My tank exploded help me please

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Dominic M

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Hi, just coming into this late. Lots of talk about carbon, but remember that carbon doesn't remove all chemical toxins. water changes do. When I have a case of acute poisonings, where fish are dying, I perform a series of water changes that get me to a total of 100% Then using carbon to take care of anything left (three 33% water changes don't give you an effective 100%, because the second and third changes are also changing some of the water you had already changed). Do I understand though, that you aren't the primary keeper of this tank? Doing big water changes can be tricky if you don't know how.

Circling back to the animals: all the fish died? How many invertebrates died? What is left alive? Is more than one coral looking bad?

Jay
Thanks, I just have someone checking in on it and feeding while I'm on a trip, all the fish died (2 clowns), not sure if any snails are dead or not but I think none of the hermits are, I only have one coral and that one looks bad.
 

Jay Hemdal

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Thanks, I just have someone checking in on it and feeding while I'm on a trip, all the fish died (2 clowns), not sure if any snails are dead or not but I think none of the hermits are, I only have one coral and that one looks bad.
O.K., well, the general rule is: if all the fish died but the invertebrates are fine, it isn't toxicity, it is a disease. In this case, it is probably toxicity as the invertebrates also seem affected, I just needed to try and confirm that....

Jay
 

zalick

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Thanks, I just have someone checking in on it and feeding while I'm on a trip, all the fish died (2 clowns), not sure if any snails are dead or not but I think none of the hermits are, I only have one coral and that one looks bad.
Just to clarify:
Both fish died

As far as you know everything else is alive?
 

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This Poly filter....I'm intrigued....I dont run a canister, but wondering if I could run it I'm my basic Aquaclear powerhead?
I am putting it in my filter media cup in my new sump. It, along with charcoal, did a great job pulling out an overdose of Seachem Cupramine in my FOWLR tank.
 
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Dominic M

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Just got home the coral looks very weird and possibly dead theres a bit of algae growing on it and the clown corpses have been slightly eating by my hermits but the one in the back behind the shell is almost completley gone, a couple snails look dead but ill have to check them and more, ill keep you guys updated
 
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Dominic M

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Also something I observed was all my rocks and sand used to have a ton of algae and now there is absolutely no algae sand is completley white
 
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Dominic M

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I think its definitely a chemical, theres no way a ammonia spike or higher salinity or a lower temp could have done that, looks like a graveyard
 

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I think its definitely a chemical, theres no way a ammonia spike or higher salinity or a lower temp could have done that, looks like a graveyard
It's starting to look that way.

I'd still run a full set of tests: Salinity, pH, Ammonia, Nitrates, Alk. Just to eliminate anything else.
 
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Dominic M

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It's starting to look that way.

I'd still run a full set of tests: Salinity, pH, Ammonia, Nitrates, Alk. Just to eliminate anything else.
Will do ill post results when I can, activated carbon and bags come tmmrw
 

Jay Hemdal

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Also something I observed was all my rocks and sand used to have a ton of algae and now there is absolutely no algae sand is completley white
That is key to all this. Something killing fish, invertebrates and algae pretty much has to be a toxin.

Jay
 

Bepis

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Buy a triton or ATI test kit. send it to the lab and they may find what happened
 

Bepis

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Did you have any sea cucumbers or apples in the tank?
 

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20210125_150702.jpg
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Just got home the coral looks very weird and possibly dead theres a bit of algae growing on it and the clown corpses have been slightly eating by my hermits but the one in the back behind the shell is almost completley gone, a couple snails look dead but ill have to check them and more, ill keep you guys updated
Hate to say it, but the Froggy is a goner. The polyps bailed on that. It's happened to a hammer I had a long time ago, and it was due to fluctuations in water parameters. (I was getting down my program) Can't stress enough that weekly water changes (about 20-25%) makes all the difference in the world. Good luck on the new acquisitions, as this is just part of starting out in this awesome hobby.
 

vetteguy53081

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Likely a toxin. You will do a massive water change and for toxins, add a large pouch of chemipure Elite which absorbs it well BUT before that- Buy an ICP test and send in ASAP as it will take a week to get results. Massive water change will reduce any toxins or high levels in which API is likely giving you.
With coral-fish-inverts dying- Nitrates and ammonia comes to the front as a suspicion in addition to possible toxins.
 

CanuckReefer

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Oooh that
Did you have any sea cucumbers or apples in the tank?
Oooh that would certainly do it. Funny, I've had a Cuc for probably a dozen years now....did not see him for probably 6 months literally, a bit panicked for a few months, then said, well I guess everything is fine, when the ugly fella finally showed his face I was both relieved and perplexed. I watch that one like a hawk now because it's getting old and I dont run carbon....essentially my efficient cleaner that's a ticking time bomb I guess lol?
 

Jay Hemdal

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Likely a toxin. You will do a massive water change and for toxins, add a large pouch of chemipure Elite which absorbs it well BUT before that- Buy an ICP test and send in ASAP as it will take a week to get results. Massive water change will reduce any toxins or high levels in which API is likely giving you.
With coral-fish-inverts dying- Nitrates and ammonia comes to the front as a suspicion in addition to possible toxins.
Remember though - ICP will only show elemental levels, copper, iron, sodium, etc. If the toxin were an organic compound (likely) the ICP process would only show it in its elemental forms, and you'd never even notice it. Even ammonia and nitrate won't show in ICP.

Jay
 

Bepis

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Oooh that

Oooh that would certainly do it. Funny, I've had a Cuc for probably a dozen years now....did not see him for probably 6 months literally, a bit panicked for a few months, then said, well I guess everything is fine, when the ugly fella finally showed his face I was both relieved and perplexed. I watch that one like a hawk now because it's getting old and I dont run carbon....essentially my efficient cleaner that's a ticking time bomb I guess lol?
As long as you keep it healthy supposedly they are fantastic CUC.
 

vetteguy53081

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Remember though - ICP will only show elemental levels, copper, iron, sodium, etc. If the toxin were an organic compound (likely) the ICP process would only show it in its elemental forms, and you'd never even notice it. Even ammonia and nitrate won't show in ICP.

Jay
Correct. ICP to check all other elements.
ICP does not disclose nitrite - nitrate - ammonia - alk-flouride - phosphate
 

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