Quarantine crash, lost everyone :(

[Coelli]

First time using a QT and everything died. Just a 10g bare tank with two tiny baby clowns and 3 neon gobies. Everything was going fine for the last week, watching carefully for ammonia etc. Then Friday night I noticed the heater stopped working and the tank dropped to room temp. My boyfriend ran out for a new heater before Petsmart closed but it was getting late at night and I didn't trust a new heater overnight, so I made the painful decision to let the tank stay cold (around 71). First thing in the morning I started inching the temp up until it was around 76 when we left for the SFVR party. When I got home the smallest neon goby was dead, ammonia was rising and the other fish looked stressed. I didn't have any Prime or anything so I did a big water change and hoped for the best. Everyone looked better after that, but this morning they were all dead.

I am SO bummed out. I try to be really careful but either the stress of the temp change caused a cascade of disaster or I really screwed up somewhere. I am especially sad about the baby clowns. This really sucks. It makes me not want to try again since I'm not sure what it was.

 

[Zoarder]

First time using a QT and everything died. Just a 10g bare tank with two tiny baby clowns and 3 neon gobies. Everything was going fine for the last week, watching carefully for ammonia etc. Then Friday night I noticed the heater stopped working and the tank dropped to room temp. My boyfriend ran out for a new heater before Petsmart closed but it was getting late at night and I didn't trust a new heater overnight, so I made the painful decision to let the tank stay cold (around 71). First thing in the morning I started inching the temp up until it was around 76 when we left for the SFVR party. When I got home the smallest neon goby was dead, ammonia was rising and the other fish looked stressed. I didn't have any Prime or anything so I did a big water change and hoped for the best. Everyone looked better after that, but this morning they were all dead.

I am SO bummed out. I try to be really careful but either the stress of the temp change caused a cascade of disaster or I really screwed up somewhere. I am especially sad about the baby clowns. This really sucks. It makes me not want to try again since I'm not sure what it was.

Baby clowns from Aaron? I still got mine but I didn't Qt those guys. I think it was the fast temp swing. U should never do more than 2 degrees in 24 hours

 

[SC50964]

First time using a QT and everything died. Just a 10g bare tank with two tiny baby clowns and 3 neon gobies. Everything was going fine for the last week, watching carefully for ammonia etc. Then Friday night I noticed the heater stopped working and the tank dropped to room temp. My boyfriend ran out for a new heater before Petsmart closed but it was getting late at night and I didn't trust a new heater overnight, so I made the painful decision to let the tank stay cold (around 71). First thing in the morning I started inching the temp up until it was around 76 when we left for the SFVR party. When I got home the smallest neon goby was dead, ammonia was rising and the other fish looked stressed. I didn't have any Prime or anything so I did a big water change and hoped for the best. Everyone looked better after that, but this morning they were all dead.

I am SO bummed out. I try to be really careful but either the stress of the temp change caused a cascade of disaster or I really screwed up somewhere. I am especially sad about the baby clowns. This really sucks. It makes me not want to try again since I'm not sure what it was.

Sorry for your loss. Sounds like the QT wasn't able to handle to bio load. I recently had to restart my QT due to a collapsed back panel. I am feeling good about a product called MicroBacter 7 made by Brithtwell. It's been about 2.5 weeks now. So far so good (knock on wood). Perhaps it could help you too.


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[peter]

Bare tank? So you didnt have anything in there for them to hide?

 

[will21xl]

Sorry to hear... Never give up just always find solutions

 

[Coelli]

Baby clowns from Aaron? I still got mine but I didn't Qt those guys. I think it was the fast temp swing. U should never do more than 2 degrees in 24 hours

Yup - I originally didn't plan to QT them and put them right in the sump, but the smaller one was skinny and looked like he had a couple of spots so I moved them to QT. Aaron explained that it might just have been stuff sticking to the slime coat produced by the stress but I was worried about my fish in the DT and decided to treat just in case. Now I wish I had left them in the fuge. If I can get up enough heart to try again I'd go straight from his little tank to the fuge like originally planned, but I'm pretty sad right now and don't know yet. I admit I cried over the clowns and I'm a little tore up about them. I guess I should have gone slower with the heater. Argh.

My only consolation right now is my happy DT... I can't be a TOTAL idiot, but still. You'd think after all those years of freshwater I'd know not to take it so hard. I really liked those little guys.

 

[Coelli]

Bare tank? So you didnt have anything in there for them to hide?

No, there's a PVC tee and a couple of 4-ways. I meant bare as in no sand and rock, just seeded floss in the HOB.

