Help all my fish died

[Jayhawker]

I came home from work 3 day's ago and found that my coral beauty had died. He was covered with a film and looked like large flakes were coming off, but no sign of trama or attacks from my 2 damsels. I checked all water peramiters and everything was ok. It had only been about 4 day's since I did a water 20% water change.

ammonia 0
nitrite 0
ph 8.4
nitrate < 20
salinty 1.023
temp. 78.2 f.

My damsels looked fine, acting normal and active. My sea star, crabs (all that I could see), and snails also were all fine. I removed the beauty, and did a 30% water change. Kept a close eye on everthing and didn't see anymore problems until 2 days later when I got home from work today and my 2 damsels were floating vertical trying to swim up but kept sinking, eye's were bulging and the face and top had become really dark red and black inside, breathing really hard. With in 15 min. they died. Once again I checked all of the peramiters and they read the same, except nitrate was > 10. All of my inverts still look like they are doing fine. I did another 20% water change, all the water I had mixed and at temp. I also checked my water coming out of the RO/DI filters and read only .01 tds. Does anyone have any idea what is causing his. The only new thing I could find were some bristle worms on the live rock in the ref., but couldn't find any in the main display tank. could they be causing this.

I would appreciate any help or what I shoud do, I don't want to get anymore fish until I figure this out. By the way its FOWLR.

thanks

[RyanG]

THAT SUCKS! Its deffinately not the bristle worms. I wish I had something more to offer

[bri74]

that does for sure suck... how long has the tank been set up?

[dustin_P74]

it might be that they just arent in good shape coming from the LFS. thats all i can offer right now

[Jayhawker]

Tank has been running about 3 months, I've had the damsels for 2 1/2 and the coral beauty for a 1 1/2 months, so I don't thinks that the issue. They also came from different LFS, and I quartined the Coral beauty for 2 weeks before adding him.

[dustin_P74]

there might be parasites in your water.

[Bifferwine]

Because the inverts are still alive, it's unlikely to be a stray voltage issue.

I'm guessing a lack of dissolved oxygen. How do you oxygenate your water? Do you have a skimmer? How many powerheads and how are they positioned.

Sorry about your losses.

[Jayhawker]

I am using a wet/dry trickle filter with a protein skimmer, I have 2 return outlet and 1 power head moving water accross the surface of the water and 3 more power heads moving water through the rock. 2 or koralia 1 and i am not sure of the brand of the other 2, but they are rated at 350 gph. I'll get a test kit and test the oxygen if you think that could be an issue. If it is a parasite is there any way to test for that and if what what do you do to get rid of it without knowing what it is.

thanks

[yote]

Hate to hear about your fish.
I doubt that its low oxygen content since your running a wet/dry and skimmer.
My guess is that you picked up some kind of viral or bacterial bug.I'd let the tank sit for 6 to 8 weeks before trying another fish.Maybe that will give whatever it was time to die out.
Wish I had something better to offer.

[daugherty]

i do not think it is an o2 problem either. just let the tank sit for at least 6 weeks you could have introduce some kind of parisite.