Glove
04/12/2010, 11:26 PM
Need some help on what approach to take with getting my fish to live.
I wish there was sticky about how to determine a plan of attack, or is there?
Is there a overkill meathod for treating fish- going through all medications to eliminate all possible causes?
...About a month ago I brought a male madarin and a very large gorgonian home. I acclimated and tried to dispose of all the water from the transport bags.
I didnt want to QT because I didnt have a place to put the GORG (its VERY large) and the dragonet looked skinny and I didnt think htose fish were a risk of infecting my display that has been happy for about 5 years.
A couple days went by and I noticed this new guy (madarin) wasnt eating and had some dull looking patchy white coloration. In a couple more days I noticed both my sailfin and scopas tangs were showing spots on thier pectoral fins.
The two tangs, my two maroon clowns, my hawkfish, a checker wrasse, and a chromis were all acting very skittish and shy, but were all swimming / breathing healthy.
I found the new dragonet stuck to my overflow dead one moring... about 4 weeks ago.
A couple days went by as I tried to gather things for a hospital stay for all the fish in a 180 gallon mixed reef display.
I ended up tearing all my corals and rocks out to get the fish. I also dislocated my left knee stepping backwards off of a salt bucket- nuther story.
So I have had all my fish in a somewhat small tank. Its 50 gallons but its a odd shape tank- 36 side to side, 21 deep top to bottom and 18 front to back. Its small but the fish seem to be ok- considering.
Anyway... they camped out in here for two weeks to observe and get used to a new tank- changed 10 gals 2 times since fish were introduced. Have not been watching water chemistry other than salinity @ 49mS (equal to the dispaly tank).
I added 3 pretty large pieces of live rock to help w/ bioload a little when I had the display apart, so no real cycle SHOULD have happened.
Saturday- 4-11-10 I lost the checkered wrasse. The hawkfish was being a bully to him and the wrasse was looking wrose everday- maybe no sand, stress, attacks.. new home... RIP.
I think the hawkfish ate the two firefish the GF brought home.
**"If your gonna QT fish, add these two while your at it"- is what she said when I asked how we got two extra fish in there.**
Gotta love her, bless her heart, she not only puts up w/ my reefing habit but can acclimate fish and inverts too!
Last night- 4-12-10 the QT turned into hospital. I lowered salinity to 1.0097 after seeing the scopas tang covered in white dots and the salifin has some stuff clouding and spotting on the eye.
(I questioned amonia burns because I have been feeding heavily...but if so water changes and time will heal- but theresstill the white spot issue)
So.... yesterday about this time I had the salinity lowered to 1.0097. Today I am seeing the sailfin has great improvment of coloration. The scopas looks worse. He has lots more white dots on him.
Clowns and hawk are same- ok considering.
Both of the tangs also have some blackish looking areas on thier bodys, like black blotchy patches. Not all over, more like a large area on thier sides.
Also the sailfin looks like he is shedding- maybe loosing slime coat? I cant see spots on him, but the dark blackish areas worry me.
The Clowns are harder to see because they are hiding and dont really show spots. They look very deep red and generally healthy, more stressed and PO'ed about not having thier nem.
Its only been a little over 24 hours. I am sure I have killed the bacterial filter in the rock.
Probably need to do another water change in a day or two. Dunno even know if I have an amonia test kit.
Again, I am wondering how long do I need to observe before I decide to add medicine or copper.
I tried to read what I can about symptoms and signs....I didnt learn much about how to ID different problems.
I see two tangs with spots on fins and body breathing very rapidly. One has blotchy clouded eye. Seems to have a few places were it looks like slime it hanging off. twitching and scratching rocks. One tang (sailfin) was swimming face down in the stream of bubbles from the airstone- the scopas was surfing directly in front of the powerhead all day yesterday. Seems like they "itch".
The clowns seem to be ok, I need ot get a better look @ them tomorrow... they are not near as bad looking as the tangs.
The hawkfish and chromis that seem to be immune to the issues.The chromis seems a little twitchy, but they always are.
Only the tangs were twitching and scratching- that I have seen.
So... I will try to post some pictures if I can manage to get the right shots.
Im willing to treat for brook, amyloo, ich, what-ever, or all of em... I know copper is tough on fish and needs to be watched closely but I also need to know how long untill I need to watch for improvement and consider its maybe more than ich. the blacks spots on the tangs makes me wonder- it doesnt look like moody color changes.
Im not a fish Dr so its tough for me to determine what they have and what I need to use to treat it.
I think its ich.
I have never had an issue with sick fish aside from a feamle maroon clown I lost before I got this pair.
My fish are part of the family. I have had these guys for a long time and I really dont wanna loose anymore. I have or can get what-ever I need to. I just need some help figuring out the best way / order to treat.
