Come with me on my 480g journey... - Page 3

Mr31415 · 06/14/2007, 05:19 AM

I just found my juvenile Dragon Wrasse - dead on the substrate. He swam when first introduced for about 2 hours, then ducked underneath the sand. He stayed there for almost 48 hours, and this morning I found my water cloudy and him dead. I do not believe it is possible for a small fish to cloud the water - especially since only his tail was eaten and the rest all intact.

Now I wonder why he died, and also why my water is cloudy????

Water params all check out fine.

nsreefer · 06/14/2007, 06:49 AM

Your tank hasn't been set up for very long, so it would not have the capacity in the biofilter to deal with a decomposing fish. What are your ammonia and nitrite testing at? They both should be zero or you're in trouble.

Mr31415 · 06/14/2007, 07:13 AM

I doubt that is true - I have taken over all the LR from the old tank which supported all that fish for 8 months just fine (except for the Nitrates).

It is a 4cm fish dead for about 5 hours in a tank with 528g of water, 80kg of LR...

Ammonia - 0, NO2- 0.

nsreefer · 06/14/2007, 11:19 AM

Yes, given that the water volume is so large you wouldn't think such a small fish would make much of a difference, however you also have the bioload from all of your fish for your tank to deal withl. I'm not saying it's a spike for sure. Perhaps it's just a bacterial bloom which happened to coincide with the death of the fish, who knows. All i know is that i NEVER rule out anything as a possibility in this hobby. St Murphy hates reefers!!!!!

Mr31415 · 06/14/2007, 11:26 AM

That is true... Damn Murphy.

Mr31415 · 06/14/2007, 12:04 PM

I see my skimmer suddenly started working overtime. I think the fact that that fish died coupled with the fact that yesterday I fed all the fish might have contributed to what you call a bacterial bloom...

I mean suddenly there are lots of food sources added to the cured LR so the balance between bacteria and bacteria food is broken, so the bacteria blooms under these favorable conditions...?

ziyaadb · 07/26/2009, 07:07 AM

Man when u setting up another tank?

noahm · 07/26/2009, 09:49 AM

Could have been the bacterial bloom as it will starve the water of oxygen. This part is all speculation, but when a wrasse buries itself in the sand, they must put themselves in a lower state of dissolved oxygen to begin with compared to when they are swimming. It is possible he just went comatose during the bloom and died. These kind of events can be disastrous when there is no skimmer present to add some bubbles. Good you only lost one fish.

BTW, cool setup. Lookin good.

07/26/2009, 09:49 AM	#58
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	Could have been the bacterial bloom as it will starve the water of oxygen. This part is all speculation, but when a wrasse buries itself in the sand, they must put themselves in a lower state of dissolved oxygen to begin with compared to when they are swimming. It is possible he just went comatose during the bloom and died. These kind of events can be disastrous when there is no skimmer present to add some bubbles. Good you only lost one fish. BTW, cool setup. Lookin good. Last edited by noahm; 07/26/2009 at 09:57 AM.

06/14/2007, 05:19 AM	#51
Mr31415 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Surrey, Canada Posts: 1,926	I just found my juvenile Dragon Wrasse - dead on the substrate. He swam when first introduced for about 2 hours, then ducked underneath the sand. He stayed there for almost 48 hours, and this morning I found my water cloudy and him dead. I do not believe it is possible for a small fish to cloud the water - especially since only his tail was eaten and the rest all intact. Now I wonder why he died, and also why my water is cloudy???? Water params all check out fine.

06/14/2007, 06:49 AM	#52
nsreefer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Stratford, PEI Posts: 502	Your tank hasn't been set up for very long, so it would not have the capacity in the biofilter to deal with a decomposing fish. What are your ammonia and nitrite testing at? They both should be zero or you're in trouble.

06/14/2007, 07:13 AM	#53
Mr31415 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Surrey, Canada Posts: 1,926	I doubt that is true - I have taken over all the LR from the old tank which supported all that fish for 8 months just fine (except for the Nitrates). It is a 4cm fish dead for about 5 hours in a tank with 528g of water, 80kg of LR... Ammonia - 0, NO2- 0.

06/14/2007, 11:19 AM	#54
nsreefer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Stratford, PEI Posts: 502	Yes, given that the water volume is so large you wouldn't think such a small fish would make much of a difference, however you also have the bioload from all of your fish for your tank to deal withl. I'm not saying it's a spike for sure. Perhaps it's just a bacterial bloom which happened to coincide with the death of the fish, who knows. All i know is that i NEVER rule out anything as a possibility in this hobby. St Murphy hates reefers!!!!!

06/14/2007, 11:26 AM	#55
Mr31415 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Surrey, Canada Posts: 1,926	That is true... Damn Murphy.

06/14/2007, 12:04 PM	#56
Mr31415 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Surrey, Canada Posts: 1,926	I see my skimmer suddenly started working overtime. I think the fact that that fish died coupled with the fact that yesterday I fed all the fish might have contributed to what you call a bacterial bloom... I mean suddenly there are lots of food sources added to the cured LR so the balance between bacteria and bacteria food is broken, so the bacteria blooms under these favorable conditions...?

07/26/2009, 07:07 AM	#57
ziyaadb Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: South Africa - JHB Posts: 733	Man when u setting up another tank?