HELP PLEASE!! MARINE TANK

mads4 · Feb 2, 2022

Hi everyone, i really need some help with my marine fish. i’m a new fish keeper but i’ve had this tank for about a year now and have never had any issues. I have no corals in my tank.
But saturday night my cleaner shrimp passed away on the rock. i removed him but still couldn’t understand how he could have died as i had only brought him around 2 months ago. i checked my tanks temperature and water levels and everything was fine.
Then today (wednesday) i woke up and checked on my tank and my Benggai Cardinal had died. she was lay at the bottom and unfortunately had passed. i was very confused and didn’t understand how my shrimp and fish had now died. I checked the temperature again and everything else. nitrate and ammonia levels were 0 and the only thing that was slightly off was the pH level which was 8. i don’t think this could be the cause of death because it was only off by a tiny bit and nothing that could of hurt the fish too much to the point of causing it to die?
ive had my black ice clownfish since april last year and he is doing fine, and i had my Benggai Cardinal since may last year. they’ve all been fine. i also have 2 hermit crabs and 2 snails and they also seem to be doing fine. i have no clue how this could of happened. i’ve tried to find the cause of it and i really don’t have any clue. please someone help!!

MnFish1 · Feb 2, 2022

mads4 said:
Hi everyone, i really need some help with my marine fish. i’m a new fish keeper but i’ve had this tank for about a year now and have never had any issues. I have no corals in my tank.
But saturday night my cleaner shrimp passed away on the rock. i removed him but still couldn’t understand how he could have died as i had only brought him around 2 months ago. i checked my tanks temperature and water levels and everything was fine.
Then today (wednesday) i woke up and checked on my tank and my Benggai Cardinal had died. she was lay at the bottom and unfortunately had passed. i was very confused and didn’t understand how my shrimp and fish had now died. I checked the temperature again and everything else. nitrate and ammonia levels were 0 and the only thing that was slightly off was the pH level which was 8. i don’t think this could be the cause of death because it was only off by a tiny bit and nothing that could of hurt the fish too much to the point of causing it to die?
ive had my black ice clownfish since april last year and he is doing fine, and i had my Benggai Cardinal since may last year. they’ve all been fine. i also have 2 hermit crabs and 2 snails and they also seem to be doing fine. i have no clue how this could of happened. i’ve tried to find the cause of it and i really don’t have any clue. please someone help!!

So - just curious -

1. Are there any fish still alive in your tank (I'm assuming the clown is still ok)?
2. The death of a shrimp its hard to say - sometimes they don't live that long - and who knows how old it was.
3. How large is the tank?

Sometimes - as fish get older they get more aggressive - any sign of that?
It is also possible (though unlikely) - that there is an unidentified toxin, etc in your tank - resulting in the shrimp and cardinal death - but I would think the clown would also be having trouble. you could consider an ICP test

4. Were there any symptoms - that the cardinal had - or the clownfish has? Again - the lifespan of a Bengai cardinal is 2.5-3 years - max 5 years - I don't suppose you know how old it was when you got it?

@Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 @fishguy242

Duncan62 · Feb 2, 2022

MnFish1 said:
So - just curious -

1. Are there any fish still alive in your tank (I'm assuming the clown is still ok)?
2. The death of a shrimp its hard to say - sometimes they don't live that long - and who knows how old it was.
3. How large is the tank?

Sometimes - as fish get older they get more aggressive - any sign of that?
It is also possible (though unlikely) - that there is an unidentified toxin, etc in your tank - resulting in the shrimp and cardinal death - but I would think the clown would also be having trouble. you could consider an ICP test

4. Were there any symptoms - that the cardinal had - or the clownfish has? Again - the lifespan of a Bengai cardinal is 2.5-3 years - max 5 years - I don't suppose you know how old it was when you got it?

@Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 @fishguy242

Shrimp lifespan is typically short. Hopefully old age for both. Most shrimp can reach adulthood in 6 month or less. Good luck.

mads4 · Feb 2, 2022

thank you so much! i’ve only ever had 2 fish in my tank, my cardinal and my clown. clown is doing fine but didn’t eat earlier today. i do a 10% water change each week. My cardinal sometimes had bits missing out of its fins where my clown would bite it. but i was advised in the shop where i brought my fish that they would get on well together. her fins would always grow back though. My cardinal was never agressive, only my clown.
My tank is 60 litres large. my tank has three filter chambers. in chamber one is the skimmer, in chamber 2 has a net bag containing lots of bits of broken live rock and a separate net bag containing some carbon, chamber three has a filter come pump. I have a separate circulation pump inside the tank, plus large live rock pieces forming features and lots of places for the fish to hide in. I brought a full set up and all recommendations of tank supplier. I have live sand in my tank to make a substrate. i had no idea how old my cardinal was when i got her, but have had her since april last year. my shrimp since december. Just seems strange how both of them died, when nothing was off. Except the pH which was 8, this would not have done anything to kill the cardinal though.

fishguy242 · Feb 2, 2022

hi, welcome to the reef...

as stated condition of existing fish ?
rinse and add carbon ,just in case toxin.
breathing and eating ok in other fish ?

fishguy242 · Feb 2, 2022

mads4 said:
thank you so much! i’ve only ever had 2 fish in my tank, my cardinal and my clown. clown is doing fine but didn’t eat earlier today. i do a 10% water change each week. My cardinal sometimes had bits missing out of its fins where my clown would bite it. but i was advised in the shop where i brought my fish that they would get on well together. her fins would always grow back though. My cardinal was never agressive, only my clown.
My tank is 60 litres large. my tank has three filter chambers. in chamber one is the skimmer, in chamber 2 has a net bag containing lots of bits of broken live rock and a separate net bag containing some carbon, chamber three has a filter come pump. I have a separate circulation pump inside the tank, plus large live rock pieces forming features and lots of places for the fish to hide in. I brought a full set up and all recommendations of tank supplier. I have live sand in my tank to make a substrate. i had no idea how old my cardinal was when i got her, but have had her since april last year. my shrimp since december. Just seems strange how both of them died, when nothing was off. Except the pH which was 8, this would not have done anything to kill the cardinal though.

correct PH ,rises and falls constantly throughout the day, 8 is fine anytime.
sounds like unfortunate coincidence .
keep eye on clown for any symptoms,or bullying other cardinal.

mads4 · Feb 2, 2022

fishguy242 said:
correct PH ,rises and falls constantly throughout the day, 8 is fine anytime.
sounds like unfortunate coincidence .
keep eye on clown for any symptoms,or bullying other cardinal.

thank you so much! will keep an eye on the clown and he is the only fish in there now. but i do have 2 hermit crabs, and 2 snails!

vetteguy53081 · Feb 2, 2022

Shrimps are not short lived -under the right conditions
My cleaner, she 4 ….. coral bAnded age 2 and fire shrimp age 3
They however do not do well with high level nitrate and even phosphate
You said your test results were good
What test kits are you using?
You may be getting false readings which would explain sudden death
Ph would have to be way off to be the culprit however items such as high salinity, stray voltage (stick a clean finger in tank and sump and you’ll know) as well as low discolored oxygen or parasitical such as flukes in gills, or Oodinum can be other cause’s
I’m curious on your test kit type

MnFish1 · Feb 2, 2022

vetteguy53081 said:
Shrimps are not short lived -under the right conditions
My cleaner, she 4 ….. coral bAnded age 2 and fire shrimp age 3
They however do not do well with high level nitrate and even phosphate
You said your test results were good
What test kits are you using?
You may be getting false readings which would explain sudden death
Ph would have to be way off to be the culprit however items such as high salinity, stray voltage (stick a clean finger in tank and sump and you’ll know) as well as low discolored oxygen or parasitical such as flukes in gills, or Oodinum can be other cause’s
I’m curious on your test kit type

It depends, though - what age the shrimp was bought at. Right? If it was 3 years old - it might not have long to live. Agree, though - that its not totally clear - nor does it make sense that the death of the shrimp - and the cardinal are related - except by a toxin of some sort?