What is going on in my tank?

[burpuffer]

I was just reading a thread about problems with the serpeant star and i have a green serpent. I wonder if he is the problem with the last 3 gobys that have died. The most recent gody was a yellow headed sleeper...pretty good size fish....but i found my starfish on top of him eating the remains. I wonder if the fish died than the starfish came around or the starfish attacked??? I had a rose anemone and she had fallen of the glass to the bottom of the tank behind a rock and that starfish actually ate him....i was shocked. There was nothing i could do to get the rose out in time because of the rock.

 

[townsdp]

I have to agree with stray current theory. If a ph is shorting a bit or something else, that current will kill. If it is a new problem, the previous inhabitants might have slowly but sadly acclimated to the increasing current. I don't know. Worth a check.

 

[burpuffer]

Ya thats the only thing i havnt checked. I will tonight and let you guys know

 

[lmarc78]

If you have a pump that runs at 120 volts, That doesn't meen it runs at 120 all the time,but max power is at 120. Sometimes you can run at 116 volts or as low as 112 volts. Not to say that 112volts can't kill a fish but it can cause the fish to have a prolonged death.
I've had a light strip fall in a old freshwater tank while I was at work once and got home to see all my fish were still alive.
So my guess would be to check the current if you've tried everything else.

 

[teen]

i have stray voltage in my tank and it hasnt killed a thing.

 

[teen]

https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/42726/grounding-probe-effective-or-a-scam
check that off the list.

 

[mie]

Maybe a dumb question but how do you clean your glass? i.e windex,also have you done anything to your house? bug bomb, paint, etc...

 

[swalchemist]

Indeed a mystery, it's not flow, it's not parameter based it could be your serpent star. If you have gotten fish from several LFS and the same results were observed it's safe to say that those LFS stock are no more at fault then any other source online etc in short that factor is irrelevant. I have seen large green serpent stars eat tank mates they grew up with, and like wise I have seen them behave a model citizens. How often do you feed and with what? Please list any and all additives you use in your system.

 

[burpuffer]

I think i found the problem. So over the weekend i took everthing out of my sump. I have a protein skimmer in there with a UV sterilizer, a few bio balls & about 7 pounds of LR. Behind the pump of the protein skimmer i found what looked to be a bolt with a nut on it. It looks like it had been there a while because it was severly rusted. The bolt was about an inch long. I took it to the LFS and they said that it would definitely cause some problems. So i am hoping that was it, i did a 20 gallon water change and took all the sponge filter & everything i could clean out. I will try to get a picture up tonight. I hope that was it. On the glass cleaner i dont use anything on the outside normally, if i do its very little and i spray it on the towel or whatever i am using. Let me know what you guys think.

 

[burpuffer]

Originally Posted by SWAlchemist
Indeed a mystery, it's not flow, it's not parameter based it could be your serpent star. If you have gotten fish from several LFS and the same results were observed it's safe to say that those LFS stock are no more at fault then any other source online etc in short that factor is irrelevant. I have seen large green serpent stars eat tank mates they grew up with, and like wise I have seen them behave a model citizens. How often do you feed and with what? Please list any and all additives you use in your system.
My serpent star has been in there for about 10 months , he was one of the first things in the tank when i converted it into a reef. As far as additives maybe once a week i will add some marine snow. I do add iodine about once a week. I havnt been adding calcium because its been a little high. I give them seaweed 3 times a week. I have mysis shrimp mixed with cyclopeze in a squirt bottle and i feed them with that every other day, just a squirt. In the bottle i put 2 cubes of mysis & 2 cubes of cyclopeze and it lasts probaly 10 days.

 

[lmarc78]

I would try to do atleast a 50% water change if thats the issue.
I hope that solves your problem good luck

 

[burpuffer]

50 percent would probaly start a cycle over again and stress the fish out big time. At the moment everything is doing fine they have probaly addapted to the problem. So i think it would be best to do smaller water changes more frequent. I probaly do 20 gallons every 2-3 days. Slowly ween the fish and inverts away from the problem.

 

[teen]

50 gallons wont start a cycle, but at the same time i dont feel its neccessary.
also, stop adding iodine. thats probably what did your shrimp in.

 

[burpuffer]

Originally Posted by teen
50 gallons wont start a cycle, but at the same time i dont feel its neccessary.
also, stop adding iodine. thats probably what did your shrimp in.
I know iodine helps shrimp with the molting process. What do you think about the rusty bolt?? Do you think that had somthing to do with it?

 

[teen]

Originally Posted by burpuffer
I know iodine helps shrimp with the molting process. What do you think about the rusty bolt?? Do you think that had somthing to do with it?
the amount of iodine in your salt mix is all your shrimp need. any more and it can be fatal to shrimp.
the rusty bolt was probably doing more harm than good, but i wouldnt blame all the deaths on just that.

 

[burpuffer]

Originally Posted by teen
the amount of iodine in your salt mix is all your shrimp need. any more and it can be fatal to shrimp.
the rusty bolt was probably doing more harm than good, but i wouldnt blame all the deaths on just that.
Ok ill hold off on the iodine then. Does high calcium contribute to it. I got a reading of about 550

 

[teen]

that will most likely just calcify on your pumps and cause them to freeze up. it may also look like its snowing in your tank if your calcium gets too high.