Fish dying cloudy tank

Isoprene · Oct 15, 2012

My leopard wrasse died a little while ago after adding a new baby black clown (which also died). Everything seemed normal for about 2 weeks now my larger black clown is showing signs of sickness. She is thin, white scratches or abrasion marks on her and she seems very weak. She is eating but does not look right also her and my other 2 fish (bumblebee goby and possum wrasse) are darting around a lot. I figured whatever it is its bad and is going to wipe out everything.

Besides this last night my lights click on and my tank is very cloudy. I mean noticeable. My corals are fine my parameters are fine, my temp is fine. Anyone have any ideas on a sudden cloudiness? I do regular water changes (5 gallon on a 55 once a week). Quarantining now imo is useless whatever it is all my fish have it, im pretty down and out I have lost basically all my fish now. Now this cloudiness thing...idk anyones advice would be welcome i really dont know what else to do but let it go fallow for 9 weeks.

Wesley42079 · Oct 15, 2012

How long has your tank been setup for? The cloudiness sounds like a mimi cycle.

You might want to start doing a 50% water change.

Mike&Terry · Oct 15, 2012

It sounds like a bacterial bloom - perhaps the fish deaths triggered an ammonia spike. You may want to do a 20% water change and run some carbon.

As for your fish, it is hard to say which parasite you are dealing with w/out pics. Could be brooklynella, amyloodinium or flukes. All three are treatable if caught in time. If you can catch the fish, a freshwater dip in a clear container can 1. help you identify the parasite and 2. give the fish some relief.

If the fish have body flukes, they will fall off in the freshwater dip and you will be able to see them in the bottom of the container. The treatment for flukes is Prazipro and it can be administered in a DT without ill effects.

Brook and oodinium must be treated in a hospital/QT tank.

Here's a link that may be of some help to you regarding treatment and freshwater dips:
Marine Oodinium; Information about Brooklynella & Amyloodinium Ocellatum

hth.

Isoprene · Oct 15, 2012

Ok great to know, finally something to help the situation. Honestly the pics I have taken even with a good camera dont show up at all. The possum looks beautiful, eating and fine, he is just darting A LOT. The Black Clown which im most worried about has gotten very thin and has a whitish faded almost abrasion looking side on him (only one side). Everything is eating. I am going to dip him when I get home today right after work. Ill try and get some pics when i take him out as well, it might pick up better in a smaller container.

The tank is 9 months old. I am running carbon and rowa phos. Ill try and get some pics up soon, thanks all for the responses!

Isoprene · Oct 16, 2012

I managed to catch him and give him a fresh water dip according to the parameters in the link you posted M & T. I did see small weird looking specs in the container after I had dipped him and after the full white/blue lights came on he didnt not look the smallest bit of faded white anymore. He acted funny for a small amount of time, then he stopped darting, stopped swimming irradically and sort of just hung out in one spot and swam. I checked on him this morning and he looked great. Without the lights on it was hard to tell if he was doing better though. I am going to continue to keep an eye on him and dip him again if needed today. Picutres with the camera I have are impossible.

Downbeach · Oct 16, 2012

Did you put him back in the DT after the dip?

Isoprene · Oct 16, 2012

yes, i don't have a quarantine tank that does nott have healthy fish in it to put him in.

the 20 long i have set up has 2 healthy fish in it to help it cycle and i never got them out. Should I put him in the 20 long anyways? I guess it does not make sense to keep putting him back in the water of the DT does it?

Should I get him out of the DT and put him in the 20 after another dip if he looks like hes declining again? IDK what would you guys do next? This is new for me

Isoprene · Oct 16, 2012

I performed another freshwater dip today, this time in a very clear container. I can certainly identify some type of white, small almost copepod looking thing that collected at the bottom of the container. My camera is too crappy to get a good picture. The fish looks better than yesterday but was still exhibiting signs of whatever is bothering him. Please let me know if this means anything, from what I can tell its some type of bacteria or parasite I just have no idea what?