Sick to my stomach, lost all fish overnight
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KingBlingTX
Active Member
Sorry to hear about your loss. I hope you are able to figure out what happened to prevent it in the future.
Lionfish Lair
Renee
I just wanted to say that really sucks and I'm sorry that happened to you.
[QUOTE="ithk21620, post: 3305983, member: 21100]
Lack of 02 is also unlikely because of the skimmer and powerheads but who knows.[/QUOTE]
I would think lack of 02 would be pretty unlikely if you've been using for a while and have a slimmer running.
Hmm... I guess it could have been an ammonia spike. If it was enough to kill one or two fish things can go downhill pretty quick. I don't know how bio digest would have caused that though.
Lack of 02 is also unlikely because of the skimmer and powerheads but who knows.[/QUOTE]
I would think lack of 02 would be pretty unlikely if you've been using for a while and have a slimmer running.
Hmm... I guess it could have been an ammonia spike. If it was enough to kill one or two fish things can go downhill pretty quick. I don't know how bio digest would have caused that though.
melypr1985
totally addicted
It's probably a domino effect. I would wait to hear back from the company about that batch and make an official complaint so that they have it on record incase others run across the same problem with that batch. Seems like an ammonia spike caused a few to die, then the resulting ammonia from those deaths spiked it further causing more deaths and so on and so on. You said your wife didn't remove the dead fish until she got home from work, so it could have been exactly like that. I'm also not sure how the biodigest would have caused that, but it's a story line that makes sense in my head. The lack of O2 makes sense too, in a similar way but the ammonia is still the domino effect that takes the rest out after the first few. Boy, it's a bit of a mystery.
Let us know what they say about that batch number and if they have any ideas on what happened as well.
Let us know what they say about that batch number and if they have any ideas on what happened as well.
OP
OP
ithk21620
Active Member
My wife didn't remove them until after work but they were all dead in the morning. I told her to now worry about it in the morning because she didn't have time and the damage was already done.
I am starting to lean towards the ammonia spike too like I said after NCreefer's issue he had seen.
I talked to a buddy tonight that is also out of town right now unfortunately but his roommate knows how to test for ammonia etc and has a test kit so I will see if my wife has time tomorrow night to let them test the water for me.
I will let everyone know when I hear back from Prodibio and if I can get some water tests before I get home.
4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
Wow I have nothing to add but condolences 
Brew12
Electrical Gru
First, I am very sorry you are going through this. Heartbreaking.
I have been doing a ton of research on nitrifying bacteria in preparation for an article I am writing. Unfortunately, you are far from the first person to experience something like this. These nitrifying bacteria products that require regular and repeated additions are fantastic when they work. They do have one very significant drawback. If you don't add a new batch on time, or if you get a bad batch, the result is an ammonia spike. These products contain nitrifying bacteria that typically will not populate in an aquarium. This is why they require regular dosing. When they work, they work very well. They will consume ammonia so quickly that it prevents the strains of nitrifying bacteria that can reproduce in an aquarium from reaching an effective population. Basically, they prevent your tank from cycling.
I'm not knocking these products. When they work, they work incredibly well. Just like all things, they have a downside. I'm very curious what you hear back from the manufacturer. Keep in mind that it may not be a bad batch, but it could also be improper storage or delivery. To work this well the bacteria must be shipped "live" so they can be harmed by both high and low temperatures.
Having laid out this information, let me make an argument against it. I'm very good at disagreeing with myself. These products generally have a fairly safe window to be late before ammonia would become an issue. Unless you were very late with the dose, and ammonia had been gradually building before the addition, a lack of active bacteria still shouldn't have caused this. If you were very late with the dose then it was probably a coincidence that it happened shortly after adding this vial.
This +1
I have been doing a ton of research on nitrifying bacteria in preparation for an article I am writing. Unfortunately, you are far from the first person to experience something like this. These nitrifying bacteria products that require regular and repeated additions are fantastic when they work. They do have one very significant drawback. If you don't add a new batch on time, or if you get a bad batch, the result is an ammonia spike. These products contain nitrifying bacteria that typically will not populate in an aquarium. This is why they require regular dosing. When they work, they work very well. They will consume ammonia so quickly that it prevents the strains of nitrifying bacteria that can reproduce in an aquarium from reaching an effective population. Basically, they prevent your tank from cycling.
I'm not knocking these products. When they work, they work incredibly well. Just like all things, they have a downside. I'm very curious what you hear back from the manufacturer. Keep in mind that it may not be a bad batch, but it could also be improper storage or delivery. To work this well the bacteria must be shipped "live" so they can be harmed by both high and low temperatures.
Having laid out this information, let me make an argument against it. I'm very good at disagreeing with myself.
These products generally have a fairly safe window to be late before ammonia would become an issue. Unless you were very late with the dose, and ammonia had been gradually building before the addition, a lack of active bacteria still shouldn't have caused this. If you were very late with the dose then it was probably a coincidence that it happened shortly after adding this vial.
OP
OP
ithk21620
Active Member
First, I am very sorry you are going through this. Heartbreaking.
This +1
I have been doing a ton of research on nitrifying bacteria in preparation for an article I am writing. Unfortunately, you are far from the first person to experience something like this. These nitrifying bacteria products that require regular and repeated additions are fantastic when they work. They do have one very significant drawback. If you don't add a new batch on time, or if you get a bad batch, the result is an ammonia spike. These products contain nitrifying bacteria that typically will not populate in an aquarium. This is why they require regular dosing. When they work, they work very well. They will consume ammonia so quickly that it prevents the strains of nitrifying bacteria that can reproduce in an aquarium from reaching an effective population. Basically, they prevent your tank from cycling.
I'm not knocking these products. When they work, they work incredibly well. Just like all things, they have a downside. I'm very curious what you hear back from the manufacturer. Keep in mind that it may not be a bad batch, but it could also be improper storage or delivery. To work this well the bacteria must be shipped "live" so they can be harmed by both high and low temperatures.
Having laid out this information, let me make an argument against it. I'm very good at disagreeing with myself.
Great info. I will let you know what I hear back from the company.
Armydogracing
Zoa Collector
I had something happen like this about 10 years ago and unfortunately again about 3 weeks ago. The first time it was a carpet nem that never moved in the 5 years that I had it then one day decided ut was time to move right into the powerhead and lost everything corals included over night.
This last time my Ritteri nem went into my powerhead. Luckly I found it right away and saved the nem, corals, and half of the fish... but I still lost some pretty big wrasses which included a liniatus super male :/
This last time my Ritteri nem went into my powerhead. Luckly I found it right away and saved the nem, corals, and half of the fish... but I still lost some pretty big wrasses which included a liniatus super male :/
melypr1985
totally addicted
Sounds like your getting some good information and thoughts from all here which is usually the case on R2R, nice to see. Very sorry for your losses.
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Sorry to hear about the losses...
Shaun Sweeney
Active Member
I lost all the fish in one of my freshwater tanks overnight due to a heater problem. The heater melted part of the holder and poisoned the bunch. It took the longest time to figure it out because only part of the holder melted and the heater still worked.
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