Fish dying need help please

[Lavey29]

Your system being so new, my feeling would be that the system is still balancing out and the fish are stressed. I would suggest dosing seachem metroplex just incase of disease, vitamin C for the stress mixed with seachem focus with the frozen food for 14 days.

I had this happy when I first set up my current system. 4 fish just passed mysteriously without signs of ick or brook.

Ok I have pazipro now at home but will look for the sea Chem products. Everyone was swimming and eating fine so not sure how they were being stressed. Any thoughts on the fading top half color on my clown? Didn't eat today and hiding in a corner. Gramma didn't eat either and hiding inside a rock all day.

 

[Lavey29]

I did put a cap full of prime in just in case my RODI wasn't totally clean after Friday water change. But TDS read 0

 

[JayA]

I had a really hard time with new fish intros. My water always tested fine, but I frequently had dead fish, typically within the first few days-week. For me in my 20 gallon tank turned out to be aggression. Getting the right fish in the right order worked for me...

 

[Lavey29]

Your system being so new, my feeling would be that the system is still balancing out and the fish are stressed. I would suggest dosing seachem metroplex just incase of disease, vitamin C for the stress mixed with seachem focus with the frozen food for 14 days.

I had this happy when I first set up my current system. 4 fish just passed mysteriously without signs of ick or brook.

Here is the set up

 

[Lavey29]

One more

 

[Lavey29]

I've been trying to backtrack the past week. Nothing new chemically was introduced to the tank but I did siphon the very top layer of the substrate due to diatoms during the water change. Did I disrupt my biological balance?

 

[Idoc]

Excessive stress just doesn't kill fish overnight, especially if they were eating normally the night previously.

You definitely have a rapidly killing disease in your system. If you didn't quarantine your fish yourself, assume they weren't quarantined. Even purchasing pre-quarantined and prophylactically treated fish should be put into a separate system and monitored for a few weeks at least prior to putting into your main system. Also, if you've added coral to the system, there is also a possibility of a hitchhiking disease on the coral plugs, etc... Also, when purchasing pre-quarantined fish, you want exact details of how the fish were quarantined and if treated, what meds and time frames! There are many different opinions on the definition of quarantine and pre-treatments!

My concern at this point would be Brooklynella or Velvet in order to kill so quickly. These are two rapid killers. The photos aren't totally clear to make a definite determination. So, Velvet typically starts with rapid breathing and fish can be seen swimming into high flow areas. Brooklynella typically effects clowns and other damsels most but can hit all others as well. It typically looks like a fading of color on the head and back of clowns and then turns into looking like mucus sheathing coming off the fish.

If it were me, I would treat for Brooklynella first by what I've read in the thread so far. A formalyn dip for 45 minutes followed by 10 days of Metrodonizole every 48hrs for all the fish...and in a separate system from the main tank. If during that 10 day treatment you start to see dusting on the fish...then possibly switch it up and go to copper quickly. Then, keep your current tank fallow for 45 days for Brooklynella and 76 days for Velvet.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I've been trying to backtrack the past week. Nothing new chemically was introduced to the tank but I did siphon the very top layer of the substrate due to diatoms during the water change. Did I disrupt my biological balance?

Hi, sorry for the delayed response, I was out running errands. Almost without exception, if the invertebrates in a tank are doing well, but the fish are dying, it is invariably a fish disease. Water quality then takes a back seat to the disease issue itself.

As far as what disease is taking place - I can't say, but it is likely either Amyloodinium (velvet) or Brooklynella. I think I can see some mucus on the clownfish, so that would lean towards Brooklynella. Velvet is more likely to cause rapid breathing, followed by swift death (the fish may hover in water currents). In both cases, once fish loss begins, it can be very difficult to resolve the problem before more losses occur.

Can you post a short video of one of the affected fish, taken under white light? I might be able to judge the breathing rate and make a better call on if it is Brook or Velvet. Either way, you won't be able to treat the fish in your DT, you'll need to move them to a QT - tough to do, I know!

Jay

 

[Lavey29]

First let me say thank you to everyone who has replied with helpful suggestions. Your great reef tank knowledge is sincerely appreciated. Neither of the 2 fish that died had obvious signs of the 2 primary diseases mentioned here neither prior to dying or post death visual examination, however my clown does have the fading on the top half as described as one of the symptoms. Here are a couple vids.

 

[Lavey29]

Here is another that clearly shows the skin infection.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Here is another that clearly shows the skin infection.

Can you tell me the time frame between the fish in the first three videos and this one? All fish are breathing fast, but this one also has skin lesions. These could be end stage Cryptocaryon or it could be Velvet, no way to tell visually. A FW dip might buy you some time, but then a full copper treatment would be what I suggest.

jay

 

[Lavey29]

Can you tell me the time frame between the fish in the first three videos and this one? All fish are breathing fast, but this one also has skin lesions. These could be end stage Cryptocaryon or it could be Velvet, no way to tell visually. A FW dip might buy you some time, but then a full copper treatment would be what I suggest.

jay

I took all videos and pictures this morning. I did FW dip the clown showing the most obvious symptoms of disease. The other fish currently seem ok with the exception of the gramma. Cave hiding all day and not eating.

 

[Lavey29]

Jay, can I also add you are a godsend with you knowledge. I always see you on here trying to help reefer keep their friends alive...thank you man...

