Mystry whipes out my tank

Daleman · #1 02/14/2004, 09:24 AM

I have 2 tanks plumbed into a common filter system. Both tanks been running fine for years. These are both fish/invert tanks. In the tanks that seems to have gone toxic, there was a lion,3 triggers,2 tangs a puffer and an eel. The eel is still alive, ther rest have passed. In my other tank I have 4 annemone, 2 clowns, angel, and 2 tangs.

All levels Nitrtes/Nitrites/Ammonia/ PH are right on no problem. The temp is fine. There are no electrical devices in the tank (Everything is in the common sump) Both tanks are fed the same foods with more going to the triggers/lion. Can't seem to find a common problem. I know I may not be thinking clearly for this is a big loss. Thought I would drop a line and see if you can help put an end to the mystry

Trumpet12 · #2 02/14/2004, 09:28 AM

What did the fish look like shortly before and after they died?

Daleman · #3 02/14/2004, 09:35 AM

When I went to bed they were fine, I even noticed my Clown Trigger has clear eyes (usually one is milky) everyone ate fine. My lion didn't eat but that isn't unusual. I woke up this morning and found them all laying on the sandbed. I'm thinking maybe the Krill, but it still don't make sence not all of them ate it.

Daleman · #4 02/14/2004, 09:48 AM

How about the sand bed. It is old (5yrs) and about 5 inches. The triggers go digging in it. Could they have hit a sulfer pocket and released gas or something?

Casie · #5 02/14/2004, 09:52 AM

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss this morning Daleman.

I once read somewhere that eels can use their natural slime ablility to protect themselves from things like contaminates and even some parasites. I just thought it might be more than luck that your eel is your only survivor.

If your sandbed crashed, you would see nasty high levels on your test kits, right?

Is it possible you lost power last night?

I know you must be wracking your brain right now.

jayhawk · #6 02/14/2004, 10:23 AM

i really dont think it was your sandbed . maybe some kind of poison, pesticide, chemical, ect. got in there. just guessing. sorry for your loss. hope you find out what the cause was. good luck

Daleman · #7 02/14/2004, 10:23 AM

no power loss, still looking toward the Krill being contaminated. I'm thinking about feeding one of my Damsels the krill but I can't bring myself to doing it.

HoopsGuru · #8 02/14/2004, 11:58 AM

Did you do any recent large water changes, etc.?

I have concern that one of the clown triggers eyes was always "milky". This leads me to believe there was a bacterial infection of some kind, and is most often caused by poor water quality. What size tank was this in? It seems like a fairly large amount of bioload.

If some malady was present and the puffer checked out before the others, this could be a possibility. Tetrodontidae and Diodontidae caryy the powerful Tetradotoxin, which could possibly have secreted out after the fish's death. I don't know how often this occurs though.

asmujica · #9 02/14/2004, 12:09 PM

How much water flow do you have in the tank?

Daleman · #10 02/14/2004, 02:59 PM

The setup is a 75 & 125 gal tan plumbed together and piped into the basement. There I have 2 150 Gal rubbermaid containers. The first has about 300 lbs of live rock and tons of bio balls. The second is a couple powerheads and just volume of water. I have a 50 gal tank off to the side with calupra. I have 2 1100GPH circulation pumps. I have varoius protein skimmers/UV filters heaters all in the basement. Since the tanks are one big system I have rulled out polution/posion in the water. My 75 gal tank is fine (all present and accounted for) I put a boxfish back in the troubled tank and he is doing fine.
Here is my latest theorys, either the Krull I was feeding is contaminated or traces of Lysol wipes was on the food. The wipes were used on the bathroom before feeding. Maybe a quick rinse didn't remove the bleach. Still don't know for sure.

asmujica · #11 02/14/2004, 03:28 PM

Quote:

This is a very difficult fish to keep in_the aquarium setting by any other than the most experienced aquarist. It should have a minimum of a 125 gallon tank. Use caution if placing the Spotted Boxfish in a reef tank as they will often nibble at tubeworms. If stressed, the Cubicus Boxfish releases a poisonous substance, called ostracitoxin, from its mucous glands which will kill other fish in the tank very quickly.

Daleman · #12 02/14/2004, 08:54 PM

Asmujica,

I think you nailed it. My boxfish has been acting strange for the last month. I moved him from the 75 into the 125 figuring he wanted more room to swim. He used to eat alot and I noticed he was just not eating as much. He must have expired in the night. I figure the filter fabric must have prevented the toxin from spreading into the other tank.

Thank you!!

HoopsGuru · #13 02/14/2004, 10:19 PM

Quote:

In the tanks that seems to have gone toxic, there was a lion,3 triggers,2 tangs a puffer and an eel. The eel is still alive, ther rest have passed. In my other tank I have 4 annemone, 2 clowns, angel, and 2 tangs.

Quote:

My 75 gal tank is fine (all present and accounted for) I put a boxfish back in the troubled tank and he is doing fine.

Quote:

My boxfish has been acting strange for the last month. I moved him from the 75 into the 125 figuring he wanted more room to swim. He used to eat alot and I noticed he was just not eating as much. He must have expired in the night. I figure the filter fabric must have prevented the toxin from spreading into the other tank.

You got me confused, you never mention a boxfish in the beginning. Then you mention a boxfish that is doing fine. Then you mention a boxfish that expired during the night and maybe caused the wipeout. Do you have several boxfish?

I realize you have an impressive amount of filtration and total water volume, but when you start to put the tank back together I would advise against that amount of fish in the 125g....there is plenty of water but not enough territory IMO. If the boxfish was killed in the 125g, aggression could very well have been the reason.

Daleman · #14 02/15/2004, 01:01 AM

Sorry for the confusion, In the beginning I mentioned a puffer, that was really a poka dot boxfish, very large 8" or so. An Ostracion cubicus. He was the guy that I think expired in the night causing the death of the others. The second Boxfish I mentioned was in my 75 gallon tank. He is a really a spotted trunkfish (lactophyrus bicaudalis). I was off on the names, sorry.

Are Trunkfish similar to boxfish with the toxin?

mkr · #15 03/26/2004, 06:57 AM

To me it definately sounds as your boxfish spread out toxins because of stress. Putting a boxfish like that with aggressive species such as triggerfish could cause this form of stress... Sorry about your loss

Toledofishguy · #16 03/26/2004, 08:50 AM

lion,3 triggers,2 tangs a puffer and an eel: the boxfish could have spread toxins due to stress, I second that opinion. Probably because you have too many agressive fish in that 125. The lion and the clown trigger alone was full.