So sad, 2nd attempt ends in Different Disaster

[coco1963]

A few months ago something happened to My 1 1/2 yr established tank. All my fish died, even the worms came out and died. It could have been overload because I just added some new items to the tank including Grape Caulpera Algae. So we deceided to try again. Threw old sand and water out and put in new live sand and saltwater from the petstore. Soaked the live rock in saltwater 2 days, rinsed off and reused it. We waited 6 weeks for everything to cycle and then got 2 cinnamon clowns and coral beauty. Later We got a royal gramma, Lawnmower blenny, emerald crabs and cleaner shrimp. This week we noticed the fish acting strange and color fading a little and then the eyes looked cloudy. We lost all the fish in 2 days. The cleaner shrimp, snails, hermits, emerald crabs are all still ok. In reading it looks like it could have been Ick? or Clownfish Disease? 29 gal, good filter, powerhead, ph 8.4, salt 1025, nitrite 0, nitrate .5 trying to get down, even got mangrove plants to help.
I am so sad and it's quite expensive to keep starting over I don't know what to do now. If the shrimp, snails etc live, will it be safe to get other fish? Start Over? Also I read the cleaner shrimp helps keep them from getting Ick? He was on the coral and blenny cleaning all the time, just don't understand it.

 

[1journeyman]

I see you are tsting for the important things, except AMMONIA. When you stock a tank, especially a smaller tank, Ammonia is critical to watch. Those 5 fish in a 29 gallon tank could have overloaded it.

 

[grumpygils]

Originally Posted by coco1963
A few months ago something happened to My 1 1/2 yr established tank. All my fish died, even the worms came out and died. It could have been overload because I just added some new items to the tank including Grape Caulpera Algae. So we deceided to try again. Threw old sand and water out and put in new live sand and saltwater from the petstore. Soaked the live rock in saltwater 2 days, rinsed off and reused it. We waited 6 weeks for everything to cycle and then got 2 cinnamon clowns and coral beauty. Later We got a royal gramma, Lawnmower blenny, emerald crabs and cleaner shrimp. This week we noticed the fish acting strange and color fading a little and then the eyes looked cloudy. We lost all the fish in 2 days. The cleaner shrimp, snails, hermits, emerald crabs are all still ok. In reading it looks like it could have been Ick? or Clownfish Disease? 29 gal, good filter, powerhead, ph 8.4, salt 1025, nitrite 0, nitrate .5 trying to get down, even got mangrove plants to help.
I am so sad and it's quite expensive to keep starting over I don't know what to do now. If the shrimp, snails etc live, will it be safe to get other fish? Start Over? Also I read the cleaner shrimp helps keep them from getting Ick? He was on the coral and blenny cleaning all the time, just don't understand it.
I have read that caluerpa can go asexual and smoke a tank? Google it.
Mc

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by grumpygils
I have read that caluerpa can go asexual and smoke a tank? Google it.
Mc
Yes, it can. From his description though it sounded like his fish got sick.

 

[vorlx]

I had an ammonia spike once and the eyes of my blue tang clouded up. Luckily I got to it in time and had no fish deaths. You could deffinately have been overloading your bio load. Did you happen to test for ammonia during these 'problems'?
What type of water are you using? Tap or RO? Are you using a water condition if it's tap?

 

[coco1963]

I knew I forgot to mention something, we have been checking the water every other day in this new tank, ammonia & nitrites have been 0, nitrates .5. PH 8.4 Using already mixed saltwater from the LFS, not from my tap. The Caulpera was in 1st tank and I think that could have been the problem there, I don't have any microalgae in 2nd tank. I saw the gramma rubbing against things before it died but none of the others did and the cleaner shrimp was all over the coral and blenny & they still died. I never saw the cloudy eyes before & they went downhill quick. Thinking Ick? or I saw something about clownfish disease? but they were the last to go.

 

[1journeyman]

Cleaner shrimp will not save a sick fish. They are a benefit, but certainly not a cure.
Read and look at the pics on the disease forum. Once we identify the disease we can better help out.

 

[beth]

The best solution is to set up a quarantine tank for new fish. Doing so will avoid having this type of disaster. A small 20 gal tank, set up with min. equipment is all that is needed.

 

[coco1963]

OK question now is, all fish died, what should I do now if I continue with saltwater tank? If the water is infected with the parasite or disease do I completely change it out? Wait a certain amount of time? If I can't figure this out without loosing more expensive saltwater fish I'm going back to freshwater.

 

[1journeyman]

As I said, first let's identify what it was that killed your fish, then we can go from there.

 

[saltymac]

IMO way too many fish for that size tank. How much do you feed? What types of filtration do you use? What kind of maintence schedule are you on? How fast did you add those fish? You should add one fish every week max. I would slow down and do some research, cosidering a larger (more stable) tank. Of course JMO. Good luck.