Lost a blenny and royal gramma.

[wallyg]

I lost a royal gramma and a blenny the last 2 days. Best guess was a bacterial infection based on pictures from this forum. They were almost 4 months old. I still have a maroon clown that looks healthy and a pajama clown that is showing a cloudy and swollen eye today. No other fish in the tank. I have 6 corals, some snails and a shrimp that are all fine. It is a biocube 32_gallon that is about 5 months old.

Any ideas on what to do next. It is my only tank. Will it ever be safe to add fish in the future without sterilizing the entire tank.

 

[Big G]

Bacterial infections are usually a "secondary" infection resulting from some other first cause. Consider starting with a freshwater dip to check for flukes.

 

[Dierks]

Hey @wallyg I'm sorry you are going through this. I know a lot of folks are going top ask for a bunch more of info from you but if you are simply asking the question we can answer that as well.

If you have any pictures of your fish that passed either when they were sick or after they perished that would be helpful. It would help identify the issue at hand here as it sounds like it might be more then bacterial if you lost a couple fish in rapid succession.

In regards to helping your fish you still have, do you have a Quarantine tank that you would be able to use? If so try and get the Pajama and I suggest at least doing a Fresh water Dip to see if its flukes in the eye. I would then give them a bath in Erythromycin (Maracyn 1) or epson Salt. Here is the Epson Salt Dosing:

Epsom Salt: Treats eye and other injuries. Popeye in one eye usually means injury, but popeye in both eyes usually denotes a bacterial infection requiring antibiotic treatment. Cloudy eye can be a bacterial infection or flukes.
How To Treat - 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of aquarium water. Repeat only once, if necessary. Use only “USP” grade Epsom salt.
Pros - Reef safe, as Epsom salt is just magnesium sulfate.
Cons/Side Effects - The effects of excessive sulfate in a reef aquarium are not fully known.

In regards to going fallow if you can remove your fish here is a guide for that!

Fallow periods: Going Fishless

Please see this updated information on fallow periods: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/45-day-fallow-periods.805213/ Jay Hemdal 7/13/2023 The reason to go fallow (fishless) is to eliminate a fish disease from your DT (display tank). Going fallow works because you are denying the disease a...

www.reef2reef.com

I hope that help a little bit and again I am sorry you are going through this as its never fun.

 

[wallyg]

Thanks for the info. Should I dip the clown?

 

[Dierks]

I think I would... I would rather be safe then sorry. Have you done a freshwater dip before? It can be scary the first time... If you have a black bucket that would be ideal as you can then see if any of the flukes fell off. They will look like little poppy seeds...

Here is a link to a Youtube video that shows you. Do a bit of watching and you will feel comfortable at what you are seeing.
Here you can find it laid out on paper as well.

Eliminate Saltwater Parasites With a Freshwater Dip

One of the simplest and fastest ways to reduce parasites on saltwater fish is a quick freshwater dip or bath.

www.thesprucepets.com

 

[4FordFamily]

Sometimes uronema can present like infections as well. Photos would be most helpful for ID. I do also agree with @Big G that it is more common for infections to be secondary from another affliction.