Ich, bubbles, spots, scratching on sand powder brown tang

[Alexz]

Good morning. Bad news. Both clowns and powder brown died. It definitely looked like the second pic with velvet. Also hard breathing and Swimming in flow of power head. This is a nightmare. I have 1 bedroom apartment. This 90 inch aquarium with sump 75 gal sump is taking up half my kitchen. Thank you for breaking it down for me. So you’re saying the rest of my fish either have velvet or will definitely get it at some point? My numbers are ok except no3 and po4 Are high due to heavy feeding (anthias) and bullying. Local reef store double checking my numbers. Hannah instruments. I do use RO. Salinity 24. Temp 77-78 I live in Coney Island and I had a bright idea getting a bunch of different algae from the beach and dipping in coral revive dip. Should’ve done research first sight
Thanks for the help y’all!

 

[Alexz]

You MUST do water change and reduce feeding and focus on this issue at hand. Velvet as mentioned multiplies quickly and in turn will take fish down quickly. Also, hate to say, but Kitchen is perhaps one of the worse locations for a tank due to atmospheric grease ( rub your finger along top of fridge and you'll feel this grease) and also changing temperatures in the room from cooking/baking.
You can set up a temporary hospital/QT setting with simple container such as rubbermaid tub with heater/light/filter and air stone for additional oxygen. I also mentioned freshwater dip which will offer relief - Not fix the issue.

Ph 7.6 and dosing Red Sea nítrate and phosphate control

 

[Alexz]

Ph 7.6 and dosing Red Sea nítrate and phosphate control

Big water change 40-50%?

 

[Alexz]

Big water change 40-50%?

I don’t cook And live alone lol so it shouldn’t be a problem

 

[Alexz]

Ph 7.6 and dosing Red Sea nítrate and phosphate control

No sps, only a dozen corals. Dosing magnesium though for coralline algae. It just started popping up. Tank started cycling in late April

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ph 7.6 and dosing Red Sea nítrate and phosphate control

Hold off on the red sea product. With everything going on, add a pouch of ChemiPure Blue or Elite which will keep phos and nitrate in check and polish your tank water.

 

[Alexz]

I see that. It’s a lot of work. I have a 250 gallon tank and I had to tear it down to get the fish out.

You can try feeding many times a day to lower stress and boost immune system. Just note that there will be some losses, but you must accept that if you take the management route.

Knowing what parasite you have will greatly help in determining if management can work for you.

Your first step is getting a bottle of prazipro and dose 1 tsp per 20 gallons. Repeat dose after 6 days. This will treat for flukes and is reef safe. Scratching most probably is from flukes. Reef safe

If you purchased tangs and didn’t quarantine them prior, you almost certainly have ich. I’m not too worried about that as much as I am of marine velvet.

As far as ich and velvet go, there’s no reef safe treatment for them.

I see you aquascape has negative space. You can drain the tank to the sandbed and scoop the fish. It’ll be much easier.

It doesn’t treat velvet though? It says coppersafe does

 

[Alexz]

Hold off on the red sea product. With everything going on, add a pouch of ChemiPure Blue or Elite which will keep phos and nitrate in check and polish your tank water.

What if I max out water changes, take corals, snails and crabs out for 45 days, raise temp to 82, remove carbon filter and dose copper safe for 10 days, increase salinity and no lights?

 

[Alexz]

What if I max out water changes, take corals, snails and crabs out for 45 days, raise temp to 82, remove carbon filter and dose copper safe for 10 days, increase salinity and no lights?

The only thing not all fish could handle it they say

 

[Alexz]

The only thing not all fish could handle it they say

But if it treats velvet I think it’s easier than to catch and stress fish. Plus my aqua scape with huge shelves And cabinets on top and glass bracing make it impossible except to drain.

 

[Miami Reef]

@Alexz

At this point the only “reef safe” thing you can try is hydrogen peroxide dosing. Some corals and inverts might die. It’s the price you’ll pay by not having to do the extra work of removing fish. I think it’s a 6 month dosage time. You gotta be diligent with it and follow exact directions. This won’t remove all signs of the parasites. It will still be there but be kept at bay.

If you want a more proven method you need to remove all fish from tank and use copper, Hybrid TTM, or chloroquine phosphate. That’s the only proven treatments for marine velvet.

 

[Alexz]

@Alexz

At this point the only “reef safe” thing you can try is hydrogen peroxide dosing. Some corals and inverts might die. It’s the price you’ll pay by not having to do the extra work of removing fish. I think it’s a 6 month dosage time. You gotta be diligent with it and follow exact directions. This won’t remove all signs of the parasites. It will still be there but be kept at bay.

If you want a more proven method you need to remove all fish from tank and use copper, Hybrid TTM, or chloroquine phosphate. That’s the only proven treatments for marine velvet.

