Need some Help

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So not sure why but I have lost two fish over the last two weeks one being my very first Clown that I had since I started 3 years :( and my 6 line that I have had for 2 years. Both seemingly acting and eating normally no problems vanished over night 2 weeks apart. Other than the ammonium spike from their death all parameters are fine. Corals (Softies LPS) crabs (hermits and an emerald) shrimp (peppermint and Skunk) and anemones all thriving and Ammonium dropped back down after 2 days I was watching it and swapping some water out. Should not have any hitchhikers started out with all dead rock added live sand. Tank has been running as is for over a year (had to move it). If anyone has any ideas would love to hear before i lose the rest 1 clown 1 green/blue chromis and 1 black bar chromis (Was going to start finish stalking my tank but..... would like to make sure whatever is going on gets contained). I have a media reactor running carbon and GFO cheato and rock in the sump. Filter socks and a 150INT octopus skimmer 75 gallon sump and a 90 gallon DT.

Jordan

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58 views and nothing come on people I need some help it isnt Ick I would have seen it, something else I am missing?

[Northern Reefer]

how long were the dead fish in the tank to cause the spike in ammonia? If it was just a day then it was the ammonia that killed the fish not the other way around.

[Frogger]

You need to provide more information to be able to provide any insights into what has happened. You have other fish in the tank. How long have you had them? Have you added any new fish recently? Did you quarantine them before adding? Did you do anything to the tank right before they died? How is the stress level in the tank? How long were the fish dead in your tank before you removed them? Did you remove them? Did you find them? If you didn't find them did you check behind the tank on the floor for bodies? What about in the overflow? Were the fish eating before they died? Did you check your ammonia levels before the fish died?

You have a over 150 gallons of water in the tank why is your ammonia levels even rising when your fish died?

Are the other fish showing any signs? Are they eating?

Sometimes fish just die? When we buy them we do not know their ages.

[DKoKoMan]

As Frogger mentioned, it is hard to offer any sound advice or insight unless you provide as much information on your tank. I have a 150g not including sump volume, I have lost a couple fish that I did not find and didn’t notice an ammonia spike at all due to the large volume of water. I will keep my eye on your thread for more information and try to offer what i can.

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Can not be certain as I never could find the bodies (at least a day) pieces of them maybe maybe, I wouldn't call zero to less than .1 much of a spike and having checked the ammonium weekly pretty sure I would have noticed it creeping up also would have noticed fin burning and labored breathing there has to be something going on when I do weekly testing and 20% water changes to create that kind of spike and that would be from a loss in the tank but I do thank you for your input Northern Reefer

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That's why I am here Frogger and Dkokoman there is a lot of information that I could spew on here but it doesn't do any good if it isn't focused important information I don't dose salinity is 1.025 I have an auto top off to keep it there I test ammo nitrate nitrite ph calcium phos weekly. I mentioned how long I had the fish for in the post clown fish a pair for 3 years 6 line for 2 the blue green and the black bar are a year old. I have not added anything recently. I QT the fish 4+ weeks before I add them to my display tank. I did not do anything to the tank no additions just a water change with RODI water as I do every week. I did not find the bodies tried to find them but could not (I have a good clean up crew). I have checked behind the tank around the tank and everywhere the overflow the sump (they cant get to the sump with my overflow they can get into the overflow but they cant get down the sump and I can see them if they are in there have a couple of crabs camping out right now in there. The fish were eating before they died had mysis shrimp even the day before (the 6 line) the clown the day of was just pellets. I check the ammonium levels weekly every Friday. I know sometimes fish just die we do not know their age but within 2 weeks? it just seems to be too much of a coincidence and I just cant live with that. The remaining live stock are swimming around and happy eating lots fed them mysis yesterday and pellets today. temp in the tank is 79-80.

[Frogger]

I have heard stories of mantis shrimps coming in the small crevices of the rocks. Only to grow and become fish eaters in the future. They can be really good hiders in the tank. I realize you started with dead rock, what about the corals that you have added to you tank were any of them attached to rock?

Maybe the rock shifted and the fish got trapped.

Watch the tank late at night with a blue light and see if you see anything.

If none of your other fish are showing signs of stress then maybe it was just a coincidence, like I said before fish die, but usually their behaviour changes before they die.

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Never heard a pop yet but maybe I did get a piece of frog spawn but I dipped it and it was not on a very big piece of rock oh that would suck so bloody much how long should I give it before trying to add more fish if it was just a coincidence? Really would like to finish stocking just not at the expense of any poor fishes

[Frogger]

I am not saying you have a mantis shrimp. It is just a slight possibility. If you don't loose any more fish than it very likely isn't the case.

You need to be the judge of when you are ready to ad more fish

[AquaAddict]

Sometimes, fish just die. If everything else is doing ok, I wouldn't worry about it. You are going to have losses in this hobby.

AquaAddict

[DKoKoMan]

If your water parameters are good (Nitrate, Nitrite, ammonia, phosphates) and everything else is doing well it could be a one off.

[Madreefer]

Sometimes, fish just die. If everything else is doing ok, I wouldn't worry about it. You are going to have losses in this hobby.

AquaAddict

Yea what he said. After everything you posted it sounds like no problems. Continue reefing $hit happens

[Cujo#31]

Yea what he said. After everything you posted it sounds like no problems. Continue reefing $hit happens
Amen brother. We win some we lose some much more often, that is reefing. It's not for the feint of heart for sure. The loss of any critter in your care is always a bit upsetting but on the bright side clowns and 6 lines are easy to replace. Could have been an Achilles. I too have had fish simply vanish for reasons unknown. If there are no signs of stress displayed by other fish, and rock solid perams the odds are good that S##t happened.
Be cautious, watch the remaining residents, and hope for the best. Just don't beat yourself up, and whatever you do don't jump to conclusions and start trying to do too much to your tank. Until you know what the issue is, you have no direction for action and action for the sake of action can have serious effects on an otherwise healthy or stable tank.

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Well almost a month and everyone else is thriving and happy RBTA split and one of his previous splits split clown fish seems a little sad and moopy without his friend but he still eats and roams the tank every now and again the other inhabitants seems to be thriving so I guess I will just keep an eye on things for now and continue on.