Weird question?

[Awibrandy]

This may be a weird one, but I can always blame it on a pitcher of Frozen Strawberry Daiquerie.lol

Can one actually over stock ones tank to the point that there isn't enough O2 to support the amount of fish in the tank?
Reason I ask is that I have placed a number of new fish in the tank, and they disappear after a couple of weeks.

My reasoning is the O2! The tank has reached it's limit on the amount of fish it can support, and the new or old fish die due to not enough O2. Am I totally of base here?
I won't be offended if you want to say I am crazy...lol

 

[Mreefer]

i don't think fish use carbon dioxide.

 

[Awibrandy]

Oooooooooooooopsssssssssssssssssssssssssss I ment 02/ oxygen.

 

[Master Shake]

yes that can happen how many fish are we talking about and how big of a tank? A skimmer also aerates the water and having a overflow and sump also helps, but seriously how many fish are we talking and in what tank?

 

[huffnpuffer]

i have tried in my tank a few months ago when it seemed my tank was overstocked and the new fish would not survive and i was told to add an air pump (the ones that give of bubles). it helped some what as well as help with my ph levels. give it a try no harm done if it doesnt work for you---good luck

 

[18oreefer]

are you sure you dont have a rock hitch hiker that is snacking on your fish? i believe there is a thread in here that some one that had fish going missing. turns out he had an octopus that rode in on some rock.

 

[Chraddam]

are you sure you dont have a rock hitch hiker that is snacking on your fish? i believe there is a thread in here that some one that had fish going missing. turns out he had an octopus that rode in on some rock.

Octopuses rule. Too bad he lost his fish though.

 

[Awibrandy]

yes that can happen how many fish are we talking about and how big of a tank? A skimmer also aerates the water and having a overflow and sump also helps, but seriously how many fish are we talking and in what tank?

Sorry I took so long to respond, but I've been on the go today.:splitspin

It is the 155 Bow Front Mixed Reef we are talking about.
Originaly I had somewhere around 25+ until my heater broke, and took out about 80% of the fish.
Then I was left with 2 medium, 1 large, 7 smaller fish. So total I had 10 when I began adding new fish to take the place of all the fish that were killed off.
I slowly added 6 new guys. I am now back down to 4 medium size fish - Hippo 3", Kole 3", Lamarck angel 3", and the old Marine Betta 6", and 10 smaller fish.
Total of fish now is 14.

180 reefer, my rock is well over 8 years old. I don't think it's a hitch hiker.

huffandpuffer, I am not about to add airstones to any of my salt water tanks. Saltcreep would be a nightmare.LOL

 

[18oreefer]

well, speaking of missing fish, i just had a cherub angel go m.i.a. its normally a very social fish i havent seen it at all, even during feeding. i do have a reef lobster could he be the culprit, even though he is supposed to be reef safe according to Marine Invertebrates?

 

[Awibrandy]

well, speaking of missing fish, i just had a cherub angel go m.i.a. its normally a very social fish i havent seen it at all, even during feeding. i do have a reef lobster could he be the culprit, even though he is supposed to be reef safe according to Marine Invertebrates?

Sorry to read this reefer!

I would still like an answer to my original question.

Is it possible that my reef is telling me that I have reached the max on the amount of fish that it can support do to the amount of 02 available?

There is plenty of circulation in my opinion. This tank has 2 return pumps a Iwaki WRLT40 & a Eheim 1260, as well as 4 - #4 Koralias & a Tunze 6060. The Tunze runs for 15 min. per hour.

 

[dacaptain78]

A lack of O2 can certainly kill your fish. However, if O2 depletion was to blame it would not only affect your new livestock. Any of the fish in the tank would be at risk of succumbing to lack of O2. If you noticed your fish breathing heavily, then you may have low O2 levels. I would'nt count on O2 being the culprit in this situation though.

My guess would be that the fish are being either outcompeted for food, or killed by other fish. What ever the reason I wish you better luck with your new additions.

 

[Awibrandy]

That is just it, when I added new fish it wasn't just the new fish that died/disappeared. Heck I lost my Pink Spot Gobie which I had for about 3 years for no apparent reason. I hope he just died of old age since I did get him from another reefer, and don't recall how long he had it in his system.
As to being out competed for food, well if you saw the amount of food I feed you wouldn't say that.
Being killed by other fish is something I thought about initially, and still wonder. But the fact that I've lost both new & old, I still wonder about the 02 levels not being enough to support more then something around 15.
I don't think I really want to add anyone else until I know for sure what is going on.

 

[dacaptain78]

Have you noticed your fish breathing hard and fast, lethargic behavior, or a lack of appetite in the fish? These are the common signs of oxygen depletion.

 

[Awibrandy]

Only on one did I notice the breathing heavy, and lethargic behaviour before it passed away. The others have just gone MIA. The others that I still have are not showing any signs what so ever.
I guess the test would be to add another, and observe them carefully to see if anyone shows the signs you posted. Don't think I want to do that. To knowingly put a fish in danger is to strong a feeling for me.

 

[dacaptain78]

I agree. Whatever the cause may be, I think your tank is telling you that there is enough fish. Oh well, more money for new corals, lol.

 

[Awibrandy]

Or time for a bigger one.LOL

Too Bad My Floors won't support it.

 

[dacaptain78]

Yeah I am trying to upgrade my 125 gallon FOWLR, but my wife won't support it. :tongue1:

 

[18oreefer]

if you have a yellow tang it would be the first to go because of low o2. as for the floors, do you have a basement below you or a neighbor? if there is a basement something can always be done to resupport.

 

[Awibrandy]

180, I do have a basement. Problem is that we are between the beach and the Jamaica bay. I don't think it is a good idea to add even more stress on the foundation floor of this house. Besides, I don't think hubby will take kindly to my having an even bigger tank then what I already have.

Going back to the original post:
Last night it occured to me that another possible reason for the loss of all the fish might be blamed to still the o2 depletion due to my heaters again. Before I got the RK2 I had dialed the jebo's to 77 degrees, yet they stayed on, and raised the temps in the tank way past the 77 degrees. I don't remember exactly how hot, but I remember the water feeling really warm to my hand as well as being close to 90 degrees. This did not go on for long, but I am guessing those 2 or 3 days was enough to cause the death of the fish. Very blessed that I didn't loose all the animals in the tank.

 

[cowfish]

Salifert makes a test for dissolved oxygen levels if you want to determine the O2 amount in your tank.

Is there a lot of surface agitation in the display? Gaseous exchange takes place at the water's surface so water circulation itself doesn't have a huge impact. The greater the surface agitation the better the the gas exchange.