So... I am an idiot

bjmartie

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2022
Messages
219
Reaction score
205
Location
South Carolina
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So i feel like this hobby, well anything in life really, is about lessons learned.

So i upgraded my 35 FOWLR to a 55 FOWLR. Everything was great and established in the 35 that been up and running for probably 18 months, no issues.
Once i upgraded to the 55, i lost my valentine puffer, 2 clowns, a new flame angel and fairy wrasse, all fish dying mysteriously. All looked fine after death, besides the marks from the emerald crab eating on them, so i had NO clue what was going on.

But i thing i figured it out after killing off a few hundred dollars worth of fish, which i am ticked OFF at my self for doing.

I had a wave maker, but it was not directed towards the surface. The water i filled up almost to the brim, so the HOB filter did not really create much surface agitation....

I think i may have suffocated my fish. They were dropping one by one, all at night. During the day before, all swimming around totally fine. Next morning we wake up and one is dead.

I feel like such an idiot.... I directed the wave make towards the surface now, added a bubbler, and dropped the water level some so the HOB filter can help as well.
 

Doctorgori

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 18, 2019
Messages
5,861
Reaction score
8,159
Location
Myrtle Beach
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
I think i may have suffocated my fish. They were dropping one by one, all at night. During the day before, all swimming around totally fine. Next morning we wake up and one is dead.
possibly, but IME a few other things make my list first…
I’ll wait for other replies but perhaps more tank params and detailed background?
 

stewy14

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 23, 2024
Messages
4,218
Reaction score
2,456
Location
new jersey
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am so sorry, it must feel horrible losing all those fish.
but did you cycle the 55? or did u just plop it all in there, and did u acclimate? any aggressive fish? and in what order did you put the fish in? it could have been ammonia, and since you just added the water in(maybe idk)there should have been enough water oxygenation, if the fish were not breathing heavily, it could not have been suffocation(or something), you could tell that It was suffocation if they were gasping for air at the surface
again,
I am so sorry for your loss
 
OP
OP
B

bjmartie

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2022
Messages
219
Reaction score
205
Location
South Carolina
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
All parameter are great.

Nitrate was in the 20s but doesnt nitrate not harm fish unleas its really high? I havent checked the nitrates in a few days so unsure what it is now.
Checked ammonia yesterday (API) before water change and it was .25, which i know with API is generally zero. Also have an alert badge showing 0.

Had live rock i brought over. Was doing 25% water changes weekly. I could not tell if you if they were breathing heavily or not. During the day, they were all fine, no issues. Then morning, dead.

Never seen any agression from any of them. The new flame angel was the first to go. Had zero signs before he went. Then the clown, which i had for 18 months. Then the new fairy wrasse, then the puffer i had for 18 months. Then the other clown.

Purple fire fish, melanurus wrasse and yellow watchmen are totally fine. Choclate chip star, also fine. I added a bubbler and they look as happy as can be.
 

stewy14

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 23, 2024
Messages
4,218
Reaction score
2,456
Location
new jersey
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
All parameter are great.

Nitrate was in the 20s but doesnt nitrate not harm fish unleas its really high? I havent checked the nitrates in a few days so unsure what it is now.
Checked ammonia yesterday (API) before water change and it was .25, which i know with API is generally zero. Also have an alert badge showing 0.

Had live rock i brought over. Was doing 25% water changes weekly. I could not tell if you if they were breathing heavily or not. During the day, they were all fine, no issues. Then morning, dead.

Never seen any agression from any of them. The new flame angel was the first to go. Had zero signs before he went. Then the clown, which i had for 18 months. Then the new fairy wrasse, then the puffer i had for 18 months. Then the other clown.

Purple fire fish, melanurus wrasse and yellow watchmen are totally fine. Choclate chip star, also fine. I added a bubbler and they look as happy as can be.
how did u cycle the tank? how long has it been up?
 
OP
OP
B

bjmartie

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2022
Messages
219
Reaction score
205
Location
South Carolina
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
what i did was set the new tank up, moved most of the live rock over and ran it for about two weeks. Then i moved the fish over with the rest of the live rock. Mirrored all parameters when moving fish over. Would also add bacteria boost to help with the cycling too.

