What is Going In With My Tank?

[Jaden9933]

Triton Labs doesn’t test your salinity, but they tested for Na, Mg, and Ca. Na alone showed my salinity to be at least 1.010 SG so it’s reasonable to assume the Mg and Ca made up the rest of the 0.015 SG I strive for considering both of those were at standard levels. Therefore, in my opinion, the refractometer is very reliable. It may not be as precise as a properly calibrated, and carefully performed, Hanna test, but those seem to be easier to calibrate incorrectly, if not done patiently, and precisely. Again, it may be worth the money for the peace of mind if it turns out not to be the issue. They sell them on Amazon with Prime delivery for $55 the last time I checked.

 

[jmichaelh7]

I'll recalibrate it and see to be sure. I have one pack of calibration fluid left.

I was going off one Refractometer forever and it was off . I didn’t realize until I checked with another salinity Refractometer. Explained why my fish and corals were acting different.

 

[jmichaelh7]

Triton Labs doesn’t test your salinity, but they tested for Na, Mg, and Ca. Na alone showed my salinity to be at least 1.020 SG so it’s reasonable to assume the Mg and Ca made up the rest of the 0.005 SG I strive for considering both of those were at standard levels. Therefore, in my opinion, the refractometer is very reliable. It may not be as precise as a properly calibrated, and carefully performed, Hanna test, but those seem to be easier to calibrate incorrectly, if not done patiently, and precisely. Again, it may be worth the money for the peace of mind if it turns out not to be the issue. They sell them on Amazon with Prime delivery for $55 the last time I checked.

You can’t assume in this hobby. Science is science

 

[Dolphins18]

How many GPH is that overflow rated for? You want a 6-10x turnover rate to utilize whatever is in your sump, 600-1200 gph overflow would be ideal for that tank size

 

[BostonReefer300]

Copper Power. I used a Copper Power dosing calculator just to be sure.

Rock is a good explanation so I may need to stock up on it. Thanks for the observation!

The medication regiment was... Slowly ramping up Copper to therapeutic levels then adding metronidazole. Continued this treatment until both were finished then changed tank water and added carbon for a day to clear tank of copper. Tested for Copper and if minimal traces are left, add Prazipro and wait a week.

OK thanks. Copper treatment can be pretty tough on fish. That's why I at least don't simultaneously treat with anything else. There's some possibility that the aggressive QT procedure you used damaged your fish and they just took a while to die. However, two of them dying so soon together makes me suspect either disease (which escaped your quarantine procedure) or some type of acute insult like a nasty impurity was introduced (e.g. metal poisoning from a corroded magnet), one of your key parameters went way out of whack and your testing didn't pick it up (as brought up by others in this thread), or something weird like a bunch of stray voltage in the tank.

 

[Jaden9933]

You can’t assume in this hobby. Science is science

Definitely never good to assume! This is why I check with a refractometer and recommend the same. However, if Triton Labs is showing Na, Mg, and Ca to be balanced and at adequate levels, and your refractometer is showing perfect salinity, it’s not as much an assumption as it is a hypothesis.

 

[ying yang]

Looking at your dead bi colour blennie gills,they look red like burned.was it red gills when alive ? .or is this just reflection from photo maybe ?

 

[Cetus]

How many GPH is that overflow rated for? You want a 6-10x turnover rate to utilize whatever is in your sump, 600-1200 gph overflow would be ideal for that tank size

https://www.marinedepot.com/cpr-cs150-overflow-box is the overflow box im using.
using a sicce syncra return pump rated for the tank too.

 

[Cetus]

Definitely never good to assume! This is why I check with a refractometer and recommend the same. However, if Triton Labs is showing Na, Mg, and Ca to be balanced and at adequate levels, and your refractometer is showing perfect salinity, it’s not as much an assumption as it is a hypothesis.

I actually got a refractometer but it was busted up. I recalibrated my hanna checker and got 1.023 which isn't that drastic of a difference so... Hm...
I was wondering if there was a place I could send some tank water to in order to test it? But they don't do salinity apparently? Any place that does?

 

[vetteguy53081]

O ammonia with high nitrates not making sense. I would suggest you take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use API test kits and have them check: ammonia-nitrate-ph - salinity for you to see what they come up with and to compare with your readings.
Any chance ogf stray voltage ? A simple test would be to dip a finger in both the tank and sump. It wont electrocute you in any manner but you will feel a sting.
If all fish appeared and acted healthy then all die suddenly, this is almost always due to environmental poisoning. Look for disease signs. Cloudy eyes, gasping, white spots, etc. are all signs of disease. Treat accordingly. Fish will usually exhibit disease symptoms for days if not weeks before perishing. Test the water. other poisoning would be any and all types of aerosol sprays and chemical pump sprays that create vapors in the air could become a toxin to fish and cause fish death. Overdosing of aquarium-safe products can also create an unsafe condition that can kill fish, especially Red Sea NO3-PO4-X -- If overdosed becomes toxic to fish. Kitchen sponges.

 

[Cetus]

Looking at your dead bi colour blennie gills,they look red like burned.was it red gills when alive ? .or is this just reflection from photo maybe ?

Hm I couldn't really tell that much but I think maybe? I'll give ammonia a look just to be sure.

 

[threebuoys]

None of the information you've provided reveal an obvious explanation for your loss. Other have made suggestions along the lines of best practices, but your parameters do not indicate you have any significant problems.

Bullying could still be the explanation, but it can be very difficult to identify. Often, the bullying occurs at night when no one is around to see. it.

As others have mentioned, salinity levels can be difficult to measure. I went through that headache before finally finding a refractometer I could accurately calibrated.

