I'm losing all my fish. I have a very very slight hint of ammonia, could be zero though. My nitrates are a little bit high. But not enough for me to lose my entire tank. This is been up and running for about 4 months. I lost like five fish now. My flame Angel was the first to go. I don't want to lose you in else. What should I do?
Dying fast!!
- Thread starter Cress
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You have a very young tank. Did you make sure it fully cycled? If so, how quickly did you add fish to the system. Too many at one time will not allow the bacteria to keep up and your ammonia and nitrites will rise too fast. Did you see any symptoms on the fish? Did you qt the fish?
ihavecrabs
2500 Club Member
If your anemone is still looking like that, I doubt it to be ammonia. Did you happen to test with API? If so, I would ignore that reading.
If your anemone is shrunken up and not looking happy, I would get some type of ammonia reducer like Prime.
Have you noticed any parasites or infections on the fish? spots, bruises, or white patches?
#reefsquad
Sorry such a bad experience brings you to us, but we are happy you are here! Welcome and hopefully we can get this figured out with you!
If your anemone is shrunken up and not looking happy, I would get some type of ammonia reducer like Prime.
Have you noticed any parasites or infections on the fish? spots, bruises, or white patches?
#reefsquad
Sorry such a bad experience brings you to us, but we are happy you are here! Welcome and hopefully we can get this figured out with you!
Jason mack
Monti madness
The anamone looks fine in that pic ,it could just be pooping if it’s shriveled up ... how fast have your fish been dying .. if it’s all over a period of like 3 days or so then I would suspect velvet ..!
Hey there Oregon 
Your first post always should be a happy positive post IMO.
But it’s a good thing you reach out on R2R.
On this point a lot of things can be the issue of sending your fish to the reefs of heaven.
You said not enough ammonia is detected to cause this, how did you test and what test kit?
To be clear Nitrate isn’t a bad thing but Nitrite is, looks the same but two different things.
More info is needed to determine what can be the cause, salt level, do you mix your water yourself or does it came from the LFS?
Temparture?
Ph?
Maybe your ALK?
How did you cycle the tank?
For the moment don’t even think about new livestock for a while.
Provide us more info and monitor your tank.
Your first post always should be a happy positive post
IMO. But it’s a good thing you reach out on R2R.
On this point a lot of things can be the issue of sending your fish to the reefs of heaven.
You said not enough ammonia is detected to cause this, how did you test and what test kit?
To be clear Nitrate isn’t a bad thing but Nitrite is, looks the same but two different things.
More info is needed to determine what can be the cause, salt level, do you mix your water yourself or does it came from the LFS?
Temparture?
Ph?
Maybe your ALK?
How did you cycle the tank?
For the moment don’t even think about new livestock for a while.
Provide us more info and monitor your tank.
40B Knasty
Valuable Member
Sorry to hear about your issue. Let's try to resolve it. First thing is check your salinity. Next is what was the salinity of the store you were buying them from. Sometimes it can be down at 1.018 at a LFS (local fish store). Without a very long acclimation. Bringing the fish up to 1.026 (if that is what your tank is at) can be very hard on a fish. Check your temperature. Check for stray voltage. It is a silent killer.
If you are going to use Prime to help out possibly. Just know it does not remove or detoxify ammonia or nitrates. It only binds it.
Check your TDS(Total Dissolved Solids). Make sure they are at .000TDS.
Right now I would not add any fish, because there maybe a parasite in the tank. Velvet and Brook are fast killers. Fluke and Ich you have a little grace period to treat them.
Your anemone might also be stinging your fish as well. Clowns build up a tolerance for the sting. Where other it could be fatal. If all your fish are dying and the clown is the only one alive. That maybe your answer.
If you are going to use Prime to help out possibly. Just know it does not remove or detoxify ammonia or nitrates. It only binds it.
Check your TDS(Total Dissolved Solids). Make sure they are at .000TDS.
Right now I would not add any fish, because there maybe a parasite in the tank. Velvet and Brook are fast killers. Fluke and Ich you have a little grace period to treat them.
Your anemone might also be stinging your fish as well. Clowns build up a tolerance for the sting. Where other it could be fatal. If all your fish are dying and the clown is the only one alive. That maybe your answer.
