Tragedy !!!

[tbroder3]

To start, I am completely devastated.
I need not only advice but some encouragement.

As of last night around 10pm things were great.
Around 5 am I heard a flapping noise. I woke up to find my eel against the back wall on the carpet flipping around. I managed to get him back in the tank after a minute or two. It was difficult because he was behind the tank.
He seemed to be shocked but he was back in the water moving around. I was warned that eels try to escape and can actually get out of tanks. I have this tank properly covered so I was baffled how he did it. Amazing.
Anyway, the eel was back in the tank and I went back to bed. I woke up this morning and found him flat on the sand, dead. I didnt even look around the tank but when I did I realized the lionfish nad the puffer were also dead. The two damsels I have were struggling but still alive.

Like I said, everything was absolutely normal last night. I fed the lionfish some feeder shrimp and he ate with no problem. The eel was even trying to catch the shrimp. He ate his silversides and things were no different than any other night.

I added about 2 gallons of water from our filtered tap which was then treated with aquasafe solution. Again, nothing different , nothing out of the ordinary.

I introduced 4 additional snails and a chocolate starfish to the tank last night as well. Not sure if this could kill my major fish in one night.

I have heard people on here talk about ammonia spikes, could this be a case of that. I dont have any testing stuff currently so I cannot tell you what my water levels are at unfortunately. But 2 fish and 1 eel dead. Please help.

 

[grimlock3000]

The Eel likely died shortly after going back in the tank, caused an ammonia spike, and the ammonia killed the fish. Sorry about your loss

 

[tbroder3]

Should I of not put him back in the tank?

 

[revhtree]

If i was in your shoes, I would have put him back in the tank. So sorry for your loss. Looking back it might have been best to stay up a while, and make sure he lived. But thats looking back and dont change anything. Again, sorry.

 

[bound_for_obx]

I wouldn't of hesitated. I would have tossed him back in the tank while yelling "Acclimate!!!" Don't get too discouraged, these things happen.

 

[grimlock3000]

Hard to know, most Eels can survive for a while out of water for a while and recover fine. I would have put it back in the tank in hopes that I could save it.

One step you may have missed, is washing the Eel off before putting it back in the tank. You can hold the Eel and move it back and forth through the water to clean out its gills.

 

[tbroder3]

What would cause an ammonia spike?
So with everything being normal and the fish being healthy last night, can I rule out the idea that something was wrong before the eel escaped and returned. Could the death of the eel kill off the other two fish? I was worried the water quality degraded and the eel tried to escape because of that. This was the first and only attempt he ever made to get out of the tank. Im worried now that my tank is doomed. Is there any hope? What is my next step?

I am at work, and my roommate just called me to tell me that there are little white bugs on the wall. What is this? Pods, or something?

 

[austinsdad]

I dont have any testing stuff currently so I cannot tell you what my water levels are at unfortunately.

A good start would be to get some testing stuff. I'm not sure, but I'm thinking you had water problems already. I don't know if in 3 or 4 hrs, an eel can die, start to decay and cause an ammonia spike.

Is this the same tank in your signature? If so, is anything else still living?

 

[revhtree]

White bugs are good, and no your tank is not doomed.


When a fish dies it starts to decompose quite rapidly producing lethal amounts of ammonia. My guess would be that since your ill is bigger than a normal fish, and that he probably died shortly after you went back to bed, that the ammonia went so high that it killed your other fish.

You need to do a large water change, and check your water specs. Do a few changes to you get the tank stable again, then you will be fine.

EDIT**** Just read that you didnt have any test kits. How did you test your water before? Also that adds a different twist to the story. That possibly could have had a role in the deaths.

 

[tbroder3]

Same tank in the signature.
2 damsels were still alive, crabs and snails still alive as well.
But I have heard damsels are like roaches, they can live through anything !!!!!

If the eel died shortly afterwards then it had about 3-3.5 hours of sitting in there.
Im so bummed.

The eel and lionfish were my favorite. Luckily, combined I only spent about $60 on them.

Oh ya, the eel had eaten 2 of the damsels a few weeks ago. So thats why there are only 2 out of the 4 currently in the tank. I will update my signature.

 

[tbroder3]

I should of clarified. I have tested the water before and the numbers across the board were great. I use a friend's kit and I havent tested in a month or so. Like I said, everything has been great. I was just talking about how great the tank was doing two days ago.

For all of us in mourning, please visit my photo gallery.
Moments of silence are appropriate and appreciatied !!!!

 

[seaham358]

IMO a eel dying and fouling the tank in 3-4 hours to the point it kills other fish is not a possibility. I would make it a priority to get a test kit for amm and nitrate.
My SF eel died and was in the 55 all day with 7 other fish and they were all fine, this is why I don't feel it was a amm spike for the eel dying.
What kind of eel..

 

[MT79]

Do you use any deodorizers, or stain repellants on your carpet that could have stuck to the eel? Just a thought....

 

[scuba_steve]

right !! i would have filled a bucket rinsed him then add back to the tank

 

[tbroder3]

Black Edge Moray Eel
I wish it would of happend during the day or evening. Everything was such a blur at 5am. Im suprised I even heard the eel squirming around. Probably would of been better if I didnt hear him, as sad as that sounds.

As far as carpet stuff, there hasnt been any deoderizers or stain solutions. Good thought.