Ich, Velvet, or Brook?

[m.k.aqautics]

Water Parameters:

Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 30 ppm
pH: 7.8

Over the last couple weeks I’ve had this going around my tank. I brought in a flameback angelfish (and like a fool, didn’t quarantine). Soon after I introduced the flameback angelfish, two cardinalfish died seemingly for no reason. I’ve seen the spots show up on the clowns here and there, every few days or so, and first thought it was ich. Today my Royal Gramma died, having shown signs of this disease yesterday as well. I’m trying to set up a tank to keep them in and treat them in while I fallow my tank, but I don’t know what to treat for. Can anyone tell what this is?

Link to a video of my clownfish:

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Link to a video of my clownfish:

That does look like Brooklynella. All I can suggest is to continue with the Ruby Reef. It is not as effective as formalin, but much safer to use in a home.

Jay

 

[m.k.aqautics]

That does look like Brooklynella. All I can suggest is to continue with the Ruby Reef. It is not as effective as formalin, but much safer to use in a home.

Jay

Thank you, I walked in this morning and thag clownfish is hardly swimming. I have to go into work for 3 hours, I honestly doubt she’ll be alive when I get back.

 

[m.k.aqautics]

Thank you, I walked in this morning and thag clownfish is hardly swimming. I have to go into work for 3 hours, I honestly doubt she’ll be alive when I get back.

Update: The clownfish is dead. All I have left in the tank is my other clown, the Midas Blenny, a goby, and the flame Hawkfish . I’m giving in and ordering formalin, hopefully they’ll stay symptom free long enough for me to save the last few.

 

[m.k.aqautics]

New Update: My second clownfish is dead. He wasn’t showing any physical symptoms of the Brook last night, but when I got home today he was gone. Also, my Midas Blenny is looking worse for wear. He was just laying in the corner breathing heavily. I wasn’t able to catch him for a FW dip before I had to leave again, I dont’t think he’s going to make it either. I’m on day 5 of using Rally pro and it hasn’t seemed to help the tank at all. Oddly enough, neither my goby nor my Flame hawkfish have yet to show any signs of this disease at all and are still acting entirely normal. Hopefully they’ll make it through.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

New Update: My second clownfish is dead. He wasn’t showing any physical symptoms of the Brook last night, but when I got home today he was gone. Also, my Midas Blenny is looking worse for wear. He was just laying in the corner breathing heavily. I wasn’t able to catch him for a FW dip before I had to leave again, I dont’t think he’s going to make it either. I’m on day 5 of using Rally pro and it hasn’t seemed to help the tank at all. Oddly enough, neither my goby nor my Flame hawkfish have yet to show any signs of this disease at all and are still acting entirely normal. Hopefully they’ll make it through.

If you do use formalin in your house, I wouldn’t sleep in the room with the tank - formalin off gasses from the water over about 24 hours.

I’ve used formalin improperly for 50+ years and im sure I’ll pay the piper at some point….

Jay

 

[m.k.aqautics]

If you do use formalin in your house, I wouldn’t sleep in the room with the tank - formalin off gasses from the water over about 24 hours.

I’ve used formalin improperly for 50+ years and im sure I’ll pay the piper at some point….

Jay

Okay thank you for the warning. I’ve been having trouble finding a good formalin solution, so I’m not sure I’ll get to one on time for the other fish but I’ll keep trying to find some.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Okay thank you for the warning. I’ve been having trouble finding a good formalin solution, so I’m not sure I’ll get to one on time for the other fish but I’ll keep trying to find some.

Avoid the 10% buffered product, you want 37% formaldehyde, that is considered 100% formalin.
Jay

 

[m.k.aqautics]

Avoid the 10% buffered product, you want 37% formaldehyde, that is considered 100% formalin.
Jay

Okay thank you

 

[m.k.aqautics]

Okay thank you

What concentration of 37% formalin should I use for a bath, and how long should I do the bath for? And should I treat the quarantine tank with formalin as well? If so, what concentration should I use for that?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

What concentration of 37% formalin should I use for a bath, and how long should I do the bath for? And should I treat the quarantine tank with formalin as well? If so, what concentration should I use for that?

First, always use good aeration when dosing formalin, either in the tank or in a bath - strong air stones.

The bath I use is 125 ppm for one hour. The in tank treatment is 25 ppm daily for the actual (net) volume of the tank. The formula for the dose is gallons times ppm divided by 266 to get milliliters of formalin.

So - for a 50 gallon tank it would be 25 times 50 divided by 266. For a one gallon dip it would be 1 times 125 divided by 266 to get ml of formalin.

Always check your math!

Jay