube coral tank and it looks a lot better now.
I added about 20 snails and 10 hermits 2 days ago and most of them are fine. even about 100 pods were put in and still swimming around.
I had a hammer in there that didnt look very hot for 2 days since I got him and I put him in my fallowing 29 biocube coral tank and it looks a lot better now.
I added about 20 snails and 10 hermits 2 days ago and most of them are fine. even about 100 pods were put in and still swimming around.
Reef Commando
Member
As already said, it is a process of ruling things out whilst finding one or multiple causes.
Fish breathing heavily can be poor water quality. Fish breathing heavily combined with hiding in rocks would indicate stress.
I don't know the cleaner you used for the tank, but traces of it could be to blame, fully or in part.
Did you do something whilst flapping around. using solvent weld for the sump plumbing for example and not leaving it for a sufficient time delay before linking in with the main tank.
I hope you get it sorted. many of us have rushed and it is episodes like this which slow us down and make us more knowledgeable and hopefully better reefers.
Fish breathing heavily can be poor water quality. Fish breathing heavily combined with hiding in rocks would indicate stress.
I don't know the cleaner you used for the tank, but traces of it could be to blame, fully or in part.
Did you do something whilst flapping around. using solvent weld for the sump plumbing for example and not leaving it for a sufficient time delay before linking in with the main tank.
I hope you get it sorted. many of us have rushed and it is episodes like this which slow us down and make us more knowledgeable and hopefully better reefers.
lbiminiblue
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a big change for the fish. I recently did a move, but had no fish to speak of for moving, so I had no issues with that. Better cramped than cloudy, I would THINK. Of course, there's no undoing that. I have also heard that you shouldn't mix carbon and UV, but I'll have to find the source. I'll let you know.
How are the other fish doing?
How are the other fish doing?
reefle
Active Member
Another thing to note one day my freezer turned off for a couple hours and my mysis/brine shrimp were a little mushy. I thought it might be ok cause there wasnt an odor. but that might have contributed? I never fed too much though.
I only used NOVUS for cleaning the acrylic and I washed it thoroughly before using it. I didn't use any other cleaners or welding material.
found my gramma...he died under a rock....just found my blenny getting eaten by a brittle star....
only the firefish and chromis remain and they are out and breathing normally....I also have a coco worm and feather duster in there and they are constantly out
I only used NOVUS for cleaning the acrylic and I washed it thoroughly before using it. I didn't use any other cleaners or welding material.
found my gramma...he died under a rock....just found my blenny getting eaten by a brittle star....
only the firefish and chromis remain and they are out and breathing normally....I also have a coco worm and feather duster in there and they are constantly out
reefle
Active Member
but really....thank you all SOOO much for supporting me through all of this. If this happened to me on my own I probably would have quit the hobby all together but I trust all of your advice and experience. Again I cant thank you all enough for the encouragement! I really hope to repay any favors in the future!
Mike Johnson
Well-Known Member
Because I care is I why I'm telling you this. After reading your livestock list I've come to a few glaring observations: 1. The species on your list aren't compatible in the long run. 2. Some of the fish on your list shouldn't be added to an aquarium until it is mature, about a year. 3. To stock an aquarium with your list would take almost a year to do properly.
Sorry, for your losses. Slow down and enjoy the ride.
Sorry, for your losses. Slow down and enjoy the ride.