Fish Died-can't figure it out

[coraline79]

I didn't put this in the Emergency thead because what is done is done, and everything seems to be fine now.

I came home Wednesday and my small scopus tang (1 month old eating tons) and my mandrin (2 months old eating)were both dead. No deteriation and nothing was munchig on them. I tested water and my alk was 3, nitrates 10ppm, ph 8.2, nitrites 0, amonia 0. I don't know what happened, but they went from alive and eating in the morning to dead in the evening. I did a 15% water change after testing, and yesterday my clown was dead the same way. no cloudy eyes or anything. if they were laying on the bottom you wouldn't have know they were dead because their color didn't fade or anything. I thought Corals were going to be harder than fish, but I am discouraged, and I don't want to add anything else for a good while. I have had 2 gobies-diamond and firefish, that have lived through any problems I have ever had. All snails/ crabs are alive, emerald, and arrow crabs are good. Coral looks better than ever. 2 Rics, 1 green slimer, 1 leather, 4 mushrooms, and 2 green monti caps.

I am running a 75 gallon rated in sump skimmer, and a fuge, and I don't have a clue. The sump fuge combo is a 10 gallon tank. 30 gallon long is the main tank. Temperature is steady at 79.

The only thing that happened that was out of the norm was a mexican turbo knocked my green slimers rock and it fell and snapped the tip off.

Any ideas? I am afraid to get anymore fish. I really loved my Mandrin and it was eating and healthy. It seemed to be really happy.

[RayAllen]

Mandarins are one of the most difficult fish to keep happy let alone alive. They only eat copepods; some can get them to eat tigerpods. Were you making sure there were plenty of pods. Was it nice and fat? Many stories about people keeping them 2-3 months because they are slowly starving them.

[RayAllen]

And about the Scopas, they are a moderately easy fish to keep. Constant grazers especially algae that grows on glass. If your tank is algae free i dont think they will do as well.

[apedroza]

Your alk seems low but not sure how that would affect the fish. Do you maybe have stray voltage leaking from somewhere??

[alton]

Off the wall question but did you use a new garden water hose to do a water change?

[Jynxgirl]

Just from a recent experience, the water hose will make them act really strange, but not die. More like skiddish. If you used a water hose, I would suggest never doing that again!

Good luck on the fish. Deffinatly get the grounding thing for stray voltage. That can deffinatly cause fish to die but in my experience. Mine had electrocution marks on them so I dont think that is your issue though.

Jill

[MissT]

arrow crabs aren't always model citizens, could be he took out the fish. I wouldn't run out and replace the tang though; 30's pretty cramped for those guys.

[barderer]

Are you sure your temp isn't fluctuating? Do you have something that may have died and is releasing poison into the water. Do you run carbon?

[coraline79]

Mandarins are one of the most difficult fish to keep happy let alone alive. They only eat copepods; some can get them to eat tigerpods. Were you making sure there were plenty of pods. Was it nice and fat? Many stories about people keeping them 2-3 months because they are slowly starving them.

I know about them, but this one was eating triggers, cope's from my fuge, and arctipods 2 times daily.

[coraline79]

Off the wall question but did you use a new garden water hose to do a water change?

I use a ciphon and RO/DI only for waterchanges and top offs