So what happens if I do copper treatment inside my tank?

 

[Tamberav]

So what happens if I do copper treatment inside my tank?

corals and inverts die.

The rock will absorb copper so you need to test all the time to keep levels up. Any time they dip, the parasite may survive and attach to fish. You need high range Hannah copper kit to test.

You may not be able to add corals and inverts back for a very long time till the rock finishes leeching copper.

You can not take a new tank and add a bunch of Tangs. This will almost always be the result. They are prone to disease and stress each other out and velvet has killed entire tanks of fish.

Tanks take many years to establish and things like powders are magnets for disease and there is an entire write up on this website about it.

If you do not treat every fish then velvet will remain and can infect and kill any new fish you add.

You are going way too fast adding a bunch of fish that don’t belong in a tank set up in April.

 

[Alexz]

So what happens if I do copper treatment inside my tank?

Velvet/Oödinium

Learn how to spot and treat Velvet (or Rust/Gold Dust Disease), one of the most common diseases in aquarium fish, with this guide from Fritz Aquatics.

fritzaquatics.com

 

[Tamberav]

Even at 82. I would not treat for only 10 days. That is risky that you don’t get it all.

 

[Alexz]

corals and inverts die.

The rock will absorb copper so you need to test all the time to keep levels up. Any time they dip, the parasite may survive and attach to fish. You need high range Hannah copper kit to test.

You may not be able to add corals and inverts back for a very long time till the rock finishes leeching copper.

You can not take a new tank and add a bunch of Tangs. This will almost always be the result. They are prone to disease and stress each other out and velvet has killed entire tanks of fish.

Tanks take many years to establish and things like powders are magnets for disease and there is an entire write up on this website about it.

If you do not treat every fish then velvet will remain and can infect and kill any new fish you add.

You are going way too fast adding a bunch of fish that don’t belong in a tank set up in April.

I started getting damsels in May and Avery month doubling maybe a little less. Beneficial bacteria blocks... from nuts to bolts I thought I had it all covered. Watched all brs videos. Ton of research. Obviously not enough. Planned all this during corona. Fully custom built tank and sump. You know the rest. That’s why I feel so bad for these dying fish. I totally agree with you though. Rushing is always costly. I’m prepared for no corals for long time. By the way how long is a long time?

 

[Alexz]

Even at 82. I would not treat for only 10 days. That is risky that you don’t get it all.

I started getting damsels in May and Avery month doubling maybe a little less. Beneficial bacteria blocks... from nuts to bolts I thought I had it all covered. Watched all brs videos. Ton of research. Obviously not enough. Planned all this during corona. Fully custom built tank and sump. Just bought the glass everything diy Even cabinets, counter...lol everything was closed You know the rest. That’s why I feel so bad for these dying fish. I totally agree with you though. Rushing is always costly. I’m prepared for no corals for long time. By the way how long is a long time?

 

[Miami Reef]

If you add copper into your tank, you might never be able to get all the copper out. I wouldn’t treat copper in display tank.

 

[Tamberav]

I started getting damsels in May and Avery month doubling maybe a little less. Beneficial bacteria blocks... from nuts to bolts I thought I had it all covered. Watched all brs videos. Ton of research. Obviously not enough. Planned all this during corona. Fully custom built tank and sump. You know the rest. That’s why I feel so bad for these dying fish. I totally agree with you though. Rushing is always costly. I’m prepared for no corals for long time. By the way how long is a long time?

A tank can be two years old and it’s still not considered a mature tank for keeping fish like the ones you have alive without QT.

BRS videos don’t really cover what a true mature reef is. It takes years and years to become one. I am talking sponges and microfauna and coral density and time.

Plan to QT or only buy from QT venders like Dr Reef and TSM from here on out if you want fish like this.

I have never personally done copper in a DT. I know people have and the used tons of copper absorbing media for a long time. I don’t remember how long off hand.

 

[Alexz]

I started getting damsels in May and Avery month doubling maybe a little less. Beneficial bacteria blocks... from nuts to bolts I thought I had it all covered. Watched all brs videos. Ton of research. Obviously not enough. Planned all this during corona. Fully custom built tank and sump. Just bought the glass everything diy Even cabinets, counter...lol everything was closed You know the rest. That’s why I feel so bad for these dying fish. I totally agree with you though. Rushing is always costly. I’m prepared for no corals for long time. By the way how long is a long time?

Even at 82. I would not treat for only 10 days. That is risky that you don’t get it all.

Thank you guys for helping out. It’s good to know fellow reefers helping each other out. Anytime y’all in Coney Island swing by and checkout my bar and hopefully saved aquarium! I’m right across the street from NY aquarium!