Need some help ...

[mikegronholz]

Been a while since i've posted ... so ... howdy again everyone

Down to business though ... my 29g has been up and running a loooong time. Occupants as of Monday were GSM Clown, a blood shrimp and a peppermint. Tanks has about 75# of LR and has a bed of LS about 3" thick. Shrimp have been molting very regularly. There are no filters of any kind other than the natural ones. No chemicals added ... completely natural system with 2 water tests per week.
Came home Tuesday evening to find both shrimp dead, no sign of the clown, dead snails and crabs everywhere, PILES of dead bristleworms above the sand with a few still trying to move around and what appears to be dead worms under the sand.
Tested the water, no -trites, no -trates, normal ph, normal alk, normal salinity, normal amm (0) ... everything normal. I was stumped. So I set up another tank and got some water "brewing" to move the rock over to start rebuilding figuring it was going to be time to start over. Rock was not yet moved.
Then this afternoon, there the GSM clown was ... swimming around. I have no idea where he was. So I reorganized all the rock as close to how it was before.
Can anyone give me insight in to what happened and why ? I am going to use the "brewing" 5g of water as a water change tomorrow evening.

 

[miaheatlvr]

Originally Posted by mikegronholz
Been a while since i've posted ... so ... howdy again everyone

Down to business though ... my 29g has been up and running a loooong time. Occupants as of Monday were GSM Clown, a blood shrimp and a peppermint. Tanks has about 75# of LR and has a bed of LS about 3" thick. Shrimp have been molting very regularly. There are no filters of any kind other than the natural ones. No chemicals added ... completely natural system with 2 water tests per week.
Came home Tuesday evening to find both shrimp dead, no sign of the clown, dead snails and crabs everywhere, PILES of dead bristleworms above the sand with a few still trying to move around and what appears to be dead worms under the sand.
Tested the water, no -trites, no -trates, normal ph, normal alk, normal salinity, normal amm (0) ... everything normal. I was stumped. So I set up another tank and got some water "brewing" to move the rock over to start rebuilding figuring it was going to be time to start over. Rock was not yet moved.
Then this afternoon, there the GSM clown was ... swimming around. I have no idea where he was. So I reorganized all the rock as close to how it was before.
Can anyone give me insight in to what happened and why ? I am going to use the "brewing" 5g of water as a water change tomorrow evening.

Please have your water indepently tested as well.. Im surprised with all that death in you tank you had no AMONIA SPIKE, thats why. p.s. VERY sorry for your losses.

 

[mikegronholz]

LFS was obviously closed today ... I did test ammo with 3 different tests ... 1 strip and two part1, part 2 things ... all registered 0.
The next big question is what will clean all the worms off the sand for me ?

 

[shrimpi]

Sounds like some sort of chemical poisin or foreign-body type issue.
I cant imagine that anything along the 'natural- lines' would cause that kind of crash sooo fast.
Is it possible someone sprayed for bugs or dropped something in the tank?

 

[miaheatlvr]

Originally Posted by mikegronholz
LFS was obviously closed today ... I did test ammo with 3 different tests ... 1 strip and two part1, part 2 things ... all registered 0.
The next big question is what will clean all the worms off the sand for me ?
What did you have for a clean-crew anyway? Arrow craw would love to eat those.. But I just hope their not toxic.

 

[glibgoat]

Is it possible your tank overheated? I know with the summer months, my tank sometimes gets high. Sorry for the losses.

 

[mikegronholz]

All of our bug spraying happens outside for this very reason. The GSM appeared from nowhere and happily ate. If it was a toxin, the water change should definitely help get it out.
As for cleaning crew, snails and crabs ... lots of them ... the snails reproduced faster than other commited suicide and fell of the glass. I routinely gave snails away.
Our tank temp is really the only negative ... during the heat of the day, it hovers between 80-82*. But it has done this for over 5 years, so it isn;t a shock ... as a matter of fact, I spent $450 on a chiller to maintain the 76* temp ... in a month, the GSM was more sluggish, the shirmp never molted (they normally molt at least once a month each). The pods were not as active. A gradual temp raise back to 80-82 ... and every got real active again.
The only possibility toxin wise I can come up with is the top off water ... we use distilled to top off ... might have a bad batch. But again, it is the same brand we have used for the last 5 years. No changes.
For now, I am glad the GSM made it through ... he has had a VERY rough life ... Virginia (26 bow) to TN (15g) to TX (5g bucket for 6 months) in to his new home in a 29g for 5 years. He has made it through ammonia spikes when his anemone died twice ... the 5g bucket wasn;t a real pleasure I'm sure (although, I customized it for him with a window out). I was not a good owner that 6 months.

 

[sprang]

Check for copper?

 

[rebelprettyboy]

I am sorry about all of your losses!

 

[mikegronholz]

Originally Posted by sprang
Check for copper?
That is what I was thinking ... no additives. I guess there could have been some in the water we bought. Guess i'll send some water with my neighbor ... she's a chemist and can super analyze the water.