 

[mark.a.smith405]

Don't be discouraged. This has happened to even the most experienced reefer. I know it's hard but it's worth it when you are ready. Just have an extra heater on hand and make sure to keep extra buffers

 

[Zoarder]

Yup - I originally didn't plan to QT them and put them right in the sump, but the smaller one was skinny and looked like he had a couple of spots so I moved them to QT. Aaron explained that it might just have been stuff sticking to the slime coat produced by the stress but I was worried about my fish in the DT and decided to treat just in case. Now I wish I had left them in the fuge. If I can get up enough heart to try again I'd go straight from his little tank to the fuge like originally planned, but I'm pretty sad right now and don't know yet. I admit I cried over the clowns and I'm a little tore up about them. I guess I should have gone slower with the heater. Argh.

My only consolation right now is my happy DT... I can't be a TOTAL idiot, but still. You'd think after all those years of freshwater I'd know not to take it so hard. I really liked those little guys.

Yeah its tough, just happens you know. Mine also had tiny spots but with them being so small I highly doubt it would spread specially if your other fish are healthy. Dont give up, specially with QT. Next time get a 20 gallons and add live rock and just let it cycle so the tank can handle the bioload. Good luck, sadly trial/error is the way we learn in this hobby. If you ever have any question post them on the forum or pm me.

 

[peter]

No, there's a PVC tee and a couple of 4-ways. I meant bare as in no sand and rock, just seeded floss in the HOB.

Yeah if youre not dosing heavy meds or copper i would add rock and sand. Theres also these 2 part chemical that supposedly instant qts fish ive used it a couple of times with success, forgot the name.. i usually just qt fish in my sump after to make sure they are eating so they can compete against my other fish.

 

[SC50964]

If sand must be added in the QT, I would suggest to put them in a separate container so it's easy to be removed.


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[xmas_one]

Not to be that guy, but it sounds like your QT wasn't even cycled. You can't just hurry up and set up a tank and throw media from an established system in there. Sorry to hear about your fish.

 

[rayray]

Not to be that guy, but it sounds like your QT wasn't even cycled. You can't just hurry up and set up a tank and throw media from an established system in there. Sorry to hear about your fish.

+1, soo sorry, but methinks you cycled this tank with these fish

IME a QT tank with fish only is ok down to 70'F, just set your home thermostat to 72ish and forget it. lower temp in this range means more oxygen and slower fish metabolism. slight temp drop shows up as slow/lazy fish, ammonia spike kills all quickly.

stay in the game, start cycling a 25g tank now with old LR, save the 10g for a hospital tank. quarantine means keep away, not treatment

 

[reefes pieces]

Qt tanks don't have to be cycled but need to be compensated with frequent water changes especially for a small 10g tank. Some change a few gallons daily. Nevertheless unfortunate things happen and sorry for your loss. just make sure to always keep spare saltwater and raise temp slowly like mentioned above.

 

[Fly5150]

I'd rather have a cycled qt over changing water often. It makes meds way easier.


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[Coelli]

Thanks for the advice. I thought I could keep on top of any ammonia issues with monitoring/water changes and right up until the end, all seemed fine.

I talked with Aaron extensively (the man has the patience of a saint) and it could have been some sort of oxygen depletion issue. In the meantime:

I'm keeping the 10g (don't have room for a 20)
I picked up some Prime to have on hand and more Bacter Gen M
The heater is getting returned to Petsmart and the tank will run without
I replaced the crappy little HOB filter the tank came with and bought an Aquaclear rated for 20-50g. Took out the media and stacked 3 sponges in the back chamber for more biological filtration

I'm still not sure it was ammonia - although 5 fish seems like a lot we're talking two tiny clowns and 3 small gobies. I kept the bottom free of detritus and didn't overfeed. The ammonia alert badge didn't turn the slightest bit green until this morning when the remaining 4 fish had died, and my API kit didn't show ammonia near toxic levels after the first fish died (and it turns out you can get false positives with Cupramine). But the fact that it happened right after the heater went in makes me think that triggered something (maybe ammonia, so just in case, I'm not running without an established biofilter next time. Just too risky.).

Appreciate the kind words and moral support.

 

[babyjess210]

You may want to add an airstone in QT. Sorry about your fish

 

[rayray]

it helps to do a necropsy of the dead fish so you are not guessing. ammonia / nitrite toxity will show purple or red gills, or burn-like marks. but before that fish will exhibit gasping for breath at the water surface, loss of appetite, etc.

if it was due to external parasites obviously you would see the pests, bleeding, injury on most / all of the dead fish

if you see nothing unusual, then low oxygen is more likely. in nature, O2 levels drop at night. even consider delayed cyanide toxicity from collecting.

if you do the QT in a non-cycled tank you are playing with fire. spikes happen in hours.

sorry again, i hope you try them all again when you feel everything is optimum.

 

[Confuse]

I just bought an ammonia alert badge after seeing this for my QT. I'll let you know how well it works.

edit: just noticed you had one. Now I can ask you if they work...

 

[Coelli]

Well, it definitely showed ammonia this morning with the dead fish, not a ton but it was in the "Alert: .05 ppm" range. It's been back to normal for a few hours now.