All my fish died over night

[emilystelck]

All my fish died overnight. Everyone looked great last night. I added a couple new fish yesterday, did not change water. Did not quarantine these fish because I’ve had such good luck and everyone has always been fine after temperature acclimation. Most of these fish have been in the tank already for 2-3 weeks.

ph about 8
Nitrate 0
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
Alkalinity 200
Hardness 300
Temperature 78

Deceased fish:
sailfin blenny x2
Royal dotty back
Clown fish x 2
Arrow crab
Snowflake eel
Blue Koran angel
Blonde naso tang
Hawkfish
green long tentacle anemone

Alive still:
Pink spotted watchman goby x 2
Emerald crab x 2
Hermit crabs
Chocolate Chip Star Fish
Two different types of coral (I think they’re alive?)

Not seen yet and assuming deceased in caves:
Caribbean Octopus
Black and white Heniochus
Striped Blenny
Pajama Cardinal

I’m also relatively new to salt water tanks. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Very upset over the situation. Also to add, none of the fish have any visible spots, wounds, discoloration, slime or anything on them. They’re just dead.

 

[emilystelck]

Just one other explanation that can cause a very similar chain of events as ammonia, is octopus ink. Most people don’t keep octopi in reefs for this reason. Although the tank was fairly young so ammonia poisoning is possible, it is equally possible that a fish attacked your octopus, which released ink in self-defense. In the wild, this is a generally harmless deterrent for the predator. In an enclosed tank, it can suffocate everything.

Whether it was ammonia, disease, octopus ink, or anything, definitely do not blame yourself in this situation, despite what some people tell you. When I started out with reefing, I relied more on the information from stores than my own research. That’s why my first go at reefing was a disaster. Sure, I could have researched more, but I was new. It was hard to decide things on my own. Your lfs was absolutely wrong to exploit a new reefer and give misinformation. A place like that should either be shut down or seriously overhauled in business practices. Luckily, you’ve already made a good step in joining this forum. You will get plenty of helpful advice that will hopefully go a long way. Even today, I still learn new things on Reef2Reef that help shape my reef tank. Failure is often the best advice, and I’m confident you will be wildly successful during your next try.

Thank you so much! I’m feeling really confident with the information that I’ve received here. However, I will probably just stay away from octopi for awhile regardless. Lol Seems to be not realistic in a tank even though the person I talked to gave me the whole “oh it’s not a problem, he will do great, he’s captive bred, it’ll be fine, blah blah blah.”

 

[Sharkbait19]

Thank you so much! I’m feeling really confident with the information that I’ve received here. However, I will probably just stay away from octopi for awhile regardless. Lol Seems to be not realistic in a tank even though the person I talked to gave me the whole “oh it’s not a problem, he will do great, he’s captive bred, it’ll be fine, blah blah blah.”

To me, octopus are just not something that should be kept by most people. They are quite demanding, aggressive, easily scared, are great escape artists, need pristine water, and on top of that, only have around a six month lifespan. They should only be kept in species-only tanks, and I would probably only do one just to say “I’ve kept an octopus”. At least you get to say that!

 

[blaxsun]

Careful consideration should be given when looking at eels and especially octopuses. For starters, aside from being expensive - octopuses have a very short lifespan in captivity (like a year tops). So you're not so much buying as renting an octopus...

They are unbelievable escape artists and will eventually eat every fish in the tank. A dwarf octopus that my LFS ordered in for a customer slipped through a gap the size of a quarter to dine on a pair of clownfish in the adjacent compartment while the customer was enroute to pick it up.

As for eels, what I've learned is that any fish that can fit in the eel's mouth is a potential meal - and even if you luck out and get a peaceful specimen that coexists - certain fish may still pick on or attack the eel.

 

[Not an IT guy]

My piece of advice. Slow and steady. I’ve made the same mistakes.

 

[Billldg]

I’m a little frustrated and confused why comments are gone. Yeah, some people were rude to me but some people are rude in general so who cares? I wanted to come back for all the important info that I got and now can’t find some of it. Ugh. Frustrating. I can handle people being jerks. I just don’t care about them.

Please don't be frustrated, we are here to help you be a successful reefer. You will get thru this.

 

[Tamberav]

Yes I’m in the Baxter/Brainerd area! There are none here. I have to have fish shipped or go to Minneapolis.

ya that is how it was when I lived there too. which really limits your options.

I would really recommend TSM Aquatics for shipped fish when you are ready again. They ship in a huge amount of water and they quarantine and never ship a fish that isn’t eating. Their customer service is great. Their stock is always changing. They add new fish most fridays.

For the twin cities area… I recommend the Reef Collective and New Wave Aquaria.

