my fish died and i have no idea why?

Question

The thing is I have a 72 gallon salt water fish tank that I had gottenas a gift. He came and set it up and when we put my fish from my smaller fish tank in to the larger the shrimp died and then the damsels started to nip at the other fish. I the bought a sand sifter and an angle fish once I had removed the damsel that is but soon after the angle fish started to do the same thing to the sand sifter. Then out of no where I woke up and the angle fish was dead. So we did a water change to get rid of the toxicants that may cause future death. we also got a gray angle to re place the other angel fish when we went away for 2 days and my friend came to feed it, it was dead. During this whole time we had 2 mandarin gobies that were doing great up until last night when I woke this morning I found one of them dead and can’t find the other. I have thought of everything I even got a top of the line protein skimmer also I check everything everyday the timp, ph, the ammonia, the nitrates,what next?

Answer 1

Well, something is definately going wrong in that tank.

The shrimp dying is probably due to not being acclimated slowly enough to the new tank. They can be very sensitive to changes.

I don't know what is causing your problem specificly, but it surely comes from not quarantining new additions from the store. You really should take the trouble to quarantine new fish. It makes sense to not worry about it with his and yours from your tanks, but ones from the store could easily be carrying ich or any number of other stuff. One of your new additions must have introduced something nasty to the tank.

Did you inspect the dead fish for ich and other problems?
Had you noticed any odd behavior?

Could also be that the angel fish died in a fight with the sandsifter, and then maybe your water change was too much of a % and threw off the tank enough to cause your other troubles.

How much water did you change out?

What I would do is leave the tank fish free for a while and see how things go with other animals. If you leave it without fish in it for 30 days, any ich in there will die, I know that much. I don't know anything about any other Marine parasites or diseases, tho. In the meantime you can set up your quarantine tank.

Also, you check temp, pH, ammonia and nitrates, but do you monitor the salinity? Phosphates? Other minerals?

Lastly, I suggest you bring this question to a forum where you will find many experienced Marine fishkeepers so that you can get a better variety of knowledgeable advice.

Here are a few links-
http://www.petfish.net/forum/index.php/board,15.0.html
http://www.reefcentral.com/
http://www.nano-reef.com/

A long, but very informative article about quarantining-
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php

Answer 2

Can you give us the actual testing results? Also the salinity? Do you have live rock in the new tank?

You can add information to this question by using the pencil icon beneath this question to "add details".

I'm also not sure I understand your timeline correctly. Was the damsel in your previous tank, or was this something you put in the 72 gallon for cycling? Were the other fish the damsel was picking at the mandarins, or were these added later? Was your sand sifter a starfish? And are you certain both mandarins were in the tank up until last night?

The reason I ask the last question is that if the missing mandarin was stressed by the move and picked on by other fish and died, these have a thick slime coat believed to contain a toxic or chemical that at least makes them distateful to most fish) that may have been released in the tank (that's why they have the bright coloration, to warn other aminals not to try to eat them). When my first dragonette died, it took out the other fish that was kept in its tank. The death of the second may have caused the death of the other fish.

Answer 3

what were your readings for pH amonia nitrite and nitrate? Whats the sg of the water? how long was the tank running befor you moved the fish into the 75 gallon? did you ever have a problem in the old tank? how much live rock or live sand is in the new tank? did you use the filter from the old tank to kick start the cycle? post more or emial me and id be happy to help get to the bottom of this with y ou. just some info in the meantime. madarin gobies need a mature tank they rarely take prepared foods. A mandarin goby(dragonette) if you noticed is constantly hovering around the tank on a never ending hunt for copeocods. if it was a new tank there may not have been enough time for enough of them to spawn to satisfy thier hunger. I tend to think of them as hummingbirds of the sea because of the way the constantly need to feed and constantly moving around in a hunt for more food. Angel fish are pretty delicate fish some of the dwarf angels are more hardy but the one you are decribing doesnt seem to be a dwarf species. if you didnt drip acclimkate them long enough they are very sensitive to changes in thier environment. they are also territorial so moving them from a space they once knew well to a new bigger tank with other territorial fish such as damsels they will all then be competeing for territory causeing the fish to have fights over spaces they all want to claim as thier own. As for the shrimp are you sure it died and it didnt just molt its exoskeleton? i found that when i move shrimp in a bigger tank they tend to shed thier skin for they now have more room to grow. then they will be very elusive until they in a sense have thier exoskeleton harden back up after molting. there are many things that could have caused this so either post more info or email me and id be happy to help. Good luck and i hope it all works out.
Addition: forgot one thing since you keep inverts (shrimo) do you add iodine to the water?

