Please Help

[tpohl24]

I have a 180 tank it had 6 fish now only 2

I lost 4 in a very short time 3 friday and 1 today...
I checked all levels Friday when my Emperor Angel and both Percelua Clowns died... PH 8.5 Nitrates 20 ppm Nitrites 0 Salinity 1.025
Because I was so worried I decided to take my water to a local fish store... they tested it and said everything looked good... maybe slightly high on ALK but just barley...
Then Clowns there was no notice at all... the Angel was in the midist of his color change... so he was a little pale... but I on Tuesday but was eating and moving around like normal... the Friday Morning looked horrible so I moved him to QT when I got home he was dead and both clowns were also...
Saturday morning I did a 50 gallon water change... (I do 35 gallons once per month and it was set to be done that day but I did 50 because of my problems)
Sunday morning my Dog Face Puffer looked bad laying on the bottom breathing heavy... no signs of red lines or white spots on him... but I did a fresh water dip Sunday night because I didnt think he was going to live through the night and I wanted to try something... well Monday morning he looked better breathing and moving... but when I got home he was dead...
I took him and another sample of water the a local fish store... they looked and him and said there was nothing noticalby wrong and all my water levels looked good...
They were stumped as to what is happening also... any ideas?
I now only have a juv Harliquen Tusk (3 inches) and a Coral Beauty Angel left... they look very healthy and are acting normal...
the Crabs seem to be move active than normal...
Also in the past two months I have had a little (not much) red algee grown on rocks and sand.... that is all that has changed...
Ideas?

 

[spanko]

You don't say how old the tank is and when you added the fish. Sounds like if your parameters are as good as you tell us to me just sit back and see what happens with the fish that are left. You may have added too many at once. Your tank may be too new to take the bio load.

 

[tpohl24]

sorry I guess that part is important also...
the tank has been up since August
I let it run with 180lbs of rock and 180lbs of sand for 3 weeks then added 10 Damsels (never do that again) after 3 weeks with the damsels I caught (had to remove all the damn rock) them and returned them to my local fish store and got the Harliqueen Tusk Coral Beaty and Dog Face Puffer (all were 2-3 inches)... I then waited a month so this would be end of October and got the Angel (emperor) and two clowns... since that time I have not added anything other than two new power heads at Christmas (Krozilla 4's)
ideas I was given by local fish store was some type of shock, or from adding tap water as top off water... I use RO water for my water Changes but tap as top off because the tank goes through about a gallon or little more per day and I do not have nor have room for an RO machine...
also I live in Indiana and there was an ice storm last tuesday and the power was out for about 5 hours

 

[spanko]

Interested in the tap water for top off. Do any testing on it before adding? Dechlorinate it before adding? What temp did the tank get to with the power out for 5 hours? Any sign of stress on the fish before they died, swimming erratically,laying at the bottom, at the top gulping for air, white spots, etc.? Do any cleaning around the tank with furniture polish, windex etc.?

 

[spiderwoman]

I'd have the tap water checked. You may have introduced some pollutants in it. You might want to get a 5 or 10g plastic container where you keep your RO water for top-offs. I would not risk the tank with any tap water.

 

[tpohl24]

I will have the tap water tested and get a jug for Top off water... thanks...
as far as how the fish acted the puffer and Angel were both laying around the bottom not moving around much... maybe trouble breathing??? def trouble breathing for the puffer....
??? on water changes... how should I be doing them 40 gallons once per month... 15 gallons once per week?

 

[spanko]

A lot of variables here. On your 50 gallon water change did you check salinity, ph and temp before adding it to make sure it was close to tank parameters?

 

[tpohl24]

yes I did check the PH and Salinity and Water temp... water temp was 73 mine is 76 but I had already lost the two clowns and Angel before that... the only issuse after was the puffer

 

[tpohl24]

I was reading on another post that you should not vacum the sand bed is this true? If so this could have been my problem also

 

[tpohl24]

also with 4 fish dying in a 3 day period is it safe to say it was not a disease of some type? Reason I say that I would think it would take different fish longer to progress through it?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by Tpohl24
http:///forum/post/2513707
I was reading on another post that you should not vacum the sand bed is this true? If so this could have been my problem also
Vacuuming the sand bed would not have killed your fish so quickly. If this was an old system, that would be different.
Originally Posted by Tpohl24
http:///forum/post/2514063
also with 4 fish dying in a 3 day period is it safe to say it was not a disease of some type? Reason I say that I would think it would take different fish longer to progress through it?
It does not sound like a parasite or an infection. Again, check your tap water. What do you have in the tank for water flow? Were you allowing your change water to thoroughly mix, for at least 24 hours, before using it? How were the fish eating and acting prior to them dieing?

 

[tpohl24]

I have 2 korilla 4's and 2 smaller powers heads that say they are for 55gallon to 75 gallon... but I would think the 2 korillas plus the water from the pump would be pleanty of flow...I could be wrong though...
I did the water change the day after the 2 clowns and Emperor Angel Died...
I buy my water from my local store so I dont mess up with mixing it... I bought it Friday night, brought it home let it sit near tank... checked PH salinity and temp then put it in Saturday Am...
When the puffered died he would not eat... but before that.. say Wednesday before anyone looked or acted strange everyone ate fine... the two left are eating fine now...