My tank exploded help me please

[Dominic M]

My parameters are...

PH: 8
KH: 8
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Calcium: 400-420
Phosphate: 0
Mg: 1410-1500

I use api test kits (i know there bad) and salifert for mg and Ive had the tank for 3 months

I left for a trip on the 20th and had someone check in/feed fish and it had been going great and then this afternoon my male clown was swimming across the sand bed and then shortly after died, then later today the female randomly dropped dead (was swimming and acting completely normal). Previously before I left for my trip my frogspawn wasn't acting normal and not opening up all the way like normal, and I added shells for my hermits I got at hobby lobby (made sure they were not painted) and rinsed and dried them. What I think happened is there if some chemical on the shells and after a couple days killed them, my frogspawn is also very closed up and looks very odd. If the chemicals contaminated the water and killed them what should I do? I thought about bringing my 11 Astraea snails, 5 hermits, and my frogspawn to my LFS and just give them to them for free and then sell my equipment to try to cut my losses but why would my LFS take stuff the could have deadly chemicals on them and kill all of their other livestock? They probably wouldn't so I would have to put them in a bucket with no filter and no powerhead because that stuff is contaminated and add new water which the water wouldn't have an established bacterial colony. So either way if I left them in the tank or not id have to just sit and watch a bunch of stuff die. How would I be able to sell stuff, would I just have to clean it really really well? I loved this hobby for the time everything was going great, but the cons are so very bad. So to close a few questions, Did the fish die from chemicals on the shells? What do I do with my remaining livestock? What is the best way to sell off what stuff I can/exit the hobby?

Thank you for reading, Dominic M

Also for anyone who answered my questions on this forum and helped me out thank you so much I greatly appreciate it.

 

[CanuckReefer]

My parameters are...

PH: 8
KH: 8
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Calcium: 400-420
Phosphate: 0
Mg: 1410-1500

I use api test kits (i know there bad) and salifert for mg and Ive had the tank for 3 months

I left for a trip on the 20th and had someone check in/feed fish and it had been going great and then this afternoon my male clown was swimming across the sand bed and then shortly after died, then later today the female randomly dropped dead (was swimming and acting completely normal). Previously before I left for my trip my frogspawn wasn't acting normal and not opening up all the way like normal, and I added shells for my hermits I got at hobby lobby (made sure they were not painted) and rinsed and dried them. What I think happened is there if some chemical on the shells and after a couple days killed them, my frogspawn is also very closed up and looks very odd. If the chemicals contaminated the water and killed them what should I do? I thought about bringing my 11 Astraea snails, 5 hermits, and my frogspawn to my LFS and just give them to them for free and then sell my equipment to try to cut my losses but why would my LFS take stuff the could have deadly chemicals on them and kill all of their other livestock? They probably wouldn't so I would have to put them in a bucket with no filter and no powerhead because that stuff is contaminated and add new water which the water wouldn't have an established bacterial colony. So either way if I left them in the tank or not id have to just sit and watch a bunch of stuff die. How would I be able to sell stuff, would I just have to clean it really really well? I loved this hobby for the time everything was going great, but the cons are so very bad. So to close a few questions, Did the fish die from chemicals on the shells? What do I do with my remaining livestock? What is the best way to sell off what stuff I can/exit the hobby?

Thank you for reading, Dominic M

Also for anyone who answered my questions on this forum and helped me out thank you so much I greatly appreciate it.

Ok Dom....let's breathe for a second and NOT sell it all. You are experiencing what a ton of us here have....the experience of learning through a brief fail. It's cool, we've all done it....your reef will come back. First is yes get rid of those shells. Your parameters seem entirely normal to my eyes if low on the nitrates but that's usually my tank too..... a few water changes and let's go from there no?

 

[Dominic M]

Ok Dom....let's breathe for a second and NOT sell it all. You are experiencing what a ton of us here have....the experience of learning through a brief fail. It's cool, we've all done it....your reef will come back. First is yes get rid of those shells. Your parameters seem entirely normal to my eyes..... a few water changes and let's go from there no?

Yeah I was just kinda in the moment, wouldn't I have to clean all of the stuff out and then start with completely new water and re cycle the tank because of the chemicals? Or would a substantial water change remove enough of the chemicals it would not be harmful?

 

[CanuckReefer]

Yeah I was just kinda in the moment, wouldn't I have to clean all of the stuff out and then start with completely new water and re cycle the tank because of the chemicals? Or would a substantial water change remove enough of the chemicals it would not be harmful?

I think that's where we start. You'd be surprised on how quickly things can right themselves. First off, do you have live rock? If so BIG plus for you. Even if not, I do a 20% water change to get some stuff out yet not unbalance your parameters too wildly....re test, do 20% more a few days later.....

