Lost of fish in 48 hours, need help.

[bamareef]

I purchased a couple more fish beginning of November. Powder Blue Tang (PBT), Cardinal, Yellow Tang, and a Mandarin. My PBT was doing fine and tapered off when i put it in my 75 gallon. During setup of my 190, I put the PBT into QT (20 gallon). He started back eating and swimming around. I also did a HYPO just in case it was ICH during this time in QT. I also was dosing vitamins at this time. When I got the 190 up and running, I put him in it when I transferred all my other livestock in the 190. Everything was looking great. PBT swam around and then started back not eating. I figured it was the yellow tang stressing it out. But I then decided, it was live or die. So after about a Month later in the 190, he died. Before he died, his eyes got glossy and had a few raised bumps on him and hadn't eat in over 3 to 4 weeks. So he died this weekend. But during this whole time, he was the only fish acting like this. All others were fine. Yesterday, I could not find my mandarin, nor my yellow tail damsel. I also noticed my Yellow tang had a white skim all over him. I did a water change and vacuum some of the sand bed. Thought that i stirred up something in sand bed that cause this white powder substance on his coating. Well he died last night and to my belief my Mandarin and Yellow Tail Damsel has died. Now i get up this morning and my Mated Snowflake and Darwin clowns appear to be shedding their slime coat. Is there anything I can do? I don't see any signs of ICH on the fish and they changed overnight, right after my PBT died. All my corals are thriving and no signs of any problems with any of the coral and/or invertebrates. So I have lost 4 out of 7 fish in 48 hours. Is there anything i can add/dose that is reef safe. Is it safe to stress out the fish, try to catch them and put them in QT(if I can catch them without having to remove rock and coral). Also i did see my yellow tang swim to where my peppermint shrimp hang out. He also stopped at one of them in the middle of the tank, I guess natural instincts telling him to let them clean him. All fish are or did eat well and acting normal.

Any advice or help would be awesome.

Thanks,
Sam

 

[tigerdragon]

Could be velvet

 

[Humblefish]

The "shedding their slime coat" part makes me think velvet as well, or possibly Brooklynella. If so, you are looking at a near wipe out soon unless you act fast. You need to QT all your fish, and start doing formalin baths (which provide temporary relief for both velvet & brook). Post pics of the fish, so we can help you figure out exactly what this is.

 

[tigerdragon]

Ran into this in a fowlr setup i had lost everything but my coris wrasse only because he would bury in sand is my only thinking

 

[bamareef]

I setup a QT tank and will dose Meds. Waiting for water to heat up. Checked Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite levels. They are good. All parameters are good. Hopefully my mated Snowflake pair will last. Going to remove from display tank after work when my tank heats up and salt mixes. Fingers crossed......

 

[Humblefish]

Your treatment options are as follows:

Chloroquine phosphate - will knock out both velvet & brook, but it's very hard to get as you need a prescription from a vet that can be filled by a local pharmacy. The stuff you get online (ebay) is usually not pharmaceutical grade CP.

Copper (Cupramine) - treats velvet if you've provided temporary relief by administering a formalin bath beforehand; does not treat brook

Formalin - treats brook and provides temporary relief for velvet, but doesn't cure velvet

Acriflavin/metronidazole - Two good alternative treatments for brook; probably does nothing for velvet

A FW dip will provide similar (but not as good) temporary relief for both velvet and brook, if you can't locate formalin in time.

 

[bamareef]

Down to one fish. Treating it with ICH-X in QT, the only thing i could get my hands on quickly. So far the Darwin Clown has held up. Still eating and active. Lost 6 out 7 fish in 48 hours. All I can say is this is very depressing. But will let my tank go fallow for minimum of 4 weeks. Only thing left is invertabrates and corals. It happened so quick, i didnt get any good pictures of the fish. They were powdery looking overnight with slime coat hanging off. Then dead. No time to act. Thanks all for the information and help. Lets see if the darwin clown will make it.

 

[bamareef]

Humblefish, thanks for the treatment options and information. My QT tank water and salt setup couldnt go fast enough to make it for the other fish. You were a great help.

 

[Humblefish]

Sorry to hear of your losses. I've been there before; I know how it feels. :sad:

The "powdery looking" and then "slime coat hanging off" strongly suggests velvet. ICH-X will help, as that contains formaldehyde, but will not completely eradicate. All survivors need to be placed in Copper (ex. Cupramine) for 1 month, as that sounds like your most practical option. DT should be left fallow for 6 weeks to starve out any remaining parasites. Velvet is much worse than ich; it cannot be managed.