Please Help! Fish Dying

[SaltwaterScotty]

Hi. I don't know if this is the correct forum for this. I have a 230 gallon fowlr that has been up since January. I have 2 clowns that are fine, a pb tang that died very suddenly 2 days ago - I walked by and it was swimming normally and walked by again a minute later and it was dead, and a queen angel that has been actively dying over the past 2 days but still alive. I checked my params. Everything was normal except for some reason my ph was unmeasurable on the low side. Must be 6 something. I did a 30% water change with no affect on the angel or ph. I have ph buffer being delivered today. I tried raising it with baking soda to no avail. The only thing that's changed in the past week or so is that I no longer have algae growing on glass - there is literally nothing to clean(is that normal?), I've added pods to my fuge, and microbacter7. CUC is fine. I've had a slight diatom issue and what I think was/is black cyano I used chemiclean on a 3 weeks ago. It did not totally get rid of it, and I suctioned the rest out. Do you think this is a PH issue only or could something else be going on? Why would my clowns be unaffected? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Attached are pics of tge black stuff before I suctioned it, the angel and clowns.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Do you quarantine your fish?
How do you oxygenate the water? How is the flow in the tank?
It sounds like disease or low oxygen stress to me, but I'm just guessing. #fishmedics will be able to help more

 

[Sharkbait19]

What were the rest of the params?
The low pH is indicative of some acid buildup, whether from CO2 or something else. Your sandbed doesn’t really look deep enough for hydrogen sulfide pockets to build up but it’s possible.
Do you have any videos of fish behavior?

 

[twentyleagues]

pH test is probably incorrect. Filtration? Flow? other parameters? Better pics or videos of the fish?

 

[Dburr1014]

Low PH, how are you measuring it?
Sounds like low O2 to me also.
Point powerheads to the surface!

 

[SaltwaterScotty]

What were the rest of the params?
The low pH is indicative of some acid buildup, whether from CO2 or something else. Your sandbed doesn’t really look deep enough for hydrogen sulfide pockets to build up but it’s possible.
Do you have any videos of fish behavior?

The only other fish in there other than the angel laying on it's side are 2 clowns acting perfectly normal. They ate this morning. When the food went in, the angel got up and swam around it but did not eat and went back to laying as pictured. My alk is 6.5, phos is not measurable. Must be 6 something. The buffer should be here today but I've gotten mixed messages on whether or not to even use it.

 

[Mattiejay6]

Looks like in your first picture with the angel there is a reddish spot under the fin and dorsal area of the fish… maybe Uronema?

 

[twentyleagues]

The only other fish in there other than the angel laying on it's side are 2 clowns acting perfectly normal. They ate this morning. When the food went in, the angel got up and swam around it but did not eat and went back to laying as pictured. My alk is 6.5, phos is not measurable. Must be 6 something. The buffer should be here today but I've gotten mixed messages on whether or not to even use it.

With typical saltwater rocks and sand that should buffer your water to stop any ph lower than mid 7. What are you using to measure the ph? What salt are you using?

 

[SaltwaterScotty]

Looks like in your first picture with the angel there is a reddish spot under the fin and dorsal area of the fish… maybe Uronema?

There are two more pics. I hadn't noticed that, nor know about uronema.

 

[SaltwaterScotty]

With typical saltwater rocks and sand that should buffer your water to stop any ph lower than mid 7. What are you using to measure the ph? What salt are you using?

I use the red sea test kit. It's brand new. I was going to take a sample to my lfs today, but they're closed for the Holiday. I just did a 30% water change yesterday and use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. I normally use Red Sea, but IO is all they had.

 

[Mattiejay6]

I use the red sea test kit. It's brand new. I was going to take a sample to my lfs today, but they're closed for the Holiday. I just did a 30% water change yesterday and use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. I normally use Red Sea, but IO is all they had.

 

[twentyleagues]

I use the red sea test kit. It's brand new. I was going to take a sample to my lfs today, but they're closed for the Holiday. I just did a 30% water change yesterday and use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. I normally use Red Sea, but IO is all they had.

How often do you do water changes? The numbers you are getting dont add up. Mix some fresh saltwater and test it.

 

[twentyleagues]

I believe it to be disease also. But testing is out of wack too. @Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081

 

[1112-425XL]

What powerheads or WaveMakers are you using? Not seeing much water movement.

 

[SaltwaterScotty]

How often do you do water changes? The numbers you are getting dont add up. Mix some fresh saltwater and test it.

I did a 30% w/c yesterday. And do them bi weekly. Ok, I'll test it

 

[SaltwaterScotty]

What powerheads or WaveMakers are you using? Not seeing much water besides the return I have a

 

[SaltwaterScotty]

I have a Maxspect 4k Gyre. One pointed down, one agitating the surface, both on random settings

 

[Malum Argenteum]

Might help to post numbers on all parameters -- salinity/SG, temp, whatever else you have -- and note how you measure those params.

With a pH that low (whether or not it is test error), I'd open some windows and start aerating the tank ASAP.

 

[vetteguy53081]

There are two more pics. I hadn't noticed that, nor know about uronema.

This fish appears to be victim of aggression, possibly another angel and shows what looks like bite marks
What other fish are in tank?

 

[twentyleagues]

This fish appears to be victim of aggression, possibly another angel and shows what looks like bite marks
What other fish are in tank?

The only other fish in there other than the angel laying on it's side are 2 clowns acting perfectly normal. They ate this morning. When the food went in, the angel got up and swam around it but did not eat and went back to laying as pictured. My alk is 6.5, phos is not measurable. Must be 6 something. The buffer should be here today but I've gotten mixed messages on whether or not to even use it.