Livestock dies after tank transfer ...

[OceanMist]

I have just completed downsizing my 30g to a 15g, I put my livestock including fish, inverts, corals etc. into the 15g (which had previously been used but i had cleaned it out thouroghly) anyway i checked a few hours later and my fish, shrimp, urchin are all dead, not sure about my snails but they probably are too, my corals all seem ok (all softies), and i cant figure out why, the transfer was done over a short period of time using the same sand, water, filter, rock, PH's ... well everything from the 30g which was and still is running perfectly. i have not added anything at all which wasn't ok before and the water had been been filtering overnight after adding the sand ... the temp is exactly the same... i just can't figure it out ... any help is appriciated.

 

[lando]

Did you use any chemicals in the 15gal to clean it? Current water parameters?

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

when tranfering tanks one must be very careful especially with sand. What probably happened is you stirred up your sandbed too much and caused an ammonia spike. I've had the exact same thing happen to me before. If I am ever to switch tanks again I will use new sand.

 

[OceanMist]

oh, yeah that could have been it. :x

 

[DragonForce]

The stress of changing aquariums alone is enough to kill a few of your buddies.

 

[oyf709]

The stress of changing aquariums alone is enough to kill a few of your buddies.

but he said all, stress shouldn't kill all life stock, unless u just put ur life stock in ur 30g and before they even settle u moved them again.
Or could be wat others said u used some chemical that killed ur tank.

 

[OceanMist]

OK, i think Edmonton Eskimo was right, I checked my water and the test water for the Nitrates & Nitrites went dark red (lost the measurement card that came with the pack but i know its really high), so anyways, have done 2x 25% water changes and its going down ... i have now added 3 hermit crabs and they're doing ok, so i guess it was down to the spike the sand caused ... Thanks All

btw: the snails did not die, is that unusual?