Help: My fish are dying!!

TerryKelly · 06-21-2006, 12:45 PM

I have a 200gal new reef tank... set up about 2 months ago. Great sump, refugium, skimmers, calcium dosing pumps, water sweeps etc.

I have about a dozen corals so far... all seem to be doing well.

Fish are another matter. After a period of stability, they are dying at 1-2 per day. First powder blue tang... then watanabe... then clowns... now angels.

I can think of only two things that aredifferent: 1) this began after two earlier clows were introduced and died in 24 hours. 2) I have a locally made 60 gallon plastic water tank, fed by my reverse osmosis system, that holds water for changes. Could chemicals from the plastic be leaching into the water?

Water chemistry (repeatedly tested for calcium, phosphates, nitrates, salinity) is fine.

Would love to get some help!

Thanks, Terry

gwen_o_lyn · 06-21-2006, 12:55 PM

You will want to use plastic labeled as food grade. I kinda doubt that is the issue.

How many days was the tank going before you added fish/corals?

zxcv123 · 06-21-2006, 12:56 PM

its is unlikley the plastic water tank is the culprit. Its would probably afffect the corals too. Test the ammonia, and let me know if any of the fish you have alive now appear to have spots of any kind anywhere on their bodies, like salt grains, little black spots, or any discoloration.

zxcv123 · 06-21-2006, 12:56 PM

Hi Gwen I havent seen you... welcome back

gwen_o_lyn · 06-21-2006, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zxcv123

Hi Gwen I havent seen you... welcome back

thanks!

Terry- check out this article http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic23945-9-1.aspx

ChrisPrusha · 06-21-2006, 12:57 PM

First off, welcome aboard!! w0000000000000t!!!

You had a lot in there for a 2 month old tank. What do you have in there presently? How much LR do you have? What kind of skimmer, too?

Can you give us specs on your test results?

I don't know about the plastic leaching into the water...I wouldn't think so, but perhaps it is possible. Others will speak to this, I'm sure.

dobejazz · 06-21-2006, 12:58 PM

Welcome to TRT! Terry

zxcv123 · 06-21-2006, 12:59 PM

my bets are on disease or bad water quality, or someone, (Gwen) may be able to answer this question which may explain:
Can water poisioning affect just the fish and not the corals?

Do you use windex or do you know of anything that could have gotton into the tank by mistake? Are you sure the corals look ok?

zxcv123 · 06-21-2006, 01:02 PM

well no offense, but you may be rushing it. dont add any more fish for a while even if ur current ones get better. You tank has to mature more. I wouldnt introduce any coral to a tank under 6 months. Sit tight and let us know what ur ammonia reads and what the fish are acting or looking like and well take it from there

gwen_o_lyn · 06-21-2006, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zxcv123

I wouldnt introduce any coral to a tank under 6 months.

I agree... Lets get some stabilization going before we look at other issues

zxcv123 · 06-21-2006, 01:11 PM

you could have introduced to many fish to fast too soon and they may have not even been compatible fish.

jenajet · 06-21-2006, 01:27 PM

Welcome to TRT. Good luck and waiting to see tank specs and exact test #'s. What fish are left? Could they be fighting?

whatevva · 06-21-2006, 02:08 PM

Welcome to TRT!!

Quote:

Water chemistry (repeatedly tested for calcium, phosphates, nitrates, salinity) is fine.

Can we have the exact numbers, along with Ph and Alk? Also, what test kits are you using?

zxcv123 · 06-21-2006, 02:13 PM

as well as the exact ammonia and nitrite reading as I requested

JennM · 06-21-2006, 03:52 PM

Welcome to TRT!

The first thing that jumped out at me was that the problems began after adding 2 clowns that died within 24 hours. This may (or may not) be significant.

This is a bad time of year for Brooklynella - often called "clownfish disease". Typically it comes in on wild caught clowns but captive raised ones will get it if exposed to it. For example - this time of year is bad for Royal Grammas coming out of Haiti - they often have it... put them in a system (LFS system...) with clowns and it will spread.

While it's often a "clownfish disease" it's not fussy - it can infect other fish too and it's the only protozoan infection I know of that can literally kill within hours. I have a client who seems to be having that issue right now, and without a quarantine tank he's at a loss as to how to stop it... but I digress...

Do the fish present any symptoms before they die? Brooklynella typically presents with a white filmy coating on the fish, or it might show blister-like lesions on the skin, or white sloughing of the skin. Anything like this sound familiar?

If so the only/best way to treat it is in a quarantine tank with formalin based medication. Be careful with formalin - it's carcinogenic... and do NOT put formalin in your reef tank - ONLY in a quarantine tank. Formalin will kill your invertebrates (which is why it kills the protozoans).

Do post your parameters - they may be a clue as to what may have caused this to spread.

Hope this helps.

Jenn