Fish Dying After A Week

[c4haskett]

Hello, I was hoping to get some sort of answer and any help is greatly appreciated.
I set up a new tank about 7-8 months ago and cycled it for a month before adding any fish. I confirmed no ammonia or nitrite before adding any fish. I first added a small cleanup crew of a handful of snails and 3 shrimp. A week or so later I added 2 clowns, long nose hawk and a fire fish. All seemed happy and week later all fish were dead overnight. No signs of stress or anything the night before. About 2 weeks later and a water change I introduced 4 chromis as testers. Same thing. A week later 2/4 were dead with no obvious signs of distress. About 3 weeks ago the other 2 disappeared (assumed dead, never found). I added more bio media to my tank (15 Gal waterbox) and another bottle of bacteria. I let that simmer until about last week. I picked up 2 clowns and a red hawk fish. I also picked up a salifert nitrite kit. Clowns are fine but this morning I found the hawkfish dead. No signs of distress last night. I have been testing nitrite over the past week and it has been showing nitrite. I have been adding prime in hopes to remove the nitrite. Im at a loss here. No more fish until I find out why this is happening. I've been reading that some nitrite is normal? I've also seen where prime may be interacting with the copper that was used in the water from the LFS my fish came from. My Ph has also been very low at around 7.4.

Please see attached link with remaining fish under white lights.


15 Gal Waterbox
Ph-7.4
Alk:9-10
Cal:450
Mag:1450
Phos: .2
Nitrate: 3-5
Nitrite: .01-.05

 

[RedOtterCoral]

Hello, I was hoping to get some sort of answer and any help is greatly appreciated.
I set up a new tank about 7-8 months ago and cycled it for a month before adding any fish. I confirmed no ammonia or nitrite before adding any fish. I first added a small cleanup crew of a handful of snails and 3 shrimp. A week or so later I added 2 clowns, long nose hawk and a fire fish. All seemed happy and week later all fish were dead overnight. No signs of stress or anything the night before. About 2 weeks later and a water change I introduced 4 chromis as testers. Same thing. A week later 2/4 were dead with no obvious signs of distress. About 3 weeks ago the other 2 disappeared (assumed dead, never found). I added more bio media to my tank (15 Gal waterbox) and another bottle of bacteria. I let that simmer until about last week. I picked up 2 clowns and a red hawk fish. I also picked up a salifert nitrite kit. Clowns are fine but this morning I found the hawkfish dead. No signs of distress last night. I have been testing nitrite over the past week and it has been showing nitrite. I have been adding prime in hopes to remove the nitrite. Im at a loss here. No more fish until I find out why this is happening. I've been reading that some nitrite is normal? I've also seen where prime may be interacting with the copper that was used in the water from the LFS my fish came from. My Ph has also been very low at around 7.4.

Please see attached link with remaining fish under white lights.


15 Gal Waterbox
Ph-7.4
Alk:9-10
Cal:450
Mag:1450
Phos: .2
Nitrate: 3-5
Nitrite: .01-.05

I'm so sorry to hear this! Is your fish store local? What does your acclimation process look like?

Looks like you have coral in there, have you had similar 'unexplained' mortality there?

 

[c4haskett]

I'm so sorry to hear this! Is your fish store local? What does your acclimation process look like?

Looks like you have coral in there, have you had similar 'unexplained' mortality there?

Yes local. I don't quarantine, only float acclimate. Corals are doing great. Only issues with fish. Just added an air stone today in the rear chambers to hopefully add a little oxygen.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

wait a minute- didnt you already post this question and info?

 

[Lavey29]

Nitrite is irrelevant in reef aquaria so don't know why you test it. To many fish in a small nano tank. Could be aggression or disease or lack of filtration.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Yes, there is a thread already on this.

 

[RedOtterCoral]

I don't quarantine, only float acclimate

No drip or water acclimating? That could work against you especially if the stores salinity is lower.

 

[c4haskett]

If you read the other thread I was advised to post it on this fish disease side. Thank you

 

[smitten with ocean life]

ahh... got it!

 

[MnFish1]

If you didn't QT your fish with medication - it's probably a disease. However - are any inverts sick - if so - that suggests a toxin issue. The history - without anything else sounds like velvet. If I have it clear - you have 2 clowns left? Could it be that they bullied the others? If not - I would treat them with copper (chelated) and follow with prazipro - and leaving your tank fallow for 8 weeks. its impossible to say what happened to your prior fish - but this history is often telling IMHO

 

[c4haskett]

If you didn't QT your fish with medication - it's probably a disease. However - are any inverts sick - if so - that suggests a toxin issue. The history - without anything else sounds like velvet. If I have it clear - you have 2 clowns left? Could it be that they bullied the others? If not - I would treat them with copper (chelated) and follow with prazipro - and leaving your tank fallow for 8 weeks. its impossible to say what happened to your prior fish - but this history is often telling IMHO

Yes two clowns left. I'm going to set up a qt this weekend and follow your advice. Hopefully the clowns make it. No inverts have died.

 

[MnFish1]

Yes two clowns left. I'm going to set up a qt this weekend and follow your advice. Hopefully the clowns make it. No inverts have died.

