Fish dying in nano tank after powerhead introduction

[asaharan]

Hello everyone,

I have a 20 gallon aio which currently has 2 clown fish, one astrea snail and one fighting conch. Recently (a month ago) I changed the powerhead to a MP10 from Maxspect Gyre. A few days after the introduction, my tailspot blenny died. I have tried introducing 2 fish (white lined combtooth blenny and biota court jester). They were introduced about a month apart but both died within 12 hours from their introduction. There was no aggression, clownfish barely even noticed the new guy and water parameters have been a bit off (0.12 phosphate and 15ppm nitrate) but nothing alarming that would kill the fish. Any ideas?

 

[N00bieReefer]

Is it possible the power head is releasing current into the water?

 

[JumboShrimp]

Other than as @N00bieReefer suggests— a bad electrical zap— I can really think of a causal-connection between a new power head and a fish death.

 

[asaharan]

Is there any way to check for that? Also wouldn’t that affect the pre existing livestock in the tank?

 

[N00bieReefer]

You need a volt meter set it to 120 AC. Ground the black probe and put the tip of the red one in the tank water

 

[happyhourhero]

Doesn’t an mp10 have the electronics on the dry side?

 

[Sebastiancrab]

You can get a voltage multimeter for $15 at Walmart. I would test all of your equipment one by one either in or outside of the tank. If you don't have a grounding probe, that is needed in your tank also.

 

[asaharan]

Thanks!! What’s the appropriate voltage reading a 20 gallon aio should be reading for safe limits?

 

[Tonycass12]

Thanks!! What’s the appropriate voltage reading a 20 gallon aio should be reading for safe limits?

0 you shouldn't have stray voltage.

 

[BrianAnthony]

Electrical current is a good idea to check. I'd take the power head out immediately and check it in another bucket or something. Also, this new power head kick up any of your sand bed?

 

[asaharan]

Electrical current is a good idea to check. I'd take the power head out immediately and check it in another bucket or something. Also, this new power head kick up any of your sand bed?

Not really, it created a mounds and valleys a bit, nothing too extreme

 

[asaharan]

0 you shouldn't have stray voltage.

Thanks!! I saw a few feeders on their YouTube channel suggesting 5-20V AC is normal as pumps, heaters and power heads always add some AC voltage to the tank

 

[BrianAnthony]

Not really, it created a mounds and valleys a bit, nothing too extreme

Got ya.. well the stray voltage thing may be a possibility. If it's not that... It's gotta be something else that happened in tangent with the power head.