Dead fish and unhappy coral?

[drm180]

I found my damselfish dead today and can find no indication of what may have happened to it. It seemed happy and was eating yesterday.
Also, my torch coral, which has Ben the healthiest animal in my tank since I added it about 2 years ago, has had it's tenticles completly receded for the past 3 days which is unusual.

pH - 8.2
Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate - 0
Phosphate - 0
Temp - 80
Specific Gravity - 1.027
Calcium - 440
KH - 7 dkh

I'm about to do a water change but I'm not even sure it will help since all chem levels are normal. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[wontonflip]

Salinity is a little high...shouldn't be higher than 1.026, but I doubt that was the cause. Have you had any parameter swings? Temp or salinity or anything else? Stray voltage?

You might never find out what caused it, but I'd worry that the torch isn't doing well.

 

[drm180]

Yeah, the torch is what I'm worried about, it's gone from 2 heads to 11 and I'd hate to lose it. No swings in any parameters that I've seen lately

 

[Big K]

Sometimes fish just die. The coral needs investigating though. You're in good hands here though.

Good Luck!

 

[salt_for_brains]

Have you kept the specific gravity at that level or has it recently increased to 1.027? Have you added anything new to the tank recently (livestock, power head, etc...)?

 

[fastrd400]

1.027 would not do it. There is another issue. I'd get a multi meter and check for stray voltage first off. Then take a sample of your water to your LFS and have them double check your numbers, as well as copper.

What are you using for top off water?

 

[Angelajean]

I agree check stray voltage. Do you have any coral that could be stinging it? Any changes with your lighting? Are your bulbs getting old. I know I change my T5s before they burn out?
Good Luck

 

[drm180]

I'll check for voltage, I never thought about that. I don't have a LFS to do a water test so I can't know how accurate my tests are.
I just changed the t5 bulbs about 2 months ago

 

[fastrd400]

Old bulbs won't kill fish either. They will make coral unhappy, and spur algae growth however. How about your top off water? You did not answer that question. Do you have a clean up crew? Inverts are normally the first to die off during stray voltage.

 

[drm180]

I top off by pouring water into the tank daily. I don't have an auto top off system or anything, which I know would be a better ,ore stable way to do it. I don't have a clean up crew, as I haven't been able to keep them alive for more than a couple months.

 

[fastrd400]

That say quite a bit actually. Are you using tap water to top off, or are you buying RO water and using that. The fact that you can't keep a clean up crew alive is of major concern. There are definitely issues that you need to find and address here.

 

[FishyReef]

+1 Fast

In the short term, to try to save your torch, I'd suggest putting a polyfilter in your sump and running carbon or chemi-clean or both. There is obviously something going on in your tank and those will at least pull out harmful metals, excess nutrients (in case your testing kits are inaccurate or have gone bad), and other harmful chemicals. You definitely need to find the source of the problem though. Without a clean-up crew I am very skeptical that your water parameters are indeed as good as your tests are saying they are.

 

[drm180]

Now some of the heads of thick brown slime coming from them. Anything I can do?

 

[BL1]

Google brown jelly disease, sounds like what's happening to it now.

 

[drm180]

I'm going down to the drug store to look for some iodine for a dip.
I do have some API Melafix, any thoughts on doing it in the tank? The torch is now the only thing left alive in the tank so there's no risk of hurting anything else

 

[ErinCahir]

I don't think Melafix would do anything for a coral.

 

[FishyReef]

The torch is now the only thing left alive in the tank so there's no risk of hurting anything else

Does this mean you lost all of your other fish and corals?

 

[drm180]

While I was off at college the tank wasn't taken care of nearly as we'll as I would have hoped. I lost my clownfish and BTA in February I think. When I came home the first of May, my rics and zoas had also died but the torch was okay.

 

[FishyReef]

Okay, so the only things left were the torch and damsel.

I think your test kits are very out of whack. What type/brand of kit are you using? How long ago did you purchase it?

 

[Lazicki]

Salinity is definitely high. I run 1.024, I know the norm is 1.026 but that is too high for fish stress in my opinion. Your alk seems a little low as well which might be bothering the torch coral. The fish death does sound like stray voltage. Are the other fish in your tank jumpy? Stray voltage can cause fish to be jumpy.