sick fish- frustrated

[Marie]

I am new to this hobby. I've only had my tank a few weeks... it came w/ live sand and rock, so it mini-cycled... (all params look good)

I have a blenny and 3 chromis that I have had for 2 weeks.
They are from a store in Auburn MA, they seem to be doing fine....

I got a pr of occy clowns from a different LFS on monday... by yesterday afternoon one was sick- it looking like it's scales were sloughing off...
I took my live rock that was curing in my 29g, threw it all in a big bucket, emptied all the water out of the tank into the bucket w/ the LR, re-filled it with fresh salt water, turned my empty 29 into a QT tank (which I prob should have done in the first place)...
It was dead by this morning, and now the other one is showing signs of the same illness (already in QT).
I'm guessing it is Brooklynella?

I am afraid that my Chromis will get it next... will it kill everything in my tank??? Ahhhh!!!

 

[acrofragger]

you needed to use the water from your disply tank ..you threw them in to cycle your 29 ..cus ther is no bio filtration you need either a spobge from the display and lots of amquel or prime for amonia

 

[Marie]

The filter on the 29 has been going for weeks, it is seeded, I am sure... but it was curing LR, so I am sure the water in it was high in ammonia, etc, so emptied it, and refilled w/ fresh salt water.
I am not using the fish to cycle the 29. I will do frequent water changes. The fish was already sick, and I needed somewhere to QT it. It died because it was already sick.
Lesson learned. ALWAYS QT.
But now hoping that it didn't spread to my other fish in the 1 day the two clowns were in my DT.

 

[uhupong]

2 weeks old tank with fishes = wrong
6 fishes in 2 weeks in 29G tank = wrong
curing life rock in new tank = so wrong

If you dont take liveatocks out, im afraid all will suffer the same faith.

 

[acrofragger]

i know you didnt do it n purpose ..but by taking out the rock and then adding fresh saltwater ...you practically killed the bacteria growing in your tank ...so now its gonna cycle


a pic of the infected fish would be needed if you are having trouble identifying the disease

get up a pic asap and then we can help determine exactly what wrong and guide you the right way

 

[acrofragger]

The filter on the 29 has been going for weeks, it is seeded, I am sure... but it was curing LR, so I am sure the water in it was high in ammonia, etc, so emptied it, and refilled w/ fresh salt water.
I am not using the fish to cycle the 29. I will do frequent water changes. The fish was already sick, and I needed somewhere to QT it. It died because it was already sick.
Lesson learned. ALWAYS QT.
But now hoping that it didn't spread to my other fish in the 1 day the two clowns were in my DT.

and are you sure you dont mean curing dry rock ....i wouldnt see why live rocks would need to be cured

 

[uhupong]

I believe you need to slow down on adding fishes into your tank, your tank is still cycling.

Good bacterias in your tank are having tough time keeping up with ammonia source in your tank (fishes, rock).

I also think curing livebrock in new tank is not such a good idea. The curing process, i belive is refer to having 'dirty' live rock turn into 'clean' live rock, one with no more dying decay on it so we can put them into our DT without anymore chemical leak.

This curing process alone is an ammonia factory hense killing your fish one by one.




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[Marie]

Let me start over.
56g column is the DT.
I've had this about a month.
Bought used from CL- with LR and sand and filter and one small niger trigger. Mini cycle- all params good after a week. Checking at least 2-3x/week. all looks good.
after 1 week traded niger trigger for algea blenny at LFS (way too small tank for a trigger)
after2 weeks- added 1 bluegreen chromis

ordered LR from liveaquaria - as I thought my tank needed more- I have a 29gal tank, which had FW fish, which are now in my 55gal... put LR in 29 gal to cure. (I know it would kill fish, the 29 is NOT my DT)

got 2 more chromis as my one chromis swam up and down one corner all day.. they swim together now.

at about 4 weeks- got pr of occy clowns, not fm the store in Auburn that I usually go to, but one in worcester...
in less than 48hrs one fish looked sick- like scales were sloughing. I tried to get a pic, but you can't see it in the pic... looks kind of like peeling after a sunburn?

Then I took LR out of 29 because I needed a place to isolate the clowns to try to not contamimate my 56G tank.
I changed to fresh SW because I know that the LR was not done curing, nitrites and trates are still high (though ammonia has already dropped)

I am not using the fish to cycle the 29.

