My tank has been setup for about 3 months. I did a water test and had 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and my nitrate was under 5ppm after running my fuge for about a month, ph is steady at 8.2 and salinity Is 1.025. I had two clowns and a coral beauty all of which were doing very well in the tank until i noticed them turning pale and breathing heavy, i did not notice any marks on the fish, i did a freshwater dip which didn’t seem to help at all. The next morning all 3 fish were dead. I had a large algae bloom occur right before the fish deaths which I read can decrease oxygen rapidly causing fish death. Another poster on a previous thread said oxygen depletion could may well have been the cause with no skimmer. My inverts are all perfectly healthy as well. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Please help. Desperate
- Thread starter Jarbour88
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How much water movement do you have on the surface? Is your water surface exposed to open air or is there a lid on top? Do you have a sump? Skimmer? Any new fish additions?
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How big is your tank?
Do you know what kind of algae it was?
Do you have a skimmer running?
Do you have a powerhead or wavemaker in the tank that creates any wave action at the water surface?
Do you know what kind of algae it was?
Do you have a skimmer running?
Do you have a powerhead or wavemaker in the tank that creates any wave action at the water surface?
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What instrument are you using to measure salinity and what is your tank temperature?
What test kit(S) are you using
BY ANY CHANCE IS YOUR TANK AT OR NEAR A WINDOW ?
What test kit(S) are you using
BY ANY CHANCE IS YOUR TANK AT OR NEAR A WINDOW ?
@Jarbour88,
You stated 3 weeks, and tested 0 ammonia before adding the fish?
During the cycle did you see the ammonia spike at all?
Did you test the water after the fish death for ammonia?
You stated 3 weeks, and tested 0 ammonia before adding the fish?
During the cycle did you see the ammonia spike at all?
Did you test the water after the fish death for ammonia?
Thank you everyone for all the feedback. My tank is a 37 gallon, dimensions are 30 in L x 12 in W x 22 in H. I do not have a sump but I have a large HOB refugium with marine pure block, chaeto, Mangrove, green sea lettuce, seachem purigen and seachem matrix. The top of the tank is half open half covered with plastic to deal with some evaporation. I did have an initial ammonia spike followed by nitrite then nitrate, i did the 24 hour nitrite to nitrate test to make sure i was cycled before adding fish. I retested ammonia after fish death with 0 ammonia showing on liquid test as well as on my seachem alert. I use all RO/DI water with my temp at around 78-80 at all times. I use a refractometer to measure my salinity. Tank is not near a window, I believe the algae was a mix of diatom and cyano, based on the green and brown algae with bubbles in it as well as purplish hair algae growing on live rock, also brown powder algae on glass. I do have a powerhead pointed at the surface but it is a very cheap powerhead i must admit.
More details on the freshwater dip... Temp matched? Alk matched? ro/di water used? Length of time? What you observed during this? Fish behavior afterwards?
I would lean towards the dip being the cause of the demise unfortunately. People talk about it so often as if it is a routine thing. But if not done correctly it will be the bigger problem.
I would lean towards the dip being the cause of the demise unfortunately. People talk about it so often as if it is a routine thing. But if not done correctly it will be the bigger problem.
Yes freshwater dip everything matched and it was only for a few minutes, it was more of a last resort may aswell try it type thing where one fish had already died and the other two looked very bad. Nothing seemed to change, nothing fell off the fish either.
What is the next step I should take? I am afraid to add more fish and I don't know if I should do a huge water change or a small water change. Should I wait to add a protein skimmer after water change and then test water for a while before more fish? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Salt & Peper
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I'm my nano tanks I use surface skimmers to add oxygen to my system. But the biggest problem you need to solve imo is why the algae bloom happened. Carbon dosing, over feeding, added chemical, etc.....
Salt & Peper
Active Member
Test your water and if your water parameters are out of whack then do a large water change. if there fine (which they probably won't be) by a new test kit! Keep an eye on P04 and N03
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