What has happened - two fish and an invert dead overnight!

[Charlottebutterfly]

Hi
I have a 60l tank with a turbo snail, cleaner shrimp, two clownfish and two pajama cardinals. I added the pajama cardinals on Monday and up until last night everything in the tank was hunky dory. However, this morning I switch on the light to find my cleaner shrimp dead on a rock and the two cardinals dead at the back and the clowns moving very lethrgically.

I took a water sample to be tested and it was high in ammonia but I can't understand why as I haven't changed anything in the tank apart from adding the two new fish on Monday.

I have since cleaned and changed 50% of the water and the clowns seem to be perking up a bit now although one of them seems to have a problem with it's mouth.

Can anyone explain what happened as I don't want this to happen again when I eventually get some more fish.

Ta

[ToddTT]

Hi
I have a 60l tank with a turbo snail, cleaner shrimp, two clownfish and two pajama cardinals. I added the pajama cardinals on Monday and up until last night everything in the tank was hunky dory. However, this morning I switch on the light to find my cleaner shrimp dead on a rock and the two cardinals dead at the back and the clowns moving very lethrgically.

I took a water sample to be tested and it was high in ammonia but I can't understand why as I haven't changed anything in the tank apart from adding the two new fish on Monday.

I have since cleaned and changed 50% of the water and the clowns seem to be perking up a bit now although one of them seems to have a problem with it's mouth.

Can anyone explain what happened as I don't want this to happen again when I eventually get some more fish.

Ta

It sounds like you are ready for a bigger tank. I wouldn't add any more fish to this tank.

To venture a guess, I would say the cardinalfish died from stress. This may have been inevitable, as the stresses fish go through from capture, to your tank, are sudden and numerous.

Inverts are very sensitive to water quality, so the dead cardinalfish may be resposible for the current ammonia levels, and the death of the shrimp.

The 50% water change was a good start, but you should get ready to do another one, potentially larger. This will further reduce the toxicity of your water, and also help your clown battle whatever is afflicting him now.

The clown is probably battling some sort of infection as a result of the sudden changes in water quality, but you should post a pic ASAP.

To avoid this in the future, you need to use a QT for any new purchase. Otherwise this will happen again, it is only a matter of time. This is additional cost, and work, but think of how much money you just lost, not to mention the suffering of the inhabitants.

You should also read all of the stickies in this forum very carefully, especially these:

Setting Up a FOWLR Aquarium

Fish Stocking Limit - for FO and FOWLR

A Fish Quarantine Process

Sorry to hear of your problems, but if you keep visiting this forum, you'll have a lot more "luck" in the future.

[mpwolken]

Please describe how you cycled your tank before adding any livestock.

[Parrothead]

+1 MP,

Also folks, lets look at something else, first off we are talking about a 15 - 20 gallon tank, things can go south real fast,

Also How long has this tank been set-up, do you have live rock and live sand, or are you using external filtration??????????

Let us know the answers to the all the questions in this post and the one above, also please post actual test results.

And, Welcome to Reeflands

[leebca]

Parrothead puts it into perspective. The tank is small. You added two fish at once to it. Too much load on the bioload, ammonia goes up, things die.

I'm not sure who you are getting your advice from Charlottebutterfly but they are very much wrong.

Like Todd has mentioned, that is too many/much fish for that tank.

Lastly, putting fish into an established aquarium without quarantine can bring diseases and other simple things (like common bacteria) into a setup that the current inhabitants can't handle -- causing deaths.

I hope you like to read, because your answers can be found in these posts:
Setting Up a FOWLR Aquarium

A Quarantine Process (step-by-step)

Fish Stocking Limit - for FO and FOWLR