Ich or velvet?

[Jake_the_reefer]

So all of my fish are dead and I am bummed. I noticed a disease start to form on my wrasse and clownfish causing them to have spots all over them that looked like grains of salt. A few days later the clownfish started to get what looked like flakey skin on them and the next day both clowns died. Then the wrasse passed the very next day. The only fish in my tank not effected at all is my watchman goby but I see the cleaner shrimp constantly cleaning him so I assume that's why he isn't ill.

The spots make me think ich but the clownfisg having flakey skin and dying in a matter if days makes me think velvet.

This has made me realize that quarentine is not a choice it is a requirement. I am bummed but once this tank goes fallow I will start restocking with treated fish!

Sorry I don't have pictures all fish died and were eaten by cuc before I got home from work each day

 

[MERKEY]

Sorry for your loss...sounds like brook.

I say that because of the clowns peeling.

Pics would be able to explain more but if the fish were left in the tank to die or be eaten, depending on the age of your tand the first deaths they could have caused an ammonia spike and killed the rest.

Fish diseases are nasty and quarentining anything new is almost a must in the hobby now as so many vendors and shops are getting sick fish in.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

Sorry for your loss...sounds like brook.

I say that because of the clowns peeling.

Pics would be able to explain more but if the fish were left in the tank to die or be eaten, depending on the age of your tand the first deaths they could have caused an ammonia spike and killed the rest.

Fish diseases are nasty and quarentining anything new is almost a must in the hobby now as so many vendors and shops are getting sick fish in.

Sadly this is the only photo I got of the first clown that died. The 2nd clown was almost completely devoured.

Also I made sure there was no ammonia spike. I tested and did a water change.
The tank is 5 months old now.
The tank will be left empty for 75 days and all new fish will go through copper

 

[Qasimja]

it was either brook or velvet those are the main two that can take out your entire tank really fast if it was ich the fish wouldnt have died so quickly

 

[Big G]

Sorry for your losses.
Agree with above. Sounds like Brook. Even though it's often called "Clownfish Disease" it can infect all fish. Often looks like ich or velvet during the early stages. Here's some pictures, descriptions and treatments:

Brooklynella

Brooklynella hostilis What You Need To Know: * This is most often seen in clownfish, but it can afflict any fish. The fish’s skin will appear to be peeling or sloughing off, oftentimes causing excessive white mucous to form around the affected area(s). * Treatment of choice is a 45 minute...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[h2so4hurts]

I don't understand why people don't quarantine. There's $15 of equipment here in each setup, and I use water change water from the DT in all the tubs. 2 weeks of chloroquine (120mg/10gal) with 50% water changes every other day (5 gal) and you're good to go. Observe another 2 weeks if you want to be extra careful.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

I don't understand why people don't quarantine. There's $15 of equipment here in each setup, and I use water change water from the DT in all the tubs. 2 weeks of chloroquine (120mg/10gal) with 50% water changes every other day (5 gal) and you're good to go. Observe another 2 weeks if you want to be extra careful.

I'll be quarentining from here on out. The mistake was trusting when I was told all fish were prequarentined

 

[h2so4hurts]

Trust no one . I say the above, but I lost an entire tank early on too so don't feel too bad about it

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

Trust no one . I say the above, but I lost an entire tank early on too so don't feel too bad about it

I was getting cocky tbh. 3 tanks no issues whatsoever now I am getting the slap in the face haha. Good $200 in fish gone

 

[Conrad Noto]

So all of my fish are dead and I am bummed. I noticed a disease start to form on my wrasse and clownfish causing them to have spots all over them that looked like grains of salt. A few days later the clownfish started to get what looked like flakey skin on them and the next day both clowns died. Then the wrasse passed the very next day. The only fish in my tank not effected at all is my watchman goby but I see the cleaner shrimp constantly cleaning him so I assume that's why he isn't ill.

The spots make me think ich but the clownfisg having flakey skin and dying in a matter if days makes me think velvet.

This has made me realize that quarentine is not a choice it is a requirement. I am bummed but once this tank goes fallow I will start restocking with treated fish!

