Tank issue. Loosing fish

[T.J.]

I have a large tank with sufficient filtration. Fluval FX5 on my big tank. Skimmer is a reef octopus bh300 and I have an extra power filter running for security on my large fowler tank. It has become cloudy from sand bei g dug up by triggers and all of a sudden all my fish and my eel are breathing heavy and not swimming. I turned off the light to Try n Destress them and once I came home an hour later. My harlequin tusk was dead. And I am afraid of plowing the rest of my fish. I ran out of test I was going tomorrow to get a new kit. Added my buffer today. Salinity is 1.022. Could waste have been dug up in the substrate? And caused ammonia spike? Or nitrate ot nitrite spikes? Please help.

 

[the_fish_man]

oh that sucks to lose that fish its a pricey one. Did the fish have any scars on it when you found it dead?

 

[T.J.]

No scars. No spots. Never even scratched the rock. Just all of a sudden the tank got cloudy from the substrate being dug up and bam he was dead in an hour.

 

[the_fish_man]

This might sound like a funny question but it could help a lot. How deep is your sand bed?

 

[T.J.]

About 2 max 3 inches. No question is silly in this hobby lol.

 

[the_fish_man]

hmmm try to get your parameters as quick as possible

 

[the_fish_man]

Oh also how much are you feeding?

 

[T.J.]

No more then they can eat in 2 minuets only Monday Wednesday and Friday. Except the eel he eats two pieces of dried krill same days. Never had an issue before. And I am going to get a test kit tomorrow. I just ran out today testing my wife's tank this morning. Fish store closed today for the owners birthday. So I have to wait. But I will have them asap. But I was supposed to add my " evey other week maintenance" dose of special blend. I love that product. Used it in my freshwater stuff. Use it in my wife's tank. It is wonderful. Once the substrate was dug up it would have killed anything in it and probably saved my fish.

 

[jsmith]

Stiring up the subtrate could give u a good spike in nitrates depending on all long its been in you tank or if u vacuum any of it out and do suddle replinshment

 

[T.J.]

It was a nitrite spike. Was my fault. I should have listened better. Let my wife take care of the tank while I was gone and she changed the water every week and it was just to much.

 

[T.J.]

Tank parameters are as of today
PH 8.2
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrites0ppm
Nitrates 5.0ppm

 

[Sarcothelia]

Harlequins require several feedings a day. Once every two days just will not suffice in the long run. Their metabolism/energy demands require it to remain healthy and active.

Bright side is your tank is probably perfectly fine.

Also, perhaps the cloudy sand was him digging for food to avoid starvation? It is also said that they scratch themselves against the substrate in response to a parasite within. May be worth an autopsy if that's the kind of thing you're interested in.

 

[T.J.]

I do tons of research on fish before I buy anything. Once I tested my water the next day the nitrites were extremely high. And I almost lost my whole tank.

 

[T.J.]

I am in no way disagreeing with any one. But nowhere in my research did it say the harlequin needed so much food. If this is truth someone should update some of the research sites. Because I would have liked to know that before I acquired the harlequin.

 

[Sarcothelia]

Could've been a parasite. They do scratch themselves on the substrate when in distress, possibly from parasites. Just what I read on WWM, and these guys are former/current collectors and observe it in the wild.

 

[T.J.]

Hmm. I appreciate the input. It was a wonderful fish though. And in the future I will purchase another but I will defiantly do more research. Btw what is WWM?

 

[hackteck]

wet web media

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/

 

[T.J.]

Ok. Thank you.

 

[gwolfe]

Possibly it was nitrates, due to uneaten food matter usually found in substrate. That stinks that you lost such an expensive fish. Yeah, that's the only explanation I have.
-Garrett