What's killing my fish????

phantomg · 02/17/2016, 09:32 AM

Help!! I just recently upgraded my tank from a 55g to a 100g with a 20g sump. I changed my lights from T5 to LED's. My parameters have been good across the board and my salinity is 1.25. I bought a few chromis and noticed one had a dark band running vertically down it. Didn't see it again after a day. Then my yellow tang had some king of ulcer on it that quickly spread and killed it by the next day. Since then, in a period of a couple of weeks, I have lost a Japanese Swallowtail, a bi-color angel, a coral beauty and a lawnmower blenny. I'm quickly running out of fish. I did find the Japanese Swallowtail and bi-color angel dead and didn't notice any of the discoloration or anything like the yellow tang. The other fish have just disappeared without a trace. I've looked on the floor and all over the tank. I purchased the bi-color angel recently along with some additional live rock. The coral beauty did not like him at all. I thought maybe the bi-color was killed by the coral beauty. But after the bi-color, then went the swallowtail, followed by the lawnmower blenny and most recently my coral beauty. I am thinking I may have got a hitchhiker with the rock I purchased. If that could be it, any ideas on what I should be looking for? I pulled out some rock and found several serpent stars. None looked big enough to kill my fish but I suppose it's possible. Not sure if they are bad to begin with. Any ideas please??

A1t2o · 02/17/2016, 09:41 AM

Did you let the tank cycle or check for ammonia and nitrite levels? You may have just rushed the upgrade and caused a cycle and the ammonia would kill the fish. You aren't finding the bodies because your clean up crew is doing a good job most likely. Plus lawnmower blennies are hard to find in general so I'm not surprised about you not finding that one.

phantomg · 02/17/2016, 09:45 AM

My levels have been good. I should also mention that my corals still look healthy. I have not noticed them showing any ill signs though I don't know if a temporary spike would affect them. When I upgraded by tank I used my old water and rock, with additional water of course but I've been monitoring the ammonia and nitrates/nitrites and haven't seen any spikes.

CStrickland · 02/17/2016, 10:26 AM

Google uronema marinum. I'm not very knowledgeable on diseases, but I think chromis are prone to it, it causes blotches or sores, and it kills pretty quickly and can live in the tank for a while. I hope that's not it though.

phantomg · 02/17/2016, 10:33 AM

Thanks, I actually across the uronema marinum yesterday when I was searching around about fish and thought that may be it too. I guess the CUC could be working fast but that seems really fast, here today, gone tomorrow. But it could be.

Sk8r · 02/17/2016, 10:39 AM

Please report numerical results on parameters. Good and not-good can be defined by very small differences.

phantomg · 02/17/2016, 10:43 AM

I take my water to have it tested at LFS and I was told 0 ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Being a color blind makes it a little difficult to read the tests myself but I may have to figure out a way that I can do it more often.

scooter31707 · 02/17/2016, 11:04 AM

Do you have a CUC? You should see some evidence of the fish or something.

CStrickland · 02/17/2016, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phantomg

... Being a color blind makes it a little difficult to read the tests myself but I may have to figure out a way that I can do it more often.

I've seen a few threads where people have good ways to work around that. I think it's like a free phone app where the camera registers a number for diff colors, and you use your phone cam to pic the color card for the test, and your sample. Then just compare numbers. I think if you search for colorblind reefer it won't be too hard to figure out. Also, there are checkers that give a digital number, and tests that change hue at a certain level rather than needing to match a sample. There's quite a few color blind folks in the hobby, maybe one good thing about having so many boys around

phantomg · 02/17/2016, 11:47 AM

Thanks CStrickland. As for CUC, I have some snails and a couple of peppermint shrimp. That's about it at this time. I need to bolster my CUC but considering that is all I have, you would think I would find more. Unless they dragged in some holes in the rocks are under/behind them and I just can't find them.

02/17/2016, 09:32 AM	#1
phantomg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 75	What's killing my fish???? Help!! I just recently upgraded my tank from a 55g to a 100g with a 20g sump. I changed my lights from T5 to LED's. My parameters have been good across the board and my salinity is 1.25. I bought a few chromis and noticed one had a dark band running vertically down it. Didn't see it again after a day. Then my yellow tang had some king of ulcer on it that quickly spread and killed it by the next day. Since then, in a period of a couple of weeks, I have lost a Japanese Swallowtail, a bi-color angel, a coral beauty and a lawnmower blenny. I'm quickly running out of fish. I did find the Japanese Swallowtail and bi-color angel dead and didn't notice any of the discoloration or anything like the yellow tang. The other fish have just disappeared without a trace. I've looked on the floor and all over the tank. I purchased the bi-color angel recently along with some additional live rock. The coral beauty did not like him at all. I thought maybe the bi-color was killed by the coral beauty. But after the bi-color, then went the swallowtail, followed by the lawnmower blenny and most recently my coral beauty. I am thinking I may have got a hitchhiker with the rock I purchased. If that could be it, any ideas on what I should be looking for? I pulled out some rock and found several serpent stars. None looked big enough to kill my fish but I suppose it's possible. Not sure if they are bad to begin with. Any ideas please??

02/17/2016, 10:26 AM	#4
CStrickland Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New England, U.S. Posts: 4,595	Google uronema marinum. I'm not very knowledgeable on diseases, but I think chromis are prone to it, it causes blotches or sores, and it kills pretty quickly and can live in the tank for a while. I hope that's not it though. __________________ If you're havin tank problems I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems but a fish ain't one Current Tank Info: 3/2016 upgrade to 120g. Chalk bass, melanurus, firefish, starry blenny, canary blenny, lyretail anthias, engineer gobys, kole tang. Softies / LPS / NPS. <3 noob4life <3

02/17/2016, 10:39 AM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Please report numerical results on parameters. Good and not-good can be defined by very small differences. __________________ 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%.

02/17/2016, 09:41 AM	#2
A1t2o Moved On Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Mankato, MN Posts: 382	Did you let the tank cycle or check for ammonia and nitrite levels? You may have just rushed the upgrade and caused a cycle and the ammonia would kill the fish. You aren't finding the bodies because your clean up crew is doing a good job most likely. Plus lawnmower blennies are hard to find in general so I'm not surprised about you not finding that one.

02/17/2016, 09:45 AM	#3
phantomg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 75	My levels have been good. I should also mention that my corals still look healthy. I have not noticed them showing any ill signs though I don't know if a temporary spike would affect them. When I upgraded by tank I used my old water and rock, with additional water of course but I've been monitoring the ammonia and nitrates/nitrites and haven't seen any spikes.

02/17/2016, 10:33 AM	#5
phantomg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 75	Thanks, I actually across the uronema marinum yesterday when I was searching around about fish and thought that may be it too. I guess the CUC could be working fast but that seems really fast, here today, gone tomorrow. But it could be.

02/17/2016, 10:43 AM	#7
phantomg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 75	I take my water to have it tested at LFS and I was told 0 ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Being a color blind makes it a little difficult to read the tests myself but I may have to figure out a way that I can do it more often.

02/17/2016, 11:04 AM	#8
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	Do you have a CUC? You should see some evidence of the fish or something.

02/17/2016, 11:47 AM	#10
phantomg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 75	Thanks CStrickland. As for CUC, I have some snails and a couple of peppermint shrimp. That's about it at this time. I need to bolster my CUC but considering that is all I have, you would think I would find more. Unless they dragged in some holes in the rocks are under/behind them and I just can't find them.