Bacteria Issue?

James Becwar · Jul 3, 2019

I received two fish from Live Aquaria yesterday, a Biota yellow tang and a Biota fork tail blenny. They looked good in their bags, except the blenny had a lot of poo in the bag.

I drip acclimated them for about 45 minutes and then added them to the hospital tank. Kept the lights off. Tang hid and blenny seems like its belly grew and frankly looks dead. but was/is still breathing and will move positions every few hours. Its also sticking its nose out of the water like its not getting enough oxygen. I have a water pump and air stone going.

Tang is doing better today, playing peak a boo, and eating, but has some reddish colors around the face. The bleenny isn't eating and looks terrible. Also the water has developed a white haze.

I'm think there is a bacteria bloom in the water. Before arrived, I bleached the hospital tank for a day, dried it for a day, rinsed it tap water, dried it with cloth and then filled with RO/DI and salt, tested for CL, and there was none so I added a large bag of biomax that had been in my display tank to act as a biological filter. Fish were added two days after the above

Temp is 75, No detectable ammonium, nitrate, or nitrite. salt is at 1.025

I was thinking of adding kanaplex? Is there anything I can do to make them more conferrable?

Thank you so much for your help. I'm feeling so bad for them

-James

EmdeReef · Jul 3, 2019

It’s vwry common to have blooms in quarantine tanks. Water changes and adding biospira will help.

James Becwar · Jul 3, 2019

I have been adding microbactor7 Biospira is hard to find here. Should I just not worry about the water? I'm worried when I opened the bags and drip aclimated they got ammonia burn, or had ph problems. Also they put ice packs in the box, and they were still frozen, and the box was cold when I opened it... Should I just not panic and let it play out? I don't want to hurt them by over treating....

EmdeReef · Jul 3, 2019

MB7 is fine.

If the bloom gets worse, or you notice breathing difficulties, unusual swim patterns I would do a large water change.

If the fish are eating and swimming fine, I think you’re probably fine to let them continue acclimating.

Ammonia poisoning is often accompanied by redness around the gills.

James Becwar · Jul 3, 2019

I will do the water change, since that's easy and shouldn't hurt anything.

The tang is doing well, but the bleeny is plastered against the wall and not eating. Its breathing normally and I don't see any red on the gills or anywhere else. It does look pale, but its also a new fish and I'm not sure what it should look like.
It only moves every few hours. I thought it was dead this morning and it swam away from the net quickly, but immediately went back to just being plastered against the back wall.

Thank you again for your help. I very greatful for it!

EmdeReef · Jul 3, 2019

James Becwar said:
I will do the water change, since that's easy and shouldn't hurt anything.

The tang is doing well, but the bleeny is plastered against the wall and not eating. Its breathing normally and I don't see any red on the gills or anywhere else. It does look pale, but its also a new fish and I'm not sure what it should look like.
It only moves every few hours. I thought it was dead this morning and it swam away from the net quickly, but immediately went back to just being plastered against the back wall.

Thank you again for your help. I very greatful for it!

Blennies are shy, I have a few in my tank and they’re hiding in rocks almost all day. Make sure it has a smaller pvc pipe or something it can claim as a temporary home where the tang will be too big to get in.

James Becwar · Jul 3, 2019

Thanks for calming me down. I have a little cave network made out of 1 inch pvc pipe for him. He went in it when I first put him in the tank, but then decided that the top is the place to be. The tang has shown zero interest in him. Do you have any tips for getting him to eat?