Lost everything in 48 hours...opinions please!!!!

[Jmw8131]

About 3 months ago I had decided to prove to myself that I could build my very own piece of the ocean. Worked great, this was until last Sunday. I have a 29g reef tank, has live black sand, live rock, and up until last Sunday was stocked with the following fish; blue velvet damsil, gold banded maroon clown, twin spot hog fish, six line wrasse, sailfin tang, 5 snails, porceiln crab, 3 emerald crabs, 5 red leg hermits, serpent star, peppermint shrimp, coral banded shrimp, yellow clown goby, red scooter Blenny, purple condi annenome, rose annenome, carpet annenome. As for corals; 2 small hammers, 1 torch, 1 candy cane, 1 plate, 1 cup, 1 Duncan, 1 galaxia, 1 green star pollps, 1 daisy pollps.
The last fish I introduced was the twin spot hog, about two weeks before the crash. After three or four days I could tell he and the wrasse were annoying each other. After a week I noticed some spots on both the tang and hog. Didn't think much of it, thought that it might just be a part of their color. After a week, the goby went first. Then the wrasse got ick. Next thing I know the tang dies, and looked everywhere couldn't find him. Tested my water ammonia was at a .75, which I figured was ok knowing that a fish is somewhere in there that I couldn't find. None the less the next two days was a total wipe out. Lost every coral, lost everything overnight (except the clown, both shrimp, all the hermits and snails, rose annenome died, but the purple condi lived), and when I tested for ammonia there wasn't a number for the navy blue color my test came back at!!!! Took the remaining species to my friend who owns a salt water store to relieve some of the stress on the fish. It has no been a week, I have done three water changes; one 20%, one 40%, one 60%. Ammonia seems to be decreasing slowly but still is a dark green. I put new filter media in because the old stuff was shot, and also went thru two poly filters. If anyone knows what or how this happend, besides the obvious overstocking which i was new and excited to see some life! Please she'd some light on this situation so I don't have to do this again!!!

 

[Zactheninja]

The tank crashed because you had to many fish in it, the bio load couldn't take it.

 

[bribo12]

About 3 months ago I had decided to prove to myself that I could build my very own piece of the ocean. Worked great, this was until last Sunday. I have a 29g reef tank, has live black sand, live rock, and up until last Sunday was stocked with the following fish; blue velvet damsil, gold banded maroon clown, twin spot hog fish, six line wrasse, sailfin tang, 5 snails, porceiln crab, 3 emerald crabs, 5 red leg hermits, serpent star, peppermint shrimp, coral banded shrimp, yellow clown goby, red scooter Blenny, purple condi annenome, rose annenome, carpet annenome. As for corals; 2 small hammers, 1 torch, 1 candy cane, 1 plate, 1 cup, 1 Duncan, 1 galaxia, 1 green star pollps, 1 daisy pollps.
The last fish I introduced was the twin spot hog, about two weeks before the crash. After three or four days I could tell he and the wrasse were annoying each other. After a week I noticed some spots on both the tang and hog. Didn't think much of it, thought that it might just be a part of their color. After a week, the goby went first. Then the wrasse got ick. Next thing I know the tang dies, and looked everywhere couldn't find him. Tested my water ammonia was at a .75, which I figured was ok knowing that a fish is somewhere in there that I couldn't find. None the less the next two days was a total wipe out. Lost every coral, lost everything overnight (except the clown, both shrimp, all the hermits and snails, rose annenome died, but the purple condi lived), and when I tested for ammonia there wasn't a number for the navy blue color my test came back at!!!! Took the remaining species to my friend who owns a salt water store to relieve some of the stress on the fish. It has no been a week, I have done three water changes; one 20%, one 40%, one 60%. Ammonia seems to be decreasing slowly but still is a dark green. I put new filter media in because the old stuff was shot, and also went thru two poly filters. If anyone knows what or how this happend, besides the obvious overstocking which i was new and excited to see some life! Please she'd some light on this situation so I don't have to do this again!!!

I agree with the above post. That's a crazy amount of fish for such a small tank. The sailfin alone probably overloaded the bioload. The nems died because the tank is super young and can't handle levels of anything. You don't have to do it again because you can go research and learn what fish can go in that tank. Let your tank recycle and then slowly stock it over a couple months with 4 small fish. What kind of lights do you have? Also, that scooter blenny is not a blenny but a dragonet and needs a lot of pods to feed on. Your tank was not mature enough for him either. Your tank has many issues other than overstocking. The maroon gets to large, the sailfin has no business in that tank, and the scooter shouldn't be in such a young tank. Same goes for the carpet and bubble tip nem. You will save yourself a lot of money and fish lives by researching next time. My favorite sw saying is nothing good happens fast in sw.

 

[bribo12]

Also, sorry if I came off as blunt. Tough love is sometimes necessary so we don't make mistakes that involve living creatures twice

 

[Mebbid]

The first fish dying caused a chain reaction of everything dying in the tank. The nem dying is probably what finished all the other fish off. Not to mention the ich that your tank contracted making things worse.

Next time, you are really going to need to do some research before starting up another tank. Check Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums for tank size requirements for fish.

For future reference in a 29g tank you MIGHT be able to have 4 appropriately sized fish.

Do a 100% water change in your tank and start the fishless cycle process over again. You can't save the water because the amount of toxins that are likely present from all those nems dying. Your tank is also infected with ich so a 6 week period of it being fishless is required.

After that when you add more fish in they need to be quarantined for a recommended 4 weeks before going in the tank to make sure they don't carry any disease (such as ich) in with them.

Don't add any nems until the tank has been running at the very minimum for 6 months, 1 year would be better. This is assuming that your water quality is good and lights are strong enough.

After that add 1 fish at a time with at least 2 weeks between each addition.

Reef keeping is about going slow. Adding too quickly will likely cause a crash such as the one you just had.

 

[Themonsterisme]

Ouch...this is a hard lesson and costly one to learn ....6 years ago in my 55 gal fowler 1st try I did the exact same thing...overloaded it with fish and inverts and it crashed...didn't want to keep killing fish so I stored my tank and did my homework before trying again...(never thought it was right to be like "oh that fish was only $10 I'll just get another when it dies"...I want my fish to live out a good life in my tank) do your homework and ask lots of questions here...there are a lot of good people on this forum that will help you out...they don't get paid...they don't make a profit...the advise they give is free and a lot of these people have been doing this for a long time...listen and learn

 

[Gregcoyote]

It is "tough love" that many don't appreciate, but many of us on this forum answer the same questions multiple times. This tank was massively overstocked. Easy mistake to make when you love the hobby and want to collect all sorts of creatures. Unfortunately, it never pans out. The smaller the tank, the more challenging it can be. Even in my old 300 gallon, I have to be very cautious as to what I add. It can throw the whole works on its ear if I add the wrong animal.

 

[jasongreska]

yup. I made the same mistake with my 46 bowfront. Prazzi pro and constant water changes saved my six line, blue spot goby, and my foxface but i lost everything else. Even my cleaner shrimp. Oh and another word of advice, tight fitting glass lids are also a bad idea. They don't allow proper gas exchange.