Confused

[brad1970]

So I’m not completely sure where to post this so I will put it here

Im not new to the hobby I have had my tank running for 7-8 years. Went threw all the same problems most people have. But lastnight something happened that completely lacks all explanation

I don’t have all the numbers with me because I’m not at home while posting this so but I assure you all my parameters were spot on

I have A 35 gallon tank. Nothing special for a set up for livestock it contained..
1 yellow tang
1 blue chromie
2 clown fish
1 snowflake moray eel
Couple rbta
Snails

Again this set up has run for a long long time yes we have lost a couple fish over the years and never really replaced any of them. Just kept what we had

last night we were watching tv I looked over at the tank the tang the chromie and one clown were laying on their sides at the bottom of the tank. We quickly checked all parameters made sure heater wasn’t shocking tank. Tested salinity nothing was off I quickly did a bit of a water change. But within an hour the chromie and tang died. The clown retreated to its clay pot and just layed on its side at the bottom. My other clown and my eel weren’t effected at all nothing changed in their behaviour

this morning I woke up expecting to find the clown dead but quiet the opposite they are both swimming around playing in their rbta my eel is doing his eel thing. It’s like nothing happened.

I apologize for the long post. I’m just really confused on what happened

 

[brad1970]

So the numbers from lastnight when this happened were

pH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20ppm (always been around that range)
Temp 77
salinity 1.025

 

[brad1970]

Any thoughts or ideas on what I need to check? Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Reeflix]

well the only thing i can think of off the bat is stray voltage, but I don't know much about it so I don't really know if it stays around or anything

 

[brad1970]

well the only thing i can think of off the bat is stray voltage, but I don't know much about it so I don't really know if it stays around or anything

Yea I guess it’s possible. I’m just completely lost on this one

 

[Reeflix]

that is the only thing i can think of since your parameters look fine and you havent added in any new fish

 

[BeltedCoyote]

What's the oxygenation like in your tank? That's a lot of livestock for a 35g....

 

[Reeflix]

oh yes... that also makes sense

 

[Reeflix]

What's the oxygenation like in your tank? That's a lot of livestock for a 35g..

i would pop in an airstone just to help

 

[brad1970]

I have a canister filter and 3 wave makers that constantly break the surface of the water. But it’s been running exactly the same for many years and those have been in the tank since the beginning

 

[brad1970]

And like I said today everyone else is like nothing happened. Except the clowns seem a little lost because they are the only fish left in the tank

 

[Reeflix]

test for stray voltage

 

[brad1970]

What's the oxygenation like in your tank? That's a lot of livestock for a 35g....

Sorry that was a typo. 55g

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Sorry that was a typo. 55g

Gotcha. I still wonder about oxygen. I don't really see how stray voltage could kill a few of your fish and leave others unharmed. Have you felt any shocks or tingling when in the tank?

 

[brad1970]

Gotcha. I still wonder about oxygen. I don't really see how stray voltage could kill a few of your fish and leave others unharmed. Have you felt any shocks or tingling when in the tank?

No I don’t feel anything when I have my hand in the tank.

I can add an air stone to the tank

 

[BeltedCoyote]

No I don’t feel anything when I have my hand in the tank.

I can add an air stone to the tank

Try that. I'd also do a decent water change were it me.

Sorry for your loss too. I'm probably way too attached to my fish but yeah. Really socks to lose a living thing in care

 

[brad1970]

Try that. I'd also do a decent water change were it me.

Sorry for your loss too. I'm probably way too attached to my fish but yeah. Really socks to lose a living thing in care

I did a 1/4 tank water change lastnight while it was happening it’s usually the first thing I do when something seems off.

we have lost fish over the 7-8 yrs our tank has been running but this is the first time it’s somewhat unexplainable the yellow tang the chromie (the last survivor of the 5 that started our tank) and the clowns were the last of the original fish we had. Back when it was a 150g with another 100g sump.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I am sorry for your loss. My only advice since this tank has been running for quite some time, is try to figure out what had changed recently. Have you done water change recently? Added some new RODI to the system? Is there a something not accounted for animal-wise? What was the last thing you did in your sump? Cleaning products/ candles /air fresheners nearby?
Clowns and eels are pretty hardy so they can handle an "event" more than others.
So the other thing ppl. will ask is what type of test kits you are using and how unreliable they are... etc.
You may have had an Ammonia event or a chemical event and your system filtered it out via biologically or via carbon by morning. You just have to figure out the source of the event.
As far as stray electrical. Could be, but I would imagine you could feel it with your hands if it was that severe.

 

[brad1970]

I am sorry for your loss. My only advice since this tank has been running for quite some time, is try to figure out what had changed recently. Have you done water change recently? Added some new RODI to the system? Is there a something not accounted for animal-wise? What was the last thing you did in your sump? Cleaning products/ candles /air fresheners nearby?
Clowns and eels are pretty hardy so they can handle an "event" more than others.
So the other thing ppl. will ask is what type of test kits you are using and how unreliable they are... etc.
You may have had an Ammonia event or a chemical event and your system filtered it out via biologically or via carbon by morning. You just have to figure out the source of the event.
As far as stray electrical. Could be, but I would imagine you could feel it with your hands if it was that severe.

I did a water change 3 days Prior everything else pretty much is completly unchanged. The only other thing I could even think is maybe. Just maybe since I can’t find him is one zombie snail seems to be missing possible he died causing a small ammonia spike?

 

[BeltedCoyote]

How old were the fish that died? Chromis typically don't live past 5 if I recall correctly.

Sorry to throw another wrench in the proverbial mix, but idk. Could be Old age. Clowns can live easily past 10 years. Don't know about tangs and eels.