Help Now!!!!! Fish Dying!!!!

jg303030

jg303030

Member
I think I have learned the hard way. I went to go to bed and checked on my fish one last time and they were all dying. I have a ten gallon hospital tank and took the ones that looked most seriously injured?!
They are all running into the walls. I took out the newest live rock that might be the culprit. I took out the top 3-4 gallons of water and rested the live rock in a bucket!
But can I save my fish? My scooter blenny is all but dead he has switched colors, same with my cardinal but he is in the other tank. We'll see what happens to him. My tang and angel look the best though. CAn I save them and what will do it? Help now!! Please! I can do a water change. Add just regular DI. Help!
 
jg303030

jg303030

Member
I don't have a test kit? My mess up, I meant to get one but I go daily to the LFS. Today it was
Amonia=0
Nitrite=0
Nitrate=>20
PH=8.2
SAlt=1.023
I need help now, please! I'm thinking the nitrates went up, and my only chace is a water change!
 
jg303030

jg303030

Member
YES!!! The LFS told me it was ok since there was not that much left to be cured! It didn't smell 90% had coraline growth, it looked fine and was recommended!
 
jg303030

jg303030

Member
I did a water change around 6 gallons and now I'm going to go prey. None of them are officially dead. The scooter blenny looks like he is going first though. And now I can't find him. The tang and Bi-color are in the 75 and the 2 clowns, pajama, are in a 10 gallon. We'll see if the emergency tank holds up. If I just loose the scooter I'll be lucky. Thanks for any help I can get in the next 10 minutes if not I'm off to bed and see what we have in the A.M. Thanks
 
jg303030

jg303030

Member
Cross your fingers. I woke up this moring and all fish are accounted for. They look better, but I'm not out of the clear yet! My scooter blenny was clear and a rust color, and this morning his original color has come back. The cardinal was clear, you could see everything in his body and now he too is also re-gaining color. The tang looks the worst of all, he has a white slime coat all over. CAn anyone help me on what to do? My LFS doesn't open until 10, I will have my water checked then, but I'm not sure if there is anything I can do in the mean time. In one of the other threads I left I asked about alkalinity. I put a PH buffer in to get the PH back up, but some said that can through off the alkalinity. CAn that maybe be the culprit or is it the LR that wasn't cured all the way? Did it overload my tank? Thanks for the help!
 
sammiefish

sammiefish

Member
you said you put pH buffer in the tank... what was the pH? Initially you said it was 8.2... that seems OK. If it lower and you just put in new live rock id bet on the ammonia spike thing... but you also said your ammonia was 0... If they are looking better I would STOP putting ANYTHING in the tank!! Maybe water changes with water that you let equilibrate pH-wise... (many hours).. thats it! Keep us posted and maybe check the ammonia nitrite, nitrate, and ph Levels again.. let us know...
good luck
 
jg303030

jg303030

Member
My Ph was 8.2 then 7.8 and then I put the buffer in. As of yesterday it went back to 8.2. My LFS doesn't open for another hour and I don't have a test kit!('
') So, I won't know anything further until then. Even then I might know nothing. All the levels could of dropped if they were high. The only fish really struggling is the tang. But he is much to big to put in my 10 gallon emergency tank. He acts like he is drunk? Running into the other rocks in there and walls and I fed them a pinch of food and he went after it put was missing completely. This is very confusing. Who knows though I might have saved them all. That would be fabulous!!!!!! Thanks for the help.
 
dmc888

dmc888

Member
I would do another 6 gallon change.
And might consider putting the tang in the 10 if it looks like a disease.
I would post or search about the white slime coat in the disease forum.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
I think clarification is needed on the timeline of events -
when did you put the rock in versus the fish issues.
when did you put the buffer in versus the fish issues.
If there was no ammonia and the rock was basically cured, I do not see how that would account for the problem.
Personally I would say something was messed up with the buffering. IMO, buffering at 7.8 without further research into the cause of that could have been an issue. 7.8 is not a bad pH so long as it is stable. Buffering is often a gut reaction but can cause lots of unforseen issues, IMO.
 
