Possible uronema in tank?

[Newfishgirl]

I lost my last damsel last night in my mantis tank to what I believe is uronema. The fish all started off with soars on their heads followed by fading of color, convulsions, and what looked like mouth and head rot. With the exception of my 6 line in the tank, who has and is acting fine, I have a mantis shrimp, some hermits and 2 snails. I've read mixed articles saying you can treat uronema and others saying just bleach the tank and start over.
Does anyone have any experience with this disease? Should I just let the tank stay dormant of fish for a few months and just have the shrimp and snails or should I treat the tank? If I treat it is there anything I can use that will not affect the mantis?
Thanks
Denise

 

[Humblefish]

There is no coral/invert safe treatment for uronema. Once a tank has Uronema, it must be assumed that the disease survives until that tank is completely broken down & sterilized. Or you could run bleach thru the system, wait for it to evaporate and start over/re-cycle. See more info below.

Uronema marinum:

Symptoms - These are the red sores often seen on chromis damsels. The disease seems mostly confined to damsels and clownfish, but I have seen some exceptions to that.

Treatment options - This is a very difficult disease to treat. Possible treatment options include: Metronidazole (ex. Seachem MetroPlex), acriflavine (ex.Acriflavine-MS), Chloroquine phosphate and copper. The problem is the fish can never be returned to the infected tank from which it came. Uronema is a “free living” parasite which does not require a fish host. So, going fallow will not eradicate it. Most fish seem protected from it via their natural immune system; but for some reason, chromis and some other fish are not always afforded this protection. Once a tank has Uronema, it must be assumed that the disease can survive in there almost indefinitely.

Formalin bath or freshwater dip may provide temporary relief for Uronema.