Numerous Fish Deaths

[Gryz]

I have had 5 fish die for unknown reasons over the course of a couple months.

I think I is due to some sort of disease.

The black mark between his "chips" in the middle are what I think is some sort of infection.

ALL water perimeters are PERFECT.

The only fish alive is my toby and he has been in there the longest.
All the fish that have died showed NO external abnomalities.

What do you think?

[Ocean Singer]

what else do you have in your tank?

[Gryz]

a snail.

But they all started to die after I added the starfish.

[Doctor_Reef]

What size is your tank??? How long have you had it going??? If you could go to your my tank area and fill that in we could help you quicker... We really need to know what your water parameters are and your tank stats....

[Gryz]

It is a 30g set up for about 6 months. 20lbs LR, and LS
Nitrite -0, nitrate -0, amm - 0

HOB filter, 2 PH, heater at 78 degrees

It has to be the Starfish

[Doctor_Reef]

Your trates look fine, ammonia looks fine, what is your SG or Salinity??? Are you running any carbon???? How long have you had the Starfish? Does your HOB have a skimmer????

Your set up is very new to have a star fish?!?!?

[Gryz]

SG - 1.023

Carbon is inside filter pads
had starfish about 2 months
No skimmer

the starfish does fine, always moving around and I feed him occasionaly

[Doctor_Reef]

I don't see any obvious reason that you are loosing fish...Bare with me through just a few more questions....Have you added any fish recently?? When did you add the last fish and is it still alive??? Did you get these fish from the same LFS??? What was there method of capturing these fish???

Have you sprayed any bug repellent, any cleaning chemicals get into your replacement water??? Could there have been some contaminate enter the water??? Do you use anti-bacterial soap on your hands???

You see I can’t think of any star fish disease that would wipe out your fish???

[Gryz]

I added a pygmy angel with the puffer, waited a couple months and got a clownfish, then the starfish, and a couple of weeks later the angel died, then a couple days later the clownfish died.
No external abnomalities on any fish.

No they are all from a different store.

No chemicals...

Why do you think that the toby is thie only one alive? He does not bother the other fish either.

[Doctor_Reef]

You got me....He may be lucky???? Could be some internal parasite...but usually they show some signs of infestation.... You didn't see any outside evidence of infection or parasites???

If you can endure one more question I would like to know what kind of food did you feed these fish and how often??? I read a post on another site, seems like four or five months ago, where this young lady lost 7 fish within a couple weeks...This post sounds an awful lot like that post... she said that they came to the conclusion that it was bad frozen food that evidently had thawed and spoiled and was refrozen... They thought that it was the food...So I am just wondering what you feed them????

[WaterFarmer]

What about temperature regulation. If the heater thermostat is malfunctioning and letting the tank go through huge temp cycles hot and/or cold you might be stressing the fish and not even realizing it;s happening. Not sure if this would kill the fish - but if were a problem it might explain the lack of any symptoms of sick fish.

Sounds like a CSI episode....

After reading this post a bit more - did you have all 5 fish in the 30gal at the same time. Thats a real heavy bioload for a 6 mo old 30 gal tank. It sounds like you had some fish in there as early as 2-3 months in. I gotta admit that sand bed looks pristine for a 6 month old tank with 5 fish. Maybe you had too much to fast. In any event I would not add any more fish until the mystery is solved. If you really think it's the starfish - then return the star to the store. They are tough to keep anyway.

[Gryz]

I only had 3 fish in there. then 2 of them died, so I waited a couple weeks and tried another fish....he died a week later.

I feed marine pellets and freeze dried shrimp for my toby, which the other fish often eat also.

[Doctor_Reef]

Hmmmmmmmmmm...I can't think of any thing you are doing wrong or that would cause this...IF you feel the star is the problem...I don't think it is, but remove it and add another fish. You may just have gotten some week fish or they were very stressed and didn't pull through or acclimate... sorry for you loses...we have all lost some fish...sometimes we just never really know what happened...

Good luck on the next fish....I do have to say your sand bed does look pristine... how much do you feed and what kind of clean up crew do you have??

[Gryz]

Are there any meds I could add just in case?
Why would the puffer be the only fish alive?

I feed twice a day, morning - night.....no clean up crew.
I am sort of obsessive compulsive about keeping it clean.

[Doctor_Reef]

No....No meds in the display tank....Do you have any corals, or do you ever want to keep corals???

You may need to not be so tidy...and let the sand bed mature and some stuff grow for the snails to graze on???

Looks like you are doing things right...just add fish slowly....and not to many!!!

[Gryz]

Nope no corals, and don't plan to have corals in this tank.
I only have 1 snail.
Everytime I add 1 fish it dies a week later.

[Doctor_Reef]

How big is your puffer???

[Gryz]

about 2 inches long
not very big.

[Doctor_Reef]

Is there any possibility that this fish is stressing out the new ones???

[Gryz]

I don't think so. He kind of keeps to himself.

[Doctor_Reef]

Hmmmmmmmmm....You are just going to have to start slow again by adding a hearty fish... One that isn't going to be easily stressed and see if there remains a problem...

[Gryz]

I agree, I'm not going to add a fish for a couple months.

[wwashowi]

Could have one of those nasty Mantis shrimps hiding out in the rocks.

Just a thought.

Todd

[Doctor_Reef]

If you have a mantis chances of finding the fish would be pretty slim...and if you did it would show some signs of a fight...damage etc...Did you ever notice any body or fin damage???

Good thought Todd.... :)

[Gryz]

I had the same thought todd. But nope, no signs of a fight.