What can be killing off my pets

[Nibbs]

Hello,

I have a 46 gal.tank about 9 months old. 20 -25 lbs LR. All the water conditions are good. Am, Nitrite, phos all "0" nitrates 10-15, pH 8.2.

The problem is that something has been on a killing spree. Over about the last two months something has eaten a cleaner star, then digested a red brittle star (he was on the run and I found pieces of him over the bottom of the tank), this morining I noticed something took off over half the legs on my green brittle. Have also lost two cleaner shrimp in the last month. One I removed and one was eaten within an hour.

Tank family,
2 clowns, 1 chromis, yellow tang, flame, damzel, cardinal, six line
1 cleaner shrimp left
Had one emerald crab for about two to three months now (about 1/2 inch) added two more smaller emeralds last night, I have a major green hair alge problem

Have tried having Red hermit crabs and snails. Several snails died and once the hermits got a taste for snails, it was all over for the rest of them. Allowed the hermits to stay until one day about 5 -6 weeks ago, they were all dinning on what was left of my cleaner star. Have since removed all the hermits I could find, think I have evicted all of them.

Since the hermit incident I have added about 30 astoria snails, about 20 still alive. I like the hermits, but this hair alge problem is crazy and hopeing snails would help.

I have listened for any clicking noises from the tank, but have not heard any. Been looking for any new creatures, but haven't seen anything. Haven't added any LFS LR for at least 5 - 6 months. Have added some small rock with mushrooms and polyops over the last several months.

I have several types of polyops and mushrooms in the tank.

I would appreciate any clues or suggestions to help in my "Murder Mystry"

 

[Anonymous]

There are a few things that stand out.
What type of Damsel ?
Is that a Flame Angel or a Flame Hawk ?
The Six-line Wrasse maybe eating your shrimp.
As far as the Brittle Stars how are you adding topoff water and what is your S/G ?
As for snails how are you acclimating them ?

Regards,
David Mohr

 

[Nibbs]

Ansewers to your reply avidmohr,

The damzel is a small Caerulean Damzel. The other fish chase him around.

The angel is a Flame Angel

Interesting on the six-line, he has terrorized any fish that I tried to introduce that had the same shape as the six-line.

I use RO for the topoff and when the tank is full the SG is 1.021 During the hot days I could lose over 2 gallons. A couple of times I was gone for two days and was about five gallons low. I have since devised a fan setup that keeps the temp. in the green range all the time know and I lose a lot less now. I did get RO from a LFS, but I do get RO from a local machine that appears to be by a good company. Could that be a problem?

The snails are introduced over about a two hour period.

The other thing I dind not mention in the first post, is that my three leathers all died suddenly over the last month.
Hope this helps.

 

[hectina]

Nibbs,

I'm from Fresno too. What you shoud do is keep the specific gravity of the the water at about 1.023-1.025. Starfish seem to thrive in higher salinity levels. Also, maintain a drip solution with Kalkwasser. This will replenish calcium and keep the water buffered. It's available at Whitie's pets. To solve the hair algae problem, get a yellow eye tang, cut the photoperiod down, or draw the drapes.

 

[Anonymous]

Ok after that this is what I would say is going on.
Your Six-line Wrasse is eating your shrimp.
Your S/G is low and the way you were topping off could cause drastic changes in it. Starfish will drop parts of their arms or dissintegrate with drastic changes in S/G.
Snails are touchy, many people recommend a slow acclimation by drip method of 12 to 24 hrs.
As a rule red leg hermits will not kill snails though they will eat them if they're dead or dying.
As far as your Leather Corals, it could be the low S/G, it could have been the heat or are you adding Calcium supplements or doing regular water changes?

Regards,
David Mohr

 

[Nibbs]

Thanks for the info hectina & davidmohr,

I have been adding Kent liquid calcium and Seachem reef plus. But not as regular as I should have.

After reading previous posts about my problems and chemical additives. I like hectina's idea of useing Kalkwasser and I think I should drop the other things.

I have been adding:
liquid calcium, reef plus, kent strontium & molybdenum, iodine, kent Zoe and coral vital. I add a pH buffer as needed.

Based on things I have read, researched and discovered I think the following might work, please let me know if you think I am on track or crazy.

Use Kalkwasser, I belive the best is at night, need to research more

The fish love the kent zoe on their food, so I will stick with that one.

Add live marine phytoplankton as I rebuild my inverts, mushrooms, leathers, etc

I also found a product from a person at a LFS in Sacramento who recommended Reef Solution by EcoSystem Aquarium. He told me I did not need to spend my $$ on all the other additives.

Thanks again for the info...

[ July 14, 2001: Message edited by: Nibbs ]

[ July 14, 2001: Message edited by: Nibbs ]

 

[hectina]

I drip kalkwasser 24/7. I do not have a problem with pH. It seems to be holding at 8.2. I dose with a homemade drip system. Everything will do better once you get your salinity up. About adding additives, I noticed that my mushrooms won't fully expand and my coraline algae will decline when I haven't kept up with my additives(Kent strontium and iodine).

 

[reefer6]

I agree with hectina about the sg That may very well be your starfish killer and the temp as well will really do a number on the leather corals, but I think you should start with the water If you have a hair algae problem I would test for phosphates and keep an eye on what you are adding test the machine water before adding it and cut back a little on the additives many you can do without and still maintain a thriving tank. I would keep up with the kalc and buffer to help maintain stability and salinity levels.

Just my $.02