The Dreaded Crash...Maybe?
 

So, I come home today and my Longnosed Butterflyfish and Rusty Angelfish are dead. Both Tomato Clowns are covered in ick. Inverts seem fine, as do corals. Nothing has changed (haven't added anything new, changed anything, or done any water changes recently, only top-off water). Ideas? I can't do anything now, like test parameters, as I'm headed out to a family dinner.

Boo-urns. :cry:

Aw man, I'm sorry. :( Off the top of my head ... temperature swing? Power failure?

ohh god, I hope not

Have the clowns ever displayed ich symptoms before? I'm thinking that a sudden population explosion of the ich might have been responsible. (Although...I'm still clinging to the hope that ich doesn't kill otherwise healthy fish...)

Hands clean when you last messed with the tank?

I'm sure we have all heard the story of the guy who filled his car with petrol and then went home and did a water change. If not I'm sure you can guess how it ends.

Sorry for your losses, I hope you can save something.

I haven't noticed any temperature swings or power failures. The thing that confuses me now is that all the corals seem to be doing even better than before. Noticeably better polyp extension on my SPS and a REALLY dramatic increase in LPS extension.

The clownfish have never had ich since I've had them (about a year), and now they're covered (especially the female). The other two fish that died were happy as can be, eating like pigs, and active just last night.

If something were seriously amiss with water quality, don't you think the acropora and the other corals would show signs as well?

Wow sorry to hear that.

funny that the corals seem to be doing great. only thing i can think of is a rise in salanity. i once grabbed the wrong bucket when doing a small top off and only raised .002 but my corals loved it and i lost half my fish in the the 16 hours it took me to realize what i had done. one being a rusty angel i thought was quite hearty up til then. great fish aswell.

i had the same problem last winter, never did figure out why though so ill tag along and possibly figure it out. hope for your sake some thing gets salvaged, i lost all the fish in my system

Burning scented candles? Heard that is a mistake.

I am finding out that particles of anything in the air has an affect on your water. I have noticed that if I feed a tank, fish can smell the food from different water columns through out the store 20 + feet away. They also are affected I found, when I used cleaners on the floor, I found fish were hiding and breathing rapidly. Drew I am just throwing this out (in the air per se) to see if you have purchased new air fresheners or maybe burnt some toast at breakfast??? Sorry though to hear of your loses if there is anything I can help with let me know.
Kevin