Sorry I don't have pictures all fish died and were eaten by cuc before I got home from work each day

Without photos, based on what you stated Velvet. Ich is slower, you'd get a spot or two, they fall off, more spots and spread to other fish, getting gradually worse cycle after cycle. Can go on for months with no death and plenty of time to treat. Velvet reproduces in large numbers, spreads quickly. Velvet 99% of the time will infest soft tissue first (gills) that means by the time you see a spot or dusting on fins, fish already fully infested. Velvet requires fast treatment with copper and antibiotics for secondary infections . Fish will die 0-72 hours from first visible signs, can wipe out full tank in few days.

 

[h2so4hurts]

Chloroquine is way faster and less harsh than copper. It's also much safer and the effective range is broader. If you can get a hold of Chloroquine, spectrum sells it as a product called ick shield, it kills crypt, velvet and Brook AND can be used in combination with metronidazole and praziquantel. It's a pretty cool drug.

If you do have the unfortunate luck to get either parasite in your system a beefy UV sterilizer tuned to the proper flow will help control outbreaks. It won't eliminate the parasite but it will prevent it from overwhelming the tank. It's a good option if you don't have the time to test apart your tank and treat all of the fish. It's similar to how these parasites function in the ocean where to survive they have to replicate in huge numbers because they're instantly diluted by the ocean. In your little reef tank, they aren't diluted and can cause a huge problem. Frying the majority of them with UV can help a ton.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

Chloroquine is way faster and less harsh than copper. It's also much safer and the effective range is broader. If you can get a hold of Chloroquine, spectrum sells it as a product called ick shield, it kills crypt, velvet and Brook AND can be used in combination with metronidazole and praziquantel. It's a pretty cool drug.

If you do have the unfortunate luck to get either parasite in your system a beefy UV sterilizer tuned to the proper flow will help control outbreaks. It won't eliminate the parasite but it will prevent it from overwhelming the tank. It's a good option if you don't have the time to test apart your tank and treat all of the fish. It's similar to how these parasites function in the ocean where to survive they have to replicate in huge numbers because they're instantly diluted by the ocean. In your little reef tank, they aren't diluted and can cause a huge problem. Frying the majority of them with UV can help a ton.

Thats the unfortunate thing. I had a green killing machine set up to try and reduce the population of the parasite but it may not be tuned for said application. I will also look into non copper treatments! Thanks a ton

 

[Conrad Noto]

Thats the unfortunate thing. I had a green killing machine set up to try and reduce the population of the parasite but it may not be tuned for said application. I will also look into non copper treatments! Thanks a ton

Green killing machine ok in nano 10-20gal to help with algae/water clarity. Too weak in my opinion to have any major effect on parasites. You really need at least 2watt per gallon, high quality UV bulb for a sufficient parasite reduction, i'd go 3watt per gallon. It only kills what passes bulb, does touch anything in tank.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

Green killing machine ok in nano 10-20gal to help with algae/water clarity. Too weak in my opinion to have any major effect on parasites. You really need at least 2watt per gallon, high quality UV bulb for a sufficient parasite reduction, i'd go 3watt per gallon. It only kills what passes bulb, does touch anything in tank.

Oh okay. Thank you. What is the fallow period for a tank? Is it 72 days?

 

[Big G]

Oh okay. Thank you. What is the fallow period for a tank? Is it 72 days?

76 days just to make sure. There is a study that showed Ich lasting 72 days. Rare, but it happened.

The only QT you can truly trust is your own.

 

[h2so4hurts]

Every UV unit has a recommended flow rate to get the exposure level to kill parasites. These doses have been determined scientifically. It's much less than 3watt per gallon. Read the directions

 

[Conrad Noto]

Oh okay. Thank you. What is the fallow period for a tank? Is it 72 days?

Yes, but if Velvet that doesn't always work

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

Yes, but if Velvet that doesn't always work

How do you get velvet out of a display tank then if fallow doesn't always work

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

All thats alive now is a watchman goby and a six line wrasse (turns out not dead but hiding) whats the smallest tank I can do for a hospital for these guys? I am low on space in my house so I can do anything big at all. Both are 1.5 inches

 

[Conrad Noto]

How do you get velvet out of a display tank then if fallow doesn't always work

Very hard if you have coral or photosynthetic inverts. Needs to be fallow and dark. After 2 tries I tossed like 2k in frags/ corals, coppered fish in tubs , put NPS inverts in large bucket with filter. I drained tank, filled and ran 3 days with fresh water, emptied refilled with saltwater, bacteria and recycled.