PLEASE READ could be DANGER
- Thread starter denisec
- Start date
mr . salty
Active Member
Are the dead fish smaller than the Clown?? Sometimes when a clownfish is paired with an anemone,they become very territorial and aggressive towards the other fish in the tank.Could this clown have done this???
denisec
Member
They all tested at the bottom/zero or the next spot up. Tank is fairly new still (thought I don't think that caused this major die of - after not having lost any fish) I have live rock and used bacteria starter to cycle.
We had 1 valentini puffer, 1 tomato clown, 1 very small blue tang.
We still have - scotter blennie (not real active today but still alive) 1 purple lobster - never active!! assorted snails and crabs.
I'd like to think that the puffer might have done this as the tomato was just added yesterday - maybe they were duking it out after we left for home. - If that's the case - they both lost.
I also did the rubber band thing at home last night and all is fine in there. I live far from work so I couldn't rush home after the deaths and work and take it out so it stayed all night and today without anything happening.
btw do all puffers expell toxins when they puff?
We had 1 valentini puffer, 1 tomato clown, 1 very small blue tang.
We still have - scotter blennie (not real active today but still alive) 1 purple lobster - never active!! assorted snails and crabs.
I'd like to think that the puffer might have done this as the tomato was just added yesterday - maybe they were duking it out after we left for home. - If that's the case - they both lost.
I also did the rubber band thing at home last night and all is fine in there. I live far from work so I couldn't rush home after the deaths and work and take it out so it stayed all night and today without anything happening.
btw do all puffers expell toxins when they puff?
T
the new guy
Guest
Did you leave the "fake anemone" in your tank at home? Just curious to see if that really was the problem??
novice150
Member
Sounds pretty obvious to me. Day 1= happy healthy fish. Day 2= Rubber Bands In Tank. Day 3= Dead Fish. Does anyone here know exactly what chemicals rubber bands are made of? Since we dont know, I think putting anything in the tank that is of unknown composition, is really risky. After all, we do know that dumping waste in the ocean kills fish. 
chopper320
Member
Were the rubber bands new? How long has your tank been running? I know that rubber bands don't actually give off any toxins as I asked about them before b/c I had dropped a couple in my tank and couldn't find them. I got some pretty good answers as to the chemicals in rubber bands and was told everything would be fine and it has been.
If your tank is still in it's cycle, that could very well be the cause. You stated that you added a tomato clown the day before and that may have been just enough to send ammonia or nitrites to an extremely toxic level. That would explain the sudden loss of more than 1 fish.
If your tank is still in it's cycle, that could very well be the cause. You stated that you added a tomato clown the day before and that may have been just enough to send ammonia or nitrites to an extremely toxic level. That would explain the sudden loss of more than 1 fish.
T
the new guy
Guest
Novice, I am sure it would have been pretty obvious to me too if the problem would have been in both tanks.
Denise, I don’t think you killed them; if it were the rubber bands there would have been a similar outcome in your tank at home...
Denise, I don’t think you killed them; if it were the rubber bands there would have been a similar outcome in your tank at home...
denisec
Member
Thanks for the apology but I didn't take it bad.. probably cause I thought the same thing. My blennie was dead this morning when I got here. Not surprised as he barely moved yesterday. I did a 30% water change yesterday and have pure (new) carbon running in the mech. filter, just carbon in a mesh net. Should I do another water change today? I am about to go do water test now. Darn job - made me do some work this morning first thing (trying to smile through my pain)
(trying to smile through my pain)
denisec
Member
OK here are my readings:
Not great but not as bad as I was afraid of:
temp 79
amm .25
nitrite .25
nitrate 5.
ph 8
I have added proper ph to bring it up. I am running carbon only in the mech filter. I have about 20lbs of live rock. What more do I need to do to get things back in order. (I did a 30% water change yesterday - these readings are today- just now) I have a sand bed and am having problems keeping the ph up - any ideas? I have crushed coral at home and never have ph problems.
Not great but not as bad as I was afraid of:
temp 79
amm .25
nitrite .25
nitrate 5.
ph 8
I have added proper ph to bring it up. I am running carbon only in the mech filter. I have about 20lbs of live rock. What more do I need to do to get things back in order. (I did a 30% water change yesterday - these readings are today- just now) I have a sand bed and am having problems keeping the ph up - any ideas? I have crushed coral at home and never have ph problems.
oceanblue
Member
Denise,
I don't think it was your water, those levels are enough to cause stress, but not outright kill them. I would tend to lean on the puffer theory. Sorry to hear about the loss. Oh and I wouldn't think the rubber bands would have anything to do with it, after working in a couple lFS and using rubberbands all the time, we never had any issues. best of luck with it! Dave
I don't think it was your water, those levels are enough to cause stress, but not outright kill them. I would tend to lean on the puffer theory. Sorry to hear about the loss. Oh and I wouldn't think the rubber bands would have anything to do with it, after working in a couple lFS and using rubberbands all the time, we never had any issues. best of luck with it! Dave
Ok, those water conditions are unacceptable. .25 ammonia is enough to kill--make no mistake. And the .25 nitrite is not good news either, for fish. I'm assuming you added all these fish to a new tank that was not cycled yet? How old is your tank?
STOP trying to raise PH at this time. Higher PH increases the toxicity of ammonia. So leave it at 8 for now. Continue to do water changes. Perhaps ask your LFS to keep your fish until your tank cycles. Use an Ammonia Lock product to get that ammonia stablized!
STOP trying to raise PH at this time. Higher PH increases the toxicity of ammonia. So leave it at 8 for now. Continue to do water changes. Perhaps ask your LFS to keep your fish until your tank cycles. Use an Ammonia Lock product to get that ammonia stablized!