Tank Crash

[kamikaze483]

Our tank crashed this weekend- almost everything is gone. It is a FOWLR Red Sea Max S-650. We lost 10 out of 12 fish.

All our water tests showed values well within the proper perameters for water quality. We had all the tests confirmed (twice) over the weekend at the LFS.

We did a 40% water change as soon as we noticed that there was a problem (one fish had died and another was acting sick). 40% was all we could do with the RO we had on hand and the LFS said they thought that was enough.

We had one fish (maybe two) prior to this that was showing signs of ich and we have been treating with SeaChem paraguard along with medication in the food. This is the only thing we have changed.

We just can't come up with any ideas about what could have gotten into the tank. Does anyone have any ideas?

Also, how long should we wait before restocking? Since we don't know what is in the water that killed the fish- I have no idea whether we should just break the tank down and start over (since it is only a FOWLR) or whether we should just wait for a certain period of time...

[alton]

Did you recently add a new fish to the tank?

[Tripod1404]

Which fish are still alive and which died? sometimes that can indicate the cause since some are more resistant to certain factors/diseases.

How sick fish acted before they died?

Was there a temperature swing?

Did you measure O2 levels?

Were all the fish from the same lfs and introduced at the same time?

Do/did you have any boxfish?

Do you have any chemical filter media?

[kamikaze483]

Which fish are still alive and which died? sometimes that can indicate the cause since some are more resistant to certain factors/diseases.

How sick fish acted before they died?

Was there a temperature swing?

Did you measure O2 levels?

Were all the fish from the same lfs and introduced at the same time?

Do/did you have any boxfish?

Do you have any chemical filter media?

Thanks so much for being willing to chime in. Here is the list of what we lost:

Grey Angel
Naso Tang
Porcupine Puffer
Squareback Anthias
Clown Fish
Auriga Butterfly Fish
Parrot Fish

These are sick:

Panther Grouper
Jeweled Damsel

The only one that seems unaffected is my picasso trigger.

First, we found the naso dead. Then the rest seemed really lethargic. Sitting on the bottom (except for the grey angel who was swimming sideways at the top). Been dying at a rate of about three per day since Saturday.

Temp has been steady at 78 according to my digital thermometer

We don't know how to measure oxygen levels, but the tank is running 4 power heads along with the main return pump and skimmer. Haven't noticed any equipment problems

They were introduced in groups. Everything we have ever put in that tank was from the same store.

No boxfish. We are using carbon and pellets to reduce phosphorous. No other chemical media. No reactors.

We have been battling a hair algae problem- that's been our only difficulty since we started this tank.

Thanks for any help or input.

[Cliving1]

Depending on what it is depends on how long to restock. Have you added anything lately? Any changes to the normal routine? Ich can be a devil. If it is ich, there is a time period you have to be fishless... I cant remember want to say 72 days but Il wait for someone to correct me.

[MuShu]

Stray current? What type of powerheads?

That seems like a lot of fish in a 150 gallon tank. Maybe one of the larger tank people can chime in there.

[Tripod1404]

Thanks so much for being willing to chime in. Here is the list of what we lost:

Grey Angel
Naso Tang
Porcupine Puffer
Squareback Anthias
Clown Fish
Auriga Butterfly Fish
Parrot Fish

These are sick:

Panther Grouper
Jeweled Damsel

The only one that seems unaffected is my picasso trigger.

First, we found the naso dead. Then the rest seemed really lethargic. Sitting on the bottom (except for the grey angel who was swimming sideways at the top). Been dying at a rate of about three per day since Saturday.

Temp has been steady at 78 according to my digital thermometer

We don't know how to measure oxygen levels, but the tank is running 4 power heads along with the main return pump and skimmer. Haven't noticed any equipment problems

They were introduced in groups. Everything we have ever put in that tank was from the same store.

No boxfish. We are using carbon and pellets to reduce phosphorous. No other chemical media. No reactors.

We have been battling a hair algae problem- that's been our only difficulty since we started this tank.

Thanks for any help or input.

This much of fish dying in such a short period of time leans me towards some short of poisoning. Prime suspect would be cyanide poising but it would not make much sense for fish introduced at different periods. Also some of the fish you had are not generally cough with cyanide. How were you dosing paraguard? directly to the water or through medicated food. It is not a very likely cause but using medication with carbon can sometimes cause adverse effects, especially if you are also running UV.

Also if your fish had flukes (gill or intestinal), parasite medications can sometimes cause clogging of gills or intestines if fluke worms all die rapidly.

Were the fish breathing heavily before dying or are the alive fish breathing heavily. If they are, there might be an O2 problem. Do you have a regular glass thermometers, digital thermometers can sometimes malfunction.

What is your salinity level and did you check it? if you have a auto-topper those can sometimes lower salinity pretty fast.

I once heard someone talking about poisonous algae blooms in tanks, although that does not explain why two fish are still alive. If you have a UV sterilizer turn it on and I would cut medication at this point.

If you have a separate quarantine tank, prepare fresh saltwater and put the fish in that tank with fresh saltwater. If they recover in few days something in the DT water is the cause rather than a disease. For the time being, do not continue medicating fish in qt.

[Dr Colliebreath]

Is it possible that household cleaners got into the tank. This type of crash sounds like something external given the rest of your description.

When was the last time you added any fish or any other livestock to the tank?

[kamikaze483]

Update: All of the fish in my tank died over the course of 7 days. I need to update as I previously listed my tank was a FOWLR (and it pretty much is except for the fact that I did have two anemones in there that I had forgotten about. I forget to list them as I hardly ever see them. I also have a large cup coral in there that is still living.

When I took apart the rock work right after I started having a problem (to look for dead fish) I noticed that the anemones were there, both attached to the same rock.

I went on vacation this weekend and when I came back, I found a large piece of a dead anemone in the back of the tank (in the overflow that can't be seen from the front of the tank).

Now I am wondering if that anemone was dead or dying and if that is maybe what caused this.

The kicker, though, is this: We tested the water several times over the course of this crisis and had the LFS check and double check. We never found any ammonia.

Would a dying nem have caused this? And if he was dying, he was still attached to the rock and didn't look dying to me. But it is dead.... just still looking for answers. We are certain that there were no household chemicals involved.