Need HELP Real Bad

[tuanc704]

Can u describe the parasites? Are you sure they are not copepods or amphipods? These are very small crustaceans that are beneficial to your tank.

I'm not really sure I saw one small white(about a coral crush size) climbing on the tank wall. and also some look like star fish but very small and hard (they are on the rocks). I'm sorry, I'm a newbie so I don't know much about these thing. Thanks

 

[Tabasco1]

Most likely they are some sort of pod and you do not need to worry about them.

 

[tuanc704]

2 clowns r now dead, only a yellow tang and a chromis still survive but not sure for how long. What should I do to the tank now as far as treatment since there is no more fishes in there

 

[CJO]

A few things-

• First, you still need to get a hospital tank set up and put the remaining fish in there. You need to treat them with copper, which would kill all of your corals if you used it on your main tank. You should keep up the copper treatment for at least 2 weeks. You can use some of your sand to seed the hospital tank. Also, Nemo's should have everything you need to set it up.
• I'm not sure what the life cycle of the marine velvet is, but you need to keep all fish out of the aquarium for at least that long so that it dies out before you add anything back in.
• Your tank is pretty new to have added all of these fish. That probably wasn't a cause of your issues, but it likely helped exacerbate it. You need to add things slowly!
• I wish you had put this picture and video on the local website a couple of days ago when you put up the other ones, you probably would have gotten immediate help then.

CJ

 

[cdness]

Had the tank running for 2 months now and just swapped the rock and the sand with the existing water last week.

It does look like velvet and needs to be treated as said with a hospital tank.

Yes you need to slow down. That's lots of fish for a 2 month old tank.

Why did you just swap out the sand and rock? I don't know what you are saying here. This can cause a cycle and fish death on it's own without the introduction of diseases. Please slow down and let your tank fully cycle and be ready to SLOWLY add livestock. Remember nothing good comes fast in this hobby.

 

[uall8up]

I agree, this hobby is a "hurry up and wait" process!!! Way too expensive to be in a hurry!!!

 

[zero]

I believed what you did wrong in the first place without knowing is taking old sand from old tank to use in new tank which caused a major nitrate spike killing your fish and corals if not careful. Any old sand should be wash before use to removed the nitrate build up in them. Having a hospital tank is good to have but as far as your main tank having issue, problem will be repeated...

 

[tuanc704]

A few things-

• First, you still need to get a hospital tank set up and put the remaining fish in there. You need to treat them with copper, which would kill all of your corals if you used it on your main tank. You should keep up the copper treatment for at least 2 weeks. You can use some of your sand to seed the hospital tank. Also, Nemo's should have everything you need to set it up.
• I'm not sure what the life cycle of the marine velvet is, but you need to keep all fish out of the aquarium for at least that long so that it dies out before you add anything back in.
• Your tank is pretty new to have added all of these fish. That probably wasn't a cause of your issues, but it likely helped exacerbate it. You need to add things slowly!
• I wish you had put this picture and video on the local website a couple of days ago when you put up the other ones, you probably would have gotten immediate help then.

CJ

Yes, I just set up a HT and seed it with sand and sponge from the main tank, did 50% water changed. there is no fish in the tank, just corals and 2 skunk shrimps. I should have asked for help more sooner until it too late.

It does look like velvet and needs to be treated as said with a hospital tank.

Yes you need to slow down. That's lots of fish for a 2 month old tank.

Why did you just swap out the sand and rock? I don't know what you are saying here. This can cause a cycle and fish death on it's own without the introduction of diseases. Please slow down and let your tank fully cycle and be ready to SLOWLY add livestock. Remember nothing good comes fast in this hobby.

I won't add anything in the tank for at least 4 weeks. I had the yellow tang in the HT as of now. will treat with copper

I agree, this hobby is a "hurry up and wait" process!!! Way too expensive to be in a hurry!!!

I Learned my lesson now. I have to slow down now or else.

I believed what you did wrong in the first place without knowing is taking old sand from old tank to use in new tank which caused a major nitrate spike killing your fish and corals if not careful. Any old sand should be wash before use to removed the nitrate build up in them. Having a hospital tank is good to have but as far as your main tank having issue, problem will be repeated...

My friend gave me his LR and LS because my had a lot of bubble algae. I should had invest in a HT more earlier than now.

 

[Mike&Terry]

...I won't add anything in the tank for at least 4 weeks. I had the yellow tang in the HT as of now. will treat with copper

4 weeks is not enough. You need to leave the tank fallow for a minimum of 8 weeks.

 

[tuanc704]

4 weeks is not enough. You need to leave the tank fallow for a minimum of 8 weeks.

