Not sure what I am dealing with...

[krispifsu]

A little background: tank set back up in October 2015 after a move. Tank has been running well. In August I ordered some fish (flame angel, copperband, and 2 fat head anthias) to add to the tank of watanabe angel, 2 pyramid butterfly fish, 2 clowns, 2 YWG, and a leopard wrasse. They went through TTM and were in observation for about 2 weeks when Hurricane Irma hit and we lost power for 3 days. I could not keep main tank and QT running at the same time, so I made the hasty error of adding the new fish to the tank after only 2 weeks of observation. Came back to bite me because after that I have lost everyone except the clowns, YMGs, leopard wrasse and 1 pyramid BF. It was not from power outage as I had generator running pump to keep tank moving. Fish one by one died over the course of the last month or so. Mostly they hid, stopped eating and then were dead the next day. Some of the fish looked liked they had a patch of discolored scales or similar dots on fins as the pyramid BF in the pictures.

I have now removed all fish from display tank and set up 2 hospital tanks. I have been doing TTM since Tuesday 10/24 and been treating with Mardel quick cure (1 ml per 9 gals of water).

But honestly, I don’t even know for sure what I am dealing with. The butterfly is the only one showing obvious symptoms right now. Fish are looking better and all eating well, but I do not want to move them to the observation tank I reset back up until I know that I have treated them for whatever disease they have. I 0lan to leave DT fallow for 3 months, but after going through this headache, I want to be sure that I have eradicated what caused the massive deaths.

 

[Maritimer]

The dark discolorations and the missing chunk at the front of your butterfly's dorsal have me thinking something bacterial ... though I'm not 100% certain that's all of what's going on. Most bacterial infections would affect just one fish, not the entire tank.

If that's what it is, you'll want to target the bugs with a wide-spectrum antibiotic - either Nitrofuracin Green or the "Trifecta" combination of Kanaplex, Metroplex and Furan-2.

Hoping that @melypr1985, @ngoodermuth or @Humblefish can offer clarification . . .

~Bruce

 

[Humblefish]

^^ I agree something bacterial is going on. But the hiding & timeline of deaths in the DT suggests Marine Velvet Disease could have been the precursor: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/

I would abandon TTM and treat with copper instead: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/copper-treatment.193343/

 

[melypr1985]

I would abandon TTM and treat with copper instead: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/copper-treatment.193343/

agreed. Watch that butterfly..... keep an eye on those dark spots. Though if you follow Humble's protocol for velvet it will include an acriflavin dip that should help the butterfly but not cure the bacterial infection. The hope is that treating the cause of it will allow the fish to heal on his own.

 

[4FordFamily]

^^ I agree something bacterial is going on. But the hiding & timeline of deaths in the DT suggests Marine Velvet Disease could have been the precursor: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/

I would abandon TTM and treat with copper instead: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/copper-treatment.193343/

X3 this screams velvet to me... angels come with it almost every time these days it seems..

 

[krispifsu]

Thank you so much for all of the help!

So based on what I have read this is my plan:
1. 5 minute freshwater dip
2. 30-60 minute Quick Cure bath
3. Transfer to clean HT and ramp up Coppersafe over 5 days. Use with combo of Kanaplex and Furan 2.
4. Maintain fish in medicated HT for 14 days at appropriate levels.
5. Transfer to clean observation tank. Remain in observation tank until end of DT fallow period (76 days)

A few questions:
How do you keep ammonia down in uncycled HT with copper? My understanding is I cannot use prime. I have 2 HT that I can transfer fish in/out of as I do with TTM but even then, I typically add prime to the water on day 2 to be safe. Water changes with replacement water already at correct copper dosage?

Once done, is sterilizing HT and any other equipment with bleachwater and air drying sufficient?

Any other tips or recommendations are appreciated! Treatment is for pyramid BF, 2 yellow watchmen gobies, 2 clowns, and a blue star leopard wrasse.

 

[Maritimer]

I use an Aqua-Clear 110 with two sponges and a shot of BioSpira (could also use "Dr. Tim's One-And-Only" - both are ready-to-go bacterial products, created by Dr. Tim) to get the QT biofilter up and running in short order. Prime will indeed render copper far more toxic - and most liquid ammonia tests won't read correctly with copper in the water. Use the Seachem "Ammonia Alert" badge.

I had an ammonia rise in QT a couple of weeks ago - a couple of major water changes and a shot of BioSpira brought it under control pretty quickly.

~Bruce