Did the coral kill sailfin goby?

[Fishless cycle]

My friend has a 19 litre salt water tank with a sailfin goby... her water levels are all good, no ammonia or nitrite. Ph is fine. Then she put in three corals at the weekend and her sailfin stopped eating yesterday and was breathing rapidly. The lfs told me to put an air pump in temporarily. He couldn't move properly last night and his eyes weren't responding or moving and this morning he's dead. She's distraught. I shed a tear or two - he was such a character. Would the corals have stung him to death?

 

[mr_X]

I doubt it.

 

[Fishless cycle]

I doubt it.

That's the only explanation though. He was happy a swimming about before. One of the corals is a torch coral - do you think it could have stung him? I've no idea what killed him??? I know her nitrate has been quite high for a few weeks though. It was about 20 I think. She's been struggling to get it down.

Any ideas what it could have been? Gutted :'(

 

[mr_X]

It could have been stung, but it's so unlikely. Many, many people keep all sorts of stinging corals with fish. The fish just know not to go near them. Also, if indeed it was stung by the coral, It might have a mark on it or something, but not be dead. If the nitrates aren't high enough to effect the corals, it's not going to hurt the fish. Keep looking. Stray voltage perhaps? Ever get a shock with her hand in the water?

 

[Fishless cycle]

Hmm... I don't think it's the electrics but I'll ask her tomorrow. Because the tank is so small I wondered if her adding so much in one go might have freaked him out a bit? It was since the three corals were added that he started hiding and then stopped eating. Oh I forgot, she also added a pile of crushed rock into her filter so maybe something could have come in with that, do you think?

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Im guessing rapid temperature changes killed the goby. Small tanks change temperature very quickly

 

[Crystal A]

Was it live rubble? Maybe adding it to the tank could have caused a mini cycle which in such a small tank could kill a fish.

 

[Fishless cycle]

Was it live rubble? Maybe adding it to the tank could have caused a mini cycle which in such a small tank could kill a fish.

Not sure - I will ask her but her ammonia has been at zero she has checked everyday.

 

[Fishless cycle]

Im guessing rapid temperature changes killed the goby. Small tanks change temperature very quickly

Ah really? In that case, I reckon it was the temperature as she said it kept fluctuating and she kept having to fiddle about with the controls every day.

Thanks for your help. She put it in a sandwich box and we're going to bury it today. It was such a character. Poor little thing.

Thanks again for everyone's posts x

 

[TheTodd]

Yeah...temperature changes of more than two degrees a day cause stress. Consistency with temp and water parameters is important.

 

[Fishless cycle]

Thanks for your help - will let her know.