 

[glb]

I’m a little frustrated and confused why comments are gone. Yeah, some people were rude to me but some people are rude in general so who cares? I wanted to come back for all the important info that I got and now can’t find some of it. Ugh. Frustrating. I can handle people being jerks. I just don’t care about them.

Please feel free to private message me if you need any help!!!

 

[Billldg]

EMERGENCY - All my fish died over night

All my fish died overnight. Everyone looked great last night. I added a couple new fish yesterday, did not change water. Did not quarantine these fish because I’ve had such good luck and everyone has always been fine after temperature acclimation. Most of these fish have been in the tank already...

www.reef2reef.com

@Jay Hemdal

 

[4davegill]

I’m a little frustrated and confused why comments are gone. Yeah, some people were rude to me but some people are rude in general so who cares? I wanted to come back for all the important info that I got and now can’t find some of it. Ugh. Frustrating. I can handle people being jerks. I just don’t care about them.

Emily,
What they are saying may be good advice. The mods didnt want the discussion to degrade away from being helpful. While it may be frustrating, I understand that.
A few pointers:

When they talk about your tank age, bioload, etc., they are referring to the ability of the bacteria in your tank to convert ammonia (NH3) into nitrates. The ammonia is toxic, but it is also food for nitrifying bacteria. That bacteria takes a while to grow (called cycling) in your tank. The population of that bacteria will grow as the nutrients (ammonia) grow. This happens slowly, but can be sped up with some of the additives that were recommended like Fritzyme and Dr. Tims, etc.
Those basically seed the aquarium with bacteria. Those bacteria must be fed ammonia to continue to thrive. This is why reefers add livestock more slowly. Another factor is that live rock is not the same as dry rock. If it is not constantly wet in a living aquarium it wont contain the bacteria. The rule of thumb is 1-2 lbs of live rock per gallon, but there is a lot of flexibility, and there is not one right way to reef.

You were advised by people here to use Seachem Prime. This detoxifies ammonia, but doesn't remove it. It is a great product to have on hand when ammonia gets out of hand. It can save your fish if something dies and ammonia spikes. The very best thing though is a slowly established healthy biome. Most experienced reefers do nothing fast. If a parameter is out of whack, they don't change it fast either (ammonia is the exception).

I agree with those who advised you to keep the tank and rocks and sand in place, do partial water changes, and monitor your parameters. Your tank will be fine if you repopulate the bacteria, feed it slowly (ie add creatures slowly). Aslo worth mentioning, there are people who don't use filters, people who do, people who dont do water changes, and people who do massive water changes. These decisions depend on how robust the tanks biome is. If your tank has housed inhabitants for 5 years, and you decide to try something else, do it slowly.

Your problem is shared by nearly everyone in this hobby. After years of learning and sporadic emergencies, I echo the advice of some of the others here. Quarantine everything or pay more for prequarantined fish, and take your time. I would venture to say that everyone opining on this forum is the most educated person at the fish store when they go. It takes countless hours and lessons to integrate all of this information. Don't get discouraged! You are attempting to create and contain one of the most biologically diverse, complicated, and sensitive environments in your living room.

I have been right where you are now. Take some time to re-inspire yourself. Look at the threads for showing off your tanks, and see what is possible. Get inspired, and understand that if they can do this, so you can you. Reef tanks are not instant gratification unless you can imagine what it will be. The fish are amazing, and the corals are like out of a dream, but you will need to do it a a pace that allows you to create the right environment.

Relax, don't blame yourself, just learn and grow. And have fun! Start a build thread here. As you populate, upload pictures. People will follow along and give you advice and encouragement.

 

[Rmckoy]

One other thing on this comment… My money is none of your business. Obviously it’s plentiful. This post had no questions about money, so that was a stupid thing to say. And as I stated before, you can find the answers to your questions in comments, but I am not home to send pictures of my tank. Quite frankly, I don’t think I’d appreciate your opinion anyways.

And that is your opinions which you’re entitled to .
You’re correct , your money and what you do with it is none of my business . And I apologize for that comment . It wasn’t meant in that way .
the questions I’ve asked were not there in comments when I read through the entire thread . And why I asked .
Again… good luck , enjoy your trip and hope the best in your reefing future .
fingers crossed things work out a little different.

 

[Rmckoy]

Emily,
What they are saying may be good advice. The mods didnt want the discussion to degrade away from being helpful. While it may be frustrating, I understand that.
A few pointers:

When they talk about your tank age, bioload, etc., they are referring to the ability of the bacteria in your tank to convert ammonia (NH3) into nitrates. The ammonia is toxic, but it is also food for nitrifying bacteria. That bacteria takes a while to grow (called cycling) in your tank. The population of that bacteria will grow as the nutrients (ammonia) grow. This happens slowly, but can be sped up with some of the additives that were recommended like Fritzyme and Dr. Tims, etc.
Those basically seed the aquarium with bacteria. Those bacteria must be fed ammonia to continue to thrive. This is why reefers add livestock more slowly. Another factor is that live rock is not the same as dry rock. If it is not constantly wet in a living aquarium it wont contain the bacteria. The rule of thumb is 1-2 lbs of live rock per gallon, but there is a lot of flexibility, and there is not one right way to reef.

