Tank Crashed-possible flukes?

[Clowny88]

Ammonia vs. Parasite, what killed my fish? Not that important

- QT all new fish
- Let the tank go fallow to remove any possible parasites
- Don't overstock
- Test for ammonia... Make sure your live rock is doing its job!
- Dip corals before introduction to the DT

These steps will help prevent major issues obviously, but it will also help you narrow down what happened IF something happens in the future.

Ammonia or Parasite, what killed my fish? Doesn't matter, have to do better at preventing both. Good luck! While the tank is fallow do lots of reading... You have been forced into being patient.

[stingeragent]

+1 to above. I don't believe anyone asked, but when you introduced all these new fish, how did you do it? Did you dump the bags and all the water they came in, into the tank? Never ever dump in the water. Ever. I bought some coral off a site I won't mention, and being new and dumb, I did a full acclimation, and then dumped in the entire contents of the bag. Within like 2 days all my fish in the tank had ich, and it wasn't coincidence as I hadn't added anything else new to the tank for months before that. You never know whats in someone else's tank water, especially a LFS that recommends not to test for ammonia. My other concern is your salinity swings. They are wayyyy too much for a tank that size. Either your salinity testing tool (whatever your using), is not reading right, or your not reading it right or something is off. I don't see how it could go from .20 to .29 to .23 unless you are doing huge water changes. If you don't have a refactometer definitely get one, and definitely calibrate it to the water you use to fill the tank before you add salt. But like others have said, always QT. It absolutely sucks doing it, as like everyone else, when I buy a new fish I can't wait to see it swimming in my display tank, but the risk isn't worth the reward. Ammonia could have definitely killed the fish, but I also think you introduced something with all your new additions.

[saltwateratx]

Originally Posted by Jeremiah_Conway

You can get refractometer on amazon for $25 to get an accurate salinity reading
Calibration required of course

Sorry, I meant I was using an refractometer and picked up a hydrometer just to make sure that I was close on both test

[saltwateratx]

Originally Posted by Clowny88

Ammonia vs. Parasite, what killed my fish? Not that important

- QT all new fish
- Let the tank go fallow to remove any possible parasites
- Don't overstock
- Test for ammonia... Make sure your live rock is doing its job!
- Dip corals before introduction to the DT

These steps will help prevent major issues obviously, but it will also help you narrow down what happened IF something happens in the future.

Ammonia or Parasite, what killed my fish? Doesn't matter, have to do better at preventing both. Good luck! While the tank is fallow do lots of reading... You have been forced into being patient.

All great points. I have already setup my qt and it is running. I appreciate everyone's responses and while I know I screwed myself by not using a qt with treatments, I was more trying to get some education on what the fish had so in the off chance that this happened again I would be prepared to deal with it and not start treatment for the wrong thing like I did this time. Ammonia or Parasite, knowing what I have learned over the last week, I could have saved some if not all of my fish.

[saltwateratx]

Originally Posted by stingeragent

+1 to above. I don't believe anyone asked, but when you introduced all these new fish, how did you do it? Did you dump the bags and all the water they came in, into the tank? Never ever dump in the water. Ever. I bought some coral off a site I won't mention, and being new and dumb, I did a full acclimation, and then dumped in the entire contents of the bag. Within like 2 days all my fish in the tank had ich, and it wasn't coincidence as I hadn't added anything else new to the tank for months before that. You never know whats in someone else's tank water, especially a LFS that recommends not to test for ammonia. My other concern is your salinity swings. They are wayyyy too much for a tank that size. Either your salinity testing tool (whatever your using), is not reading right, or your not reading it right or something is off. I don't see how it could go from .20 to .29 to .23 unless you are doing huge water changes. If you don't have a refactometer definitely get one, and definitely calibrate it to the water you use to fill the tank before you add salt. But like others have said, always QT. It absolutely sucks doing it, as like everyone else, when I buy a new fish I can't wait to see it swimming in my display tank, but the risk isn't worth the reward. Ammonia could have definitely killed the fish, but I also think you introduced something with all your new additions.

When introducing the fish, I generally drip acclimate them in the bags and then scoop them out with a net and put them in the display tank. As for the salinity swings, I have been using a calibrated refactometer the entire time but had started off my ATO system incorrectly. I had RO water with a salt mixture(mistake) for about 4 days which increase my salinity to the 1.029. The water change and straight RO water in the ATO straightened that problem out. That was around 3 week prior to all of this going on with the fish.

I have spoke with the lfs and the owner has agreed to help me out a bit. I will rebound wiser and look forward to having a better experience moving forward.

[Jeremiah_Conway]

Originally Posted by saltwateratx

Sorry, I meant I was using an refractometer and picked up a hydrometer just to make sure that I was close on both test

Multiple measuring instruments is the only way to go.

[paullondon]

How is your tank doing?

[tidus10]

Originally Posted by saltwateratx

All great points. I have already setup my qt and it is running. I appreciate everyone's responses and while I know I screwed myself by not using a qt with treatments, I was more trying to get some education on what the fish had so in the off chance that this happened again I would be prepared to deal with it and not start treatment for the wrong thing like I did this time. Ammonia or Parasite, knowing what I have learned over the last week, I could have saved some if not all of my fish.

Honestly, i think at this point, whatever killed the fish isnt fixable or preventable. If all these fish died within 4 days there is no sort of treatment that could have saved them. I would write this off as ammonia and learn from it.