Dead fish

[foxmulder]

This morning I've found one of my fish dead, my Salarias fasciatus, and I cannot understand why.
I have a 40g reef tank. The system is 8 months old, the water parameters are ok and the other tank mates seem to do fine.
I have another 2 occellaris clowns, 2 dartfish (Nemateleotris decora), 1 yellow tang, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 bubble tip anemone (very small), and corals (goniopora, platygyra, fungia, scolymia, zoanthus).
I've had this fish for 4 months. It was showing no sign of disease. It was eating like crazy (evan last evening I've seen it eat).
The fish showed no sign of injury.... just it was smelling (probably because it started to decompose, although it seems early for this to happen).

What can be the reason? What could I have done wrong?

Thanks!

 

[SHARPiE]

Sad to hear - poor lil blenny.

You say your patameters are ok - Can you post what they are?
This may help in working out what went wrong.

PS - The tank seems a little small to house a yellow tang.

 

[Mitchell0605]

Thats sad. Blennies are a fish you can get quite attached to with their quirky behaviour.
I agree with Sharpie, can you give us your paras please?
I also think that the tank is too small for the Tang. They should be kept in systems of 75G or more.

 

[foxmulder]

NH3 - 0
NO2 - 0.02 ppm
NO3- 0
PO4 - 0
KH - 8
PH - 8.2
Ca - 400-450 mg/l
Mg - 1200 mg/l
SG - 1023

The tank is small for a yellow tang. However, the fish is very small now so it fits ok. When it will grow I will move it to a larger tank.

Thanks!

 

[SHARPiE]

Looks like you have a slight reading of nitrite (NO2) - This is quite poisonus, however, I would have thought other's would be struggling too.

I'm wondering how you keep your nitrates (NO3) at zero?

If the fish died overnight it's possible the ammonia has turned into nitrite, but not yet into nitrate?
At this point I'm out of ideas, maybe someone else can chyme in.

 

[Mitchell0605]

If NO2 = Nitrite which I believe it does then that is too high. Nitrite should always be 0 except when the tank is cycling. If it's Nitrate you deserve a medal for getting it that low.

Which one is Ammonia? Which one is N'trite? Which is N'trate? Please tell me!!!

You beat me to the punch Sharpie

 

[Mitchell0605]

Looks like you have a slight reading of nitrite (NO2) - This is quite poisonus, however, I would have thought other's would be struggling too.

I'm wondering how you keep your nitrates (NO3) at zero?

If the fish died overnight it's possible the ammonia has turned into nitrite, but not yet into nitrate?
At this point I'm out of ideas, maybe someone else can chyme in.

Hmmm. Wheres Thincat, melosu or Austinsdad when you need em?

Ammonia only gets fatal to things in concerntrations of 0.5ppm and over so the 0.2, even before conversion wouldn't have done it.

Maybe it was just his time?

 

[CaptainAhab]

Well, I'm not sure where those other 3 are so I'll offer some regular folk thoughts. The nitrite at that level shouldn't be fatal. Possible that the reading is attributed to the beginning of decay you smelled and you caught a reading in the nitrite area. As for death, I wouldn't rule out starving.. just based on your readings..if your nitrates are REALLY 0.. then you probably have no algae in your tank (luck dog..maaaaybe) and your blenny didn't get enough to eat. They need big tanks, lots of rock to feed on and algae to eat. Perhaps he wasn't getting enough competing with the tang for the greens? Were you adding pellets or anything that would get to him?

Anyway, just some thoughts. I'm sure Thincat, melosu or Austinsdad will be here shortly to clear it up.

 

[melosu58]

I`m kind of going along with the captain. Many a lawnmower blenny has starved to death because they rarely eat prepared foods. People get them for algea and when it runs out the starve to death. Did you by any chance see it eat at the LFS. That`s a good practice to establish. Was he eating anything in your tank. They are herbivores and need plenty of vegetable matter. Sounds like you cleared it up Captain. LOL

 

[foxmulder]

I'm wondering how you keep your nitrates (NO3) at zero?

I have a thing called "Nitratreductor". Aqua Medic : Seawater Catalogue : Filter components : Nitratreductor NR 400
it seems to do its job.

 

[foxmulder]

I`m kind of going along with the captain. Many a lawnmower blenny has starved to death because they rarely eat prepared foods. People get them for algea and when it runs out the starve to death. Did you by any chance see it eat at the LFS. That`s a good practice to establish. Was he eating anything in your tank. They are herbivores and need plenty of vegetable matter. Sounds like you cleared it up Captain. LOL

It was eating like crazy, anything I was giving (formula 1, Formula 2, mysis, brine shrimp etc.). Even last evening I saw it eat some chopped krill and squid.
This is what makes its death curious, it was very active, eating everything, looking perfect...

 

[CaptainAhab]

That may be your biggest sign.. The beast is a herbivore. If he's actively eating anything non-plant it probably means there is not enough plant/algae material for his survival resulting in a slow starvation or lack of essential nutrients for survival.

 

[foxmulder]

Ok. The lack of correct food can be the answer, although the aquarium has enough algae in my opinion.
But can this explain the sudden death?
Bad nutrition should have made the fish to show some signs before the death (like being lethargic, getting thin, diseased etc.) shouldn't it?

 

[CaptainAhab]

One would think.. grasping here just like you are.

as I'm sure you are aware... The Truth Is Out There

 

[Mitchell0605]

Thnk god we got some pros here to help. Thanks Captain and melosu. I think Sharpie and I were starting to drown, hey Sharpie?

 

[foxmulder]

Ok. Hope I no other fish will die.
Thank you all for the answers!

 

[SHARPiE]

Thnk god we got some pros here to help. Thanks Captain and melosu. I think Sharpie and I were starting to drown, hey Sharpie?

Clutching at straws!!

NB - you mentioned the tank has been set up for about 8 months, so there *should* have been enough algae for the guy to eat.

As Mitchell said - It could have just been his "time".

 

[eatsomepopcorn]

Was he/she eating regularly. I had one that just stopped eating after a few months.