All of my fish and coral are dying

[Michaelrisucci]

Every fish in my 60 gallon (20g sump) has died besides my melanarus wrasse. I had a pair of pink skunk clowns, mandarin goby, lemon peel angel, coral beauty, powder tang, clown tang (both tangs were under 4” and would have been transferred to a 200g that is being converted to salt now), squareback anthias, red linckia star, and blue linckia star. I was originally having issues with my zoanthids opening, so I overfed for a day or two to raise my nitrates and phosphates, but made sure to monitor the 0 ppm ammonia and 6-8ppm nitrate range as well as keeping the ph at 8.3 and phosphates at 0.05. I’ve added Red Sea magnesium booster and the levels are now at around 1250 (min) 1350 (max) as well as a ph and calcium (450 which seems a bit high?) buffer periodically to keep them in check. The zoanthids opened for a few days and everything seemed to stay in check. While overfeeding, I turned the return pump flow down to about 650 gph for a night with my wave pump on. The next day, I found my powder blue tang and lemon peel dead, as well as my linckia stars pushing out their organs and my zoas closed. I automatically turned my return back to 1050 gph. The next day the linckia’s both died as well as the anthias. I continued to check the parameters and everything was still in check. Yesterday, my coral beauty, pink skunk, and clown tang died, so I decided to do a 50% water change, change the media, and check the parameters. Today, I came home and my other pink skunk and mandarin goby died and my Duncan coral completely retracted. I then did another 50% water change (ro/di, 0 tds with 35ppt salinity). I am testing with all salifert test kits and adding oxygen with an air stone. I’m assuming a chain reaction happened where the lowering of flow killed my stars, poisoning the water, and killing my fish, but I’m not sure. Please help. I’ve lost around $500 in fish and don’t want to lose my corals now.

 

[Stephen8169301]

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal

 

[Sharkbait19]

Has the tank been exposed to any chemicals? Any equipment failures you don’t know of?
Did the fish act off at all before dying?
Given problems with both inverts and fish, disease can be ruled out.

 

[c0kefree]

In emergencies like this, the only things that are absolutely standard are water changes, and run a bunch of carbon … asap.

make more water, make sure your you’re actually mixing to proper salinity (ie refracto is calibrated)

make sure theres no stray voltage, broken magnets, heaters, ato, etc.

Good luck!!!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Every fish in my 60 gallon (20g sump) has died besides my melanarus wrasse. I had a pair of pink skunk clowns, mandarin goby, lemon peel angel, coral beauty, powder tang, clown tang (both tangs were under 4” and would have been transferred to a 200g that is being converted to salt now), squareback anthias, red linckia star, and blue linckia star. I was originally having issues with my zoanthids opening, so I overfed for a day or two to raise my nitrates and phosphates, but made sure to monitor the 0 ppm ammonia and 6-8ppm nitrate range as well as keeping the ph at 8.3 and phosphates at 0.05. I’ve added Red Sea magnesium booster and the levels are now at around 1250 (min) 1350 (max) as well as a ph and calcium (450 which seems a bit high?) buffer periodically to keep them in check. The zoanthids opened for a few days and everything seemed to stay in check. While overfeeding, I turned the return pump flow down to about 650 gph for a night with my wave pump on. The next day, I found my powder blue tang and lemon peel dead, as well as my linckia stars pushing out their organs and my zoas closed. I automatically turned my return back to 1050 gph. The next day the linckia’s both died as well as the anthias. I continued to check the parameters and everything was still in check. Yesterday, my coral beauty, pink skunk, and clown tang died, so I decided to do a 50% water change, change the media, and check the parameters. Today, I came home and my other pink skunk and mandarin goby died and my Duncan coral completely retracted. I then did another 50% water change (ro/di, 0 tds with 35ppt salinity). I am testing with all salifert test kits and adding oxygen with an air stone. I’m assuming a chain reaction happened where the lowering of flow killed my stars, poisoning the water, and killing my fish, but I’m not sure. Please help. I’ve lost around $500 in fish and don’t want to lose my corals now.

Sorry to hear and I dont want to sound like im preaching, but that's a whole lot of fish for a 60 g. Most listed are sensitive to High toxin levels and lack of oxygen which I believe played a role. Adding buffers and Mag- was the wrong time to do this wile water issues were recognized- This is known as chasing numbers which rarely end well. The stars alone may have released toxins but what is missing is:
- Pics of tank and even video Under white lighting
- Were the fish breathing normal or labored?
- Were the fish eating right up to loss or was there a loss of appetite?
- Any discoloration or cloudy eyes?