You were advised by people here to use Seachem Prime. This detoxifies ammonia, but doesn't remove it. It is a great product to have on hand when ammonia gets out of hand. It can save your fish if something dies and ammonia spikes. The very best thing though is a slowly established healthy biome. Most experienced reefers do nothing fast. If a parameter is out of whack, they don't change it fast either (ammonia is the exception).

I agree with those who advised you to keep the tank and rocks and sand in place, do partial water changes, and monitor your parameters. Your tank will be fine if you repopulate the bacteria, feed it slowly (ie add creatures slowly). Aslo worth mentioning, there are people who don't use filters, people who do, people who dont do water changes, and people who do massive water changes. These decisions depend on how robust the tanks biome is. If your tank has housed inhabitants for 5 years, and you decide to try something else, do it slowly.

Your problem is shared by nearly everyone in this hobby. After years of learning and sporadic emergencies, I echo the advice of some of the others here. Quarantine everything or pay more for prequarantined fish, and take your time. I would venture to say that everyone opining on this forum is the most educated person at the fish store when they go. It takes countless hours and lessons to integrate all of this information. Don't get discouraged! You are attempting to create and contain one of the most biologically diverse, complicated, and sensitive environments in your living room.

I have been right where you are now. Take some time to re-inspire yourself. Look at the threads for showing off your tanks, and see what is possible. Get inspired, and understand that if they can do this, so you can you. Reef tanks are not instant gratification unless you can imagine what it will be. The fish are amazing, and the corals are like out of a dream, but you will need to do it a a pace that allows you to create the right environment.

Relax, don't blame yourself, just learn and grow. And have fun! Start a build thread here. As you populate, upload pictures. People will follow along and give you advice and encouragement.

The best advice so far !

 

[Zwinters57]

All my fish died overnight. Everyone looked great last night. I added a couple new fish yesterday, did not change water. Did not quarantine these fish because I’ve had such good luck and everyone has always been fine after temperature acclimation. Most of these fish have been in the tank already for 2-3 weeks.

ph about 8
Nitrate 0
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
Alkalinity 200
Hardness 300
Temperature 78

Deceased fish:
sailfin blenny x2
Royal dotty back
Clown fish x 2
Arrow crab
Snowflake eel
Blue Koran angel
Blonde naso tang
Hawkfish
green long tentacle anemone

Alive still:
Pink spotted watchman goby x 2
Emerald crab x 2
Hermit crabs
Chocolate Chip Star Fish
Two different types of coral (I think they’re alive?)

Not seen yet and assuming deceased in caves:
Caribbean Octopus
Black and white Heniochus
Striped Blenny
Pajama Cardinal

I’m also relatively new to salt water tanks. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Very upset over the situation. Also to add, none of the fish have any visible spots, wounds, discoloration, slime or anything on them. They’re just dead.

How big is your tank? This is a lot of fish. Unless you have at least a 120 (and well established), it seems overstocked. Also you have a lot of creatures I wouldn't try to keep together. The octopus seems like its pushing it. I hope you also have a lot of CUC's that aren't on your list. Hermits, snails....more to help process all that waste. I understand the pitfalls of being new to this, but I would really suggest taking it slower with a lot of research. As is so commonly suggested the BRS 52 week video series is a really good start.

 

[melonheadorion]

And that is your opinions which you’re entitled to .
You’re correct , your money and what you do with it is none of my business . And I apologize for that comment . It wasn’t meant in that way .
the questions I’ve asked were not there in comments when I read through the entire thread . And why I asked .
Again… good luck , enjoy your trip and hope the best in your reefing future .
fingers crossed things work out a little different.

the information is there, so thats why shes frustrated. i read through the thread last night and can answer your questions with what she already responded with. post #19 to be specific. pay no mind to the tank being 2 years old. thats how long ago they purchased it. the setup age is later.
its 100 gal tank. been about 3 months or so since its been setup. this person is fresh to the hobby, and advice that she was given, was obviously bad. hence why she is here. she is learning now, as she goes. also, since she is new to it, many terms that people are using, are lost in translation. not saying that a person is dumb or anything, but just keep in mind that what you are asking may not get teh response youre looking for, as it has been seen within the thread already, so just keep that in mind when talking bioload or other things that arent common sense

 

[Dom]

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[revhtree]

This thread is locked and we will be reviewing the posts and complaints that we have received over the next couple of days. If you see comments that are breaking rules please report them and we will review.

Thank you.