fish dying in my reef tank

[[email protected]]

Maybe someone can help me. I have a 90 gallon tank set up with live
rock(from tampa bay sal****er). The tank is about 3 months old and has
been doing very well. All of the levels check out ok and water changes
are done every 3-4 weeks at 20-30 percent. Recently, I started buying
fish, and with the exception of a few most of them have died.

I have the following items in the tank:

coral banded shrimp
fire shrimp
5 peppermint shrimp
2 small manits shrimp
There are many urchins and there are 3 anenome's(1 condy, and 2 bulb
anenomes)
2 tomato clowns
1 scooter blenny

The follwing fish have died:

Yellow tang
Naso tang
bicolor blenny
black blenny
mandrin
cardnial fish

My question is this....What could be killing these fish....Could it be
the urchins, anenomes, or maybe the shrimp. I am baffled because the
rest of the tank looks completely healty and everone else is thriving.

Thanks,

Marshall

[John Maag]

Marshll,

First I feel for you. You are going to have to get more information. You
either have a water condition going on or you have a disease. Start by
checking all of your parameters. make sure ammonia and NitrIte are under
control. Check salinity and temperatore.

If those look OK then report back more information. What happened before the
first fish died. Did you see bulging eyes (popeye) Do you see what looks
like salt granules on the fish (Ich)

This is going to be hard because we cannot see it first hand and are reliant
on what you see. If you have a reliable LFS, talk with them. You can show
them the dead fish first hand and they may be able to help.

[Pszemol]

> wrote in message oups.com...
> Recently, I started buying fish,
> and with the exception of a few most of them have died.

When did you buy each fish which died and how big was it
compared to mantis shrimps?

> 2 small manits shrimp

These guys are aggressive predators. I would suspect them.
They are called mantis not manits.
Check this out http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/intro/what.htm

> My question is this....What could be killing these fish....Could it be
> the urchins, anenomes, or maybe the shrimp. I am baffled because the
> rest of the tank looks completely healty and everone else is thriving.

If I had to bet, I would put all my money on mantis shrimps.

[Billy]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
| Maybe someone can help me. I have a 90 gallon tank set up with
live

I would be tempted to agree with Pszemol as long as the corpses are
consistant with traumatic death. Mantis shrimp are monsters. If not,
I would head in another direction. Have you found corpses at all? If
they appear unmolested, water is likely the issue. As John said,
provide us or your trusted LFS with the specific water parameters.
"Levels check out ok" just isn't enough, as you may be relying on
false information. Do a full battery of tests and check it out. A,
N&N, of course, then phosphates, alk, everything you have kits for.
As an aside, check for metal of ANY kind in contact with your
water. Metal heaters, return and powerhead pump impeller shafts...I
had a problem much like yours and it turned out to be rusting metal
from something I'd rather not discuss because of how bone stick stone
stupid of me it was to have had it in there...but I digress.....

[Mark C.]

It was an anchor, wasn't it Billy? Huh? Huh?

--
Mark C. Jack of all trades, master of none. (well, maybe a couple)

I r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d



"Billy" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> | Maybe someone can help me. I have a 90 gallon tank set up with
> live
>
> I would be tempted to agree with Pszemol as long as the corpses are
> consistant with traumatic death. Mantis shrimp are monsters. If not,
> I would head in another direction. Have you found corpses at all? If
> they appear unmolested, water is likely the issue. As John said,
> provide us or your trusted LFS with the specific water parameters.
> "Levels check out ok" just isn't enough, as you may be relying on
> false information. Do a full battery of tests and check it out. A,
> N&N, of course, then phosphates, alk, everything you have kits for.
> As an aside, check for metal of ANY kind in contact with your
> water. Metal heaters, return and powerhead pump impeller shafts...I
> had a problem much like yours and it turned out to be rusting metal
> from something I'd rather not discuss because of how bone stick stone
> stupid of me it was to have had it in there...but I digress.....
>
>

[Mark C.]

John, What causes popeye? I have a yellow tail damsel with a few bumps and
one recent popeye. Is it curable/fatal?

