All but one fish missing other fish swimming but breathing rapidly

NinnJinn

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Went to bed last night all was well. Got up this morning all the fish were swimming I fed them they ate and I went on about my morning errands.

Lights at full intensity at 11 a.m. I get home at 11:15 a.m. and I see this

20190321_125603.jpg

Reddish stuff floating all through the tank. All the fish are swimming and acting normally.

11:30 a.m. wavemaker turns on within about 10 minutes I see this


20190321_133649.jpg

Tank is super super cloudy and the fish are seeking shelter. Which is typically normal and after about a half an hour they typically start swimming out and just start gliding through the tank.

I change the filter sock and I check all of my parameters.

125 gallon DT with a 40 gallon sump


Ammonia 0.25
nitrite 0
nitrate 20
pH 8.2

It is now 9 p.m. eastern time I have not seen any of my fish and looking through the tank at where they usually hide but I don't see them. My blue hippo Tang is the only one out swimming but is huffing and puffing like mad.

This is a picture of the tank now.

1553216542645569721118359121325.jpg

It's a smidge clearer but my clean filter sock that I just replaced 7 hours ago it's already dirty contemplating on changing it again.




Anyone know what's going on and what I can do about it?? If you say do a water change I've got 60 gallons of fresh saltwater mixed up.
 

ZipAdeeZoa

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Went to bed last night all was well. Got up this morning all the fish were swimming I fed them they ate and I went on about my morning errands.

Lights at full intensity at 11 a.m. I get home at 11:15 a.m. and I see this

20190321_125603.jpg

Reddish stuff floating all through the tank. All the fish are swimming and acting normally.

11:30 a.m. wavemaker turns on within about 10 minutes I see this


20190321_133649.jpg

Tank is super super cloudy and the fish are seeking shelter. Which is typically normal and after about a half an hour they typically start swimming out and just start gliding through the tank.

I change the filter sock and I check all of my parameters.

125 gallon DT with a 40 gallon sump


Ammonia 0.25
nitrite 0
nitrate 20
pH 8.2

It is now 9 p.m. eastern time I have not seen any of my fish and looking through the tank at where they usually hide but I don't see them. My blue hippo Tang is the only one out swimming but is huffing and puffing like mad.

This is a picture of the tank now.

1553216542645569721118359121325.jpg

It's a smidge clearer but my clean filter sock that I just replaced 7 hours ago it's already dirty contemplating on changing it again.




Anyone know what's going on and what I can do about it?? If you say do a water change I've got 60 gallons of fresh saltwater mixed up.
I would decinety do a water change, you need to get that ammonia back down to 0 as quickly as you safely can

If I had to guess whats going on perhaps some sort of invert died and released something on its way out? Do you/ did you have any sea cucumbers or anything like that?

Lets get more eyes on this #reefsquad
 

Crabs McJones

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How old is this tank in how long did it cycle before you added fish? An established tank shouldn't have any ammonia in it even if a fish or invert dies it should be able to process it quickly enough that you never notice it.
 

Dom

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Yes... I agree... something may have died in the tank. This would could explain the presence of ammonia in the water.
 

Raege

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Seachem prime will detox ammonia for the emergency going on then will need to find source of issue. If no way to get prime water changes matched to salinity and temp to help Good luck hope you can save em
 
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NinnJinn

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How old is this tank in how long did it cycle before you added fish? An established tank shouldn't have any ammonia in it even if a fish or invert dies it should be able to process it quickly enough that you never notice it.


Tank is 13 months old and first 2 fish were added 5 months after tank what's that have been cycled. Added two more fish 3 weeks ago.

Only inverts that I have in tank is Nassarius snails and Hermits and they've been in the tank for 9 months now they seem to be moving around just fine.

I have five trochus snails in quarantine 2 hopefully clear up the redish brown stuff.

15532189120736054497724302432708.jpg

Found out earlier in the week my city water is adding chloramine.

After 4 stage Rodi freshwater is .75 ammonia WITH brand new filters and Ro
 

Raege

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With chloramine you need a lot more stages in your Rodi system to get usable water. Short term your gonna need to buy water to mix. Should have zero ammonia even if ya have a death in tank after months running. With ammonia showing bio filter not developed to adddress it and when adding fish earlier in week stressded the bio filter even more and it couldn’t keep up. Prime seems only quick bandaid I can think off till ya get some clean rodi
 

Dilan Patel

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looks like an algae bloom. point ur powerheads to the surface for surface agitation. Your fish are probably breathing heavy due to the low oxygen levels caused by the bloom.
 

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Seachem prime will detox ammonia for the emergency going on then will need to find source of issue. If no way to get prime water changes matched to salinity and temp to help Good luck hope you can save em

Do you think ammonia of .25 is an emergency?
 
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NinnJinn

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In process of doing a 50% water change coral beauty just swam out from hiding and just nose dived And is laying on its side panting
 

Raege

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Do you think ammonia of .25 is an emergency?
I would say yes with fish in distress. Ammonia being only thing identified other than the 4 stage rodi not being robust enough to get rid of chloramines from my reading and leaving ammonia in the tested rodi. The algae bloom and perhaps other things need addressing as well and could be a effect of ammonia if I am remembering correctly. Hopefully some #reefsquad folks can give better advice and help get sorted out
 
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NinnJinn

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Not sure if it will help at this point but with affresh saltwater mixture from r o d i did add the proper amount of prime and as it is pumping into the tank I have a small wave maker in there aerating the water
 
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NinnJinn

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Not sure if this matters any, the only thing that has changed in the last 4 days is that I have my lights set up to come on and shut off automatically and have been running them for 10 hours a day. Whereas before they were on maybe three to four hours a day
 

Raege

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In process of doing a 50% water change coral beauty just swam out from hiding and just nose dived And is laying on its side panting
How’s your quarantine tank? Is the water their in better shape algae and parameter wise? If numbers are better might be better to get fish back there tho stress of moving em could be an issue but if they are struggling to breath and not moving may be option. Sorry your going thru this really hope it sorts out
 

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I'm old school, besides a water change, run carbon to get the ammonia out of the system.
 
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NinnJinn

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How’s your quarantine tank? Is the water their in better shape algae and parameter wise? If numbers are better might be better to get fish back there tho stress of moving em could be an issue but if they are struggling to breath and not moving may be option. Sorry your going thru this really hope it sorts out


After sitting for two weeks with no fish I tore it down thinking that I was in the clear but never dreaming that this would happen
 

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Get the ammonia out, run carbon.
I'm old school, besides a water change, run carbon to get the ammonia out of the system.
+1
 
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