Help. Tangs dies almost overnight.

[astondan4]

Maybe someone here can give some insight. My two tangs have died very quickly. Both juveniles in a 55 gallon reef aquarium. One is a blue hippo and the other was a tomini tang. Sunday both were eating and active like usually. Monday hippo was bumbling around the bottom and not eating then the tomini did the same last night. Today I check and the tomini looks almost like it was set on fire, really ugly looking, dead obviously. The hippo has lost most of its color and almost transparent by it tail, I've pulled him from the tank and he will most likely die overnight(not eating, swimming, etc). What could have caused this?My water parameters are perfect and the other fish in the tank(2 azure damsels, foxface rabbit, banggai cardinal and ocelaris clown look happy as can be. Just looking for some insight so I can avoid his happening in the future. Btw, all fish have been drip acclimated and were eating and happy for several weeks before the downfall.

 

[egriesner]

what livestock do you have?

 

[Tonyscoots84]

How long did you have them?
What is all your parameters? (trust me they are not perfect)
Where did you get these fish from?
What size tank and what filtration are you running?
How big is this tank that you are housing 2 tangs?
What other fish do you have in this tank?
Where did you buy your other fish from?

 

[HanKami]

Probably scared to death, stress out. I'm sure you have moon lights, it takes time before they become establish there new home. Day time there fine night time they stress if the have no where to rest. Plus it sounds like you have a few fish that made a home.

 

[Dre]

Did you buy both at the same place? Any fish purchase recently and any sign of ich on them before the downfall?

 

[astondan4]

Thought I answered most of the questions in my post. I've purchased all my fish from greenwich aquaria. The tangs were some the first fish I've gotten. I have 2 azure damsels, foxface rabbitfish, banggai cardinal, ocelaris clownfish, cleaner shrimp, 3 peppermint shrimps, and a few snails and hermits. As far water parameters I'm 0 on ammonia and nitrites, phosphate 0, nitrate 5, ph 8.2, and salinity 1.023. 55 gallon tank 48x23x13. 3 corals, 60lbs of live rock(plenty of hiding, tunnels and places to sleep) always hiding away at night. Wet/dry filtration, excaliber skimmer, brs phosphate reactor, 2 bags chemipur elite, 1 poly filter. Water temp 77. Maxspect LEDs with moon lighting.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

good luck with the rest of your tank.

 

[astondan4]

Just stinks and weird that the fish will go from happy and eating to dead overnight. The only thing I'm leaning toward is parasite but unsure. I wanted to say ich but there were no signs of it.

 

[prattreef]

Ich would not kill that quickly or suddenly. Has there been recent aggression between the tangs and the rabbitfish?

 

[astondan4]

No aggression. Rabbitfish is very mild, was very friendly with the tomini. They would graze algae side by side. All others in tank get along well also. I've since done a 50% water change. I'll do a few more before adding another tang but I'm hoping whatever it was latched to the tangs only and left the tank with the fish

 

[Dre]

Thought I answered most of the questions in my post. I've purchased all my fish from greenwich aquaria. The tangs were some the first fish I've gotten. I have 2 azure damsels, foxface rabbitfish, banggai cardinal, ocelaris clownfish, cleaner shrimp, 3 peppermint shrimps, and a few snails and hermits. As far water parameters I'm 0 on ammonia and nitrites, phosphate 0, nitrate 5, ph 8.2, and salinity 1.023. 55 gallon tank 48x23x13. 3 corals, 60lbs of live rock(plenty of hiding, tunnels and places to sleep) always hiding away at night. Wet/dry filtration, excaliber skimmer, brs phosphate reactor, 2 bags chemipur elite, 1 poly filter. Water temp 77. Maxspect LEDs with moon lighting.

Apparently you didn't... If the tangs were the first set of fish introduce it's a possibility the latter set could have brought in something unknown. You didn't mention quaratine either. These things do happen i've experienced it first hand but only with newly introduced fish. Another question, how old is the setup?

 

[astondan4]

Um. Everything I said I'm my response I said in my post. Looking for an idea of what kind of issue it might be. Tank set up is newer, maybe 2 months after cycling with live rock and love sand. No I don't currently have a quarantine tank running yet. Fish adding went as follows and each a week to week and a half apart. 2 damsels then hippo tang, clownfish, rabbitfish and peppermint shrimps at once, then tomini and banggai cardinal, then cleaner shrimp and royal gramma(lost gramma due to jumping while at work) has anyone looked at the picture I included in the post. That is what the fish looked like today and it was swimming and normal coloring the night before.

 

[Dre]

Here is a pic of a dead anthias i bought it was the sec. anthias to die this way from that particular store. They were swimming and eating well and suddenly got ill. On closer observation i noticed a tiny hole. I don't know if it went from inside or outside the fish.

 

[astondan4]

You bought both from greenwich aquaria? I've nothing but good things from the store as far as healthy fish, etc. I didn't see any holes on the fish. Hippo seems more ich related but the tomini is rough. Could be similar.

 

[Dre]

The fish and shrimp were picking on the body why it look so decomposed. Nothing to do with how is died...

 

[astondan4]

Yeah I thought of that but wasn't sure. Regardless I plan on doing a few more big water changes in the coming weeks while also setting up a full qt/hospital tank in the meantime. Nervous about adding new fish especially tangs at the moment. Still relatively new at the saltwater aquarium game.

 

[Dre]

You bought both from greenwich aquaria? I've nothing but good things from the store as far as healthy fish, etc. I didn't see any holes on the fish. Hippo seems more ich related but the tomini is rough. Could be similar.

No, Petco awhile back...This time of year i call ich season because the temprature is falling and some people forget to plug in their heaters or some people how setup in the summer months didn't consider to buy a heater.

 

[astondan4]

Oh ok. I've never bought petco, never will. I wouldn't say temp is my issue. Tanks at a constant 77-78 degrees.

 

[albano]

You bought both from greenwich aquaria? I've nothing but good things from the store as far as healthy fish, etc...

I was there yesterday... As usual, they had a number of sick/ dead fish in their tanks... For the prices they charge, the customers should not be seeing that.
For the record, same thing at House of Fins!

 

[astondan4]

Really, so is aquaria not all it's cracked up to be? I have heard the same about house of fins. What do you recommend as far as good shops? Being in greenwich the convenience was nice but would rather have fish that live longer?