Parasite Outbreak-Need Advice

ccombs · Mar 6, 2019

Hello All,

Tomorrow I am setting up 2 Emergency QT Tanks, One for my fish to go through copper and other meds, and one for my inverts.

My DT has been nothing but problems and I am 7 months in. I am going to empty it and start a new cycle from scratch. I have 3 questions.

1) Should I toss my rock, keep it, or bleach it

2) Should I replace sand, maybe just wash it?

3) Should I replace my chaeto?

I am breaking this thing down tomorrow and would love some advice here.

lolgranny · Mar 6, 2019

What problems are you having to do something so drastically? Maybe there is something that you could fix before going through that headache.

ccombs · Mar 6, 2019

lolgranny said:
What problems are you having to do something so drastically? Maybe there is something that you could fix before going through that headache.

The whole backstory is pretty long and has been documented in other threads. I appreciate you wanting to keep it easy for me but I think I am at the point of a drastic change. Essentially my tank is 7 months old and the water chemistry is a whole mess. I have been trying to resolve it for awhile but I am set on going this route at this point.

ngoodermuth · Mar 7, 2019

What parasites are you dealing with? That might make a difference in the advice you receive... for example, most fish parasites have a fallow period except uronema. So if it’s uronema, I’d suggest tossing or at the least sterilizing the rock/tank.

If it’s a different fish parasite, and just water chemistry issues... I’d say keep it, remove the occupants you’d like to QT (definitely all fish), do a series of large water changes, and allow the tank to sit fallow for a bit. The inverts would be fine to remain during the fallow period, and if nutrients are an issue you would be reducing them drastically as you can feed very sparingly without fish present.

lolgranny · Mar 7, 2019

ccombs said:
The whole backstory is pretty long and has been documented in other threads. I appreciate you wanting to keep it easy for me but I think I am at the point of a drastic change. Essentially my tank is 7 months old and the water chemistry is a whole mess. I have been trying to resolve it for awhile but I am set on going this route at this point.

Water changes can fix water chemistry. Best of luck!

ccombs · Mar 7, 2019

ngoodermuth said:
What parasites are you dealing with? That might make a difference in the advice you receive... for example, most fish parasites have a fallow period except uronema. So if it’s uronema, I’d suggest tossing or at the least sterilizing the rock/tank.

If it’s a different fish parasite, and just water chemistry issues... I’d say keep it, remove the occupants you’d like to QT (definitely all fish), do a series of large water changes, and allow the tank to sit fallow for a bit. The inverts would be fine to remain during the fallow period, and if nutrients are an issue you would be reducing them drastically as you can feed very sparingly without fish present.

After alot of study and originally thinking it was Brooklynella it is actually Uronema.

So I should sterilize tank and rock, and replace sand? What about the chaeto?

ccombs · Mar 7, 2019

lolgranny said:
Water changes can fix water chemistry. Best of luck!

I am having some larger issue as water changes have not. I do 20% weekly and have never missed one, as well as a period of 20% a day for a week and that wasn't helpful either. I don't really want to get into the whole backstory again, I just need to know about the questions posed in the original post.

ngoodermuth · Mar 7, 2019

ccombs said:
After alot of study and originally thinking it was Brooklynella it is actually Uronema.

So I should sterilize tank and rock, and replace sand? What about the chaeto?

If it’s uronema, the only SURE way to be sure it’s gone is to treat all your fish and either sterilize or toss anything wet

you might be able to dip corals and do a thorough rinse in saltwater and hope for the best... but no guarantees.

Chaeto I would toss for sure, your CUC/inverts should be rinsed as thoroughly as possible as well.

I’ll find and post humble’s instructions on sterilizing your DT...