Thanks
Glove
I wish there was sticky about how to determine a plan of attack, or is there?
Is there a overkill meathod for treating fish- going through all medications to eliminate all possible causes?
...About a month ago I brought a male madarin and a very large gorgonian home. I acclimated and tried to dispose of all the water from the transport bags.
I didnt want to QT because I didnt have a place to put the GORG (its VERY large) and the dragonet looked skinny and I didnt think htose fish were a risk of infecting my display that has been happy for about 5 years.
A couple days went by and I noticed this new guy (madarin) wasnt eating and had some dull looking patchy white coloration. In a couple more days I noticed both my sailfin and scopas tangs were showing spots on thier pectoral fins.
The two tangs, my two maroon clowns, my hawkfish, a checker wrasse, and a chromis were all acting very skittish and shy, but were all swimming / breathing healthy.
I found the new dragonet stuck to my overflow dead one moring... about 4 weeks ago.
A couple days went by as I tried to gather things for a hospital stay for all the fish in a 180 gallon mixed reef display.
I ended up tearing all my corals and rocks out to get the fish. I also dislocated my left knee stepping backwards off of a salt bucket- nuther story.
So I have had all my fish in a somewhat small tank. Its 50 gallons but its a odd shape tank- 36 side to side, 21 deep top to bottom and 18 front to back. Its small but the fish seem to be ok- considering.
Anyway... they camped out in here for two weeks to observe and get used to a new tank- changed 10 gals 2 times since fish were introduced. Have not been watching water chemistry other than salinity @ 49mS (equal to the dispaly tank).
I added 3 pretty large pieces of live rock to help w/ bioload a little when I had the display apart, so no real cycle SHOULD have happened.
Saturday- 4-11-10 I lost the checkered wrasse. The hawkfish was being a bully to him and the wrasse was looking wrose everday- maybe no sand, stress, attacks.. new home... RIP.
I think the hawkfish ate the two firefish the GF brought home.
**"If your gonna QT fish, add these two while your at it"- is what she said when I asked how we got two extra fish in there.**
Gotta love her, bless her heart, she not only puts up w/ my reefing habit but can acclimate fish and inverts too!
Last night- 4-12-10 the QT turned into hospital. I lowered salinity to 1.0097 after seeing the scopas tang covered in white dots and the salifin has some stuff clouding and spotting on the eye.
(I questioned amonia burns because I have been feeding heavily...but if so water changes and time will heal- but theresstill the white spot issue)
So.... yesterday about this time I had the salinity lowered to 1.0097. Today I am seeing the sailfin has great improvment of coloration. The scopas looks worse. He has lots more white dots on him.
Clowns and hawk are same- ok considering.
Both of the tangs also have some blackish looking areas on thier bodys, like black blotchy patches. Not all over, more like a large area on thier sides.
Also the sailfin looks like he is shedding- maybe loosing slime coat? I cant see spots on him, but the dark blackish areas worry me.
The Clowns are harder to see because they are hiding and dont really show spots. They look very deep red and generally healthy, more stressed and PO'ed about not having thier nem.
Its only been a little over 24 hours. I am sure I have killed the bacterial filter in the rock.
Probably need to do another water change in a day or two. Dunno even know if I have an amonia test kit.
Again, I am wondering how long do I need to observe before I decide to add medicine or copper.
I tried to read what I can about symptoms and signs....I didnt learn much about how to ID different problems.
I see two tangs with spots on fins and body breathing very rapidly. One has blotchy clouded eye. Seems to have a few places were it looks like slime it hanging off. twitching and scratching rocks. One tang (sailfin) was swimming face down in the stream of bubbles from the airstone- the scopas was surfing directly in front of the powerhead all day yesterday. Seems like they "itch".
The clowns seem to be ok, I need ot get a better look @ them tomorrow... they are not near as bad looking as the tangs.
The hawkfish and chromis that seem to be immune to the issues.The chromis seems a little twitchy, but they always are.
Only the tangs were twitching and scratching- that I have seen.
So... I will try to post some pictures if I can manage to get the right shots.
Im willing to treat for brook, amyloo, ich, what-ever, or all of em... I know copper is tough on fish and needs to be watched closely but I also need to know how long untill I need to watch for improvement and consider its maybe more than ich. the blacks spots on the tangs makes me wonder- it doesnt look like moody color changes.
Im not a fish Dr so its tough for me to determine what they have and what I need to use to treat it.
I think its ich.
I have never had an issue with sick fish aside from a feamle maroon clown I lost before I got this pair.
My fish are part of the family. I have had these guys for a long time and I really dont wanna loose anymore. I have or can get what-ever I need to. I just need some help figuring out the best way / order to treat.
Thanks
Glove