He's a question for the pros... Please help guys...

[XXFirefighter]

Ok, I got a new 15 gallon tank from my LFS for doing work. A glass cube, WAY NICE ! And a killer 2x18 PC light fixture.. 3.1 watts per gallon about planned on keeping some leather and polops with a few (2) fish...

Ok had a 10 gallon nano in my room at work.
Took new sand and old sand from well established tank at work. Added old and new sands together into new tank. Added LR from older tank to new tank with 15 pound or more of LR from someone elses very established tank(old small pieces). Put all that in the new tank. Added all old water from established tank. Added 5 gallons more from home reef tank 0 problems @ home. And added 5 gallons of fresh premix...

Carried over 1 damsel, 4-5 snails 5-6 hermits.
Temp 80
0 Nitrite
<20 Nitrate strip was barely pink.. tested with strips and other home kit
PH spot on 8.1ish
ALK perfect
SG was perfect as well.. same as home tank...

Day after, Damsel DEAD
2 snails DEAD

Tested, no problems..all fine
Go get 2 Chromis, 2 emeralds and 6 more hermits, to keep the alge thats starting to grow on the rocks at bay..

NExt day...
2 dead chromis
1 dead emerald
3 more dead snails
1 dead hermit

take readings....
Everyting is PERFECT...
I would use this tested water in my tank....

PLEASE HELP!

 

[Hara]

My first question would be as to how you acclimated things. The other thing I dont see is your ammonia test readings.

 

[XXFirefighter]

My first question would be as to how you acclimated things. The other thing I dont see is your ammonia test readings.

Ammonia is fine... none..
And I did the usuall as I do @ home....
Float the bag for 30 min. add 2 turkey baster squirts of water, wait 15, do again, wait 15, do again then pick what ever it is out of the bag and put em in the tank...

I got tons of corals and inverts @ home...
This one has me baffled !

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I feel very badly for your situation The way I read it there is nothing in your parameters or your methods of acclimation to suggest anything there. The only thing that I thought of is the abundance of sources you put into this one tank. Maybe it was a shock to the animals. Maybe alonger period of acclimation was in order.

 

[phases99]

Fireman, is this the tank you got for work? Is it possible someone is using cleaning chemicals at night that could be contaminating the tank? The cleaning crew is always spraying stuff at my workplace.

 

[XXFirefighter]

Fireman, is this the tank you got for work? Is it possible someone is using cleaning chemicals at night that could be contaminating the tank? The cleaning crew is always spraying stuff at my workplace.

Good though..
I wish it was that...
The tank is in my bunkroom...
The only people who clean is me and my bunkmate.. We vaccumm the carpet every other day or so and maybe a light dusting... no sprays though or anything

 

[XXFirefighter]

I feel very badly for your situation The way I read it there is nothing in your parameters or your methods of acclimation to suggest anything there. The only thing that I thought of is the abundance of sources you put into this one tank. Maybe it was a shock to the animals. Maybe alonger period of acclimation was in order.

Thanks...
I don't think it was that.. I only added a few snails and crabs...
Fish were already there....
I dunno...

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I meant the liverock and sand. I don't know just thinking out loud I guess

 

[steve-s]

I would suggest a few water changes and then run with some carbon or a polyfilter for a few days. If it's not acclimation or water parameters, the only thing left is either water poisoning or where your purchasing them. Have you tested for copper?

Once done I would suggest you only get 1-2 hermits and see how they fair. Test the waters so to speak. If they die, I think you'll need to start from scratch.

Did you notice any odd smell from the tank?

Cheers
Steve

 

[revhtree]

Could it have been some toxic build up in the old sand bead of some sort? :?

Sorry to hear of your troubles FF.

 

[austinsdad]

To pick up on Phase's message, I think the question is whether someone may have exposed the new tank to chemicals at the LFS. Maybe reaching.

I like Steve's approach too.

 

[XXFirefighter]

Well The LR was from my tank and someone elses tank that was established... I transported it from the guys house to my house. Put it in heated salted water... No dead or uncured rock at all. The rack was from 2 well established reef tanks. The sand can't be it either.. same situation.

I did 2 pretty large water changes...
The few hermits I had still alive are ok and the 1 emerald crab is still doing well too... HE's eating VERY well, eating all my dead snails I have 1 nassirius left...

Doing testing every day and still all well.. I am going to do another water change in a day or 2. Then add a chromis and see what happens...

I have a HOB running with AC in it so I hope that take out the bad stuff...

This was supposded to be a home for a bubble tip and clown !


Thanks for all your help and ideas guys !

 

[KMyers18]

Maybe you have a enemy at work that you dont know about. Im taking it that your a fireman. Well my dad was one 26 years and they pulled some nasty pranks on each other

 

[klam]

How much old sand did you use and what was the age of the sand? Was the old sand a DSB?

An established DSB has a lot of nasties in it and when disturebed all that stuff gets released into the water column and can cause a lot of fatalities.

 

[XXFirefighter]

How much old sand did you use and what was the age of the sand? Was the old sand a DSB?

An established DSB has a lot of nasties in it and when disturebed all that stuff gets released into the water column and can cause a lot of fatalities.

about 90% of the sand was new and the rest came from a 3 month of sand bed that was in my nano...

 

[klam]

Your old sand bed is still new so that might not be the issue.

 

[XXFirefighter]

Maybe you have a enemy at work that you dont know about. Im taking it that your a fireman. Well my dad was one 26 years and they pulled some nasty pranks on each other

Not taking someone fish tank out though...
we're not THAT cruel...

 

[seafan]

How long did you age the water? I know this is probbably not the problem but it is worth a look.

 

[steve r]

was the tank you got from the LFS new? maybe if it was used someone had used copper in it or bleach to clean it before trading it in. just a thought.

sorry to here about your animals. good luck

steve r

 

[XXFirefighter]

How long did you age the water? I know this is probbably not the problem but it is worth a look.

a day with powerhead and heater in it...