As multiple people here would testify to - fish can be immune to certain things.
Velvet would be odd - and I would watch for any symptoms

 

[MnFish1]

OH and by the way - sorry about your loss of fish - can you give (or do you want to) give some more information about QT)

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello, I was hoping to get some sort of answer and any help is greatly appreciated.
I set up a new tank about 7-8 months ago and cycled it for a month before adding any fish. I confirmed no ammonia or nitrite before adding any fish. I first added a small cleanup crew of a handful of snails and 3 shrimp. A week or so later I added 2 clowns, long nose hawk and a fire fish. All seemed happy and week later all fish were dead overnight. No signs of stress or anything the night before. About 2 weeks later and a water change I introduced 4 chromis as testers. Same thing. A week later 2/4 were dead with no obvious signs of distress. About 3 weeks ago the other 2 disappeared (assumed dead, never found). I added more bio media to my tank (15 Gal waterbox) and another bottle of bacteria. I let that simmer until about last week. I picked up 2 clowns and a red hawk fish. I also picked up a salifert nitrite kit. Clowns are fine but this morning I found the hawkfish dead. No signs of distress last night. I have been testing nitrite over the past week and it has been showing nitrite. I have been adding prime in hopes to remove the nitrite. Im at a loss here. No more fish until I find out why this is happening. I've been reading that some nitrite is normal? I've also seen where prime may be interacting with the copper that was used in the water from the LFS my fish came from. My Ph has also been very low at around 7.4.

Please see attached link with remaining fish under white lights.


15 Gal Waterbox
Ph-7.4
Alk:9-10
Cal:450
Mag:1450
Phos: .2
Nitrate: 3-5
Nitrite: .01-.05

Often this will be caused by water quality or disease. Based on your stocking, I am skeptical it is water but rather disease..
Is there anything you can recALL PRIOR TO THIS EVENT SUCH AS lOSS OF APPETITE, HEAVY BREATHING, GASPING AT SURFACE, SUDDEN DARTING, EYES CLOUDING UP, LETHARGIC BEHAVIOR, HIDING AS EXAMPLES?

oOPS, ACCIDENTALLY HIT CAPS LOCK.

 

[BiggestE22]

Hello, I was hoping to get some sort of answer and any help is greatly appreciated.
I set up a new tank about 7-8 months ago and cycled it for a month before adding any fish. I confirmed no ammonia or nitrite before adding any fish. I first added a small cleanup crew of a handful of snails and 3 shrimp. A week or so later I added 2 clowns, long nose hawk and a fire fish. All seemed happy and week later all fish were dead overnight. No signs of stress or anything the night before. About 2 weeks later and a water change I introduced 4 chromis as testers. Same thing. A week later 2/4 were dead with no obvious signs of distress. About 3 weeks ago the other 2 disappeared (assumed dead, never found). I added more bio media to my tank (15 Gal waterbox) and another bottle of bacteria. I let that simmer until about last week. I picked up 2 clowns and a red hawk fish. I also picked up a salifert nitrite kit. Clowns are fine but this morning I found the hawkfish dead. No signs of distress last night. I have been testing nitrite over the past week and it has been showing nitrite. I have been adding prime in hopes to remove the nitrite. Im at a loss here. No more fish until I find out why this is happening. I've been reading that some nitrite is normal? I've also seen where prime may be interacting with the copper that was used in the water from the LFS my fish came from. My Ph has also been very low at around 7.4.

Please see attached link with remaining fish under white lights.


15 Gal Waterbox
Ph-7.4
Alk:9-10
Cal:450
Mag:1450
Phos: .2
Nitrate: 3-5
Nitrite: .01-.05

Shimp won’t be happy with a hawkish. They will be eaten.

 

[c4haskett]

OH and by the way - sorry about your loss of fish - can you give (or do you want to) give some more information about QT)

I do not QT but after this event I am.

 

[c4haskett]

Often this will be caused by water quality or disease. Based on your stocking, I am skeptical it is water but rather disease..
Is there anything you can recALL PRIOR TO THIS EVENT SUCH AS lOSS OF APPETITE, HEAVY BREATHING, GASPING AT SURFACE, SUDDEN DARTING, EYES CLOUDING UP, LETHARGIC BEHAVIOR, HIDING AS EXAMPLES?

oOPS, ACCIDENTALLY HIT CAPS LOCK.

I wish I could give you something but no. All the fish were eating, swimming happy and no sign what so ever of any kind of distress. I evened examined the bodies after they passed for any signs of noticeable disease or parasites etc.. and nothing, atleast to my untrained eye.

 

[c4haskett]

Shimp won’t be happy with a hawkish. They will be eaten.

I won't have to worry about that now.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

If you read the other thread I was advised to post it on this fish disease side. Thank you

So - as you've suspected, in most cases where all the fish die, but the corals are fine, the issue is some disease with the fish. Given the lack of prior symptoms and rapid death, Amyloodinium (velvet) is one possibility.

Water quality issues can be ruled out with just one exception: oxygen/carbon dioxide levels. If those are out of whack, the fish can die overnight, but the corals and most invertebrates will be fine. Then, things get really weird because the gas exchange is affected by things like how full you fill the tank. I've had cases where the powerheads or HOB filters made enough bubbles to create good gas exchange - until one day, you fill the tank up an inch higher, the bubbles stop and the fish die that night.

I'm looking at you pH of 7.4 - either your pH probe is mis calibrated, or you have too much carbon dioxide in the water. That points to poor gas exchange. If you aerate the water well, the pH may still be a bit low in t he mornings, but should rise to 7.8 or higher at night.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

I wish I could give you something but no. All the fish were eating, swimming happy and no sign what so ever of any kind of distress. I evened examined the bodies after they passed for any signs of noticeable disease or parasites etc.. and nothing, atleast to my untrained eye.

Often, its hard to assess a dead fish, but with lack of scars and any symptoms, My suggestion is to place remaining fish in a quarantine tank and start with coppersafe for 30 days and then follow with praziPro for a 17 day period changing water on day nine and utilizing an air stone during treatments. Allow your display to be without fish (fallow) for as much as 8 weeks, no less than 6 weeks to allow any foreign disease to die off without a host fish. Any coral and inverts can remain in display