Sudden Die Off - Advice

[sleizure]

I hate these types of threads, especially when I have to start this one. I am undergoing a massive die off in my tank that just came like wildfire. I have a sneaking suspicion that I am the cause of it, but just need a bit of validation here.

- 90% of my tank has disappeared and stopped coming out for food in the past two days - they may be alive, but are certainly not out in the open. I suspect most have passed. The ones that are remaining look like they are covered with Brook or velvet, although I've never experienced either before.

- My calcium is off the chart
- My Alk is 7.7dkH (Normally 11)
- Ammonia is 0
- Nirates 5ppm
- Sg 1.026
- Temp 76.0


The clownfish I can't get a photo of nor the foxface as they are pressed up against a rock. My anemone has retracted drastically and I noted an upside down emerald crab this morning which made me realize things were going sideways. The clownfish is showing dustyness like Brook and Velvet but I suspect since this has gone so quick its the latter. Are these pictures any view on what it actually is? Regardless, I need to pull down the tank and catch whats left and get into my QT and go fallow, question is for how long.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Sorry to hear this!
My general rule is - if the fish are dying but the inverts are fine, it’s a disease. If all are ailing, it is a water quality issue.
How high do you think the calcium is? I wonder if you could dilute a sample and get a measurement that way?
What ammonia test are you using? Do you trust it?
Jay

 

[sleizure]

To be honest I haven't had to test for Ammonia for over a year and a half, so it could be bogus. It's a Salifert kit.

My Calcium has always been high for some reason with this tank, as has been the pH from day one, 8.4 to 8.5 is normal (again, do I trust it? I've calibrated it many times and just let it be as this being the weirdest tank I've ever maintained). I will maybe double up the test results and then do some tests to see if I can get some better numbers.

I am regardless busy mixing some more water to do a larger scale water change. I typicallly only do 25 at a time, I think this time I need to do 100gallons at once, but That's not probably going to be ready for a few days. I need to act now. I think I'll just do what I have available and then assess then in the morning where things are at if I need to pull apart the entire tank,c atch th fish and get them in the QT (which is already to go now coincidentally).

Total volume is a 180, I had an Ich Outbreak 2 years ago and I believe I am responsible for this one as well - A couple weeks back a friends tank had to be torn down - I took the two clownfish (different ones) and put them in my QT where they remain. The Rock, I dried out for a few days, rinsed it and threw it in my refugium (not wanting to throw in qt due to copper). _that_ is the only thing that has really changed in my tank, no additions whatsoever since pre covid. I now realize I should have just let it stay outside and bleached it.

On a ridiculous, shot in the dark idea, I also found a package of Nori I bought in 2018 (still sealed) and started feeding it to my fish in the past 7 days. I'm fully to blame here that I know as this doesn't happen out of nowhere.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

To be honest I haven't had to test for Ammonia for over a year and a half, so it could be bogus. It's a Salifert kit.

My Calcium has always been high for some reason with this tank, as has been the pH from day one, 8.4 to 8.5 is normal (again, do I trust it? I've calibrated it many times and just let it be as this being the weirdest tank I've ever maintained). I will maybe double up the test results and then do some tests to see if I can get some better numbers.

I am regardless busy mixing some more water to do a larger scale water change. I typicallly only do 25 at a time, I think this time I need to do 100gallons at once, but That's not probably going to be ready for a few days. I need to act now. I think I'll just do what I have available and then assess then in the morning where things are at if I need to pull apart the entire tank,c atch th fish and get them in the QT (which is already to go now coincidentally).

Total volume is a 180, I had an Ich Outbreak 2 years ago and I believe I am responsible for this one as well - A couple weeks back a friends tank had to be torn down - I took the two clownfish (different ones) and put them in my QT where they remain. The Rock, I dried out for a few days, rinsed it and threw it in my refugium (not wanting to throw in qt due to copper). _that_ is the only thing that has really changed in my tank, no additions whatsoever since pre covid. I now realize I should have just let it stay outside and bleached it.

On a ridiculous, shot in the dark idea, I also found a package of Nori I bought in 2018 (still sealed) and started feeding it to my fish in the past 7 days. I'm fully to blame here that I know as this doesn't happen out of nowhere.

I doubt it was the nori, I ca see that losing nutrition, but I don't see how time could make it toxic. I think your water change is a good idea at this point.

Jay

 

[sleizure]

What a tough day. Up early to tear down the tank to catch the fish in hopes that I could save some. I found 7 alive

Tomini Tang, perished 2 hours after moving QT Was found laying down
Sebae Clown
Hippo Tang, perished 2 hours after moving QT. Was found laying down
Foxface
Sailfin Tang was found laying down
Bangai Cardinal perished 4 hours after moving QT
Pajama Cardinal

There's still a cleaner wrasse in the tank but after pulling 90% of the rock and corals things are pretty murky to see. All the rock and corals are in 5 huge totes and I have 95 gallons of water available. I now have some better photos, perhaps this is a better identifier of what this could be?

The hippo picture was while she was still alive, but started to turn a greish colour over time.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

It does look like the fish have an external infection of some sort. Are they breathing fast? I’m on the road today and won’t have a very good response time I’m afraid. Not sure what you can really do, maybe try a freshwater dip on one of them to see if it provides any relief?
Jay

 

[Goaway]

What a tough day. Up early to tear down the tank to catch the fish in hopes that I could save some. I found 7 alive

Tomini Tang, perished 2 hours after moving QT Was found laying down
Sebae Clown
Hippo Tang, perished 2 hours after moving QT. Was found laying down
Foxface
Sailfin Tang was found laying down
Bangai Cardinal perished 4 hours after moving QT
Pajama Cardinal

There's still a cleaner wrasse in the tank but after pulling 90% of the rock and corals things are pretty murky to see. All the rock and corals are in 5 huge totes and I have 95 gallons of water available. I now have some better photos, perhaps this is a better identifier of what this could be?

The hippo picture was while she was still alive, but started to turn a greish colour over time.

The sailfin and blue hippo look like they have velvet on them. I never had any experience with velvet to this level. They will probably die before copper starts working.
Jay said try a freshwater dip. It could help. And buy them time. GL