Mystery Disease

[Chris Attison]

Hi,

Im new to this forum, and I apologize if thousands of people post similiar situations, but i just cant seem to crack this mystery. If anyone could give advice or happens to know what could be the cause, I appreciate a response. Heres the situation:

A few months ago, I started a 37 gallon fish only tank. I cycled it properly and within about a month I added a couple of damsels. The damsels took well, and after a couple of weeks I added an ocellariuos clown. A week after that I added a 6 line wrasse and a chocolate chip star. So now I have five fish all healthy and happy. It stays this way for almost two and a half months. Then, I decided to give away the damsels and add a small yellow tang. The tang seemed healthy, but within a few days, I find it dead. I figure, ok, it happens. I take out the dead tang, and figure that Ill wait a week and buy another one. Well, I didnt get to that point, because two days later, the 6 line wrasse dies and the clown dies a day later after that.

Now Im pissed, because I have the feeling that the tang might have been carrying a disease that i couldnt see and killed the rest of the fish, but it wasnt ich or fungus or anything else I could see. The only thing that is alive and well in the tank is the chocolate chip star. I do a 70% water change, clean the sand, and then i go to buy a damsel, so that I dont break any cycles, nitrogen or bacteria wise. Damsels should be the hardiest fish of all, but after three days of adding just that one damsel, it also dies.

Throughout this whole time, my pH, ammonia and nitrite levels have been perfect. Salinity gravity has been consistent at about 1.023. Unless someone can give me some insight as to what else might have caused this, I can only believe that it was the tang that started this death storm. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Salty B]

What are the nitrate levels? Without a better description of the fish, it can be hard to tell if there was a disease. "They died....is it a disease" is a tough one to answer. Have you checked for stray voltage? Or any signs of a predator?

 

[Chris Attison]

Nitrate is 12.5. No Ammonia and no Nitrites detected. pH is at 8.2 to 8.3. As for stray voltage, i really couldnt tell you. I dont know how to detect that. The only survivor in my tank is the Chocolate Chip Sea Star and the four hermit crabs. The fish just seemed to die off one by one after the tang was introduced. There was no signs of discoloration, ich etc...Im at a loss..lol

 

[FishyReef]

I am sorry for your losses. I'd leave the tank fallow (no fish) for 6-8 weeks and then try stocking again slowly. I don't know what killed your fish, but I do know that a 37g tank is way too small for a tang - a yellow tang needs at least a 90-125g minimum to survive, and only one genus of tangs can survive in something as small as a 70g - none can survive in a 37. Your tang may have died from stress, not disease, although I realize that doesn't explain why the others died.

 

[Kelz88]

Did the tang have any spots? Was he eating etc?

Id also say leave the tank fishless for a month or two. If you get all your fish from the same store you may want to try a different one.

DONT get another tang, the 37 will just be a box of death for him. They stress far too easily for a tank that small.

 

[wontonflip]

+1 everyone....Tangs in particular are already disease-prone as it is -- the yellow especially. That's problem #1. So since you did not qt, the tang most likely passed on some disease. If you saw white spots, that's ich..the most common. Fish can live w/ ich, but only if their environment is pristine and stress-free. Most of us don't qt (even though we should), but we strive to keep the tank as stress-free as possible -- that includes not putting in fish that do not belong there, as well as not overstocking.

You can put up to 4 fish in your current set up....not just ANY fish...but fish that can be in a tank your size. Check out Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums to see a fish's minimum tank requirements (you will see that a yellow tang needs 100 -- they've upgraded that...it used to be 75g, but that goes to show how much yellows need space).

So again, I will reiterate what others have said, and what others will say -- don't get any more tangs.

I had a 45g when I first started....I wanted a tang...so I upgraded to a 125 ;)

 

[kevdogg]

+2 everyone. I also wouldn't worry about stray voltage. Inverts are affected more easily then fish by electricity. Since your CC star is still alive I would say there is none.

 

[Chris Attison]

Thanks everyone for the input and advice. Sucks that I have to wait two months to add stock. :frustrat:

 

[Northstar24]

I am also going to go with one of the fish carrying something, probably the tang. If you are not in the habit of using a QT system for new fish, you need to be extra picky about the specimens you're bringing home

And as already stated, no matter what your fish store tells you, there is not a tang in the ocean that belongs in a 37 gallon tank. Always research fish before opening your wallet. It's fine to ask questions at the fish store, but you need to do your own homework as well and verify what they are telling you

When in doubt, ask us here - we aren't going to lighten your wallet any, we don't have a profit motive, we want you to have a successful tank, and prevent the needless death of the various critters available in the trade