URGENT: Help needed in rescuing Tang

[km30004]

Please help me save my regal tang - typing in a hurry so excuse the typos.

I had my tank for two years now, this morning I found all three tangs at the bottom of the tank. Purple tang and Powder Gray tang are dead, Hippo tang is still breathing.

Clown fish, Pajama Cardinal, and Lawnmower Blenny are all perfectly healthy and happy. Corals hard and soft are in full bloom. I have really healthy fish, and my local fish store calls them super healthy too.

I am initiating an emergency water change, but here are the current parameters:
Water temperature: 77'f controlled by chiller and heater
GH / KH: 16 using the API test kit
Nitrates: 20 PPM
Salinity: 1.025

What can I do to nurse the regal tang back? What can kill three tangs in one night?

 

[jef4y]

Ich or electricity bleeding would be my first guesses.

 

[gmpolan]

I got a 58 gallon Qt tank if you wanna bring him over after work, I'm located in buckhead. Lmk

 

[ichthyoid]

Brooklynella or cryptocaryon/ich

Call Jeremy at SEA Atlanta about quinine sulfate (ASAP).


Well what's it been? ... At least 3 threads in the past 48 hours about this!

 

[mcphock]

Unless you noted something about disease yesterday, I would imagine some kind of physio-environmental issue.

Like mentioned already....faulty electric parts, fumes or some other chemical in the tank. Water changes would be your best bet, as will carbon or polyfilter.

 

[gmpolan]

+1 first...^^^^

If you find it to be a disease which im kind of doubting, id be looking to set up a qt tank for treatment for the other fish fast.

You will know if its brook, you will encounter a large die off with each day.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Id have to believe that if you had current going through the tank (and the aquarium water were grounded) with enough juice to kill fish overnight that you'd feel it strongly when you put your hand in the water. I think this is a "shot from the grassy knoll" that a lot of people blame everything on.

IMO, you either have a very dangerous pathogen (brook), or you have a very toxic event (something added in or near the aquarium). Were there any signs? Condition before and after death?

 

[dewkey]

Low oxygen maybe.

 

[km30004]

It was an ammonia spike :-(
I did a rushed test and ammonia level came out to approximately 0.25-0.5 ppm.

One family member was giving lots extra food to the fishes for past two-three days. I never had problems with Ammonia in two years so didn't realize till it was too late. A 30% water change later the regal tang is breathing easier. I will do a 10% water change again later tonight - hope the tang makes it through the night.

Seems like tangs have a much lower tolerance to Ammonia compared to the three other species in tank.

 

[falos]

your kh is realy high aim for 8~12 for flower and 8~9 for reef

 

[snowmansnow]

is 20 high for nitrates?

any chance you had a power out while you were out today or something?

b

 

[km30004]

SnowManSnow;815885 wrote: is 20 high for nitrates?

any chance you had a power out while you were out today or something?

b

Didn't have any power cuts - my computer stayed on through the night.

Today's water changes brought nitrates and KH down to more reasonable levels.