So I’ve just had my first absolute disaster of reef keeping in 7 years which has literally nuked my entire fish tank. I’m looking for advice or any assistance available.
So the story goes I have been keeping a community reef aquarium since 2013. I had tried to keep things as normal as possible because for years now it has been perfect with great coral growth and conditions remaining consistent in this time. Therefore I would only add live stock to the tank once per year when I would stock up on my clean up crew and maybe add a fish or two.
I had 2 clown fish that were in the tank from the start, 2 bat fish who were maybe 3 years old, 3 chromis (were originally 6 in the tank from the start but cut to 3 over the years), blue cheek goby and a scooter dragonette. The tank is a 250litre with a 30litre sump.
About 3 weeks ago I added my annual clean up crewe along with a few new fish - a wrasse and a orchid blenny. The big mistake I made was not quarantining the fish first, but having never done so and been okay until now I thought nothing of it! Within a week the wrasse had been looking unwell and I assumed that it maybe did not settle into the tank well. It disappeared (body no doubt eaten by the large amount of clean up crewe before I could find it) and again I thought nothing more of it. Then a few days later the bat fish started to look ill - it was as if there was a white slime coming of their gills. I set up a QT tank, gave them a fresh water dip and looked online for treatments. Before I could get anything bought they had both died. A few days later the clown fish, the dragonette, The dotty back and the blue cheek all started with the same symptoms. Again I tried the fresh water dip and again a QT but within a day both were dead. Then finally this morning (a day after the rest had died) the 3 chromis have died who had not been displaying the same symptoms.
All in all from the first fish taking ill until EVERY SINGLE fish in my tank died has taken less than ten days. Looking at the symptoms I am wondering if it is Brook disease? The corals and clean up crewe are all fine. The nitrate’s have spiked a bit between water changes (due to the die off!) but I have been doing regular changes throughout this to keep it down (below 40ppm). All other conditions have remained the same for the best part of 7 years.
Sorry for the long story, but the three main questions I have are:
1. Does this seem like Brook? Is there anything else it could be instead?
2. Will the inverts all now succumb to this or is it just fish?
3. How can I make sure the tank is safe to ever add fish again?
4. How long after the last fish has died would it be safe to add another (4,6,8 weeks?)
5. Will the tank be okay with only corals and inverts? Do I risk a spike of anything because there are no fish?
6. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks in advance and despair! .
So the story goes I have been keeping a community reef aquarium since 2013. I had tried to keep things as normal as possible because for years now it has been perfect with great coral growth and conditions remaining consistent in this time. Therefore I would only add live stock to the tank once per year when I would stock up on my clean up crew and maybe add a fish or two.
I had 2 clown fish that were in the tank from the start, 2 bat fish who were maybe 3 years old, 3 chromis (were originally 6 in the tank from the start but cut to 3 over the years), blue cheek goby and a scooter dragonette. The tank is a 250litre with a 30litre sump.
About 3 weeks ago I added my annual clean up crewe along with a few new fish - a wrasse and a orchid blenny. The big mistake I made was not quarantining the fish first, but having never done so and been okay until now I thought nothing of it! Within a week the wrasse had been looking unwell and I assumed that it maybe did not settle into the tank well. It disappeared (body no doubt eaten by the large amount of clean up crewe before I could find it) and again I thought nothing more of it. Then a few days later the bat fish started to look ill - it was as if there was a white slime coming of their gills. I set up a QT tank, gave them a fresh water dip and looked online for treatments. Before I could get anything bought they had both died. A few days later the clown fish, the dragonette, The dotty back and the blue cheek all started with the same symptoms. Again I tried the fresh water dip and again a QT but within a day both were dead. Then finally this morning (a day after the rest had died) the 3 chromis have died who had not been displaying the same symptoms.
All in all from the first fish taking ill until EVERY SINGLE fish in my tank died has taken less than ten days. Looking at the symptoms I am wondering if it is Brook disease? The corals and clean up crewe are all fine. The nitrate’s have spiked a bit between water changes (due to the die off!) but I have been doing regular changes throughout this to keep it down (below 40ppm). All other conditions have remained the same for the best part of 7 years.
Sorry for the long story, but the three main questions I have are:
1. Does this seem like Brook? Is there anything else it could be instead?
2. Will the inverts all now succumb to this or is it just fish?
3. How can I make sure the tank is safe to ever add fish again?
4. How long after the last fish has died would it be safe to add another (4,6,8 weeks?)
5. Will the tank be okay with only corals and inverts? Do I risk a spike of anything because there are no fish?
6. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks in advance and despair! .
