What the heck is this? Fish keep dying!

[Bunkerbean]

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/srhaggerty/IMAG2094_zps04365d86.jpg (http://s117.photobucket.com/user/srhaggerty/media/IMAG2094_zps04365d86.jpg.html)

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/srhaggerty/IMAG2093_zpsbae17b7b.jpg (http://s117.photobucket.com/user/srhaggerty/media/IMAG2093_zpsbae17b7b.jpg.html)


So I had a PB and he got some ich. I bought Seachem Metronidazole to get rid of it. I have 180 gallon tank and my parameters were pretty good. For some reason my PH stays 7.8. I had nitrates at 40. So i did 65 gallon water change. Prior to the water change My PB, Pearlscale and Flame angel all passed within 24 hours of each other. While at the Fire station my wife turned off the AC and the tank was 85.5 F this morning. Not sure if this is what the Yellow and clowns are suffering from. I am going to recheck parameters, but I am trying to figure out what could be going on.

[Bunkerbean]

So my parameters are all 0 and ph is still 7.8

[roenicknewf]

looks like Brooklynella to me

[Bunkerbean]

How do I fix it?

[Rea17]

The first picture of the clown does look like brook, but the second plus how fast the fish are dying makes me think velvet. You need to get the remaining fish into a hospital tank ASAP, and treat for velvet. The display needs to remain fishless for 10-12 weeks to ensure that all remaining parasites in the display have died off, and from now on I hope you quarantine all new arrivals.

[Bunkerbean]

Ok how do I treat velvet?

[Bunkerbean]

Is formalin good to get.

[Rea17]

Cupramine is the best velvet treatment IMO, formalin is a last resort med as it is fairly nasty stuff. Formalin is the best brook treatment as far as I know, but not a good thing to keep in the fish medicine cabinet as it doesn't store well. If you need some, get it fresh.

[Bunkerbean]

Ok. So my neighbor has a 65 gallon tank I am going to setup as an emergency hospital tank for the next 10-12 weeks. It won't be cycled so should I do weekly water changes?

[Dapg8gt]

There's quite a few stickies at the top of this forum that cover all your questions.. It IMO is better to just have the answer instead of waiting for it.. Plus it's stickied for a reason meaning it works. You can get answers that aren't 100% true from the masses and the stickies will wade that out.. Good luck

[Bunkerbean]

Thank you. Read thru them still have questions.

[Mrscribbled]

Use a bottled bacteria such as instant ocean bio spira, or if you have any ceramic or plastic filter media in the current display tank and use in the qt. An ammonia alert badge is a must, most ammonia test kits give false readings with copper.

[Bunkerbean]

Ok thank you. Since this is FOWLR can I just drain the tank and start over rather than waiting the 12 weeks. I am not opposed to waiting, but I thought of moving my tank to a new location in the house.

[Mrscribbled]

I hear ya, I have removed livestock then bleach the display, drain, air dry, then restart with great success

[Bunkerbean]

Excellent. Does concentration of bleach matter?

[Mrscribbled]

1 cup per gallon to have full kill.

[Bunkerbean]

I will have to do the rock and everything correct.

[Mrscribbled]

Yes

[Mrscribbled]

Replace sand bed with new fresh sand

[Bunkerbean]

Ok will do..

[sleepydoc]

+1 on brook or velvet. The 2nd picture looks like velvet, and the time frame is consistent with it.

To sanitize the DT, you can simply leave it fallow for 8 weeks. Velvet (oodinium,) like Ich (cryptocarion,) is an obligate fish parasite and will eventually die out if it doesn't have a fish host.

[Bunkerbean]

I will have my fish in a hospital tank so it wont be that much more time.

[Bunkerbean]

Well in less than a week I had a 100% casualty rate of my 12 fish. Now I see why folks quit the hobby.

[ca1ore]

Sorry to hear about your fish. This hobby can indeed be discouraging. The reality is, though, that for anyone who does not QT at least all new fish (especially tangs, and I'd argue all new inverts as well) something like this is inevitable. Your experience is more extreme, but sadly quite familiar. I have luckily never had to face brook or velvet, but have had new fish in QT come down with ich on at least a dozen different occasions. Knock on wood, never made it to the DT (that I know of).

[HumbleFish]

Sorry to hear about your fish. This hobby can indeed be discouraging. The reality is, though, that for anyone who does not QT at least all new fish (especially tangs, and I'd argue all new inverts as well) something like this is inevitable. Your experience is more extreme, but sadly quite familiar. I have luckily never had to face brook or velvet, but have had new fish in QT come down with ich on at least a dozen different occasions. Knock on wood, never made it to the DT (that I know of).

+1 This is why some of us are so "preachy" about QT. Because almost all of us didn't QT early on, and almost all of us have at least one tank wipe out to show for it. I've been there; it made me feel like a failure, angry, discouraged, etc.

So to the OP: Just learn from this and move on from it. And vow never to make the same mistake again.

[sleepydoc]

you have my condolences. Things like this are incredibly frustrating. I hope things go better for you.

[Deinonych]

+1 This is why some of us are so "preachy" about QT. Because almost all of us didn't QT early on, and almost all of us have at least one tank wipe out to show for it. I've been there; it made me feel like a failure, angry, discouraged, etc.

So to the OP: Just learn from this and move on from it. And vow never to make the same mistake again.

+1

Well said.

[snorvich]

+1 This is why some of us are so "preachy" about QT. Because almost all of us didn't QT early on, and almost all of us have at least one tank wipe out to show for it. I've been there; it made me feel like a failure, angry, discouraged, etc.

So to the OP: Just learn from this and move on from it. And vow never to make the same mistake again.

+2 If you do not quarantine, it is like playing Russian Roulette; no one wins, some just get to play longer.

[Bunkerbean]

Thank you very much for the kind words. Quarantine is in my future I assure you. Researching it as I write this.

[hollister]

This is a guess but from your Pic. , the tank looks very new and there's no water flow. Salt receives its oxygen from a gas exchange at the surface. Good steady water flow and good air circulation above the tank , ie. tanks not in a corner that gets poor air flow and or a lid that covers the top completely.

[Bunkerbean]

This is a guess but from your Pic. , the tank looks very new and there's no water flow. Salt receives its oxygen from a gas exchange at the surface. Good steady water flow and good air circulation above the tank , ie. tanks not in a corner that gets poor air flow and or a lid that covers the top completely.


It is very new, up 3 weeks at the time. I upgraded from a 150. As far as flow I have 3 WP-40's going full bore and a Diablo 10500 for my return. I was thinking I was doing ok for flow?

[snorvich]

It is very new, up 3 weeks at the time. I upgraded from a 150. As far as flow I have 3 WP-40's going full bore and a Diablo 10500 for my return. I was thinking I was doing ok for flow?

Probably so. Make sure the surface of the water is "disturbed".

[Bunkerbean]

I will make sure it does. Thanks