Even with a old tank? I bought this tank used and it been run for around two year, I'm sorry for not mentioned this in my thread. the LR and LS are also in a long established tank.

Thanks a bunch

 

[Mike&Terry]

Your tank being old is irrelevant at this point as it is now infested with Amyloodinium ocellatum - the parasite that causes velvet. It is difficult to eradicate and as you have learned first hand, can be deadly to fish. Leaving the tank fallow of fish for 8 weeks will ensure that you do not repeat the cycle.

 

[tuanc704]

Your tank being old is irrelevant at this point as it is now infested with Amyloodinium ocellatum - the parasite that causes velvet. It is difficult to eradicate and as you have learned first hand, can be deadly to fish. Leaving the tank fallow of fish for 8 weeks will ensure that you do not repeat the cycle.

Will do the 8 weeks cycle this time. And if i to buy new fishes when the cycle completed, how long do I keep the new fishes in the HT?

 

[slapshot]

There are strains that are impossible to erraticate. They are rare but do exist. I fought one for over a year. Martin Moe finally helped me determine what I had. No matter what I did it would not go away. It was a FO tank so I even ran copper for three months. As soon as I removed the copper it came back.

The only way I got rid of it was to bleach the tank and filters and start over. I'm not saying you have this only that you need to keep this in mind in case your problems continue.

 

[Connie]

Just a thought. It probably wouldn't hurt to get a UV sterilizer and run it 24/7. When I first started out I had an ich epidemic that I couldn't get rid of no matter what med I used. The fish kept getting sick over and over. I finally purchased a sterilizer and my fish haven't been sick since....that was 2 years ago!
The con to a sterilizer is it will kill some of the good stuff along with the bad. I don't know if it would help with velvet. All I know is it saved my sanity. Maybe one of the experts can tell us if it would be beneficial for you.

 

[tuanc704]

There are strains that are impossible to erraticate. They are rare but do exist. I fought one for over a year. Martin Moe finally helped me determine what I had. No matter what I did it would not go away. It was a FO tank so I even ran copper for three months. As soon as I removed the copper it came back.

The only way I got rid of it was to bleach the tank and filters and start over. I'm not saying you have this only that you need to keep this in mind in case your problems continue.

I hope I am not ended up doing what you did. Thanks for the adviced.

Just a thought. It probably wouldn't hurt to get a UV sterilizer and run it 24/7. When I first started out I had an ich epidemic that I couldn't get rid of no matter what med I used. The fish kept getting sick over and over. I finally purchased a sterilizer and my fish haven't been sick since....that was 2 years ago!
The con to a sterilizer is it will kill some of the good stuff along with the bad. I don't know if it would help with velvet. All I know is it saved my sanity. Maybe one of the experts can tell us if it would be beneficial for you.

I thought about the UV too, might need one soon. Thanks

 

[Aquaph8]

4 weeks is not enough. You need to leave the tank fallow for a minimum of 8 weeks.

I completely agree.

 

[pumarjr]

when my fish at one point a few years ago developed some of that infection all I did was remove the infected fish, grabbed a large bowl and added some fresh r/o water to it at the tanks temp. added some rxp, ich medicine and let the fish look almost dead inside the bowl for about 45 sec. promptly removed the fish and took a small amount of tank water and placed it inside another bowl, I place the treated fish in it for about an hour and then put him back in the tank, he's still alive and well. no hospital tank for weeks on end.

 

[Tabasco1]

Will do the 8 weeks cycle this time. And if i to buy new fishes when the cycle completed, how long do I keep the new fishes in the HT?

Running your tank wo fish for 8 weeks has nothing to do with cycling your tank. This is the bare minimum time frame to keep you dt without fish so that the parasite dies completely since there is no fish host.

When you are ready to add fish to your display again go slow as the bacteria from your original cycle will have adjusted to a very low bio load and need to be increased slowly.

When you add new fish it is best practice to keep them in the ht or quarantine tank for 4 weeks to make sure they are free from disease and eating before you put them in the display. Some people treat as a preventative measure and some just keep them in for observation.

Good luck w the hospital tank, hope the tang pulls through!

 

[tuanc704]

I liked to update om my problem.
The tang did not make it, its gone after 4 days in the HT. There is still a green chromis in my DT and the little guy still happy and shows no sign of disease. I closely monitor the chromis and I do not see any Itches or sign of Marine Velvet. Currently I have a cleaner shrimp and a green chromis in the DT. Almost 2 weeks in the 8 weeks cycle.

 

[CJO]

Sorry to hear about your tang, but I'm glad the rest are doing alright. You need to keep all of the fish out of your DT for this to be effective, even the chromis. If the disease has any host available, you are not breaking the life cycle.

CJ