Semi-urgent!!!

[BeanAnimal]

Now I understand that this is not what the product does. Thank you again for clearing this up for me :)

Yep - in loose theory it has part of what is needed, but not enough to matter in the slightest even in an ideal test. False advertising that they refuse to alter. It is a shame really.

 

[Fish Fan]

Yep - in loose theory it has part of what is needed, but not enough to matter in the slightest even in an ideal test. False advertising that they refuse to alter. It is a shame really.

Thanks for your reply! Yes, I stand corrected :-) I don't typically use or recommend Prime on saltwater tanks, but now I have a better understanding of what it does (or doesn't) do, and why we wouldn't want to use it.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Also want to add thank you so much for trying to help out here. I am literally stumped started joking with myself. Is this just a case of Romeo and Juliet? Joking but so weird they died within the same hours.

Two scenarios come to mind: Either a low oxygen event or a gill disease. Nothing else will kill 100% of the fish, yet leave all/most invertebrates alive.

Trouble is, now that the fish are deceased, there is no way to tell which issue that was. Low dissolved oxygen can be really tricky - your tank circulation is borderline o.k., I've seen cases where all it took was the person to top the tank up a bit higher than normal to shut off any surface agitation and kill the fish. However, low oxygen almost always happens overnight (due to reverse phase photosynthesis).

However, you noticed the fish were acting "off" before the lights went out. That could point more to a gill disease. The one that kills fish that quickly is marine velvet, Amyloodinium. Most often, the only symptom that you will see is rapid breathing, hovering the water current, followed by death.

If it was a disease, you should leave this tank fishless for 45 to 60 days.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Also, from what I know… 7alk would maybe bother corals…but clowns?!

Alk won't bother the clowns, but low oxygen and poor water quality will bother them.

Looking at the picture of you tank in post #10, the water surface is flat and full of dust and debris. all that debris cuts the gas exchange and lowers the oxygen content in the water. You should have a powrhead in the tank, aimed upwards at the surface, create agitation which will help oxygenate the water, and also move all that debris into the water so your filtration can filter it out, it can't be filtered sitting on the surface like that.

Lots of debris on the surface also cuts the light penetration so the corals get less light.

Algae and cyano also loves low flow.

Tap water provides low water quality and fuels algae growth.

I'd really suggest to get one or two powerheads in there and move that water around and start using distilled or rodi water.

 

[blawndie]

Two scenarios come to mind: Either a low oxygen event or a gill disease. Nothing else will kill 100% of the fish, yet leave all/most invertebrates alive.

Trouble is, now that the fish are deceased, there is no way to tell which issue that was. Low dissolved oxygen can be really tricky - your tank circulation is borderline o.k., I've seen cases where all it took was the person to top the tank up a bit higher than normal to shut off any surface agitation and kill the fish. However, low oxygen almost always happens overnight (due to reverse phase photosynthesis).

However, you noticed the fish were acting "off" before the lights went out. That could point more to a gill disease. The one that kills fish that quickly is marine velvet, Amyloodinium. Most often, the only symptom that you will see is rapid breathing, hovering the water current, followed by death.

If it was a disease, you should leave this tank fishless for 45 to 60 days.

MY GOODNESS!!!! I think you may have figured it out. I hope it’s your first scenario because velvet sounds awful a couple of days ago. I topped off with a little more water than normal and it was a tiny bit above the intake. I’m googling now. This is my first AIO. I’m leaning towards it was pure ME

 

[blawndie]

Alk won't bother the clowns, but low oxygen and poor water quality will bother them.

Looking at the picture of you tank in post #10, the water surface is flat and full of dust and debris. all that debris cuts the gas exchange and lowers the oxygen content in the water. You should have a powrhead in the tank, aimed upwards at the surface, create agitation which will help oxygenate the water, and also move all that debris into the water so your filtration can filter it out, it can't be filtered sitting on the surface like that.

Lots of debris on the surface also cuts the light penetration so the corals get less light.

Algae and cyano also loves low flow.

Tap water provides low water quality and fuels algae growth.

I'd really suggest to get one or two powerheads in there and move that water around and start using distilled or rodi water.

It’s all RODI water always has been.

