Beth I found the source of the deaths HELP

[lionstorm]

It was the nitrates! I wasn't using the test kit correctly, I got a second opinion from my LFS and the trates are indeed off the chart!
I know I can lower them with water changes but how can I make them go away?
If I switch to a deep sand bed and do a water change will this help at all?
Should I move the fish to the quarantine tank?
I know they are tough fish but they will be hurt if they are left in such high trates for a long time.
My trates are definately above 100 Help!

 

[beth]

Well, when you posted your reading, I knew it sounded werid, which is why I questioned you about it. However, trates may cause health problems and death in the long run, but not sudden death of fish.
What are your other water readings? How did you acclimate the fish?

 

[lionstorm]

I acclimated the yellow tang the same way I would with any other fish, slowly for about an hour, letting some of my water into the bag a little at a time and then finally releasing him.
The tang was healthy for 3-4 months before he died, I really think it was nitrates because I have read they are very sensitive to their water conditions.
We will be doing 25% water changes to get the level down and switching to a DSB very soon.
if you have any other advice about how to get the nitrates down that would be great, all the other readings are fine, I even had my LFS test them too.

 

[beth]

I agree. It could well be the nitrates. For some reason, I was thinking that you just got the fish. I am a firm believer that nitrates are a lot harmful to fish that many think. And that is particularly so for tangs. Did the fish have HLLE?

 

[lionstorm]

HLLE?
I noticed the tang had red spots around its mouth shortly before it died, it wasn't eating the day before, possibly longer than that. I noticed a lack of aggression in eating but I thought he was still eating flake food and some of the other types.
Could he have died from a lack of seaweed? I fed him seaweed for two months along with cows heart, brine shrimp, and minced octupus/squid/shrimp/oyster/scallops but ran out of the mix with seaweed in it for a few weeks, could this have done it?
I just got my own R/O filter so doing water changes will no longer be so difficult. After I switch to a DSB I know the nitrates won't go away over night, but I'm hoping it will help with continued water changes.

 

[lionstorm]

nvm I did a search of HLLE and found a picture, he certainly didn't look like that. He had only minor redness around his nose.