Up until about a month ago, I had a royal gramma in my 35 gallon hex. I then bought a lively, healthy-looking flame angel from a reefer on craigslist. The fish got along well and both had healthy appetites. Then I went on vacation for 4 days and when I came back they were both covered in white spot and in severe respiratory distress. I had had a friend come feed them while I was away but not being a fish person when I asked him about their behavior he didn't know what to say. By the time I got the fish into quarantine it was too late.
I tested my water params (all good) did a 10% water change and did not restock until earlier this week. I do have a banded coral shrimp, tuxedo urchin, and several corals (button mushrooms, star polyps, leathers) and they are all doing great. I went to my LFS and bought an orange-tail damsel as a sort of test. The fish was dead within 36 hours. He was fine the first day but by the second day was not eating and seemed to have some kind of abscessed areas around his mouth. I did some research but could not find any cause of the symptoms. By the time I got home from work he was in respiratory distress as well.
What could be happening that relatively hardy fish are dying willy-nilly despite having stable water and flourishing inverts???
I tested my water params (all good) did a 10% water change and did not restock until earlier this week. I do have a banded coral shrimp, tuxedo urchin, and several corals (button mushrooms, star polyps, leathers) and they are all doing great. I went to my LFS and bought an orange-tail damsel as a sort of test. The fish was dead within 36 hours. He was fine the first day but by the second day was not eating and seemed to have some kind of abscessed areas around his mouth. I did some research but could not find any cause of the symptoms. By the time I got home from work he was in respiratory distress as well.
What could be happening that relatively hardy fish are dying willy-nilly despite having stable water and flourishing inverts???