Then i had the fish in there over a month before they started to die. While doing atleast 25% water changes weekly, some times twice a week.
 
OP
OP
B

bjmartie

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2022
Messages
219
Reaction score
205
Location
South Carolina
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I ran it with out fish, adding bacteria, watched the ammonia spike and then drop. Did water change then added the rest of rock and fish.
 

PharmrJohn

The Dude Abides
View Badges
Joined
Mar 19, 2019
Messages
2,761
Reaction score
6,561
Location
Shelton, Washington
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So sorry for your losses. That's a tough situation. Just as an aside, your CC Star is gonna get big eventually. Those bad boys can grow to a foot across. Just have a plan when it gets too big for your tank.
 
OP
OP
B

bjmartie

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2022
Messages
219
Reaction score
205
Location
South Carolina
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So sorry for your losses. That's a tough situation. Just as an aside, your CC Star is gonna get big eventually. Those bad boys can grow to a foot across. Just have a plan when it gets too big for your tank.
Yea we will rehome him when that day comes. He makes the wife happy. As long as she is happy, i get to spend more money on my stuff lol
 

PharmrJohn

The Dude Abides
View Badges
Joined
Mar 19, 2019
Messages
2,761
Reaction score
6,561
Location
Shelton, Washington
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yea we will rehome him when that day comes. He makes the wife happy. As long as she is happy, i get to spend more money on my stuff lol
KEEP IT, KEEP IT, KEEP IT!!! LOL. My wife just wants Hermit Crabs in the tank. So I shall comply. I'm lucky in that Karen knows what my future build will cost and doesn't mind. It's her belief that I've worked hard over the 37 years we've been together and I deserve it. Love that gal! I really lucked out.
 
OP
OP
B

bjmartie

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2022
Messages
219
Reaction score
205
Location
South Carolina
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well my 90 is a reef tank, so he isnt going there. Plan to upgrade to a 120+ when we move into a bigger house. So maybe turn the 90 into a FOWLR and keep him there.
KEEP IT, KEEP IT, KEEP IT!!! LOL. My wife just wants Hermit Crabs in the tank. So I shall comply. I'm lucky in that Karen knows what my future build will cost and doesn't mind. It's her belief that I've worked hard over the 37 years we've been together and I deserve it. Love that gal! I really lucked out.
 
OP
OP
B

bjmartie

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2022
Messages
219
Reaction score
205
Location
South Carolina
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just an irresponsible guess but I’d put more money on pathogen than environment ….but that’s just the feel of it over plain text
Im at a total loss as to what it could be. No spots on any of them and zero signs before they were found dead the next morning. Which i had read that is usually a sign of low oxygen with them dying at night.
 

PharmrJohn

The Dude Abides
View Badges
Joined
Mar 19, 2019
Messages
2,761
Reaction score
6,561
Location
Shelton, Washington
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well my 90 is a reef tank, so he isnt going there. Plan to upgrade to a 120+ when we move into a bigger house. So maybe turn the 90 into a FOWLR and keep him there.
Ohhhh, yes. Not for a reef tank. I missed that. I had FOWLR on the brain.
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
96,707
Reaction score
215,505
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
15   0   0
I ran it with out fish, adding bacteria, watched the ammonia spike and then drop. Did water change then added the rest of rock and fish.
Often when fish are dying and inverts are fine- it points to disease. There are many possibilities such as spikes and not pointing powerheads at surface is not going to cause this.
 

code4

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
May 3, 2015
Messages
1,634
Reaction score
2,528
Location
wyoming
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Anything new added to the tank that could have brought in some nasties? I like to shorten my lights if there is stress in a tank. So sorry

Shelley
 

Mickey

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 9, 2016
Messages
481
Reaction score
312
Location
Cheshire, CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
what i did was set the new tank up, moved most of the live rock over and ran it for about two weeks. Then i moved the fish over with the rest of the live rock. Mirrored all parameters when moving fish over. Would also add bacteria boost to help with the cycling too.

Then i had the fish in there over a month before they started to die. While doing atleast 25% water changes weekly, some times twice a week.
If the fish were in the new tank for over a month and you made no other changes, then I highly doubt it was lack of oxygen. Is it possible something got into the tank from outside, like a chemical of some sort?
 
Back
Top