Fish Dying…Please help!!

Pilot84 · 12/27/2021, 02:10 PM

Hello,

I have had a successful tank for the last 1.5 years until last week where I have had several fish die within a few days after no previous signs of disease. I lost a moorish idol, powder blue, Pakistani butterfly, emperor angel and a vagabond butterfly. I have a few survivors left which are the original fish Ive had in the tank since the beginning.. yellow tang, blue hippo and a Singapore angel. I have no idea what disease killed my fish and are trying to save the remaining couple of fish I have but don’t know how to proceed. My water parameters are all within range… PH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0 and Nitrate about 10.0. All of the fish have been eating well and then next day I check on the tank and one by one are gone. First, i though it was ich but that would not kill them so quickly, the last thing I though is it might be velvet but sometimes I see small dots on the fish and then hours later I don’t. The Singapore angel has blotchy white spots on its body but not like ich. They are eating but are behaving differently, not scratching exactly but not being active as they usually are. At this point, I don’t know what to do. Do I get my 40 gallon QT tank going and treat with copper? Do I treat the DT with some prazipro? I’m all out of ideas, I don’t want to stress the fish anymore than I have to but also don’t want to just sit there and watch them die. I wanted to add a few photos but the file size is just too bit. please help, let me know what you would do.

P.S. I also have a diamond goby, ocellaris clown and a yellow head goby that don’t seem to be bothered by this.

Thank you in advance.

BrianD · 12/27/2021, 02:13 PM

That is a substantial fish load. What size tank do you have? Have you added any fish lately?

ycnibrc · 12/27/2021, 02:17 PM

Fish only or reef tank with fish. Either way u need to remove the fish to a hospital/quarantine tank and treat it with antibiotics. If the fish die that fast check for velvet or amonia poisoning

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Pilot84 · 12/27/2021, 02:22 PM

It’s a 150 fish only for now but wanted to add corals in the future. I did add the Pakistani butterfly about 1.5 months ago where is where I am thinking this came all came from. He was quarantined for 4 weeks but maybe something fell thought the cracks.

Pilot84 · 12/27/2021, 02:23 PM

Can you experience ammonia poising with 0 ammonia test results?

Anemone · 12/27/2021, 02:42 PM

What kind of surface agitation/oxygenation do you have? My thought is with that kind of fish load, maybe you are having oxygen deprivation events, especially at night when the surface algae aren't photosynthesizing.

Kevin

Pilot84 · 12/27/2021, 02:55 PM

I have my returns right along the water level creating some good agitation. My power heads on each end are about halfway down the tank.

coachellaReefer · 12/27/2021, 05:06 PM

If the fish you just added is too aggressive it might have stressed your fish

the fish you mentioned are pretty challenging to keep if they are stressed

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Sk8r · 12/29/2021, 04:56 PM

Suggest getting them all to bare tank, clean water asap, strong circulation; try feeding Selcon-soaked food. Of all things that could be wrong, when you don't know, starting with good water and oxygen is a good start. My own bets for trouble would be somewhere between the two tangs or the emperor angel if it's aggression. Selcon is pretty well vitamins, aiding appetite. Secondary infections are possible, ditto a fungal infection, but I'd see how they respond to clean water for starters.

12/27/2021, 02:10 PM	#1
Pilot84 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 9	Fish Dying…Please help!! Hello, I have had a successful tank for the last 1.5 years until last week where I have had several fish die within a few days after no previous signs of disease. I lost a moorish idol, powder blue, Pakistani butterfly, emperor angel and a vagabond butterfly. I have a few survivors left which are the original fish Ive had in the tank since the beginning.. yellow tang, blue hippo and a Singapore angel. I have no idea what disease killed my fish and are trying to save the remaining couple of fish I have but don’t know how to proceed. My water parameters are all within range… PH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0 and Nitrate about 10.0. All of the fish have been eating well and then next day I check on the tank and one by one are gone. First, i though it was ich but that would not kill them so quickly, the last thing I though is it might be velvet but sometimes I see small dots on the fish and then hours later I don’t. The Singapore angel has blotchy white spots on its body but not like ich. They are eating but are behaving differently, not scratching exactly but not being active as they usually are. At this point, I don’t know what to do. Do I get my 40 gallon QT tank going and treat with copper? Do I treat the DT with some prazipro? I’m all out of ideas, I don’t want to stress the fish anymore than I have to but also don’t want to just sit there and watch them die. I wanted to add a few photos but the file size is just too bit. please help, let me know what you would do. P.S. I also have a diamond goby, ocellaris clown and a yellow head goby that don’t seem to be bothered by this. Thank you in advance.

12/27/2021, 02:13 PM	#2
BrianD Sir Brian The Lenient Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Mattoon, IL Posts: 32,111	That is a substantial fish load. What size tank do you have? Have you added any fish lately? __________________ Always strive for the optimum environment, not the minimum environment. Current Tank Info: Empty

12/27/2021, 02:17 PM	#3
ycnibrc STAG HORN DOMINATE REEF Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Irvine, California Posts: 3,348	Fish only or reef tank with fish. Either way u need to remove the fish to a hospital/quarantine tank and treat it with antibiotics. If the fish die that fast check for velvet or amonia poisoning Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ SDR STAGHORN DOMINATE REEF Feature Reef of November 2019 GHL TOTM FEB 2020 ABC corals Current Tank Info: 360g Peninsula sps

12/27/2021, 02:42 PM	#6
Anemone Cloning Around Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Valencia, California Posts: 25,267	What kind of surface agitation/oxygenation do you have? My thought is with that kind of fish load, maybe you are having oxygen deprivation events, especially at night when the surface algae aren't photosynthesizing. Kevin __________________ Back in the pool, swimming with the sharks... Current Tank Info: Red Sea 425XL w/Kessil AP700, Vertex 180i Skimmer, 2 x Vortech MP40s

12/29/2021, 04:56 PM	#9
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Suggest getting them all to bare tank, clean water asap, strong circulation; try feeding Selcon-soaked food. Of all things that could be wrong, when you don't know, starting with good water and oxygen is a good start. My own bets for trouble would be somewhere between the two tangs or the emperor angel if it's aggression. Selcon is pretty well vitamins, aiding appetite. Secondary infections are possible, ditto a fungal infection, but I'd see how they respond to clean water for starters. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

12/27/2021, 02:22 PM	#4
Pilot84 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 9	It’s a 150 fish only for now but wanted to add corals in the future. I did add the Pakistani butterfly about 1.5 months ago where is where I am thinking this came all came from. He was quarantined for 4 weeks but maybe something fell thought the cracks.

12/27/2021, 02:23 PM	#5
Pilot84 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 9	Can you experience ammonia poising with 0 ammonia test results?

12/27/2021, 02:55 PM	#7
Pilot84 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 9	I have my returns right along the water level creating some good agitation. My power heads on each end are about halfway down the tank.

12/27/2021, 05:06 PM	#8
coachellaReefer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 76	If the fish you just added is too aggressive it might have stressed your fish the fish you mentioned are pretty challenging to keep if they are stressed Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk