Major proble!!! Losing everything!!!!

[phi delt reefer]

do you run central air?

your return vents are located on the main floor and upstairs of your home and pull air into the basement and then redistribute it through ALL the vents in the home (inc. the basement). Doubt thats the issue though unless you're going through a can of cleaning products every week.

when the fish died did you take a minute to inspect them? Did they have any parasites? Did you dip the new additions before adding them to the tank?

 

[pulpfiction1]

i don't think myself it was airborne but more likely a new addition to the tank,something that died or something rotting causing a cycle,but anything is possible,but like i said before this is just my own opinion and a definite check of all possible toxins should be completed

 

[MDGraves]

I dint see anything on the dead fish
It must have been something from those new items (I did not dip)
Where can I go to check for toxins?

 

[pulpfiction1]

what i mean by toxins is the usual test stuff,nitrites,phosphates,ph,alk,cal,basically to see if your off from sea water and if so by how much,there are other possibilities from the new stuff you introduced,like where did they come from (LFS),friend,i hope that its as simple as making a few adjustments and some water changes,you adding any minerals or dosing with anything?maybe something you added is old or gone bad

 

[chablonski]

just a thought here any idea what the C02 levels may be in your tank possible not enought aeration water movement in your tank i know you can but throw away C02 gauges that stick inside your tank that will tell you what the readings are i used them when i had freshwater planted tanks not sure if they work for salt water, unless there is a test kit for C02??? might help

 

[MDGraves]

Water changes in the frag tank seem to be improving the situation. Must have just let toxins build up expensive lession

 

[pulpfiction1]

we have all be guilty of that at one time or another,but my curiousity still wants to know what did happen,even if only to help prevent someone else from having a similar situation,good to hear the frag tank is improving mark

 

[Blob-79]

in my experience, sometimes tank crashes are very hard to diagnose.  Just going by the fact that you tested and verified a small amount of amonia present in the tank tells me that your ammonia spiked at one point, and started this whole delema either that or something died first, which in turn caused your ammonia to spike. At any given time, your ammonia should be at 0, as soon as ammonia is produced, bacteria should be present to consume it right away.

Any other toxin that is commonly present in a saltwater tank..isnt nearly as toxic to livestock or coral as ammonia is. I have seen many tanks with much less than ideal levels of phosphates and nitrates successfully keep fish, softies and some LPS (not ideal conditions of course) Im sure high nitrates and whatnot may contribute to somewhat of a harsh environment, but by no means is it deadly.

given that I feel it was probally a death, or somehow a die off of your (ammonia eating) bacteria. I personally wouldnt feel that you were responsible. kinda one of of those fluke things that happen...

 

[MDGraves]

Ya I def have some ammonia!!!
I have done 3 20% water changes this week and here are my new test results

NH3 0.3
Ca.  440
Mag. 1150
Alk.  156
NO3.  0
PO4.  0
Ph.    8.0
Iodide 0.08
Sal.  1.025
Temp 77.2

I guess we are going to have a cycle
We have no fish, a bunch of snales, and full of hermits, 2 emerald crabs, and whats left of our corals
I will say my acan has been thriving though out this ordeal, and all the other stuff is starting to come back

 

[chablonski]

good to here things are coming back around.