Were any of the dead fish discovered with their mouths open?

I dont believe stray voltage as removing fish, you would have known.

 

[sc50964]

Who is the resident expert when it comes to coral rescue?

 

[Michaelrisucci]

Has the tank been exposed to any chemicals? Any equipment failures you don’t know of?
Did the fish act off at all before dying?
Given problems with both inverts and fish, disease can be ruled out.

The only fish that acted out before dying was the clown tang. He seemed weak and fell to the bottom of the tank and fell over on his side. I only had him for about a day. The rest of the fish seemed completely fine before they passed.

 

[vetteguy53081]

The only fish that acted out before dying was the clown tang. He seemed weak and fell to the bottom of the tank and fell over on his side. I only had him for about a day. The rest of the fish seemed completely fine before they passed.

which again points to water and chemistry

 

[Michaelrisucci]

Has the tank been exposed to any chemicals? Any equipment failures you don’t know of?
Did the fish act off at all before dying?
Given problems with both inverts and fish, disease can be ruled out.

I also haven’t observed any equipment failures and no chemicals are allowed anywhere near my tanks.

 

[Michaelrisucci]

which again points to water and chemistry

Exactly, I’m confused as my tds gauge is reading 0 while I’m making the ro/di and my salifert tests are coming out in check.

 

[Stephen8169301]

Could lowering the flow cause oxygen issues?

 

[Stephen8169301]

Exactly, I’m confused as my tds gauge is reading 0 while I’m making the ro/di and my salifert tests are coming out in check.

If any photos of all this post what you got

 

[Michaelrisucci]

Sorry to hear and I dont want to sound like im preaching, but that's a whole lot of fish for a 60 g. Most listed are sensitive to High toxin levels and lack of oxygen which I believe played a role. Adding buffers and Mag- was the wrong time to do this wile water issues were recognized- This is known as chasing numbers which rarely end well. The stars alone may have released toxins but what is missing is:
- Pics of tank and even video Under white lighting
- Were the fish breathing normal or labored?
- Were the fish eating right up to loss or was there a loss of appetite?
- Any discoloration or cloudy eyes?

Were any of the dead fish discovered with their mouths open?

I dont believe stray voltage as removing fish, you would have known.

I’m, not home at the moment, but will be tonight and will post pics and videos. The fish were all breathing fine, not fast or at the top of the tank/ near the overflow or return. I had been feeding the carnivorous fish krill and they had a great response, especially the anthias and melanarus. I also dosed with 3 drops of phytoplankton and zooplankton once weekly. There are also amphipods and cyclopods in my sump for the mandarin who I saw picking at the rocks and glass daily, including last night. The skunks would mainly feed on pellets, which I would feed very lightly. The only fish that has died with discoloration was the pink skunk I think, though they are already a pastel looking fish so I’m not 100% on that. The only fish I saw with cloudy eyes was the coral beauty. The lemonpeel was the only one that died with its mouth open.

 

[Michaelrisucci]

Could lowering the flow cause oxygen issues?

I’m assuming it could have, but I continued to run my wave pump and added an air stone.

 

[Michaelrisucci]

In emergencies like this, the only things that are absolutely standard are water changes, and run a bunch of carbon … asap.

make more water, make sure your you’re actually mixing to proper salinity (ie refracto is calibrated)

make sure theres no stray voltage, broken magnets, heaters, ato, etc.

Good luck!!!

I recalibrated my refractometer yesterday and am still reading at 35 like before. Not seeing any electrical hazards. I’m going to continue the water changes as well. I also added 2 media bags of carbon to my sump and brand new floss as well as socks.

 

[reacclimating 2 the hobby]

Clown tang come out of qt?

 

[Stephen8169301]

I’m assuming it could have, but I continued to run my wave pump and added an air stone.

Was the air stone added over night when you turned down the pump

 

[Michaelrisucci]

Clown tang come out of qt?

All of my fish are aquacultured, never wild caught (or at least I’m told). Do I still need to qt them?

 

[Michaelrisucci]

Was the air stone added over night when you turned down the pump

Yes, I added it right in front of my return so the oxygen spread throughout the tank. I then moved it to the sump so it would go directly through the return pump to the tank after my first two fish died.

 

[Stephen8169301]

Is it possible you had too much oxygen for your fish? Idk if that’s a thing