First fish death - illness?

[Judson_f]

Hello everyone,

Sadly today when I came home from work I found our blue hippo tang in a crevice underneath some rock work not moving. At first I wasn’t alarmed because from the moment I put it in the tank it was doing that & being a problem. Causing rock work rearranging and everything. Asked the wife to look while I lifted the rock (I could see it was not pinned and appeared to have extra space but figured lifting rock would encourage it to swim to another) and sadly no, it was dead. Ive had 2 clownfish for the life of the tank (8-9 months), a scopas tang & cleaner shrimp for about a month, and my 2y/o daughter has discovered finding Nemo so I got her a Dory (that she LOVED) last Friday. So she made it about 5 days. I have nori I keep on clips in the tank, algae wafers, pemysis pellets, and frozen shrimp “protein loaded” or what have you. And was feeding a mix of all of it to them. First time I’d ever worried about over feeding to be honest. The only other abnormality lately has been very high alkalinity I’ve yet to be able to correct, I don’t know when it got this high but I learned of it May 20

Tank parameters:
pH: 8.0
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0.0
Nitrate: 10
Phosphate: 0.1
Alkalinity: 4.64 - 5 Meq/L or 14 dKH

Really curious because the fish looks like it might’ve been sick. So I’m not sure if I should be worried about my other 3 fish that have always been - and notably still are - very healthy seeming. I am also working on the alkalinity, I suspect not enough oxygen exchange where I don’t have a protein skimmer & have glass lids with only a 3” strip open to the air at the back of the tank. Going to set up a bubbler and run the air house to fresh outdoors probably. I have also heard that instant ocean reef salts are highly carbonate concentrated so could be that too.

what do you guys think? Illness? Or injury/decay from having been dead against a rock for a day & my tank’s alkalinity being way too high?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello everyone,

Sadly today when I came home from work I found our blue hippo tang in a crevice underneath some rock work not moving. At first I wasn’t alarmed because from the moment I put it in the tank it was doing that & being a problem. Causing rock work rearranging and everything. Asked the wife to look while I lifted the rock (I could see it was not pinned and appeared to have extra space but figured lifting rock would encourage it to swim to another) and sadly no, it was dead. Ive had 2 clownfish for the life of the tank (8-9 months), a scopas tang & cleaner shrimp for about a month, and my 2y/o daughter has discovered finding Nemo so I got her a Dory (that she LOVED) last Friday. So she made it about 5 days. I have nori I keep on clips in the tank, algae wafers, pemysis pellets, and frozen shrimp “protein loaded” or what have you. And was feeding a mix of all of it to them. First time I’d ever worried about over feeding to be honest. The only other abnormality lately has been very high alkalinity I’ve yet to be able to correct, I don’t know when it got this high but I learned of it May 20

Tank parameters:
pH: 8.0
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0.0
Nitrate: 10
Phosphate: 0.1
Alkalinity: 4.64 - 5 Meq/L or 14 dKH

Really curious because the fish looks like it might’ve been sick. So I’m not sure if I should be worried about my other 3 fish that have always been - and notably still are - very healthy seeming. I am also working on the alkalinity, I suspect not enough oxygen exchange where I don’t have a protein skimmer & have glass lids with only a 3” strip open to the air at the back of the tank. Going to set up a bubbler and run the air house to fresh outdoors probably. I have also heard that instant ocean reef salts are highly carbonate concentrated so could be that too.

what do you guys think? Illness? Or injury/decay from having been dead against a rock for a day & my tank’s alkalinity being way too high?

Its hard to determine a cause when a fish is dead and especially out of the water. Any symptoms you noticed such as loss of appetite, lethargic behavior, heavy breathing?
Alk is Very high (you want 8-11 dkh

 

[Judson_f]

Its hard to determine a cause when a fish is dead and especially out of the water. Any symptoms you noticed such as loss of appetite, lethargic behavior, heavy breathing?
Alk is Very high (you want 8-11 dkh

Yeah, I was hoping the pics might help but oh well. And no symptoms that I noticed! It was a strong & fast swimmer! And watching it eat was more fun than any of my other fish lol it would grab shrimp chunks and shake it back and forth like a shark or something. From the moment I put it in the tank (after drip acclimating) it was constantly trying to wedge itself into the smallest cracks and crevices it could, but I got a really small one and figured he was super stressed from the traveling from LFS to tank, new environment and new tank mates all that. The second & third day it actually started coming out a lot - and only hiding when people would get too close to the tank. Hindsight 20/20 he MAY have been breathing slightly heavy, but honestly when feeding/swimming around it seemed healthy. Just skittish as hell … sigh and yes the only thing that is blatantly wrong with my tank is the alkalinity - I’m going to try and oxygenate it better. Should I dose something a little acidic to try and decrease it? I heard dosing isn’t a valid long term fix

 

[Judson_f]

Its hard to determine a cause when a fish is dead and especially out of the water. Any symptoms you noticed such as loss of appetite, lethargic behavior, heavy breathing?
Alk is Very high (you want 8-11 dkh

Also I need to fanboy a little here because I can’t tell you how many of your posts and things I’ve read. Thank you for taking the time to look at mine!
I’ve had great success with my first reef/saltwater tank - this is literally my first loss at 8 or so months and around 20 corals. We bought a new home we’re moving this weekend and the wife let me get a 220 gallon for it! Super stoked. My current tank (75) will prob become a QT at that point