THAT pic WAS after I agitated the crap out of the rocks to scoop out the clowns… if you look, you can see the rock scape is different compared to my OP. I think that was when someone said they wanted to see the full tank picture so I took another one after the drama

HOWEVER- in the end, I think it might have been surface agitation as @Jay Hemdal mentioned! A couple of days ago I topped off a little more than normal thinking that would be helpful as I’m about to leave on a trip, so my husband doesn’t have to. This is my first AIO I think now I’m seeing that that’s a very bad thing and actually can decrease the surface agitation if it’s a little bit too high

Here’s the other thing that’s just one of those bad luck things. I put a wave maker in from Hygger October 10 it was one of those prime day purchases when it arrived. I was excited opened it up and then could tell it was a return because of the way that it had been “repackaged”…. I wanted to try it anyway plugged it in and the motor was dead. Well, sadly, it’s still sitting in my pile of Amazon returns. Obviously this was my fault by over topping (if that was the reason) but dang it if that wave maker would have actually been operable like it should have been

I’m going to go ahead and purchase another one right now even before I get to returning that old one. I really liked the Heger mini for this 15 gallon. Please tell me if anyone thinks that’s a bad idea. I mean, I liked it because the size seemed like it would be good… Obviously I didn’t get to see it in action. you did say one or two though, do you really think I need to? I would have first thought that would be overkill. Thank youuuu

 

[Jay Hemdal]

MY GOODNESS!!!! I think you may have figured it out. I hope it’s your first scenario because velvet sounds awful a couple of days ago. I topped off with a little more water than normal and it was a tiny bit above the intake. I’m googling now. This is my first AIO. I’m leaning towards it was pure ME

Does your tank have a protein skimmer? If not, I think you need to add an air stone to break up the surface tension more. That drives off carbon dioxide and allows more oxygen to dissolve into the water. That will create more salt spray, but you’ll just need to keep up with cleaning that.
Also, I’m not 100% sure this was from low dissolved oxygen, so you should leave the tank fishless for 45 days in case it WAS a disease.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It’s all RODI water always has been.

THAT pic WAS after I agitated the crap out of the rocks to scoop out the clowns… if you look, you can see the rock scape is different compared to my OP. I think that was when someone said they wanted to see the full tank picture so I took another one after the drama

HOWEVER- in the end, I think it might have been surface agitation as @Jay Hemdal mentioned! A couple of days ago I topped off a little more than normal thinking that would be helpful as I’m about to leave on a trip, so my husband doesn’t have to. This is my first AIO I think now I’m seeing that that’s a very bad thing and actually can decrease the surface agitation if it’s a little bit too high

Here’s the other thing that’s just one of those bad luck things. I put a wave maker in from Hygger October 10 it was one of those prime day purchases when it arrived. I was excited opened it up and then could tell it was a return because of the way that it had been “repackaged”…. I wanted to try it anyway plugged it in and the motor was dead. Well, sadly, it’s still sitting in my pile of Amazon returns. Obviously this was my fault by over topping (if that was the reason) but dang it if that wave maker would have actually been operable like it should have been

I’m going to go ahead and purchase another one right now even before I get to returning that old one. I really liked the Heger mini for this 15 gallon. Please tell me if anyone thinks that’s a bad idea. I mean, I liked it because the size seemed like it would be good… Obviously I didn’t get to see it in action. you did say one or two though, do you really think I need to? I would have first thought that would be overkill. Thank youuuu

Good, sounds like you're on the right track.

But sounds like you need a Auto Top Off (ATO), this will refill the rodi water automatically for you to maintain the water level and salinity. The cheap ATO's on amazon are about $85, and they work pretty good, I have 2 of the cheap ones and they have both lasted a couple of years now.

Having an ATO lets you leave home without worrying about refilling the water. Afterwards you just need an auto feeder, then you are all set to leave your home for days at a time

 

[blawndie]

Good, sounds like you're on the right track.

But sounds like you need a Auto Top Off (ATO), this will refill the rodi water automatically for you to maintain the water level and salinity. The cheap ATO's on amazon are about $85, and they work pretty good, I have 2 of the cheap ones and they have both lasted a couple of years now.

Having an ATO lets you leave home without worrying about refilling the water. Afterwards you just need an auto feeder, then you are all set to leave your home for days at a time

This sounds like such a great idea for me! I don’t leave for five more days so I bet I can get one here in time and get it set up. Thank you thank you for thinking of this!!!

 

[blawndie]

Does your tank have a protein skimmer? If not, I think you need to add an air stone to break up the surface tension more. That drives off carbon dioxide and allows more oxygen to dissolve into the water. That will create more salt spray, but you’ll just need to keep up with cleaning that.
Also, I’m not 100% sure this was from low dissolved oxygen, so you should leave the tank fishless for 45 days in case it WAS a disease.

Would you recommend a small skimmer or an airstone if it were your case? 43 days and counting…Is my snail good to stay as is?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Would you recommend a small skimmer or an airstone if it were your case? 43 days and counting…Is my snail good to stay as is?

I would just use an air stone. Skimmers do aerate the water, but an air stone works as well (or perhaps better) because it is in the tank itself, and not in a sump on behind an AIO tank wall.