Do I need to remove

NewFishGirl · 06-15-2007, 03:48 PM

Well, this week we had massive tragedy. I am pretty sure all of our fish are dead except for one. The problem is, we removed two dead fish, but I can't find the other two that are assumed dead. Do we have to go hunting for their bodies to remove them or will the clean up crew take care of them?

We have hermits, snails, emerald crabs and peppermint shrimp, and I know we have bristle worms, too.

tjp · 06-15-2007, 04:08 PM

It would be faster to look for them, but the clean up crew will find them.
I think that the rotting fish would be bad in a sealed system.
It will take some time for the clean up crew to eat them, in that time the gasses the dead fish produce can do more harm.

Me I’d look for them.

Terry

Cylenchar · 06-15-2007, 04:32 PM

I would do daily water changes for the next week or so. Run carbon, and if you have an extra skimmer, or can borrow one, run that as well. How big the tank is and how big the fish are will determine how big a problem it is.

Brent Cone · 06-15-2007, 04:36 PM

How big? are the fish? How big is the tank! for right now i would CRANK UP your skimmer to very wet, it's a pain when that happens.
Brent.

Doug1 · 06-15-2007, 04:40 PM

I agree with the posted, if at all possible look for them, yah the cleaners will get to them eventually, but you might have an ammonia spike for a bit, I would be ready to do some serious water changes, maybe a couple 50% unless they were itty bitty fish and its a BIG tank

NewFishGirl · 06-15-2007, 04:46 PM

It is a 45 gallon and it's a royal gramma (maybe two inches, but skinny) and a damsel (two inches, but fatter).

We can try to look for them. I think the gramma died in a cave inside a hollow rock... I shook the rock, but no fish came out.

betamed · 06-15-2007, 05:30 PM

Its possible to do more damage tearing everything apart looking for the dead fish then just letting the fish sit. What is the one remaining fish? Do you have any corals? How did you lose all the fish? If your tank can't handle a potential ammonia spike then I'd look pretty hard, but if its a FOWLR with one damsel left then I'd not sweat it.

NewFishGirl · 06-15-2007, 05:45 PM

The remaining fish is a tomato clown. We do have corals (zoos, hammer, torch, GSP, mushrooms, candycane and a goni) and a BTA.

We still have no idea what caused all the death. I started a thread earlier this week called Dead Fish

We had a magnesium spike (not sure how that happend, but it's back down now after three water changes), accidentally unplugged our heater for two days (but in So Cal it's pretty warm, so I don't know if that really caused a problem) and we added three frags right before the death, pretty sure that didn't do it and a new tube (plumbing tubing, it's just plastic and we rinsed it well with hot water) but I doubt that caused any problems. Oh, we also added one new piece of live rock but it was cured from the LFS. I am at a loss. The fish didn't look diseased, they just died. I have no idea.

thebutler4 · 06-15-2007, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewFishGirl

Oh, we also added one new piece of live rock but it was cured from the LFS.

How long has the tank been up and running?
What are your prams? IE: amm, nitrate, nitrite, SG.

Also .. I would lean the blame more on the live rock you added then anything else ... cured or not .. how long was the rock out of water for the travel home? ... when you added it to the tank did you twist, turn and bump the air out of the rock? ...

I agree with the post above that stated taring your reef apart will do more harm than the 2 dead fish IF your tank can in fact handle the ammonia spike .. IE: been setup for 6+ months ...

Cylenchar · 06-15-2007, 06:16 PM

The Butler hit it..... I'd say that the live rock is the culprit..... it probably strted a new cycle in the tank... Test what your parameters are, it may be that the worst is over and the tank will level out. I'd keep doing large water changes for the next few days regardless. If the numbers are through the roof, do you have someone with a quarantine tank that can keep your fish and corals for a little bit until the cycle ends? Run carbon, that will help, run another skimmer if you can beg/borrow/buy/steal one.

NewFishGirl · 06-15-2007, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebutler4

How long has the tank been up and running?
What are your prams? IE: amm, nitrate, nitrite, SG.

Also .. I would lean the blame more on the live rock you added then anything else ... cured or not .. how long was the rock out of water for the travel home? ... when you added it to the tank did you twist, turn and bump the air out of the rock? ...

I agree with the post above that stated taring your reef apart will do more harm than the 2 dead fish IF your tank can in fact handle the ammonia spike .. IE: been setup for 6+ months ...

The tank has been up for over a year. I think we put live rock, sand, water and let it sit for two months starting March of 2006. The added fish in May or so of 2006. Just started adding corals less than 6 months ago.

Nitrate/Nitrites are 0

Ca: 400
Alk: 2.0 meq (trying to raise right now, slowly)
Magnesium: Now it is 1280. Last Friday it was 1280. Monday it was 1400! We have been raising it slowly (according to that online calculator) over two weeks and it was coming up slow and all of a sudden on Monday it was 1400 and I have no idea how that happened.

SG is a problem in that we are using a hydrometer and I am almost positive it is not correct. It reads 1.022, but I think its slightly higher than that. I am going to take a sample to the LFS to test with their refractometer this weekend. We just ordered a pH pinpoint monitor, and now the next purchase will be a refractometer. Regardless, the SG has been consistent for the past 6 months if nothing else. We buy pre-mixed saltwater from the LFS.

Ammonia is now 0, but I wonder if it spiked due to the rock? It was out of water for the 30 minute drive home, then we filled a bucket with tank water and shook it and rinsed it in the bucket, then we put in the tank. I had asked the employee at the LFS if it would be okay to add it and he said it wouldn't be a problem.

NewFishGirl · 06-15-2007, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cylenchar

The Butler hit it..... I'd say that the live rock is the culprit..... it probably strted a new cycle in the tank... Test what your parameters are, it may be that the worst is over and the tank will level out. I'd keep doing large water changes for the next few days regardless. If the numbers are through the roof, do you have someone with a quarantine tank that can keep your fish and corals for a little bit until the cycle ends? Run carbon, that will help, run another skimmer if you can beg/borrow/buy/steal one.

How do you "run carbon"? Maybe we should do that this weekend. I am so mad we listened to the LFS and added that rock!

Cylenchar · 06-15-2007, 06:21 PM

Well, with the parameters you mentioned, no nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia, if it did cause a mini cycle, looks like things have leveled out. I would still do water changes for the next few days, and keep an eye on it, but it sounds like the worst is over *crosses fingers*.

Cylenchar · 06-15-2007, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewFishGirl

How do you "run carbon"? Maybe we should do that this weekend. I am so mad we listened to the LFS and added that rock!

Take an old set of nylon pantyhose, cut off the foot part. Get activated carbon (most stores will have this) http://www.marinedepot.com/ps/ps_Vie...n~vendor~.html

Put several tablespoons in the sock, tie it off, and put it in RO/DI water to activate, it will hiss and turn the water black, rinse until water runs clear. Put it in your tank or sump in an area with high water flow (I have a T-Joint coming off my skimmer in the sump to reduce microbubbles, and I put the sock in there). Change every week. This will help with your water purity.

NewFishGirl · 06-15-2007, 06:29 PM

Thanks for all the advice!

I was at my wit's end earlier this week. It was so sad to watch all the babies DIE!