 

[vetteguy53081]

Also I need to fanboy a little here because I can’t tell you how many of your posts and things I’ve read. Thank you for taking the time to look at mine!
I’ve had great success with my first reef/saltwater tank - this is literally my first loss at 8 or so months and around 20 corals. We bought a new home we’re moving this weekend and the wife let me get a 220 gallon for it! Super stoked. My current tank (75) will prob become a QT at that point

Youre quite welcome and make this an excuse to buy a replacement. These fish are hardy but also get stuck in rock structure, startle easily and crash into objects and susceptible to ich and flukes.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yeah, I was hoping the pics might help but oh well. And no symptoms that I noticed! It was a strong & fast swimmer! And watching it eat was more fun than any of my other fish lol it would grab shrimp chunks and shake it back and forth like a shark or something. From the moment I put it in the tank (after drip acclimating) it was constantly trying to wedge itself into the smallest cracks and crevices it could, but I got a really small one and figured he was super stressed from the traveling from LFS to tank, new environment and new tank mates all that. The second & third day it actually started coming out a lot - and only hiding when people would get too close to the tank. Hindsight 20/20 he MAY have been breathing slightly heavy, but honestly when feeding/swimming around it seemed healthy. Just skittish as hell … sigh and yes the only thing that is blatantly wrong with my tank is the alkalinity - I’m going to try and oxygenate it better. Should I dose something a little acidic to try and decrease it? I heard dosing isn’t a valid long term fix

To lower, whatever you do - do it slowly as calcium and PH can be affected.
Vinegar dosing in small amounts is one way
Daily 2 gallon water changes for 2 weeks
Add nothing and allow corals to take it in

 

[Judson_f]

To lower, whatever you do - do it slowly as calcium and PH can be affected.
Vinegar dosing in small amounts is one way
Daily 2 gallon water changes for 2 weeks
Add nothing and allow corals to take it in

Thanks man! Will def take this advice! I’ll start with the small daily water changes. So far basic & routine maintenance has been what’s working for me

 

[MnFish1]

Hello everyone,

Sadly today when I came home from work I found our blue hippo tang in a crevice underneath some rock work not moving. At first I wasn’t alarmed because from the moment I put it in the tank it was doing that & being a problem. Causing rock work rearranging and everything. Asked the wife to look while I lifted the rock (I could see it was not pinned and appeared to have extra space but figured lifting rock would encourage it to swim to another) and sadly no, it was dead. Ive had 2 clownfish for the life of the tank (8-9 months), a scopas tang & cleaner shrimp for about a month, and my 2y/o daughter has discovered finding Nemo so I got her a Dory (that she LOVED) last Friday. So she made it about 5 days. I have nori I keep on clips in the tank, algae wafers, pemysis pellets, and frozen shrimp “protein loaded” or what have you. And was feeding a mix of all of it to them. First time I’d ever worried about over feeding to be honest. The only other abnormality lately has been very high alkalinity I’ve yet to be able to correct, I don’t know when it got this high but I learned of it May 20

Tank parameters:
pH: 8.0
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0.0
Nitrate: 10
Phosphate: 0.1
Alkalinity: 4.64 - 5 Meq/L or 14 dKH

Really curious because the fish looks like it might’ve been sick. So I’m not sure if I should be worried about my other 3 fish that have always been - and notably still are - very healthy seeming. I am also working on the alkalinity, I suspect not enough oxygen exchange where I don’t have a protein skimmer & have glass lids with only a 3” strip open to the air at the back of the tank. Going to set up a bubbler and run the air house to fresh outdoors probably. I have also heard that instant ocean reef salts are highly carbonate concentrated so could be that too.

what do you guys think? Illness? Or injury/decay from having been dead against a rock for a day & my tank’s alkalinity being way too high?

This looks like a 'baby' blue tang - which in my experience do not do as well as others. Your parameters (except as @vetteguy53081 said your alkalinity is high). The fish itself looks thin - was it clearly eating? Did you QT the fish - I'm assuming no. And did you match the salinity in the bag with that of your tank. Sorry about the fish. PS I would consider letting your alkalinity fall on its own. I don't think it's what caused the problem.

 

[MnFish1]

PPS before you do any dosing of acid, I would make sure your test is accurate - by re-checking it with another sample and a different kit.

 

[Judson_f]

This looks like a 'baby' blue tang - which in my experience do not do as well as others. Your parameters (except as @vetteguy53081 said your alkalinity is high). The fish itself looks thin - was it clearly eating? Did you QT the fish - I'm assuming no. And did you match the salinity in the bag with that of your tank. Sorry about the fish

Yes def was a baby, like 2.5” long max. No QT yet, I’ve had to just run the risk as wife will not allow another tank in this house lol. Part of the reason I have more corals and few fish. Salinity yes! My tank stays at 1.025 and the LFS bag water was 1.023, drip acclimated for 30 min, then changed 25% of water with my tank water. Then gently released into tank by net. It was clearly eating! And voraciously! When it was clowns & scopas I fed once a day with nori for grazing. As soon as the blue tang went for his first meal I realized he needed feeding more, so was feeding twice a day and he was tearing it apart!

 

[Judson_f]

PPS before you do any dosing of acid, I would make sure your test is accurate - by re-checking it with another sample and a different kit.

Good point, I use red sea test kits. I have salifert for nitrate