Answer 4

I am a pure expert on FreshWater Fish and a Salt water. You can buy or have the most top line systems and everything will still die

Your problem is you probably introduced the fish into the water to quickly. And another reason may be because you bought overly aggressive fish/peasceful fish. Next time you buy fish you need to ask the sales person about their behavior or research their behavior patterns before spending $$. And only introduce a fish to your tank one at a time every few weeks.

Salt water is expensive as to Fresh water you can have the same quality for a cheaper price with Lovley colors set ups and have cichlids (although they are aggresive as well)

Good Luck if you need help i am on AIM at : Slap Happicretin
to give advice!

Answer 5

My advice is to use Nutrafin Cycle. This really does help the water in the aquarium. If all your fish are dyeing then the chances are something else has polluted your tank such as aerosoles or soap. If this is the case then the only thing i can think of doing is getting another tank setr up pronto, get it cycled and move all your fish over, then just get rid of the water in your tank and start again

Answer 6

Its not once you think approximately that of the water conditioner(chlorine element) it is via the fact the you likely did cycle the tank and including 8 fish on the instant to a sparkling tank is dangerous. they are going to straight away out die. you ought to never upload greater suitable than 3 fish each and every week provided that for people who get greater then there'll be too much bioload(waste) and the clear out cant capture up. so as that they start dieing thinking the reality that ammonia starts to construct up and nitrite. it is potential that the ph became very intense to on account that faucet water in particular constantly has intense ph. you ought to cycle your tank for style of a month earlier than you upload any fish! are not getting from now on fish back they are going to die repeatedly no count number what share u get. despite if u get a million it's going to die provided that the water is merely not perfect. it is the type you cycle your tank in steps: you the cycle via way of including a source of ammonia. If there's no ammonia then it cant start up.you ought to use organic ammonia(without a smells or detergents) you will possibly be able to desire to purchase this on the ninety 9 cents shop or ironmongery save. Its low-priced like a million greenback. Step a million: ammonia spike(it is whilst the ammonia levels go up alot and then go down) yet this might maximum suitable artwork if there is a few sort of ammonia in the tank. Step 2:nitrite spike(this is whilst nitrite is going up and then down) it happens after the ammonia spike. Step 3:nitrate spike(it is whilst nitrate is going from intense to low) it happens after the nitrite spike each and every step takes some week + or - step 4:set the ph(with ph drugs or the liquid stuff) step 5:do a 25%-50% water commerce step 6: wait an hour so as which you would be waiting to get superb test consequences step 7:test the water for ammonia,nitrite,nitrate and ph. Step 8: if the coolest purchase continues to be the comparable(no ammonia,no nitrite,and no nitrate or little or no and the ph is a similar then you definitely're finished! yet whilst despite alterations like permit's think of the nitrite is going up or ammonia or some thing then you definitely'll ought to start all over the place :( for people who dont savour then permit me recognize and ill gladly assist you.

Answer 7

Do you have the proper salt in there?? Have you checked the salinity (sp) ??? Saltwater is much harder than freshwater in lots of aspects. Did you move the fish too fast to the new tank??? I would suggest getting a good saltwater book...and read it..

Answer 8

i would try to run the tank with out any expensive fish for 2 weeks and keep the ph at a good level and then add fish.sometimes you need to create a good environment by letting it settle

Answer 9

This is the first time I have ever heard that Guppies and angles live in salt water.
Dude, these two types don't live in salt water.

Answer 10

sometimes fish die...it happens