HELP My FISH ARE DYING WHILE I TYPE!!

[scary]

While I am writing I am watching my fish die!!!
I don't have any idea of what just happened!
I have a 28 galloon hex with 30 pounds of live rock and 3 inches of live sand. 6 Damsels (well 2 now!) 7 turbo snails, 5 teeny tiny snails.
I have been cycling for a month now and everything looked great!
Crystal clear water and very happy active damsels this morning.
At 2:00 this afternoon I took a water sample to my lfs and they tested it said no more amonia and that everything had cycled. They had 4 nice hermit crabs in a beautiful tank so brought them home and added them to my tank. Within an hour the tank started to get very cloudy. I had to go out for a bit and when I came home 4 of my damsels are dead and it is super cloudy!! I think the turbos are somewhat ok and 2 damsels are suffering. I took water ran back to my lfs they tested it and said it was still ok!! They said to move my power head to the surface to get more air in and I purchased two air stones and have that pumping in. WHAT HAPPENED???
In less than 2 hours my beautiful tank TANKED!! I am so upset??
ANY idea of what happend?? PLEASE HELP!! (2 dead turbos now)

 

[bigarn]

Is this the first time the water was tested during the cycle? How's the temp. and salinity?

 

[ophiura]

Did you wash your hands or have lotion or anything on your hands when introducing the new animals?

 

[syres1]

that sounds really strange to me. The only thing i can think of is that you've added to make things in to short of time. Your suppoused to add 2- 3 things and wait for a week or 2 and then , when everything is ok, then add more. I don't think the hermitts have anything to do with that. Did you do all the tests or just for ammonia? Check how salty your water is. 3 inches of live sand ? Geesh take 1.5 inches back out and 30 pounds of rock sounds a lot too. I have a 20 gallon tank and added 1 bag of live sand and have about 15 pounds of rock. do you have a protein skimmer? Try a water change.

 

[scary]

THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING! THIS IS HEART BREAKING TO WATCH!!
I HAVE IT TESTED WEEKLY AT MY LSF - SINCE I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH TO TRUST MY OWN READINGS OR WHAT TO DO WITH THE RESULTS!
I DO KNOW THE SALINTY AND TEMPERATURE WERE ALL IN THE OK GREEN RANGE THIS MORNING. THE TANK LOOKED VERY CLEAR AND BEAUTIFUL , EVERYONE WAS HAPPILY COEXISTING WITH EACH OTHER!
AS TO THE LOTION AND HAND WASHING? WOW- I'M NOT SURE! I PROBABLY PUT LOTION ON THIS MORNING EARLY. DID I SCREW UP THE WAY I INTRODUCED THE HERMIT CRABS IN? I JUST DUMPED THEM INTO MY TANK FROM THEIR BAG. I BET I SCREWED UP DOING THIS.
I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW FAST THIS HAPPENED!
LIKE I SAID I RAN BACK WITH THE CLOUDY WATER AND THEY SAID EVERYTHING STILL TESTED FINE. HOW COULD THAT BE IF EVERYTHING JUST CROAKED SO FAST!!

 

[crcoachm]

Did you dump the LFS water in your tank?
That is a no no.
You need to take your time introducing fish to your tank.
They are in major shock!!!

 

[scary]

I did dump the lsf water in the tank!!!!
What should I do now? With all this air I'm pumping in the 2 damsels are looking a little livelier.
I can't believe I did this.
I was told that you need 1 1/2 pounds of live rock per gallon tank size.
So I thought I barely had enough live rock at 30 pounds of it!
I've been so proud of myself for the last month, thinking I've had patience, I havent lost anything, I'm doing good. This is easy!
Boom! In 1 hour I lose it! I guess I should get used to the realization that this is very very very fragile. I read by someone on this site.
When you think your going slow--- slow down. right they are.
There is so much to learn!

 

[crcoachm]

see over there on the left
click on acclimation
I don't follow it to a T
But it does take me 2-3 hours to put in a fish
Live rock is fine
Your sand is fine
I think your fish are just in SHOCK
Maybe turn your lights off, make them feel a little better, and they may calm down.
I think there is nothing you can really do now
Just sit back and wait, and hope for the best

 

[bigarn]

There's nothing wrong with the amount of sand and LR you have in there. I'd do a large waterchange and monitor all the parameters.
Hey ... we all make mistakes.
Good Luck! :happyfish
Also ... no more than 3 small fish in a 28 gallon. IMO

 

[scary]

Hi big arn & crcoachm
Thank you for responding. Are fish laying on the bottom and not breathing, in shock? They look very dead to me. Now that the air stones are running the 2 remaining damsels are very active. I have turned off the lights to calm them.
Hey - did I read you right? Only 3 small fish for a 28 gallon tank?
All this money put out to look at 3 little fish?! When I finally get this together any suggestions on what kind of little fish. Would Pajama Cardinals be too big. I hope not - I was thinking about those and something else with lots of color.
Thank you everyone for all your responses , I'm calming down now.

 

[crcoachm]

laying on bottom is normal
not breathing is NOT normal
usually they lay on there side and breath really fast.

 

[scary]

DEAD!

 

[fishcake]

I replied to your post in reef tanks EARLIER.
You IMO, Should have waited roughly 6 weeks and added only one fish at a time. Every 2 weeks try adding another.
Also , Never... ever trust Lfs's With testing your water parameters. Learn to do it yourself...They (Speaking of *****) etc...
Like to test parameters with cheesy dip sticks.
And lastly your husband dosing with a capful of calcium more than likely contributed to the demise of your fish (unstable alk,Ph)etc..
But we will never know unless you take a reading with good test kit like salifert or seatest. sorry you had to learn the hard way.
get a copy of the conscientious marine aquarist BY Robert M. Fenner And keep asking questions on this website.

 

[ophiura]

If I am reading this correctly, the fish had been IN the tank (NOT new introductions) - the hermits were NEW introductions, yes? So it was not acclimation that killed the fish, they were already in there for some time, I am assuming?

 

[trigger78]

at least you're observant ophiura!

 

[ophiura]

Just want to try and get at what went wrong...if the fish were instantly killed from adding water from and LFS? Yikes. I hate to continue with this since I think the fish died, but are the invertebrates OK? The cloudiness is also very wacky. Huh.