All Fish Died after water change?

[luv4tigger25]

Ok. Well I had a 55 gallon tank up and running for 5 months with no issues. No algae issues water was nice and clear. Fish were all healthy and eating well. I us r/o water. I have a canister filter, skimmer,t5 lights, 2 power heads and then titanium heaters 2 200w. All my chem levels were great and salt was 1.024. I check my levels regularly. I did a 25% water change which i did weekly nothing new. And next am all fish were dead? So i figured maybe when doing water change maybe something contaminated the tank. So i drained the tank, replaces the crushed coral, removed the live rock, replaced all filter media, and re filled the tank. re placed the live rock and then the new crushed coral. Then let it sit for 2 weeks. All levels were good. I use special blend to boost the cycle. I added one damsel just to see how the tank was doing and by next am he was dead? Coud it be the live rock? what can i do next?

 

[Esoteric Backbone]

Do you have a test kit? Test the water out of your faucet

 

[luv4tigger25]

yes of coarse i have a test kit. I did state i test regularly??? I us my R/O DI unit water for all my water changes. its a 6 stage and the water comes out reading all 0's???

 

[luv4tigger25]

Not sure if something can get into the live rock and stay there? how do i clean the live rock? should i re empty the water and not put live rock back in. just hate to do that and have to waste all that salt is there something i can put in the tank to make sure there is nothing in that water hurting the fish?

 

[Hillage]

Did you say that you replaced the filter media, and cleaned the crushed coral? What did you do with the live rock? (Assuming you kept it in water the whole time)

 

[jsmith]

This happened to me few monthes ago al though i did lose all fish.. what had happen was the digital thermometers i use have air/water mesurments and it was set for air which i kept turning up heater to set temp ... while doing the pwc the water felt warm but it didn't dawn on me till i saw the thermometer on the tank hit 85 .. lost a few fish dye to the rapid temp change.... now i double check.

 

[luv4tigger25]

I rinse the live rock with hot water. then placed back in the empty tank and re filled and added salt. I waited 2 weeks before adding the one fish and with in 24 hours he was dead. i replaced the crushed coral and threw out the old stuff.. all new filter media was added. temp stays set at 79/80. Should i tank out live rock and start over again? How do you disinfect live rock?

 

[Hillage]

It sounds like you basically removed all of your bacteria. Did you/can you test the water from after the fish died? If you cleaned/replaced everything, then you probably removed all the bacteria, so you started another cycle.

The live rock can be kept, it doesn't sound like a disease problem or anything that would need the live rock to be disinfected. For live rock, I'd say swish it around in old tank water if it really needs it. Otherwise, I'd leave it alone.

 

[jsmith]

Should i tank out live rock and start over again? How do you disinfect live rock?

Did u rinse it in hot tapwater? Hmm to disinfect your live rock you have to make it base rock let it sit out of water for a week or so.. then scrub it rinse replace on tank it will become live rock agian

 

[jsmith]

Might be the dumbest question ever but are you test kits expired?

 

[luv4tigger25]

yes i re started the tank but did add special blend to the tank. Not sure what happened to the tank in the beginning i figured it got contaminated some how when i did the water change. but after re starting the whole tank all new items were put in but the live rock. after 2 weeks the fish died in 24 hours. How do I clean the live rock? i dont want to get rid of it. There has to be something in it to re contaminate the tank????

 

[luv4tigger25]

No test kits are only 5 months old. So let live rock sit out for about a week then i can re add to the tank? should i re start the tank again?

 

[Hillage]

You restarted the tank? Oh ok... Truthfully I don't believe any bottles of 'bacteria' actually help. The only thing that could help is something like filter media, old substrate, etc. I don't believe your cycle completed. Were you testing throughout the cycle? If so, did you see a nitrite spike and a nitrate spike?

 

[Hillage]

No test kits are only 5 months old. So let live rock sit out for about a week then i can re add to the tank? should i re start the tank again?

If you are restarting the tank then I wouldn't worry about the live rock unless the fish died off from some disease. If you are still worried, then you can always leave it out to dry out.

 

[luv4tigger25]

no i know the cycle was not complete. I did watch the levels and the nitrites and nitrates had started coming down. Ammonia was o. I tested daily to watch the levels. The levels were all safe to add the one fish and he died that night. I have used the special blend and it cuts the cycle time in half i have tested a fish less cycle vs a fish cycle with and w/o the special blend and it does work. I dont believe that thats what killed the fish. Right now all levels are basically 0. Fully cycled. But if i add a fish it will die??? I have 3 55 g 4 30 g and a 20 high all up and running with saltwater fish with no issues. this is first time this has happened.. Hense the forum ???'s I was just not sure if the contamination can stay in the live rock or not?

 

[luv4tigger25]

I will be re starting the tank again with out the live rock and see what happens. Thanks so much.

 

[jsmith]

I've bought out of date test kits.... i wouldnt but if u do deside to.. don't use that cycle boost crap just to it the old way.. using a raw piece of shrimp to start ammonia

 

[jsmith]

no i know the cycle was not complete. I did watch the levels and the nitrites and nitrates had started coming down. Ammonia was o. I tested daily to watch the levels. The levels were all safe to add the one fish and he died that night. I have used the special blend and it cuts the cycle time in half i have tested a fish less cycle vs a fish cycle with and w/o the special blend and it does work. I dont believe that thats what killed the fish. Right now all levels are basically 0. Fully cycled. But if i add a fish it will die??? I have 3 55 g 4 30 g and a 20 high all up and running with saltwater fish with no issues. this is first time this has happened.. Hense the forum ???'s I was just not sure if the contamination can stay in the live rock or not?

I don't think its contaminated... it would have contaminted your other tanks as well.. try taking rock out and dry it out.. put it back in.... since your levels are good now.. buy a cheap fresh water fish like a molly drip it with ur salt water throw him in see what gappens

 

[jsmith]

no i know the cycle was not complete. I did watch the levels and the nitrites and nitrates had started coming down. Ammonia was o. I tested daily to watch the levels. The levels were all safe to add the one fish and he died that night. I have used the special blend and it cuts the cycle time in half i have tested a fish less cycle vs a fish cycle with and w/o the special blend and it does work. I dont believe that thats what killed the fish. Right now all levels are basically 0. Fully cycled. But if i add a fish it will die??? I have 3 55 g 4 30 g and a 20 high all up and running with saltwater fish with no issues. this is first time this has happened.. Hense the forum ???'s I was just not sure if the contamination can stay in the live rock or not?

I don't think its contaminated... it would have contaminted your other tanks as well.. try taking rock out and dry it out.. put it back in.... since your levels are good now.. buy a cheap fresh water fish like a molly drip it with ur salt water throw him in see what happens

 

[luv4tigger25]

How would it contaminate my other tanks???