Coris Wrasse Died

Allanira · 08/08/2008, 04:36 PM

Well here is a sad story atleast for me. 3 days ago when I was feeding my sw tank my Coris Wrasse went into hiding. I checked the water params and they were fine. He/she was still hiding the next day. It came out for a couple mins before feeding time then went into hiding again. Well yesterday morning I found it dead in the far back right corner of my tank. I fished it out as soon as I saw it and checked my water params again. I had a small ammonia spike so I have water getting ready for another water change. I just did a water change earlier this week also. I am using the same salt and the same water as usual. I dont know what happened to it. What should I be looking for in my other fish? Could it be something that can pass from it to the other 3 that I have? Should I be worried about my other fish just dying like that? I need some info for this so I know what to look for. The Wrasse was eating great right before this. It was being a little piggy about food. My other 3 are still eating fine but I am now worried about what could go wrong with them. My water params before the Wrasse died were
S.G. 1.024
pH 8.4
Alk 2.9
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 20ppm
Cal 490
Thats all the tests I have. I keep the lights off a lot of the time right now cause of the wrasse dying. Should I turn them back on? They are on for abuot 9hrs a day right now. They were on for 12hors. Please I need answers. This is the first fish that I have had die on me (not counting the green chromis that committed suicide) . Thank you in advance for an advise you give me. Also I forgot to say that there were no marks on the body.

Sk8r · 08/08/2008, 04:52 PM

Hard to say. I'd suggest if you can get a little frag of gsp (green star polyp) and put it in the corner of your tank where it can't grow onto other rock...if it won't come out, you've got a water quality problem (or lighting: it doesn't use too much light, so don't think mh; or is being blasted with flow). But it is cranky about water conditions, particularly alkalinity. Couple it with a mushroom or two and they will warn you about a salinity change by shriveling a bit. They're not hard to grow, and provide something you can look at that will warn you if something is going 'off' with your water. The reason I suggest this is not because I am on a campaign, but because my fast check of life requirements for this fish indicates a really long acclimation suggestion---which indicates it may not cope well with ups and downs of water condition, like salinity or alkalinity.
First, if you don't have an autotopoff rig, get one: it just makes life easier. If you aren't using ro/di water, do: you can at least get ro at walmart: keeps unknown trace elements that don't evaporate from building up in your water over time.
I'd recommend running carbon just to remove extra organics. You also don't mention a skimmer. That removes amino acids that pile up. your 10% weekly water changes; keep those up. but if you dont' have a skimmer consider getting one rated for at least 120 gallons.
these are all suggestions in the dark, but been there, got the teeshirt. it's always your prettiest fish; and they're hard come by because they're delicate, darn it.

One additional trick I've learned over the years: make your qt tank agree with your fish source in salinity (and use a refractometer: last you a lifetime and accurate to .001.) That way, when the fish arrives, you dont' need a long salinity-adjustment, can just match temp and make a gentle adjustment of water, then just topoff with salt water daily until you've got a match (fish always come in lower in salinity.) That way it's very gentle change and the fish doesn't stress, or have kidney trouble (salinity problem.)
HTH some at least. Go ahead with your lights on and start figuring how to stabilize if you have any instability going on.

08/08/2008, 04:36 PM	#1
Allanira Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: New Mexico Posts: 293	Coris Wrasse Died Well here is a sad story atleast for me. 3 days ago when I was feeding my sw tank my Coris Wrasse went into hiding. I checked the water params and they were fine. He/she was still hiding the next day. It came out for a couple mins before feeding time then went into hiding again. Well yesterday morning I found it dead in the far back right corner of my tank. I fished it out as soon as I saw it and checked my water params again. I had a small ammonia spike so I have water getting ready for another water change. I just did a water change earlier this week also. I am using the same salt and the same water as usual. I dont know what happened to it. What should I be looking for in my other fish? Could it be something that can pass from it to the other 3 that I have? Should I be worried about my other fish just dying like that? I need some info for this so I know what to look for. The Wrasse was eating great right before this. It was being a little piggy about food. My other 3 are still eating fine but I am now worried about what could go wrong with them. My water params before the Wrasse died were S.G. 1.024 pH 8.4 Alk 2.9 Ammonia 0ppm Nitrite 0ppm Nitrate 20ppm Cal 490 Thats all the tests I have. I keep the lights off a lot of the time right now cause of the wrasse dying. Should I turn them back on? They are on for abuot 9hrs a day right now. They were on for 12hors. Please I need answers. This is the first fish that I have had die on me (not counting the green chromis that committed suicide) . Thank you in advance for an advise you give me. Also I forgot to say that there were no marks on the body. __________________ "Why me?" Because I think God has a sense of humor. Current Tank Info: 55 gal fresh, and 55 gal salt with a 55 gallon sump 75 lb LR, live sand, 2 koralia 3s, 2 koralia 2s, 2 maroon clown, 1 green chromis, 1 firefish, 1 starry blenny, 2 red legged hermit crabs, 2 turbo snails, 1 cleaner shrimp

08/08/2008, 04:52 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Hard to say. I'd suggest if you can get a little frag of gsp (green star polyp) and put it in the corner of your tank where it can't grow onto other rock...if it won't come out, you've got a water quality problem (or lighting: it doesn't use too much light, so don't think mh; or is being blasted with flow). But it is cranky about water conditions, particularly alkalinity. Couple it with a mushroom or two and they will warn you about a salinity change by shriveling a bit. They're not hard to grow, and provide something you can look at that will warn you if something is going 'off' with your water. The reason I suggest this is not because I am on a campaign, but because my fast check of life requirements for this fish indicates a really long acclimation suggestion---which indicates it may not cope well with ups and downs of water condition, like salinity or alkalinity. First, if you don't have an autotopoff rig, get one: it just makes life easier. If you aren't using ro/di water, do: you can at least get ro at walmart: keeps unknown trace elements that don't evaporate from building up in your water over time. I'd recommend running carbon just to remove extra organics. You also don't mention a skimmer. That removes amino acids that pile up. your 10% weekly water changes; keep those up. but if you dont' have a skimmer consider getting one rated for at least 120 gallons. these are all suggestions in the dark, but been there, got the teeshirt. it's always your prettiest fish; and they're hard come by because they're delicate, darn it. One additional trick I've learned over the years: make your qt tank agree with your fish source in salinity (and use a refractometer: last you a lifetime and accurate to .001.) That way, when the fish arrives, you dont' need a long salinity-adjustment, can just match temp and make a gentle adjustment of water, then just topoff with salt water daily until you've got a match (fish always come in lower in salinity.) That way it's very gentle change and the fish doesn't stress, or have kidney trouble (salinity problem.) HTH some at least. Go ahead with your lights on and start figuring how to stabilize if you have any instability going on. __________________ 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%.