sudden tank failure

[toddyp]

my aqua is suffering a catstrophic failure-water is perfect-i just took it to the LFS and it is good---a tad ammoia and nitrites but nothing major---any ideas -90 glal reef w/live rock and corals anemones and several(recently deceased for the most part)fish-angels (bi-color and flame)etc etc.-this has been up and running for years with never a major problem---no change in routine---most things are dead or very sick---HELP!!!!!:frustrat:

 

[PRC]

Did one of your anenomes die?

 

[yote]

It would help if we had the actual numbers from the test results.

 

[wontonflip]

Did they check salinity? +1 yote -- you should get your own test kit (not test strips) and do your own tests if you haven't already.

 

[Smitty]

I bet one of your anemones died, which can wipe out a tank. Now your ammonia and nitrites are high(anything over zero) which is killing off your other livestock. start doing a massive water change asap to bring those numbers down.

 

[Bifferwine]

Even if your parameters are okay, you could have had an anemone get sick or die. You aren't testing specifically for the toxins that they release.

Are the fish showing any signs of disease? Or do they look healthy one day, and just show up dead the next with no outward signs of injury or illness?

 

[toddyp]

testerday every thing was perfect--everyone healthy--my temp went up 8+ degrees in like 16 hours from80.6 to 89.3 would this do it?anthilia is now floppy and shriveled ,mushrooms gone-leathers all flacid(for lack of a better term) salinity 23 nitrate very very minimal-if fact I had higher but non fatal nitrate a few weeks ago which i got ubder control via h2o chgs -bubble anemone was there and healthy yesterday evening but is mia today my brittle stars are both still moving-a yellow tang and 3 pajama cardinalswhich are of course my least favorite fish....man how depressing---i did do a 20 gallon water chg before i went on here because i knew that would be the right thing to do....i know i gotta tear it all the way down to find the dead boys--my live rock shouldn't be affected should it?

 

[Bifferwine]

Do you know why your temperature spiked? I spike like that could have definitely killed your anemone, which in turn is killing everything else in your tank. Your live rock is reusable, but if you can, you need to be doing tons of water changes right now.

 

[toddyp]

hi biffer----my heater must have broke it has been steady for months--heaters need to be changed quite often it seems to me---i had to change the one in my water that i make to change aqua water because it went off ..... or maybe my aquarium is suffering sympathy pains for all that livestock those rat bas----- BP are killing in the gulf of mexico

 

[yote]

+1 Biff
That big of a temp spike is more then likely what caused all your problems.

 

[dcantucson]

I had a stuck thermostat and I lost almost everything a little over as a year ago. My corals melted like the Wicked Witch! :lol: Very sad to see everything dying and not be able to do anything.

 

[sen5241b]

I think Biff has your answer --big temp change --> dead anemone --> tank die off

DO a 50% WATER CHANGE! I've done many and my tank was never the worse. I believe Biff did a 50% after her kalk disaster. But be sure to match salinity and temp precisely.

 

[Bifferwine]

I was doing a 50% water change every day for 2 or 3 weeks after my kalk disaster. When stuff like that happens, that's really all you can do.