PLEASE need input!!!!!!

[Adam]

I dont get it.

I went on a vacation to the fla. keys and just got back yesterday...

In the camper I had set up a 55g. rubbermaid tub with a backpak skimmer, heater, and a powerhead. It had no sand. Day one i put some hermits in...nothing fancy(day one i got to big pine key at 4pm so not much time to do stuff.) Day 2 in the morning I collected about 8 photosynthic gorgonians of about 5 species at least...one of which around 2 feet tall...all impressive like crazy...

DAY 3 I woke up, looked in the water....the water was very brown and smelled of death!!! all that was in there besides the gorgs was some hermits, emerald crabs, urchin, some fish...mabe a few plants...the gorgonians were falling apart and smelled horrible!!! all the plants, inverts, and fish were still alive, but the gorgs were dead!!!!!!!

WHAT HAPPENED!!!!!! the ONLY guess i have is that gorgs cant be exposed to air...nothing could have killed them. I had pre-mixed saltwater that I mixed prior to going on the trip..instant ocean. the temp was fine...salinity was fine....skimmer going all night...gorgs dead.


PLEASE help i am going on another collecting trip to the keys in 3 weeks and I dont want to lose any gorgs...I plan to collect about 10...

HELP HELP HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


thanks...

[Adam]

just a thought...could it have been all the inverts and fish were put in at once, and all pooped and turned the water super bad causing the gorgs to fall apart? (Literally the flesh was falling off)








OHH day 2 in the afternoon I collected the fish, inverts, and some plants