Oh No!!!

[oli5]

Hi everyone. Yesterday night I had a power outage at about 8. This to me wasn't much of a big deal because I've been through them before, so I didn't freak out or anything regarding my tank. The power came back on at 2 in the morning (that's what I am told) while I was asleep. This morning when I woke up, I go to my tank and the water is cloudy, and I find FOUR DEAD FISH ON THE SANDBED. My Coral Beauty, Bicolor, Heniochus, and Chromis died. I did some tests and my ammonia is off the charts, at 3+, same with my Nitrites. WHAT DO I DO? Should I just do 10% water changes everyday for the next week because the rest of my fish don't look so good, same with my only mushroom. All help is appreciated.

[everl0ng]

i would do a bigger water change and then do a few smaller ones until things get evened out. maybe someone else will chime in here and give their input.

[Fat Man]

Yes start water changes now, I'd go greater than 10%, until your amonia and nitrates are in control. You experienced a die of and associated cycle. The cloudiness is probably a bacterial bloom in the water column.

[PrivateJoker64]

I'd change as much water as I could, up to about 80%, and drop in some Amquel or something equivalent.

[DouglasTiede]

I have to wonder what made your tank crash so hard so fast?
Was your tank actually not fully cycled and the power out
caused a spike and sent you into a deep cycle?

Where your levels already high and the lack of flow caused a deep
cycle?

Something else is going on here. How long was the tank set up?

I would do a 25 - 50% water change and be ready to do another
25% in a day or two.

First I would move all your fish into a QT tank so the water changes are easier to make, or better yet do you have another tank
or someone who can let you put your fish into an already established tank so your tank can cycle????

It really sounds like your tank needs to go through a normal deep cycle as though it never completed one from when you set it up.

I would not rush to put anything new in your tank, rather let it cycle for 4-6 weeks and more or less start over.

Try and save for fish and mushroom as best as you can in another tank of some kind.

But let your tank cycle, it truly sounds as though it never completed it's cycle. I say this because I could unplug my reef and leave it off for a day or two and not lose a thing.
Far be it that my tank is from perfect, for I know it is not in anyway.. But I would say from the info you gave that your tank never completed it's first 4-6 weeks cycle.

I'll pray for you that all goes well and I do truly wish you the best!
Shame you don't live near me I'd gladly take care of your fish until your tank got better.

[csb]

Agreed... conduct as large a water change as you can (80% or so, like PrivateJoker64 said) and then add a small dose of Amquel.

After that water change, prepare for another smaller water change the following day. Keep a close eye on your ammonia level and it should level out within a few days.

After the ammonia levels out, you'll prob get a boost of nitrates and subsequent algae bloom. That's alright... just let it happen and allow the algae ample time to use up the nitrates. The algae will die off over the course of a few weeks.

Sorry to hear about the die-off... that sucks big time.

[Lion_Babe]

80% water change??? Are you nuts??? That will cause the tank to cycle even worse than it is. If you are going to do that much of a water change, just pull out the fish and start over. Then let your tank cylce fully....enjoy the alage and be proud of it.

By my math your tank is only about 9 months old. I have a few questions for you. Did you let your tank cycle when you set it up? How much LR do you have? What were all your water levels at when you tested it? What is on the bottom of your tank? What kind of filtration and water movement does your tank have? What were your water levels at before the die off? What kind of water are you using when doing water changes? Have you been adding anything when doing water chages or normally? How much are you feeding your fish?

Something was going on before the power outage in your tank. We may never know what exactly it was though.

Amquel is really a waste of money in the long run. Let your tank do it naturally.

You need to let your tank cycle/finish cycling. I wouldn't do more than a 30% water change on the first day. Use RO, if not RO/DI water. You will probably have to do a smaller change on day three or four.

You should really set up a QT for your fish since that would be less stressful on your fish. PVC, mugs, bar glass, etc make great hiding spots for your fish in QT. Just remember that water changes are also a must on a QT.

The ammonia in your tank will kill off most if not all bacteria in your tank. Any way you look at it your tank is going to cycle.

I know I might sound cocky or mean or what not. I am really not trying to be. I want to help you save your tank.

Good luck and God bless.

[jft]

An 80% water change wouldnt cause a cycle because all the good bacteria is in the substrate/filter media/rocks. Even if you did a 100% water change it wouldnt cause a cycle IMO

[Frick-n-Frags]

I could possibly see suffocation as a killer, but nothing short of something big already dead and rotting or pouring ammonia into the water is going to generate from zero-to-lethal ammonia levels in 6 hours. also, the bacteria was beefed to handle a decent fishload already if you had those fish more than 2 months.

you may have been on the verge of a disaster, and the additional stress of the outage may have tipped the balance a little sooner.

I'm guessing you put a bunch of new fish in and your tank is recycling or someone had an oopsie with the food or some other huge nutrient addition - or double check your ammonia on another kit.

[oli5]

Thanks so far from everyone. I think it was that I added too much at one time on Monday. Well I rarely go to JLAquatics because it's 4 hours away so I bought my green striped mushroom, a bicolor angel, 2 neon gobies, a cleaner shrimp, and some snails. I added them all at the same time so that must have done something to the water. When the power outage occurred the next day I think they were already stressed so when they lost oxygen it just pushed them to the limits. Yesterday I did a 25% water change and now all the fish look great, my mushroom opened up, and nobody seems really stressed. Yesterday I also added Amquel. Another 25% water change is scheduled every 2 days until my levels are all at 0.