I haven't gotten a new fish for a really long time. I introduced all of them in slowly and acclimated right. Everybody's been really happy and healthy and looking great. The only new thing I've done is adding a coral. I'll get my RO di water from the fish store and mix with my salt, I use Instant Ocean. I've also use reef crystals before. But I keep everything pretty consistent. I didn't notice any sickness on the fish at all, they looked fine, and then the next morning they are dead. And look skinny and their fins are all screwed up. It's literally overnight. My temperature is about 79 to 80. What should the temperature be? I did just fine keeping it about 80 and then the lfs told me to lower it to 78, because I had a couple turbo snails die. So I lowered my temperature did a water change, and then I lost my flame Angel the next morning. And I've been losing them all ever since. So I don't know if it's a temperature change, or if it's the corals I brought in have something on them. I have no clue. Just did a 50% water change and added some prime and pH buffer cuz my pH was still low.
40B Knasty
Valuable Member
Maybe you have a hitch hiker hiding out and is coming out at night.
I keep my tank at 77.6-77.8F.
pH could also be the issue. What is that? You maybe getting a significant drop at night due to algae in the tank. You might want to see what your pH plays out in the course of a full day. Like test every 6 hours through the course of a full day.
40B Knasty
Valuable Member
What HOB filter do you have? I see one in the clown/anemone picture. I use the Fluval C4 with a plate of Marine Pure in it. Handles my 65g no problem.
Patrick Norman
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What is your tank volume and how many fish did you have in it? Could it have been aggression from another fish? I saw a clown in the picture and know females can be quite territorial.
40B Knasty
Valuable Member
She had a Flame Angel die off. Angel would put a clown in its place most likely 9 out of 10 times. Plus I only seen one clown. So the clown would most likely still be a small male. I had a male clown and have a Flame Angel. My angel would have beat the snot out of the clown haha.
Just monitor your fish what is still left over for strange behavior.
My bet is you introduce a illness what was in the water that your nem came in.
I only quarantine nems for three weeks in a TTM, it’s a invert so highly sensitive for meds.
My bet is you introduce a illness what was in the water that your nem came in.
I only quarantine nems for three weeks in a TTM, it’s a invert so highly sensitive for meds.
EmdeReef
2500 Club Member
No spots, wounds or anything on the dead fish? Is the clown still looking good, swimming fine, eating ok? Any black/dark patches in your sand or on your rocks? You could try a FW dip to see if anything falls.
In terms of pathogens, and assuming there were indeed no symptoms or any visible wounds, only gram negative bacteria would kill that fast. However, in most cases there would be a clinical manifestation of the infection. Based on the information we have, I would vote for something environmental, possibly a toxin especially since you mention a fish dying after a water change. Is there any chance something was introduced? It's also not completely impossible you had an ammonia spike. While anemones are very sensitive, assuming it was a shorter one, anemones can survive brief periods in less favorable water conditions by expelling water and deflating.
In terms of pathogens, and assuming there were indeed no symptoms or any visible wounds, only gram negative bacteria would kill that fast. However, in most cases there would be a clinical manifestation of the infection. Based on the information we have, I would vote for something environmental, possibly a toxin especially since you mention a fish dying after a water change. Is there any chance something was introduced? It's also not completely impossible you had an ammonia spike. While anemones are very sensitive, assuming it was a shorter one, anemones can survive brief periods in less favorable water conditions by expelling water and deflating.
40B Knasty
Valuable Member
That is low for sure. At night it might even be dropping lower to 7.5. Which is dangerously low. Think you might have found the issue. Test in the AM hours after your lights are out. Open a window. Take the lid off if you have one. Get a lot of surface tension going. Aim your power heads at the surface if you do not have wave maker.
Do you have a protein skimmer? That will help with adding O² back into the tank.
Do you have a protein skimmer? That will help with adding O² back into the tank.
40B Knasty
Valuable Member
Prazipro is for Flukes. This will also deplete O² a little. If you don't have it. I wouldn't suggest it. Your fish are dying over night. Flukes take a week or two to do damage.
Sarah24!
2500 Club Member
Hello,
I’m curious if your salinity or you have a parameter out of whack. My dad accidentally jumped my salt content from .25 to .30 and I lose three sps corals within a day. However I didn’t lose any fish and corals usually are more sensitive to parameters being out of whack. (Both super sensitive but my tangs seem pretty hearty). I’m also thinking possibly a fish disease as well. I haven’t used prime but have used alpha and it is suppose to reduce ammonia nitrites etc and nitrates. (Didn’t work well on nitrates).
Have you added any new fish recently?
I’m curious if your salinity or you have a parameter out of whack. My dad accidentally jumped my salt content from .25 to .30 and I lose three sps corals within a day. However I didn’t lose any fish and corals usually are more sensitive to parameters being out of whack. (Both super sensitive but my tangs seem pretty hearty). I’m also thinking possibly a fish disease as well. I haven’t used prime but have used alpha and it is suppose to reduce ammonia nitrites etc and nitrates. (Didn’t work well on nitrates).
Have you added any new fish recently?
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