Help! All fish died...

[codfish]

Ok, so we've had our Saltwater fish tank for about 7 months. We've done really well with it, despite a little algae problem. My husband did a water change on Saturday and when we got up Sunday morning ALL the fish were dead. There were about 10. The only thing he did was put some metal sockets in to hold down some netting for some new mushrooms... does anyone have any idea what could have happened? He did a 100% water change and added new live sand... and we got 3 new fish today. He put them in the tank around noon and when I got home at 5ish, one was dead and the other two didn't look good. We put them in another tank and they're fine.
He also put a PVC pipe (with primer and cement) in the tank on Monday (it was washed, scrubbed and rinsed very well). Any ideas? Anyone ever had this happen before?

 

[oaktree]

Metal ratchet sockets like hand tools?

 

[krazekajin]

the 100% water change scares me.
I know that most people only do a 15% or so water change.
That was a huge change in levels perhaps. Was the new water exactly the same temp/SG/etc as the old water. If you take out that much mature water, you will lose some of the beneficial bacteria that help control the levels such as ammonia.
Also, was there any cleaning done to the tank. many cleaners are very toxic to the fish. Just a mist of windex can wipe out a whole tank.

 

[krazekajin]

if they were sockets from handtools, if they were oily or had any chemical residue on them, that could have done it. I am not sure about the PVC, but still if any of that chemical from the glue or primer leached out, then it could also be the culprit. If you lost any of the new fish, which you stated you did, it is telling you that your tank is still not right. I would not put any fish in there until you check your levels. What is the levels of this tank after the 100% water change?

 

[drago]

100% water change is too much after a 100% water change you have to let the tank cycle other wise the fish will get way too stressed and die. you shoud do a 10% water cange every week tops. good luck! let the tank cycle

 

[oaktree]

Originally Posted by KrazeKajin
if they were sockets from handtools, if they were oily or had any chemical residue on them, that could have done it. I am not sure about the PVC, but still if any of that chemical from the glue or primer leached out, then it could also be the culprit. If you lost any of the new fish, which you stated you did, it is telling you that your tank is still not right. I would not put any fish in there until you check your levels. What is the levels of this tank after the 100% water change?
Thats what I was thinking the oil from the sockets I am a tech and we clean our sockets all the time then find grease jammed up in them where we couldn't see just an Idea though :thinking:

 

[cain420]

100% water change + add live sand = CYCLE!

 

[krazekajin]

I did not catch the part about the adding of the live sand. I have to change my mind. I will say that your tank cycled and the ammonia spike killed your fish.

 

[oaktree]

I think they did the 100% change with live sand after all the fish died They still added new fish with the last change and that spike killed those fish I think she is trying to find out about the fish that lived for 7 months then died after putting sockets in to hold net just my guess though

 

[codfish]

Yes metal ratchet sockets like hand tools? (My husband is a little off balance if you didn't figure that out already). These were brand new though, so I doubt there was anything on them. I was just worried about the metal itself.
He did the 100% water change after the fish all died. The only thing that lived was the starfish, soome hermit crabs and a turbo snail. The guy at the fish store thought we might have gotten some soap in the tank he said that would wipe out the fish, that's why he cleaned out all the water. There was no cleaning or anthing else done to the tank.
He also did the water change because he had to pull out all the rocks and put them in another tank so we could find all the dead fish... its not like they made it easy.
He said all the water levels were in normal ranges, that's what makes this so confusing.

 

[oaktree]

All my new sockets come with a rust protection coating on them even chrome ones were polished from the factory then protected for the shine even if you don't see it it's there

 

[my way]

1 qt of oil will pollute 1 million gallons of water in the ocean, I saw this on a PBS show. And god knows what could have been on those sockets.

 

[symon]

It sounds to me like the sockets that you put in had something on them, the pvc could have done it also if it was to fresh, BUt to do a 100 % water change then put more fish in, Comon now, you know they where going to die right?
You caused the cycle to restart with the 100% water change and the live sand!
I know you are stressed out right now cause you think no matter what you do is going to help!
You have got to slow down, if you have a problem, you have to correct it slowly!
Take the sockets out! Take the Pvc out! Do a 10-20 % water change, DO NOT ADD FISH!
Test your water, make sure it has leveled out again, Then you can begin to understand what you did to cause the crash!
Just so you know, I have cause a crash myself, But i did not panic!
I am sorry to hear you lost your fish, That really affects us all too !
Just remember to always take your time , Patience, patience, patience!

 

[ophiura]

YOur LFS is correct...andy soap or other cleanser that gets into the tank is likely to kill the fish but often leave inverts unharmed. But why they then sold you several more fish is a bit suspect to me. IMO they are batting 50/50
However, a 100% water change is highly likely to have a very negative impact on the invertebrates.
That is not how I would have gone about handling this sort of issue but whats done is done.
What were the "new" fish you tried? Hardy things like damsels? Or delicate fish?
First and foremost, it is important to NOT spend more money on fish. A lot has gone on in this tank. I would get a polyfilter, watch water quality closely, and also consider some of the organic resins (I think that Kent makes one). A series of large water changes is, IMO, preferable to one huge one.

 

[pieguy]

Originally Posted by codfish
Ok, so we've had our Saltwater fish tank for about 7 months. We've done really well with it, despite a little algae problem. My husband did a water change on Saturday and when we got up Sunday morning ALL the fish were dead. There were about 10. The only thing he did was put some metal sockets in to hold down some netting for some new mushrooms... does anyone have any idea what could have happened? He did a 100% water change and added new live sand... and we got 3 new fish today. He put them in the tank around noon and when I got home at 5ish, one was dead and the other two didn't look good. We put them in another tank and they're fine.
He also put a PVC pipe (with primer and cement) in the tank on Monday (it was washed, scrubbed and rinsed very well). Any ideas? Anyone ever had this happen before?
I know your pain and loss $$$$$. Be patient and go slow. It sounds like you add too much and change too much at one time. Be Slowwwwwww.
After losing 5 fish twice because salinity and then water tainted from toxic silicone, I will move very slowly( blown buget too) as I go forward. Im adding live rock as I can afford it from the LPS and maybe in two more months, I may add some fish. I hope for the best for ALL of us.

 

[kelly shaw]

good call oaktree. every new hand tool i have ever bought or used has had an oily coating on them. the only way to get it off completely is time and solvent. then you can't get the solvent off completely. out of all my tools i have i take very good care of them, and i don't trust any of them to go into my reef tank. i have even stired coffee with a wrench, but i would never put it in my reef tank.

 

[billy mac]

metal is one of the worst things you can put in a tank, salt water rust metal alot faster than you think. along with the other problems, metal could have killed everything, plus with what ever chemicals were on the sockets, next time you go to hold something down use base rock or live rock, never any kind of metal, the chemicals will get into everything, including all your rock, so 1000 waterchanges won;t get it out..... be more careful, do some research before you decide, i've read afew threads about metal in tanks, not good

 

[oaktree]

Originally Posted by kelly shaw
good call oaktree. every new hand tool i have ever bought or used has had an oily coating on them. the only way to get it off completely is time and solvent. then you can't get the solvent off completely. out of all my tools i have i take very good care of them, and i don't trust any of them to go into my reef tank. i have even stired coffee with a wrench, but i would never put it in my reef tank.
I stir everything with my wrench or pocket screwdriver can't live without it