jg303030

jg303030

Member
Saturday I went with the purpose of buying live rock, and test my water. I bought the rock and put it in my tank. Then did a 10% water change because everything was 0, except nitrates were >20, Ph was 8.2, and Salt was fine.
Later that night I bought a Yellow Tang. They sell fast here and it was an impulse buy, but it happened so I have to live with it.
Monday took the water to be tested and Ph was 7.8 and everything else was 0. So LFS told me to buy the buffer for PH. Did it and added it.
Tuesday night around 10-11 all the fish were lying on there sides. The angel was trying to jump out of the tank. The Cardinal was clear colored, the scooter was clear with a rusty tint, The tang was oozing white stuff, the angel was fine. I moved the clowns and cardinal to my emergency tank. Oh Yeah, and prayed!
Wednesday, I woke up and everything seems fine. Everything has returned to normal color. The 3 pieces of rock I bought are out of the tank and in a bucket, being circulated. The tang still acts drunk, and can't catch food yet, also has white spots, but is looking way better.
That's all for today. I had my water tested today for both tanks and they are as is:
75gallon=
Amonia=0
nitrate=0
nitrite=0
Ph=8.2
salt=1.023
temp=79
10gallon=
Amonia=0
nitrate=>10
nitrite=5
PH=8.2
salt=?
temp=76
Thanks for all the info.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Definitely do not add any more buffer until you have a pH, and preferably also an alkalinity kit.
I do not believe this was a LR issue or disease issue, personally. Seems almost more like something got in there. Did you put your hands in the tank at all on Tuesday? Any chance there was a stray current in the tank from wiring or something that got wet for awhile?
What is the ammonia level in the bucket with the LR?
Did you notice anything during the day on Tuesday or did they just suddenly start lying on their sides? :notsure:
 
sammiefish

sammiefish

Member
ah, interesting... symptoms did not present until after ph buffer was added.... BUT , why did the pH change so abruptly to begin with?
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Heck, depending on the test kit, time of day of water sample and person doing the testing...it is not all that unusual to see, IMO. That is why getting your own and testing same time daily is a better.
But it is a very good question....any alkalinity readings to start? If alkalinity was low then the addition of livestock might drop it down.
 
jg303030

jg303030

Member
I fed them tTuesday around 6-7 like always. Went out to eat. Got back, my sister's baby came over and looked at "two nemos." They were still fine. We went and got dessert. Came back around 9:30 still fine. Got on forums to look in classifieds for a bigger emergency tank and any other info I could learn and pick-up by reading everyone's posts on other topics. Went up stairs around 10:15 and they were running into walls, changing colors, spewing white stuff. So I did what I did.
I have a test kit now and hopefully everything is going to be ok.
I stopped adding the buffer on Tuesday. It said to add until the Ph gets back up to 8.2 and it did in one day.
Everyday I have got the testing done. I take the water out at 10 and go straight to the pet store. So it has been the same time everytime. Yes, different people administered the tests.
Is an alkalinity test different from a PH test?
i just hope they are all alive when I get home.
I haven't been home since I got the test so I don't know any of levels in the bucket. The bucket water is straight from the tank so I should find the culprit in there. All that is in the bucket is a powerhead, water, and the rock, so the parameters shouldn't change all that much from last night.
Thanks for the help.
 
loopy

loopy

Member
That tang sounds bad, and he probably won't do well with the other fish in a tiny 10 gallon. The lfs people apparently know you pretty well, and you sound like your a good customer, ask them if they will take the tang for awhile....my lfs will do that, cure what's ailing them and then give them back, costs nothing. The worst that can happen is they can say no...he doesn't sound good, and I'm sure you payed a hefty price...I'd see if they would help you out.
Good luck!
 
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