Is this Ammonia burns from shipping?

Bebow · Feb 23, 2018

For the last year I’ve been trying to put together a shoal of Threadfin (Longspine) Cardinalfish for my 180 but so far I’m seeing almost a 50% loss most in the first week. My order for 5 Cardinalfish with 5 other fish and inverts came in yesterday Fedx at 5pm. I had a 30 gallon setup with a HOB with seasoned biological filter and a bottle of Biospira ready to go. I immediately went to work following the shippers drip acclimation instructions to the tee. I noticed several of the Cardinal bags had a minimum of water. Figured out it was around 7 once’s. Instructions said to cut open the bags, dump in a container then drip. Well...wish I knew then what I know now! Anyway to make this as brief as I can, one Cardinal was dead this morning a second which had completely lost his tail today died tonight. My tank tested O ammonia. I noticed the missing tail and started to get the Marycin2 out but didn’t want to nuke my biological filter and wasn’t prepared to setup another tank. I did a 30-40% water change but lost the fish. The other 3 Cardinal Fish look ok, not eating but look good. Other fish are doing well also.
I think I could have saved the fish if I had skipped the drip and dumped them in the QT, knowing what I know now from reading this forum. Picture is the second fish that died which looks like ammonia burn with fin rot.
What’s your opinion?
Thanks,
Bob

Maritimer · Feb 23, 2018

I'm not certain that it's not a bacterial infection, but @Humblefish or @melypr1985 will have seen both issues more often than I. IIRC, these guys are a real challenge to acclimate - hoping the rest do well from here in!

~Bruce

4FordFamily · Feb 23, 2018

Maritimer said:
I'm not certain that it's not a bacterial infection, but @Humblefish or @melypr1985 will have seen both issues more often than I. IIRC, these guys are a real challenge to acclimate - hoping the rest do well from here in!

~Bruce

That looks bacterial in nature to me. Whether bacteria was the cause or catalyst —I cannot tell. Perhaps something was biting the tail causing a nasty infection, perhaps it was something else.

Humblefish · Feb 23, 2018

^^ Agree, that looks like a gram negative bacterial infection: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bacterial-infections.191511/

Bebow · Feb 23, 2018

Maritimer said:
I'm not certain that it's not a bacterial infection, but @Humblefish or @melypr1985 will have seen both issues more often than I. IIRC, these guys are a real challenge to acclimate - hoping the rest do well from here in!

~Bruce

Thanks Bruce.
From the red streaks it does seem to me it’s bacterial but I’m not any expert on this. This happened in a matter of hours. I didn’t see any fish biting or chasing them... at least while I was in the fish room. I didn’t notice the missing tail till this afternoon. I had the same problem with the ones I ordered last March.
I have 3 in DT now. My original plans was a shoal of 10, right I’d be happy with 7.

Bebow · Feb 23, 2018

Humblefish said:
^^ Agree, that looks like a gram negative bacterial infection: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bacterial-infections.191511/

Thanks, I read through all that this evening. Great info by the way!. I didn’t think it was possible for a fish to lose his tail in 6 hours to a bacterial infection. He did have a tail this morning, I checked close. Could ammonia burns could have been the catalyst in this.

Bebow · Feb 24, 2018

One more dead last night, one this morning. That leaves 2 out of 5. These show no outward signs of infection, fins are perfect. I’m done with cardinals unless I can find them local.