 

[Lavey29]

An interesting fact just came to light. My kid said she noticed the skin discoloration on my clown 3 to 4 weeks back....hhhmmm...would s significant disease take that long to go terminal?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

An interesting fact just came to light. My kid said she noticed the skin discoloration on my clown 3 to 4 weeks back....hhhmmm...would s significant disease take that long to go terminal?

Cryptocaryon (ich) can take that long, but really, you would have seen distinct white spots. Brooklynella usually kills quicker, and Velvet always does.

Jay

 

[BlenniesAndTangs]

Sorry if I make you more worried but my whole fish tank expect 2 fish died. It was really upsetting but my clowns weren't colour changing, they just has that white stuff on them..

 

[Lavey29]

Sorry if I make you more worried but my whole fish tank expect 2 fish died. It was really upsetting but my clowns weren't colour changing, they just has that white stuff on them..

Yea, my clown died today so 3 fish dead in 3 days is very upsetting for me and sad. I am sure the couple remaining fish will be dead shortly and there is essentially nothing I can do to prevent it currently. I have had freshwater tanks with success for many years but am new to reef tanks. Perhaps this hobby isn't for me and I need to stop trying.

 

[MnFish1]

Excessive stress just doesn't kill fish overnight, especially if they were eating normally the night previously.

You definitely have a rapidly killing disease in your system. If you didn't quarantine your fish yourself, assume they weren't quarantined. Even purchasing pre-quarantined and prophylactically treated fish should be put into a separate system and monitored for a few weeks at least prior to putting into your main system. Also, if you've added coral to the system, there is also a possibility of a hitchhiking disease on the coral plugs, etc... Also, when purchasing pre-quarantined fish, you want exact details of how the fish were quarantined and if treated, what meds and time frames! There are many different opinions on the definition of quarantine and pre-treatments!

My concern at this point would be Brooklynella or Velvet in order to kill so quickly. These are two rapid killers. The photos aren't totally clear to make a definite determination. So, Velvet typically starts with rapid breathing and fish can be seen swimming into high flow areas. Brooklynella typically effects clowns and other damsels most but can hit all others as well. It typically looks like a fading of color on the head and back of clowns and then turns into looking like mucus sheathing coming off the fish.

If it were me, I would treat for Brooklynella first by what I've read in the thread so far. A formalyn dip for 45 minutes followed by 10 days of Metrodonizole every 48hrs for all the fish...and in a separate system from the main tank. If during that 10 day treatment you start to see dusting on the fish...then possibly switch it up and go to copper quickly. Then, keep your current tank fallow for 45 days for Brooklynella and 76 days for Velvet.

Hi - agree with the recommendations for copper/formaldehyde, etc - Curious - where does the 76 day fallow period for velvet come from?

 

[Lavey29]

Excessive stress just doesn't kill fish overnight, especially if they were eating normally the night previously.

You definitely have a rapidly killing disease in your system. If you didn't quarantine your fish yourself, assume they weren't quarantined. Even purchasing pre-quarantined and prophylactically treated fish should be put into a separate system and monitored for a few weeks at least prior to putting into your main system. Also, if you've added coral to the system, there is also a possibility of a hitchhiking disease on the coral plugs, etc... Also, when purchasing pre-quarantined fish, you want exact details of how the fish were quarantined and if treated, what meds and time frames! There are many different opinions on the definition of quarantine and pre-treatments!

My concern at this point would be Brooklynella or Velvet in order to kill so quickly. These are two rapid killers. The photos aren't totally clear to make a definite determination. So, Velvet typically starts with rapid breathing and fish can be seen swimming into high flow areas. Brooklynella typically effects clowns and other damsels most but can hit all others as well. It typically looks like a fading of color on the head and back of clowns and then turns into looking like mucus sheathing coming off the fish.

If it were me, I would treat for Brooklynella first by what I've read in the thread so far. A formalyn dip for 45 minutes followed by 10 days of Metrodonizole every 48hrs for all the fish...and in a separate system from the main tank. If during that 10 day treatment you start to see dusting on the fish...then possibly switch it up and go to copper quickly. Then, keep your current tank fallow for 45 days for Brooklynella and 76 days for Velvet.

Only 4 fish left now. 3 of the 4 are not displaying any symptoms and acting normal. The gramma has stopped eating and hides all day for the past 24 hours. Not sure if this is disease or wrasse stress related. Should you still try and qt a fish that hasn't shown obvious illness removing him from the DT or will that just compound the stress issues?

 

[MnFish1]

Only 4 fish left now. 3 of the 4 are not displaying any symptoms and acting normal. The gramma has stopped eating and hides all day for the past 24 hours. Not sure if this is disease or wrasse stress related. Should you still try and qt a fish that hasn't shown obvious illness removing him from the DT or will that just compound the stress issues?

The usual recommendation is to remove all the fish, treat them, etc. And leave your tank fallow for the recommended time periods. Especially since one fish is showing symptoms, and since these diseases can rapidly take over. Not every fish will die 'at the same time'. As to whether you should treat asymptomatic fish with formaldehyde - I'll leave that to the experts (I might not) - but I would use copper as directed, making sure the fish you're putting into copper will tolerate it. Hopefully the others will weigh back in.