"Killer Tank" strikes again!

sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
I posted quite a bit in September and October about my 12 gallon Eclipse being a deathtrap for any fish I put in it. I never did find out why I couldn't get fish to live in there (I lost five total) when all my inverts did (and still do) just fine. I left it fishless for a few weeks since I was so discouraged and then put a couple of false percs in there (they came with a used tank I bought). They have been doing GREAT for the past 6-7 weeks and I thought the curse of the tank was finally over, but today I found them both DEAD! The snails are fine, the emerald crab is fine, the peppermint shrimp is fine. What killed the fish!?!?!?
The other thing I find very strange is where I found the two percs. They are BOTH crammed deeply into two separate nooks or cracks in the live rock. I can't even imagine how or why they squeezed themselves in there, but they both did, and they are dead.
Any thoughts or clues????? I may seriously just give up having a fish in that tank.
Sue
 
subielover

subielover

Active Member
I have to believe that something is in there and their bodies were pulled into the rocks to be eaten. Whatever happened with that shrimp you had? It wasn't in this tank was it?
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Hi Subie.
No, I finally caught the pistol shrimp and brought him to my LFS a week or two ago. The ONLY thing left in the 12 gallon is one small emerald crab and a handful of snails. I guess it makes sense that the emerald crab grabbed the bodies and pulled them into rocks, but would he be the cause of their death or was he just taking advantage of the already-dead bodies?
I can't believe I'm cursed with this again!!!!
Sue
 
U

usirchchris

Guest
I would write your findings with Fenner's crew at WWM. Very strange that the inverts would survive whatever it is but not the fish...
I would think that anything that would eat fish...would eat the inverts first...they are just easier to catch.
 
buffett

buffett

Member
sounds like theres got to be something else in the tank, but why didnt it eat the inverts, well i hope you can get some answers at Wet Web Media
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
The water parameters are always good, especially since I've lost so many fish in there - I am fanatical about testing and keeping the levels good and do lots of big water changes in there ("big" in a 12 gallon is still real quicky and easy to do). The temperature stays between 78 - 80, and the salinity is always at .025. I make sure the ammonia and nitrites stay at zero and when I see the nitrates go over 20 I do a water change.
The fish were drip acclimated for about an hour and they were GREAT for 6-7 weeks. Then . . . DEAD. I almost have to wonder if there is some sort of electrical problem zapping them. Even if they were both slowly dying this whole time isn't it weird that they both died within the same 2-hour period? I have wondered if I have a killer "something" in one of the live rocks but I have re-aquascaped a few times and during that period the rock is always sitting in my sink for an hour or so - I would think I'd see some evidence during all the times I've handled the rock in and out of the water.
I really thought "the curse" was over so it's doubly frustrating to see that this problem is rearing it's ugly head again. I just bought a BioCube skimmer that I will try to make work in the Eclipse - not sure what good it will do but it can't hurt, right?
Sue
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo
http:///forum/post/2879433
I have re-aquascaped a few times and during that period the rock is always sitting in my sink for an hour or so - I would think I'd see some evidence during all the times I've handled the rock in and out of the water.
Sue
You mean that you have let your rock sit in your sink to die off while you have re-organized your tank? Essentially, this means that you re-cycle your tank or go through a mini-cycle, which can be BIG because of the size of the tank.
So:
1. Electrical problems
2. Mantis Shrimp
3. not the proper food
4. Gorilla crab
5. outside influence
A. your wash your hands with soap, then handle your tank
B. You burn candles in the same room.
C. You've painted the room that the tank is in.
D. Someone else is killing your fish out of spite.
E. Someone who is handling your tank when you are gone is doing something wrong.
F. You use some cleaners around your tank.
G. You windex your tank inside and out :D
H. You play loud music that your fish don't like, so they commit suicide.

Could be a number of things. I suggest writing Fenner. "Bob Fenner - The Conscientious Marine Aquarist." Author... Great book if you don't have it already.
 
patrick8929

patrick8929

Active Member
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2879469
You mean that you have let your rock sit in your sink to die off while you have re-organized your tank? Essentially, this means that you re-cycle your tank or go through a mini-cycle, which can be BIG because of the size of the tank.
So:
1. Electrical problems
2. Mantis Shrimp
3. not the proper food
4. Gorilla crab
5. outside influence
A. your wash your hands with soap, then handle your tank
B. You burn candles in the same room.
C. You've painted the room that the tank is in.
D. Someone else is killing your fish out of spite.
E. Someone who is handling your tank when you are gone is doing something wrong.
F. You use some cleaners around your tank.
G. You windex your tank inside and out :D
H. You play loud music that your fish don't like, so they commit suicide.

Could be a number of things. I suggest writing Fenner. "Bob Fenner - The Conscientious Marine Aquarist." Author... Great book if you don't have it already.
+1 if you leave your rock out for an hour there will be die off thus a new cycle. in sux a small tank that can really be bad
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
I can understand how leaving the rock out for 30-60 minutes could cause some die off and ultimately an ammonia spike, but I only re-aquascape after each death. (since I have to tear the tank apart to get the dead body out, I then sift the sand and play with the rock lay out - I try to find something good from the awful experience). I then wait till the water clears, do a huge water change, and wait a week or two before trying a fish again. I don't aquascape unless I'm already moving them to remove corpses. :(
I'm now thinking electrical? Are inverts less susceptible to electrical issues????
Sue
 
U

usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo
http:///forum/post/2878921
OK, sounds like a plan, but first..... who's Fenner and what's WWM??????
Don't forget - I'm a newbie.

Sue
Robert Fenner author of "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist". He is the saltwater authority. Wet web media is his site, and he and his team answer questions emailed to them. I have sent them a few questions and they always answer relatively promptly. I don't think that site sells anything...many apologies if it indeed does.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
scents, vapor waxes or parafin... the smoke from blowing the candle out... it shouldn't
affect an average size tank though, but in a small enough tank - it could.
 
freeborder_01

freeborder_01

Member
haha in regards to the post about music the fish dont like, the weirdest thing my roomate in my dorm always plays loud hip hop and hyphy music and i swear the corals look happier when he is and his scorpion also perks up a bit
 
buffett

buffett

Member
i only have a 37 gal reef tank, its in my living room and me and my wife burn candles all the time, ive never had any problems with that, sorry i just had to give another 2 cents
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Even though I believe that candles, room fresheners, cleaners, etc. could be a problem, I really doubt it's been my problem. I have parrots so I am VERY careful about anything in the environment. Parrots are even negatively affected by using Teflon pans! (by their OWNERS using them - not the parrots using them)

Sue
 
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