Bad Start for the New Year

bamareef · Jan 5, 2015

I purchased a couple more fish beginning of November. Powder Blue Tang (PBT), Cardinal, Yellow Tang, and a Mandarin. My PBT was doing fine and tapered off when i put it in my 75 gallon. During setup of my 190, I put the PBT into QT (20 gallon). He started back eating and swimming around. I also did a HYPO just in case it was ICH during this time in QT. I also was dosing vitamins at this time. When I got the 190 up and running, I put him in it when I transferred all my other livestock in the 190. Everything was looking great. PBT swam around and then started back not eating. I figured it was the yellow tang stressing it out. But I then decided, it was live or die. So after about a Month later in the 190, he died. Before he died, his eyes got glossy and had a few raised bumps on him and hadn't eat in over 3 to 4 weeks. So he died this weekend. But during this whole time, he was the only fish acting like this. All others were fine. Yesterday, I could not find my mandarin, nor my yellow tail damsel. I also noticed my Yellow tang had a white skim all over him. I did a water change and vacuum some of the sand bed. Thought that i stirred up something in sand bed that cause this white powder substance on his coating. Well he died last night and to my belief my Mandarin and Yellow Tail Damsel has died. Now i get up this morning and my Mated Snowflake and Darwin clowns appear to be shedding their slime coat. Is there anything I can do? I don't see any signs of ICH on the fish and they changed overnight, right after my PBT died. All my corals are thriving and no signs of any problems with any of the coral and/or invertebrates. So I have lost 4 out of 7 fish in 48 hours. Is there anything i can add/dose that is reef safe. Is it safe to stress out the fish, try to catch them and put them in QT(if I can catch them without having to remove rock and coral). Also i did see my yellow tang swim to where my peppermint shrimp hang out. He also stopped at one of them in the middle of the tank, I guess natural instincts telling him to let them clean him. All fish are or did eat well and acting normal.

Any advice or help would be awesome.

Thanks,
Sam

JSB · Jan 5, 2015

It sounds like brookynella, as opposed to ich. Look at Brooklynella.

bamareef · Jan 5, 2015

I setup a QT tank and will dose Meds. Waiting for water to heat up. Checked Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite levels. They are good. All parameters are good. Hopefully my mated Snowflake pair will last. Going to remove from display tank after work when my tank heats up and salt mixes. Fingers crossed......

bamareef · Jan 5, 2015

All dead but one.........very depressing. Fingers crossed on the Darwin Clown. Have him in QT and dosing meds. Hope it helps. I will leave my DT fallow for a minimum of 4 weeks. I hope this never happens again to me or anyone.

saltyphish · Jan 6, 2015

Go 5 weeks instead of 4

aslmx · Jan 6, 2015

When you feed. Do some frozen food and sprinkle some crushed ginger in with it. It's a natural med and will help immune system. I just don't it with my Tomini that was showing signs of ich and he is spot free now. Took about 3 days of feeding with the ginger. Just curious, where did you get the pbt?

H@rry · Jan 6, 2015

aslmx said:
When you feed. Do some frozen food and sprinkle some crushed ginger in with it. It's a natural med and will help immune system. I just don't it with my Tomini that was showing signs of ich and he is spot free now. Took about 3 days of feeding with the ginger. Just curious, where did you get the pbt?

Ginger or Garlic? I've heard of using garlic but not ginger.

H@rry · Jan 6, 2015

Sam, are you planning on trying to feed your coral anything while it is "fishless"? I always thought that fish poop was probably the best food for coral but without that what will the coral eat? Just wondering.

fishroomlady · Jan 6, 2015

ginger and garlic do not medicate diseases - they can serve as an appetite enticer so eating can help the fish's natural immune system but other than that, there is no science behind garlic or ginger as medicine for fish disease.

to the op, I'm so sorry to hear about your losses. It is so hard to lose fish and then to have so many at one time. It does sound like it was something like brook or velvet with the quick demise of so many. What are you using for medicine?

bamareef · Jan 6, 2015

Yes. I was just staring into my aquatic desert and thinking about it. I am going to target feed some of my LPS and was thinking of supplementing some zoo plankton. I also have some microvert food i use when i target feed with brine shrimp. Do you have any suggestions?

bamareef · Jan 6, 2015

I got my hands on some Ich-x. I dont need it anymore.........

bamareef · Jan 6, 2015

Is there anywhere i could send off my fish for a medical exam to really see what it is?

H@rry · Jan 6, 2015

bamareef;2151334 Do you have any suggestions?[/QUOTE said:
No, sounds like you've got it covered.

fishroomlady · Jan 6, 2015

bamareef said:
I got my hands on some Ich-x. I dont need it anymore.........

oh no, I'm sorry to hear that. At this point, the best thing to do is to let the tank go fishless for at least 8 weeks and quarantine any new fish going forward. Unfortunately, I think most of us have had your experience in some capacity or another and it totally sucks. I'd take care of your corals and start planning a new stock list. This does give you time to research perhaps a fish that you've always been interested in or find a new species you didn't know about. Try to keep your spirits up - although I know from personal experience that this type of event can be so discouraging.

bamareef · Jan 6, 2015

It is discouraging and we have a list of fish and corals. Just will have to wait. So you say 8 weeks, everyone else says 5 to 6. I plan on 8 ish weeks. We plan to buy more fish and keep it going. Cant throw away all money, just got this 190 and hate to get rid of it so soon. Im in it for the long haul.

H@rry · Jan 6, 2015

I'd say wait 4 weeks and them put a couple of chromis in there, they're not expensive and are cool fish to have anyway. If they do fine for a week or so you'll prolly be OK. BUT, on the other hand, if they get sick and die too they you have effectively reset the clock for your waiting period.

You better listen to somebody else who has been there, done that, and is not on the evening medication.

fishroomlady · Jan 6, 2015

bamareef said:
It is discouraging and we have a list of fish and corals. Just will have to wait. So you say 8 weeks, everyone else says 5 to 6. I plan on 8 ish weeks. We plan to buy more fish and keep it going. Cant throw away all money, just got this 190 and hate to get rid of it so soon. Im in it for the long haul.

that is a great attitude, to be in it for the long haul

bamareef · Jan 6, 2015

My birthday is 8 weeks out. I can wait for a good present.

Also, during all of this treatment, research and setup of QT and a trip to LFS. My wife got some ICH-X in her eyes when opening the bottle. Of course it burned and we went to see her optometrist. Everything checked out good. Just got a little chemical burn. Kinda scary when it says on bottle if gets in eye seek immediate medical treatment. But she flushed her eye immediately. Thats probably what gave her a quick recovery from the pain.

aslmx · Jan 7, 2015

H@rry said:
Ginger or Garlic? I've heard of using garlic but not ginger.

I used ginger. I've tried garlic with no luck but ginger worked for me

aslmx · Jan 7, 2015

fishroomlady said:
ginger and garlic do not medicate diseases - they can serve as an appetite enticer so eating can help the fish's natural immune system but other than that, there is no science behind garlic or ginger as medicine for fish disease.

to the op, I'm so sorry to hear about your losses. It is so hard to lose fish and then to have so many at one time. It does sound like it was something like brook or velvet with the quick demise of so many. What are you using for medicine?

Wrong! Ginger works