Sick yellow tang

CoralClasher · Feb 21, 2019

I'm one week from being velvet free in DT. I had first follow fail on me and now one week from putting fish back in DT. My QT is a 55 gallon tank filled with 30 gallons of water and a bio-ball filter on top. It's was running for six months before I put copper in. Now it's been 72 days plus 5 weeks with copper and two rounds of GC and two rounds of E.M I've been doing lots of water changes but I'm sure the tank is getting toxic. The GC and E.M were done six weeks ago. I'm wondering if I can or should move all the fish to a new 10 gallon QT and do the GC and or E.M again? Fox face, purple tang, yellow tang and a blenny. The yellow tang is the only one that looks bad.

Robink · Feb 21, 2019

@Humblefish @4FordFamily @melypr1985

Smo · Feb 21, 2019

Confirm how long you’ve had copper at a therapeutic level. During water changes, did you add Cu to the clean new salt water prior to adding it to the QT?
A 10 G sounds way too small for those fish.

Big G · Feb 21, 2019

The redish marking and the tattered fins can be symptoms of a bacterial infection. EM works largely on gram positive infections. Recommend you consider treating the tang with NFG. It works wonders on these red sore areas and treats a large spectrum of gram negative bacterial infections. Furan2 + Metro + Kanaplex will also work but highly recommend the NFG.

CoralClasher · Feb 21, 2019

Smo said:
Confirm how long you’ve had copper at a therapeutic level. During water changes, did you add Cu to the clean new salt water prior to adding it to the QT?
A 10 G sounds way too small for those fish.

Five weeks at full copper and yes I added copper to the new water before I put it in. The first 72 days was too low of copper hence the fail.

CoralClasher · Feb 21, 2019

Big G said:
The redish marking and the tattered fins can be symptoms of a bacterial infection. EM works largely on gram positive infections. Recommend you consider treating the tang with NFG. It works wonders on these red sore areas and treats a large spectrum of gram negative bacterial infections. Furan2 + Metro + Kanaplex will also work but highly recommend the NFG.

From the look of the yellow tang I don't have much time he is getting worse by the hour. I only have a ten gallon tank not being used right now. I do have ten gallons of Pacific Ocean water in a box from Petco. Will the four fish be ok till I can bleach and dry the 55 QT? Or just put the yellow tang in the new QT?

Frtdrmrose7 · Feb 21, 2019

Jon Malkerson said:
From the look of the yellow tang I don't have much time he is getting worse by the hour. I only have a ten gallon tank not being used right now. I do have ten gallons of Pacific Ocean water in a box from Petco. Will the four fish be ok till I can bleach and dry the 55 QT? Or just put the yellow tang in the new QT?

If you are going to bleach and sterilize the 55 immediately and that’s all you have then I would do it.

Big G · Feb 21, 2019

Jon Malkerson said:
From the look of the yellow tang I don't have much time he is getting worse by the hour. I only have a ten gallon tank not being used right now. I do have ten gallons of Pacific Ocean water in a box from Petco. Will the four fish be ok till I can bleach and dry the 55 QT? Or just put the yellow tang in the new QT?

Focus on the tang. You are right. Those red-ish markings are of urgent attention. What meds do you have on hand? Furan2, Kanaplex, Triplesulfa?

CoralClasher · Feb 21, 2019

Big G said:
Focus on the tang. You are right. Those red-ish markings are of urgent attention. What meds do you have on hand? Furan2, Kanaplex, Triplesulfa?

All I have is API E.M and GC

Big G · Feb 21, 2019

For those red sores/areas Furan2 and even better NFG powder is the key. Time is not your friend here.

CoralClasher · Feb 21, 2019

Ok the ten gallon is cleaned and running just need to get it up to temp. Should I use E.M tonight or get something tomorrow?

CoralClasher · Feb 21, 2019

Fresh water dip before I drop him in new QT?

Frtdrmrose7 · Feb 21, 2019

Jon Malkerson said:
Fresh water dip before I drop him in new QT?

If he’s in that bad of shape I’m not sure I’d put him through a FW dip since your concern is an infection and a FW dip won’t help that. Dosing GC will cover flukes anyways.

CoralClasher · Feb 21, 2019

Frtdrmrose7 said:
If you are going to bleach and sterilize the 55 immediately and that’s all you have then I would do it.

I'm sure I could get it done in 24 hours but I don't want to. Only one more week and I can start using DT.

Frtdrmrose7 · Feb 21, 2019

Jon Malkerson said:
I'm sure I could get it done in 24 hours but I don't want to. Only one more week and I can start using DT.

After reading everything I would just. Get the YT in there with ABX

CoralClasher · Feb 21, 2019

Do I need to acclimate him or just match water temp and salt?

Frtdrmrose7 · Feb 21, 2019

Jon Malkerson said:
Do I need to acclimate him or just match water temp and salt?

I would just do temp and S.G

CoralClasher · Feb 21, 2019

Thanks for the help! Tomorrow will be soon enough for ABX or should I use E.M tonight?

Big G · Feb 21, 2019

Jon Malkerson said:
Ok the ten gallon is cleaned and running just need to get it up to temp. Should I use E.M tonight or get something tomorrow?

By all means, dose the EM. Be mindful that EM can be hard on the bio conditions. Can add some bacteria in a bottle like, BioSpira, etc. to offset the EM's effects. Keep an eye on the ammonia level.