--
Mark C. Jack of all trades, master of none. (well, maybe a couple)

I r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d



"John Maag" > wrote in message
. com...
> Marshll,
>
> First I feel for you. You are going to have to get more information. You
> either have a water condition going on or you have a disease. Start by
> checking all of your parameters. make sure ammonia and NitrIte are under
> control. Check salinity and temperatore.
>
> If those look OK then report back more information. What happened before
> the
> first fish died. Did you see bulging eyes (popeye) Do you see what looks
> like salt granules on the fish (Ich)
>
> This is going to be hard because we cannot see it first hand and are
> reliant
> on what you see. If you have a reliable LFS, talk with them. You can show
> them the dead fish first hand and they may be able to help.

[Billy]

"Mark C." > wrote in message
...
| It was an anchor, wasn't it Billy? Huh? Huh?
|


The tang really seemed to like playing in that old coffee
can......(j/k) :)

[John Maag]

Mark C. wrote:

> John, What causes popeye? I have a yellow tail damsel with a few bumps and
> one recent popeye. Is it curable/fatal?
>

It curable. It is an infection similar to out "Pink Eye". What I would do is
put the fish into a quarantine tank with no live rock and treat with
Maracyn Plus. It is a fish antibiotic.

[Mark C.]

If I could capture him.

--
Mark C. Jack of all trades, master of none. (well, maybe a couple)

I r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d



"John Maag" > wrote in message
. com...
> Mark C. wrote:
>
>> John, What causes popeye? I have a yellow tail damsel with a few bumps
>> and
>> one recent popeye. Is it curable/fatal?
>>
>
> It curable. It is an infection similar to out "Pink Eye". What I would do
> is
> put the fish into a quarantine tank with no live rock and treat with
> Maracyn Plus. It is a fish antibiotic.

[Billy]

"Mark C." > wrote in message
...
| If I could capture him.
|

Indeed. I had to tear down my entire 75 reef to capture a yellowtail
that had gotten too aggressive for his own good. Ended up having to
remove the LR he was in, and leave it on the floor for a couple min,
then gently shake until he flopped out. He lived alone in my sump for
several months before some sucker, er...friend took him off my hands.
I will never again own a damsel unless I do a species tank.

billy

[Pszemol]

"Billy" > wrote in message ...
> I will never again own a damsel unless I do a species tank.

This story should be repeated here every week for newcomers.

[Matt Awbrey]

What precedure do you use to aclimate the new fish to your tank. Fish that
maybe incorrectly aclimated don't always show signs of problems right away.
If the fish becomes overly stressed then it's immune system suffers thus
making it less likely to fight off disease. 2-4 weeks pass and suddenly your
fish is dead.
> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Maybe someone can help me. I have a 90 gallon tank set up with live
> rock(from tampa bay sal****er). The tank is about 3 months old and has
> been doing very well. All of the levels check out ok and water changes
> are done every 3-4 weeks at 20-30 percent. Recently, I started buying
> fish, and with the exception of a few most of them have died.
>
> I have the following items in the tank:
>
> coral banded shrimp
> fire shrimp
> 5 peppermint shrimp
> 2 small manits shrimp
> There are many urchins and there are 3 anenome's(1 condy, and 2 bulb
> anenomes)
> 2 tomato clowns
> 1 scooter blenny
>
> The follwing fish have died:
>
> Yellow tang
> Naso tang
> bicolor blenny
> black blenny
> mandrin
> cardnial fish
>
> My question is this....What could be killing these fish....Could it be
> the urchins, anenomes, or maybe the shrimp. I am baffled because the
> rest of the tank looks completely healty and everone else is thriving.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Marshall
>

[Mark C.]

I have three tangs along with my yellowtail damsel in my 175 that keep him
in line. :)

--
Mark C. Jack of all trades, master of none. (well, maybe a couple)

I r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d



"Pszemol" > wrote in message
...
> "Billy" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I will never again own a damsel unless I do a species tank.
>
> This story should be repeated here every week for newcomers.

[Mark C.]

Good call, Matt.