 

[cboylan1606]

Start running some carbon. And do water change

 

[Flux Capacitor]

I would put some activated carbon in water. That will help pull the chemicals out if there are any. If your snails are alive I would think that it wasn’t a chemical, but can’t rule it out so carbon is where I would start.

Did the clowns show any signs of sickness? Cloudy eyes, fuzzy scales, breathing heavy?

 

[Flux Capacitor]

Also you can do 100% water change and not affect the cycle if you can do it all at once. Just heat the new water first. The bacteria is on the rock and glass not floating around in the water.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Start running some carbon. And do water change

I would put some activated carbon in water. That will help pull the chemicals out if there are any. If your snails are alive I would think that it wasn’t a chemical, but can’t rule it out so carbon is where I would start.

Did the clowns show any signs of sickness? Cloudy eyes, fuzzy scales, breathing heavy?

Yup...forgot that Carbon advantage...well done....

 

[Dominic M]

I would put some activated carbon in water. That will help pull the chemicals out if there are any. If your snails are alive I would think that it wasn’t a chemical, but can’t rule it out so carbon is where I would start.

Did the clowns show any signs of sickness? Cloudy eyes, fuzzy scales, breathing heavy?

The male that was swimming across the sand bed was breathing heavy, the female was completely normal. Also what does activated carbon do? sorry lol

 

[Flux Capacitor]

The male that was swimming across the sand bed was breathing heavy, the female was completely normal. Also what does activated carbon do? sorry lol

It basically sucks up chemical, pigments, and some organics. It will remove medications and toxins.

 

[Dominic M]

I think that's where we start. You'd be surprised on how quickly things can right themselves. First off, do you have live rock? If so BIG plus for you. Even if not, I do a 20% water change to get some stuff out yet not unbalance your parameters too wildly....re test, do 20% more a few days later.....

It was dry rock but now it has algae and stuff on it so is it now live rock? Or that not how it works? Yeah when I get home ill do that, hopefully it will make it one more day until I get back. I there anything I should order right now? Some people said activated carbon im not sure what that is I know my filter has carbon in it but not sure if that helps.

 

[CanuckReefer]

The male that was swimming across the sand bed was breathing heavy, the female was completely normal. Also what does activated carbon do? sorry lol

It will essentially remove toxin from your water....it may also strip nutrients but that is not our concern today. It's a wise choice to do it, it's cheap and effective...so yes definitely do it imo.

 

[Dominic M]

It basically sucks up chemical, pigments, and some organics. It will remove medications and toxins.

Nice, do I just drop that in the tank? How much and where do I get it? I have a standard 29 gallon tank if you need to know that.

 

[T-J]

Hang on a sec. He THINKS there might have been some chemicals on the shells. While that's possible, I'm eyeballing his Ammonia levels. That's right on the line of toxicity for some fish, and with an API test kit, who knows what the levels might be.

 

[CanuckReefer]

It was dry rock but now it has algae and stuff on it so is it now live rock? Or that not how it works? Yeah when I get home ill do that, hopefully it will make it one more day until I get back. I there anything I should order right now? Some people said activated carbon im not sure what that is I know my filter has carbon in it but not sure if that helps.

Nice, do I just drop that in the tank? How much and where do I get it? I have a standard 29 gallon tank if you need to know that.

@Flux Capacitor will advise. I used to run carbon years back in canister but dont anymore. In your case here, it will certainly help imo.

 

[Dominic M]

Hang on a sec. He THINKS there might have been some chemicals on the shells. While that's possible, I'm eyeballing his Ammonia levels. That's right on the line of toxicity for some fish, and with an API test kit, who knows what the levels might be.

I thought at first it could be ammonia but I kinda wrote that off because its always around that when I test it (that was also lower than normal btw) and the fish were fine.

 

[Flux Capacitor]

The heavy breathing could be a sign of parasites, did you quaretine the fish before putting them in the tank? Maybe @Jay Hemdal can help, but unless it was showing other signs I’m not sure how easy it will be it figure out.

API is a crap test for ammonia. It always reads .25 for me whenever I used it in the past. This could be it. Maybe try a different ammonia test kit.

The easiest way to run carbon is put it in a media bag. Then you can throw it in your filter, or in the tank if need be, but it would be best it a filter. What filter do you run?

 

[Steph1]

Well said Canuck

 

[CanuckReefer]

Hang on a sec. He THINKS there might have been some chemicals on the shells. While that's possible, I'm eyeballing his Ammonia levels. That's right on the line of toxicity for some fish, and with an API test kit, who knows what the levels might be.

True....API is not the best, and it's on the edge but not over it imo, mine have been there before.... Did he add a big bio load lately? Not sure....

 

[T-J]

What's your salinity? Any chance the person watching your tank while you were gone didn't top it off?

Just trying to see what definitely is or isn't part of the issue here.