Oh boy, help.

[alexkharden]

Backstory:

I previously bought two Marine Bettas from an online vendor. I put both in quarantine, and both died within 4 days. All of the other fish that I've quarantined have done fine, so I don't attribute the Betta deaths to my procedures, although I'm not above being proved wrong. I decided it must be the vendor source, so I ordered one from my lfs and picked it up day before yesterday.

It died yesterday. Here's the problem I find myself in/placed myself in. I decided to skip quarantine. I put it directly into the tank, and exposed all of my other fish to whatever it had. I'm 99% that the "whatever" it died from is Enteric Redmouth Disease.

So how screwed am I? Does anyone know about this disease? I've been able to find little in it, because apparently it isn't overly found in hobbyist setups. The little I've been able to find says it's a gram negative bacterial infection that's generally transmitted by fish to fish contact. I also saw a mention of transmission via poop, but no description of how that type of transmission would occur. I haven't been able to find much else.

Please help save me from my own stupidity!

 

[cmcoker]

What make you think it's that? Red gills? How are you acclimating? I know you said you've done this before successfully but gotta ask...

If it's red gills it could be ammonia burn depending on how you acclimated these fish after shipping...

More info about why you think that's what you are dealing with would help.. Pics even better

 

[alexkharden]

When I got fish number 3 it's lip was red, but I thought it had scraped it during transit (I didn't know what erm was at that point). By the time it died it's lower jaw was sloughing off and it's eyes had gone whitish.

Number 1 was 36 hours late in being delivered, so in the bag for a long time. I followed the vendors method of drip acclimation, so that one most assuredly died of severe ammonia poisoning. I received two other fish on this order, both were acclimated the same way, both are still doing good 3 months later.

Learning lessons from number 1, number 2 I matched salinity in qt to the shipping bag, floated the bag for 30 minutes to match temp, and put it in quarantine. No other fish received in this order. This is, however, the method I've used to acclimate 6 other fish, all of which are still doing ok.

Number 3 did the same as number 2.

 

[jsker]

It looks like you are doing all the right things, it looks as though you are having a bad experience with this addition. I would feed this mix with the food and get the rest of the tanks inhabitants immune system up. the focus is so that it bonds everything to the food

 

[reeferfoxx]

number 2, I matched salinity in qt to the shipping bag,

Number 3 did the same as number 2.

Explain this a little more? How did you match qt tank salinity to shipping bag?

 

[alexkharden]

Well, when I know I'm getting new fish I'll put the qt salinity at 1.022 ish. Then I test the shipping bag. If it's higher than the qt I'll wc with rodi to bring it down, if lower i wc with water that's between 1.025 and 1.030 to bring it up.

 

[alexkharden]

So far through, the fish I've received online were all at about 1.022 in the bag.

 

[reeferfoxx]

What is your qt tanks source for biological filtration?

 

[alexkharden]

Sigh. Reverse that. If the water in the bag is higher than the qt, then I'll RAISE salinity in the qt, etc...

 

[alexkharden]

What is your qt tanks source for biological filtration?

HOB filter packed with filter floss. Two ammonia badges on the tank to monitor.

 

[alexkharden]

That picture also contains one of the dead Bettas.

 

[reeferfoxx]

To the best of my knowledge, you shouldn't be adjusting your salinity at all. Especially if you are quarantining other fish. Your qt tank salinity should match your dt. You would then drip acclimate the qt water into a bucket that has the fish, prior to adding the fish.

 

[reeferfoxx]

To make things a little cheaper you can use old dt water for the qt tank to best match salinity. But you need some kind of biological filtration when not medicating the tank. Typically the fish will be house in qt for months. Without bacteria to break down ammonia, your fish will die. So use a sponge that has been in the dt for some time to help keep ammonia low. Ammonia filters can't filter all of it.

 

[alexkharden]

I match qt salinity to the shipping bag. Then I slowly increase it over the course of a week or so to my dt level. This is necessary to avoid undue stress on the fish, and possible osmotic shock issues. If I'm going to qt multiple fish I put them all in qt at the same time. If I already have fish in qt, and want to start more in qt, then I start a second qt tank (the stand I built holds two tanks). If I already have two qt's going, then I forbid myself from buying new fish until I've finished qt'ing one or the other of the tanks.

When I start a new qt I use water from the main tank to fill it. From my experience, filter floss provide excellent biological flirtation. I've never had ammonia issues in qt.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I change out filter floss every 3 days. My filter floss houses nothing but nitrates and phosphates. Your method of constant water changing and salinity matching is a little unorthodox for me.

 

[alexkharden]

Do you measure the salinity of the shipping bag? You just keep your qt at NSW levels and just add the fish in once you get them?

 

[reeferfoxx]

I do measure salinity of shipping bag. Then i put the fish with shipping bag water in a container or bucket and then drip acclimate qt water in the container for about an hour. That will eliminate any osmotic shock. After that just drop the fish in the tank. Monitor the fish for 3 months. Done.

 

[clownsrcool]

Alex your method of matching your QT to the shipping water is extremely common and standard practice for most. I do the exact same thing. I wouldn't change what you are doing at all. Sounds fine. Maybe start incorporating medications like prazipro to your qt procedure to be proactive against any illnesses the fish may have.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Alex your method of matching your QT to the shipping water is extremely common and standard practice for most. I do the exact same thing. I wouldn't change what you are doing at all. Sounds fine. Maybe start incorporating medications like prazipro to your qt procedure to be proactive against any illnesses the fish may have.

My apologies. I wasn't telling him his method was wrong. Can someone send me a reference link to this method so i can better quarantine my fish?

 

[reeferfoxx]

Oh i see. Im sorry i miss read the 2nd part to the OP. So you've made like an emergency qt setup? Or is this a permanent qt setup?