--
Mark C. Jack of all trades, master of none. (well, maybe a couple)

I r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d



"Matt Awbrey" > wrote in message
news:hWxNd.4722$Tt.3878@fed1read05...
> What precedure do you use to aclimate the new fish to your tank. Fish that
> maybe incorrectly aclimated don't always show signs of problems right
> away.
> If the fish becomes overly stressed then it's immune system suffers thus
> making it less likely to fight off disease. 2-4 weeks pass and suddenly
> your
> fish is dead.
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Maybe someone can help me. I have a 90 gallon tank set up with live
>> rock(from tampa bay sal****er). The tank is about 3 months old and has
>> been doing very well. All of the levels check out ok and water changes
>> are done every 3-4 weeks at 20-30 percent. Recently, I started buying
>> fish, and with the exception of a few most of them have died.
>>
>> I have the following items in the tank:
>>
>> coral banded shrimp
>> fire shrimp
>> 5 peppermint shrimp
>> 2 small manits shrimp
>> There are many urchins and there are 3 anenome's(1 condy, and 2 bulb
>> anenomes)
>> 2 tomato clowns
>> 1 scooter blenny
>>
>> The follwing fish have died:
>>
>> Yellow tang
>> Naso tang
>> bicolor blenny
>> black blenny
>> mandrin
>> cardnial fish
>>
>> My question is this....What could be killing these fish....Could it be
>> the urchins, anenomes, or maybe the shrimp. I am baffled because the
>> rest of the tank looks completely healty and everone else is thriving.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Marshall
>>
>
>

[kim gross]

Another possible problem not enough oxygen at night. Fish need more o2
than most inverts. How much water movement do you have in the tank? If
you do not have enough water movement you could have lot o2 levels at
night, causing dead fish in the morning.

Kim


wrote:
> Maybe someone can help me. I have a 90 gallon tank set up with live
> rock(from tampa bay sal****er). The tank is about 3 months old and has
> been doing very well. All of the levels check out ok and water changes
> are done every 3-4 weeks at 20-30 percent. Recently, I started buying
> fish, and with the exception of a few most of them have died.
>
> I have the following items in the tank:
>
> coral banded shrimp
> fire shrimp
> 5 peppermint shrimp
> 2 small manits shrimp
> There are many urchins and there are 3 anenome's(1 condy, and 2 bulb
> anenomes)
> 2 tomato clowns
> 1 scooter blenny
>
> The follwing fish have died:
>
> Yellow tang
> Naso tang
> bicolor blenny
> black blenny
> mandrin
> cardnial fish
>
> My question is this....What could be killing these fish....Could it be
> the urchins, anenomes, or maybe the shrimp. I am baffled because the
> rest of the tank looks completely healty and everone else is thriving.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Marshall
>

[Ray Martini]

Try a home made minnow trap. Works like a charm.

http://www.boyslife.org/workshop/minnows.pdf



"Mark C." > wrote in message
...
> If I could capture him.
>
> --
> Mark C. Jack of all trades, master of none. (well, maybe a couple)
>
> I r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d
>
>
>
> "John Maag" > wrote in message
> . com...
>> Mark C. wrote:
>>
>>> John, What causes popeye? I have a yellow tail damsel with a few bumps
>>> and
>>> one recent popeye. Is it curable/fatal?
>>>
>>
>> It curable. It is an infection similar to out "Pink Eye". What I would do
>> is
>> put the fish into a quarantine tank with no live rock and treat with
>> Maracyn Plus. It is a fish antibiotic.
>
>

[Rich R]

they are cute little buggers that **** off the whole tank! I got rid of mine
also

--


www.reeftanksonline.com
www.nydiver.com
ONLINE meeting rooms



"Billy" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Mark C." > wrote in message
> ...
> | If I could capture him.
> |
>
> Indeed. I had to tear down my entire 75 reef to capture a yellowtail
> that had gotten too aggressive for his own good. Ended up having to
> remove the LR he was in, and leave it on the floor for a couple min,
> then gently shake until he flopped out. He lived alone in my sump for
> several months before some sucker, er...friend took him off my hands.
> I will never again own a damsel unless I do a species tank.
>
> billy
>
>
>