all my fishes died!!!!!!!

[bunbury22]

Hello I have a 55 gal reef with 3 damsels, one scopas tang. 1 clownfish, 2 peppermint shrimps, and 1 fireshrimp. Recently all the fishes died except the shrimps. I checked the levels and everything is fine, the salinity is perfect as well for a reef tank. The only thing I did was siphon the reef not too long ago. I don't know what happened any ideas?

 

[Hinds04]

By that do you mean siphoned through the sandbed?

 

[TLTGF]

Sorry to hear about your loses - did you test phosphates?

 

[bunbury22]

Yes I siphoned the sandbed. Yes the phosphates came back really good too

 

[bunbury22]

The only thing that I can think of is that I was not using a canopy so I don't know if my water was just contaminated by sand and dirt

 

[TLTGF]

The only other thing I would check is that you aren't leaking voltage from any electrical devices into the tank.

 

[bunbury22]

How can I do that? Sorry I'm still an apprentice lol

 

[Hinds04]

Probably caused an ammonia spike by stirring the sandbed to much.

 

[Gti_Leo]

Sorry to hear about your loses - did you test phosphates?

phosphates don't kill fish, it kills corals. what kills fish is ammonia and nitrite. i've heard nitrite is even more faital to fish then ammonia is

 

[TLTGF]

Interesting... When I had a mystery wipe-out recently, I was told that phosphates out of whack would be a potential cause. Thank you for the feedback, always learning!

 

[melosu58]

Did you cycle the tank? We have a great article on it in our SW articles section.

 

[bunbury22]

I did cycle the tank. It probably was the ammonia who know but I don't want to buy any more fishes until I get the canopy just to make sure its not that

 

[bunbury22]

Probably caused an ammonia spike by stirring the sandbed to much.

Should I try to avoid siphoning tru the sandbed? How should remove unneaten food?

 

[bunbury22]

Is it weird that only my shrimps survived?

 

[Lane1223]

Yes. Don't siphon your sand-bed. That's a big no!! Doing that will cause all of the nitrates sitting it it to release into your water therefor killing its inhabitants...

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

In a freshwater tank can i siphon my rocks? Is there much of a difference?

 

[Gti_Leo]

the only difference is saltwater fish are a little mor sensitive then freshwater. from what i've read freashwater fish can live with nitrates of 80ppm while saltwater can only cope with abotu 40ppm

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Ohh interesting, so i shouldnt siphen?

 

[davePM]

Ohh interesting, so i shouldnt siphen?

Siphoning an FW tanks substrate I'd fine, I do mine weekly. Bug it's too be avoided in an SW tank as far as I know. Shouldn't really be needed in an SW tank with the eight CuC etc.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Ohh okay thansks! I was worried cuz i siphoned it today! Hahah