I assume the fish were eating satisfactorily, that the water temp was acceptable, and that no dangerous chemicals could have been accidentally introduced into the tank. I've had problems with some algae clear chemicals, that severely stressed the fish, but your tank looks very clear.

Wish I could offer better advice, Sorry for your loss.

 

[Cetus]

O ammonia with high nitrates not making sense. I would suggest you take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use API test kits and have them check: ammonia-nitrate-ph - salinity for you to see what they come up with and to compare with your readings.
Any chance ogf stray voltage ? A simple test would be to dip a finger in both the tank and sump. It wont electrocute you in any manner but you will feel a sting.
If all fish appeared and acted healthy then all die suddenly, this is almost always due to environmental poisoning. Look for disease signs. Cloudy eyes, gasping, white spots, etc. are all signs of disease. Treat accordingly. Fish will usually exhibit disease symptoms for days if not weeks before perishing. Test the water. other poisoning would be any and all types of aerosol sprays and chemical pump sprays that create vapors in the air could become a toxin to fish and cause fish death. Overdosing of aquarium-safe products can also create an unsafe condition that can kill fish, especially Red Sea NO3-PO4-X -- If overdosed becomes toxic to fish. Kitchen sponges.

Yeah I'm considering taking it to an LFS.
Also aren't there probes for testing stray voltage? Wondering if it could be that... What's your recommendation for a grounding probe?

 

[Cetus]

None of the information you've provided reveal an obvious explanation for your loss. Other have made suggestions along the lines of best practices, but your parameters do not indicate you have any significant problems.

Bullying could still be the explanation, but it can be very difficult to identify. Often, the bullying occurs at night when no one is around to see. it.

As others have mentioned, salinity levels can be difficult to measure. I went through that headache before finally finding a refractometer I could accurately calibrated.

I assume the fish were eating satisfactorily, that the water temp was acceptable, and that no dangerous chemicals could have been accidentally introduced into the tank. I've had problems with some algae clear chemicals, that severely stressed the fish, but your tank looks very clear.

Wish I could offer better advice, Sorry for your loss.

This is coming after the death of my flame hawkfish who also degenerated very suddenly one day. With the death of the blenny now, I'm very cautious and wondering what's really going on. The only other fish in the tank is a royal gramma so... Maaaaybe but I'm really not sure because the flame hawkfish died before the gramma was in the tank. I run two Ehaim Jaegers with a temperature controller, fish were eating very well until they suddenly degenerated, and chemicals... I'm doubtful? I bleach my filter sock on occasion but I then throw it into the washing machine, then into tap water and wring it out several times, then into distilled water and wring it out several times.

 

[Cetus]

O ammonia with high nitrates not making sense. I would suggest you take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use API test kits and have them check: ammonia-nitrate-ph - salinity for you to see what they come up with and to compare with your readings.
Any chance ogf stray voltage ? A simple test would be to dip a finger in both the tank and sump. It wont electrocute you in any manner but you will feel a sting.
If all fish appeared and acted healthy then all die suddenly, this is almost always due to environmental poisoning. Look for disease signs. Cloudy eyes, gasping, white spots, etc. are all signs of disease. Treat accordingly. Fish will usually exhibit disease symptoms for days if not weeks before perishing. Test the water. other poisoning would be any and all types of aerosol sprays and chemical pump sprays that create vapors in the air could become a toxin to fish and cause fish death. Overdosing of aquarium-safe products can also create an unsafe condition that can kill fish, especially Red Sea NO3-PO4-X -- If overdosed becomes toxic to fish. Kitchen sponges.

I think it would be best to take the water to a professional and see what's going on but I'm not sure where. Might need to get my Royal Gramma out too just to save him but that'll be a whole other ordeal. Any grounding probes you'd recommend for a tank like this?

 

[Jaden9933]

I actually got a refractometer but it was busted up. I recalibrated my hanna checker and got 1.023 which isn't that drastic of a difference so... Hm...
I was wondering if there was a place I could send some tank water to in order to test it? But they don't do salinity apparently? Any place that does?

None that I’m aware of other than local fish stores as others have suggested. Triton Labs doesn’t test salinity, but it does test for heavy metal contaminants which could also be the issue. You could just order and dose a metal detox but it’s always better to test before dosing uneccessary products. However, if your fish are dying regardless it may be worth a shot to does a small but until you can test and see if you should dose more.

 

[Cetus]

None that I’m aware of other than local fish stores as others have suggested. Triton Labs doesn’t test salinity, but it does test for heavy metal contaminants which could also be the issue. You could just order and dose a metal detox but it’s always better to test before dosing uneccessary products. However, if your fish are dying regardless it may be worth a shot to does a small but until you can test and see if you should dose more.

I'll try the Triton Labs and LFS thing first to find out. I'm also worried about stray voltage and was wondering what the best product for testing that would be.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I think it would be best to take the water to a professional and see what's going on but I'm not sure where. Might need to get my Royal Gramma out too just to save him but that'll be a whole other ordeal. Any grounding probes you'd recommend for a tank like this?

Marine depot has good ones at 1/2 price liquidation right now

 

[Cetus]

Marine depot has good ones at 1/2 price liquidation right now

Hmm alright! Could you link me one you'd suggest because I'm not sure what I'm looking for exactly.

Vertex Titanium Grounding Pole

Use the Vertex Titanium Grounding Pole to protect your saltwater aquarium from stray voltage which may come from pumps, heaters, chillers, lighting and any other electrical components in your system.

www.marinedepot.com

Something like this?

 

[ggNoRe]

Sorry for your loss. I too have been having a battle with mysterious fish deaths. I think mine may be due to lack of oxygen. But with you having a PH of 8.4 seems a unlikely in your case. Please keep us updated.