Resolved Sick Damsel -Doing Just fine now

Discussion in 'ASAP' started by sticksmith23, Nov 13, 2011.

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  1. sticksmith23

    sticksmith23 Giant Squid

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    This morning my Yellow Tang died on me. Tonight one of my damsels is sitting on the sand bad barely alive. The only change that I made recently was adding two Koralia Circulation Pump (425 and 550 gph). The fish didn't seem to like the increased flow yesterday, so I turned them off after about 4 hours of running. My ammonia test .25, Nitrite .1, nitrate 0, PH 8.0, SG 1.024, and ALK is normal.

    I am so confused about what the problem is unless it just has something to do with stress maybe.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2011
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  3. sticksmith23

    sticksmith23 Giant Squid

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    I also just changed out 10 gallons and added Prime and some Microbacter7 as well. The filter media was changed about a week ago wich consist of carbon, biomax (from aquaclear), and fluval clearmax.
     
  4. nedim

    nedim Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    How much microbacter did you put in? I would add more
     
  5. sticksmith23

    sticksmith23 Giant Squid

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    I put in 2 cap fulls this morning and then another cap full after the water change.
     
  6. sticksmith23

    sticksmith23 Giant Squid

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    bump for the night crowd
     
  7. sticksmith23

    sticksmith23 Giant Squid

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    Just tested my ammonia again, it is finally at 0 ppm! I will test the rest of the levels in the morning. The damsel is still alive and trying to swim around more, but still finds itself back on the sand bed after a minute or two. I still have hope, just don't know what I can do to help is all.
     
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  9. sticksmith23

    sticksmith23 Giant Squid

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    The first Damsel died and the second one started not looking to good this morning. I set up a 10 gallon tank with tap water and put him in there. I still need to figure out what is going on in the tank though. If Xenia is dying in my tank, is it possible that it is releasing toxins into the water that are affecting the fish?
     
  10. Atticus818

    Atticus818 Eyelash Blennie

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    How long has the tank been set up? Having ammonia and nitrites would make me think something is going on with your cycle. Even when you use prime to reduce these numbers, prime is just going to bind to the ammonia and make it temporarily non toxic, it will not remove it.

    Also, on the fish that have passed; have you inspected the gills and body? A darkening around the gills (brown coloration) is a sign that nitrites could have caused the deaths.

    Are you using tap water for your water changes as well? or just for the hospital tank?

    I don't believe that Xenia dying would cause any toxins to be released that would be troublesome for the fish. More importantly I would focus on what might be also killing the Xenia, as in the case of damsels it should show signs of stress much more quickly before the fish would.

    Chemicals that could have gotten in the tank? I once had an entire tank go in a matter of hours due to our cleaning lady spraying dust cleaner near the tank, the over spray basically nuked everything. Solution: Major GAC and water changes.
     
  11. sticksmith23

    sticksmith23 Giant Squid

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    I only used tap water for the hospital tank. This tank (40 gallon breeder) has been set up since August, which I just transferred my 16 gallon to this one. There hasn't been any chemicals used to clean with by the tank at all.

    The Xenia started dying about a week ago now. It started out with a few stalks just falling over and looking shriveled. Some of the stalks came around, and one didn't. All my other corals are fine (zoas, palys, mushrooms). I haven't done anything to change the water chemistry except add a yellow tang which could've started the mini-cycle. The Yellow Tang was the first to die.

    I did look at the fish prior to removing them from the tank. I didn't notice discoloration or anything that looked out of the ordinary.
     
  12. RJT

    RJT Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    The tang must of had some type of illness that got to the other fish. If these are the only fish you had I would leave it fallow for at least 4 weeks.

    I am not aware of any pathogen that kills fish so fast and can kill coral.
     
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