Ready to give up :(

[JadeM]

I've been feeling the same way. 3 years ago I went from a 50 gallon and bought a 265 gallon. I've still not got this thing down. I now have qt tanks everywhere trying to dodge velvet again ( dealing with it now). I've been fallow twice this year! What keeps me going is finally get active on R2R and seeing the potential my tank does have. This hobby can really be a downer at times for sure, but I love it.

couldn't of said it better, the inspiration keeps me going, dealing with ich at the moment too....

 

[JadeM]

There is something wrong with your water chemistry. Its not bad luck. Give a run down of all your parameters. Test new.

tested today and parameters perfect and in range couldn't have said that a few days ago... all is good now so

 

[melypr1985]

since the upgrade from my established 4 foot reef to the 6 foot things haven't gotten any better, 2 fish commit by jumping out from the gap in the lid thats 2 inch by 2 inch.. zooanthids going each night (caught a large bobbit worm in the 4 foot) fish dying without a trace. etc. thinking about going nano but transfer the 6 foot into a FOWLR. any thoughts and experience to keep on going would be great thanks

don't give up! Take it one thing at a time. Pick one thing to solve and work that out, then move to the next thing. We are all here to help with each step.

 

[JadeM]

don't give up! Take it one thing at a time. Pick one thing to solve and work that out, then move to the next thing. We are all here to help with each step.

thanks tackled water parameters yesterday and today lighting both went successfully! now just tackling ich on my two foxface which has cloudy and slightly swollen eyes now too ..... and my female maroon clown who also has ich any idea of how to get rid of cloudy and swollen eyes??? good water? hypo salinity? good food? well thats what i'm doing....hmm

 

[melypr1985]

thanks tackled water parameters yesterday and today lighting both went successfully! now just tackling ich on my two foxface which has cloudy and slightly swollen eyes now too ..... and my female maroon clown who also has ich any idea of how to get rid of cloudy and swollen eyes??? good water? hypo salinity? good food? well thats what i'm doing....hmm

The cloudy eyes are an infection. With ich, you can't get rid of it without QT and treatment. To be rid of it in your display you will need to remove all fish and let the tank sit fallow (fishless) for 76 days. There are several ways to treat for ick, I'll link them here for you to read. The eyes are caused by the ick. Epsom salt will help with the swelling and if they can't heal the infection on their own antibiotics are needed. Kanaplex is my med of choice for this purpose, and doing it in the water in the QT is the best way to administer. This is a lot of info, but it's all good stuff. Give it a read and ask any questions it might leave you with.
How to Quarantine
Ich eradication vs. Ich management
Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans)

Antibiotics: Treats bacterial infections, which are oftentimes “secondary” to preexisting parasitic infestations.

How To Treat - Follow the directions on the label of whatever product you are using. Always use a broad spectrum antibiotic medication i.e. one that treats both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial diseases (very important). Examples of this include Furan-2, Kanamycin aka Seachem Kanaplex, Nitrofuracin Green Powder, Triple Sulfa Powder or a combination of using both Erythromycin & Minocycline. The latter can be accomplished (albeit expensively) by using freshwater Maracyn 1 & 2 and then doubling the dosage for saltwater use. When battling a particularly nasty bacterial infection, combining Furan-2, Kanaplex and metronidazole (ex. Seachem MetroPlex) can be very effective (and safe). Props to “hedgedrew” for enlightening me of this.

Normally you have to do 4 doses to complete a full course of treatment. The instructions may say to dose every 24 hours, and perform water changes at certain intervals. In my experience, you often have to do 2 full courses of treatment (or 8 doses total) before a fish will show signs of improvement (antibiotics are notoriously slow acting with fish). If a fish shows no signs of improvement after the second full course, then it’s time to try a completely different medication. Just like with humans, sometimes a certain fish will respond better to a different antibiotic. You can run activated carbon at any time when you wish to end treatment.

Pros - One of the few medications that can safely be mixed with others. You can use antibiotics in conjunction with just about everything.

Cons/Side Effects - Appetite suppression, depletes the water of oxygen (so provide additional gas exchange).

Epsom Salt: Treats eye and other injuries. Popeye in one eye usually means injury, but popeye in both eyes usually denotes a bacterial infection requiring antibiotic treatment. Cloudy eye can be a bacterial infection or flukes.

How To Treat - 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of aquarium water. Repeat only once, if necessary. Use only “USP” grade Epsom salt.

Pros - Reef safe, as Epsom salt is just magnesium sulfate.

Cons/Side Effects - The effects of excessive sulfate in a reef aquarium are not fully known.