Does that make more sense? I am new to the hobby, but I am not dumb.

What I am trying to figure out is what to do, if anything, about the DT so it doesn't spread... the 2 occy clowns were in there for almost 2 days before they showed signs of illness.

 

[uhupong]

55g is the total water volumn?, do you have any sump? Also, how many lbs of live rock are we refering to and what type?

Just trying to help here.

 

[Marie]

56 gal rr, with rapids pro wet/dry filter, and reef octo HOB skimmer. I didn't weigh the LR, but I'd guess maybe 25lbs? not enough, which is why I ordered some from liveaquaria- it has good reviews, but die off happens in shipping, thus requiring curing to not cause ammonia spikes in the DT. When I bought the tank it was set up in the previous owners home, already established... brought everything home in buckets and re-set it up in my home. (only 20 min travel time).

 

[acrofragger]

well that the thing to give you the good advice on what to do ..we need to know what the desaese is

 

[Marie]

I think it is brooklynella from what I've been able to read online... fish looked like its skin/scales were peeling/sloughing off on one side. Pale around the edges of the abrasion. Almost like it had scraped them on rocks... but I never saw it scrape on anything. it was still active, but swimming frantically in the jet from the powerhead...
it passed less then 24hrs after showing signs of the illness (noticed it yesterday afternoon, it was dead this morn. The other clown is showing signs now. Still active... but I don't have much hope.
BUT if this is brooklynella, or another parasite, I assume I have to treat the DT? They were in there for almost 2 days.
But I would like to have corals someday, and I know some meds can kill your CUC as well...

 

[Old Glory]

So the 29 is just bare bottom with no live rock? What kind of filter? Seeded sponge or a HOB will work.

You should get some plastic pipe for the fish to shelter in as well and make up more salt water to do frequent water changes on the QT.

As previous post mentioned tough to diagnose without a picture.

 

[uhupong]

Ok, i think it is a combination of diaease and quality of water. Oviously the live rock still leak something into the tank making the fish getting worse.

If you treat fish in DT with some med, it could contain copper which later can effect your corals. I belive you should QT sick fish and treat them there in QT tank (oviously not that 29g tank).

Good luck :thumbup:

 

[Marie]

Ok, i think it is a combination of diaease and quality of water. Oviously the live rock still leak something into the tank making the fish getting worse.

If you treat fish in DT with some med, it could contain copper which later can effect your corals. I belive you should QT sick fish and treat them there in QT tank (oviously not that 29g tank).

Good luck :thumbup:

The 29g is bare bottom with hob filter and one powerhead.
the live rock was moved to a large rubbermaid with a heater and a powerhead and I changed out most of the water in the 29 (there was maybe an inch or two of water.. at least 80% water change) before putting the fish in it. So the 29g still would not be a good QT?

 

[acrofragger]

yea a qt is qt .......i would say photobucket a pic and post it ...if not maracyn would be something to read up on ...check out some info on some bacterial infections http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/208345-new-clownfish-has-white-fuzzy-growth-on-gill-please-help/

look at thing in this area and determine what it is exactly as for brooklynella hmmm i havent ran into that so cant bemuch help ....


if it were me this is what my gut would tell me to do ...........check all parameters 3-4 xs where the fish are

then distinguish the disease parasite .ectect from the internet and pics


then if its a parasite or bacteria maracyn would work


if i was unsure i would just take the fish in the tank they are in and lower the salinity to about a sg of 1,0019 for alil relief
maybe lower ...liikei said if it were me ...and power feed him and keep superb water quality ....if its getting worse i would again 3-4 x check m parameters


the lowering of salinity i am firm believer it helps the fish as the work less

remve that power head so they dont have to be blown around

get some carbon and other means of filtration ectect


im sorry if im bouncing aroud but these are some steps

 

[Old Glory]

Sounds good to me. Just watch amonia and be ready to change water.

 

[Marie]

Just posting an update- first clown was dead w/in48hrs of purchase. ((did not show illness until 2nd day and was dead within maybe 12 hrs of showing illness)
Picked up a 5 gal tank to use as QT, second clown is in there, has been in there for 5 days. Shows no sign of illness. How long should he be quarantined?