TANK CRASHING>> HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My tank has been set up for almost 3 years with no problems... now all my fish and corals are dying... My parameters are fine.. no Ammonia or Nitrite.... little nitrate... like 30.... I know its a little high but it shouldnt be killing my tank...... Please help!!
 

underthesea

Member
Tell us more about your tank. Do you have live rock, type of filter, are you running a ps, what type of lighting. How often you do water changes. Size of tank etc.
 
1. What type of filtration are you using?
Protien Skimmer, Calcium Reactor
2. Do you have a protein skimmer?
Yes
3. Do you have a UV sterilizer?
No
4. How old is your ammonia test kit?
4 months or so
4a. When was the last time that you verified that the ammonia test kit was still working properly?
Never
4b. Have you verified all of your other test kits?
All are newer than ammonia
5. What corals have already died?
Brain, Toadstool, Star Polyps going
6. What coral was the first to die?
Brain
7. What fish have died?
Blue Tang, Watermellon Wrasse, small lion fish
Thanks everyone for your help!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

broomer5

Active Member
Look outside the tank for answers as well.
Insect spray, painting, carpet cleaning, any chance a toxic chemcial was used in the house that may have found it's way to your tank ????
Any of your other tanks having similar problems ???
 
Now i discover my purple tang is getting lateral line dis. again.. He had it when I got him from the store and I cured it.. but its coming back..... Is this related????
 

wamp

Active Member
too little to late........
I had the orkin man kill my 75 gallon reef tank..
He was spraying in the room with the tank and after a while I noticed my tank dying. I mean everything!!!!
I called them and asked for the content they were spraying.. Did a search and found out it was extremely harmfull to aquariums..
I called Orkin and told them what happened and the money I had lost and the repayed me and told me the Man was supposed to tell me of the hazzards to my tank and to other animals. I think they let him go after that.
Moral of the story.. I live with bugs so I can keep my tank..
 
I asked my roommate and he said he bug bombed my room a few weeks before I moved in... COuld that stuff linger and cause the problem?????
 

tacks

Member
Yes!!! The bug bom could have caused this problem. Do you have a quarantine tank? If so, I would get the fish out of the main asap!!!
 

broomer5

Active Member
In your first post you mentioned that your tank has been set up for almost 3 years.
Are saying that your roomate bug bombed your room a few weeks before you moved in - almost 3 years ago ?
If so, I doubt it is the cause.
 
No.. I moved with my tank like 4 months ago....
But it was such a close move all I did was drain half the water.......
Everything was left in the tank....
 

broomer5

Active Member
Man I don't know.
Just going to toss some more ideas out.
If you have hydrocarbons/poison from a bug bomb, although unlikely, I would do as suggested with many routine water changes, run activated carbon, changing it daily, and a polyfilter.
If your pH is good - then that would rule out a faulty CO2 component on your calcium reactor.
Ammonia nitrite levels zero would make me think your biofiltration is in order.
Nitrates a little high, but not toxic to fish.
Several fish and corals all dying around the same time makes me think that something toxic has entered the tank. Something we don't normally test for.
Can you think of anything that is different now, that has changed prior to you having these troubles ?
Additives, circulation, having strangers in the house. Did you leave a dirty powerhead out for awhile then add it back to your tank.
I dunno - now I'm grasping for straws.
 

ren

Member
Maybe related to the move 4 months ago? Whappened to the tank in transient? What water was used for the replacement? Exactly how was the tank moved? Did Temp drop and to what level?
 
Let me see....
When I did the move.. I replaced the water in the tank with the same water I took out..... I just stored it in water containers....
I just dont know.. It is a total mystery.. mind you, I am no fish expert, but Ive been in the hobby long enough to not make careless mistakes at the cost of my animals.... But this has me stooped..... I hadnt had any deaths for a long time before all this.. and those deaths werent even my fault.....
Im lost!!!
 

beachbaby

Member
OK- this is a stretch but...have you done anything different with your protien skimmer? We started turning ours off at night because of noise. It only took a couple of deaths (uggh) to put up a post on this site and find out that it is very bad for the tank.
 

biggdriver

Member
I have to go back to a previous response also..Is your tank grounded? If you do all the water changes as stated above. Water tests etc, I would try a grounding probe. How about your new place.Are all the outlets grounded properly also. A slow trickle of current will take a while to have detrimental effects on your tank but they will eventually take it's toll..How about the possibility of a hydrogen gas buildup from the substrate. It could possibly have been churned up enough in the move to cause the bed to release toxins..??? Gotta grasp some more anyone..Is there a way to test for any of this.. If It was me I would do the water changes and change as much of the substrate as I could
 
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