Bad Week!!!

[Duc1098]

It's weeks like this that make you want to dump everything and just get out! After setting up my new tank back in January I incurred some major losses this week. It all began Wednesday and by now most of all my fish are gone. I'm down to 3 now. Here is a list if my losses.

Wednesday
Gold Rim Hybrid Tang
5 random Cardinalfish
Moyers Dragonette

Thursday
Rhomboid Wrasse

Friday
Midas Blenny
Picasso Clownfish

All I have left is one Picasso Clownfish, a Rhomboid Wrasse and Purple Firefish.

I was combating ick but a buddy of mine thinks that the ick is masking the real issue. Says that ick doesn't kill that fast and feels that it is more bacterial. None of my corals, anemone, snails, crabs or shrimp are affected. The difficult part now is what to do going forward? Do I take it all down, sterilize and start again? If I do that I probably wont set it up again for a while. I've never come across something like this before.

[ct_vol]

That's terrible. I'd tend to agree that Ick was likely not the main cause for all the deaths. Were they showing any other symptoms? Did you make any recent changes closer to the time your system started to decline?

I haven't yet gotten confident enough to buy a Rhomboid. Probably one of my favorite wrasses. I currently have a pair of Bathyphilus, pair of Pylei, a Jordani, and Pink Margin.

[bonoxious]

I know how it feels to lose a majority of your fish...went through it earlier this year, and losing my whitetail almost broke me. I self-diagnosed brooklynella because of how fast south things went, but I was unable to treat at all. For the fish that did survive, I started the focus/metro diet for a month, and then another month when I added my clowns. That's certainly an option for fish that eat readily.

Good luck and keep us posted. Don't give up!!

[Tank2379]

When was the last fish added?

[ostrow]

Originally Posted by bonoxious

I know how it feels to lose a majority of your fish...went through it earlier this year, and losing my whitetail almost broke me. I self-diagnosed brooklynella because of how fast south things went, but I was unable to treat at all. For the fish that did survive, I started the focus/metro diet for a month, and then another month when I added my clowns. That's certainly an option for fish that eat readily.

Good luck and keep us posted. Don't give up!!

Metro/focus diet!

I also add prazi.

My recipe:

Mixed Rod's food with the Seachem Focus and Metro, soak to cover with PraziPro, garlic, Selcon, melted in a bit of tank water, refrozen. At each feeding the first 7 days I added 10 drops of AP's Gel Tek PX.

The Focus and Metronidazole are added according to Seachem's instructions. I soaked in extra garlic (Rod's Food has garlic already) and Selcon (ditto).

Gel-Tek is sadly no longer available... Which sucks because it really binds the powder to the food well.

[jeemann99]

Ive had this happen tome in the past about 2yrs ago and lost ALOT of fish. I was turned onto this product and it worked. Just follow instructions on back and you should be good. I have a blown reef tank with Anemones, LPS, SPS, Softies and it did not harm any. The fish remaining all survived and new fish as well

[tassod]

Sounds like Brook or Velvet or possibly also bacterial. Just went through the same thing for the second time now. Just leave the tank fallow (fishless) for 12+ weeks and start over with fish and QT any new fish you get. There is no way arround it, if you don't QT, you risk having this happen again.

[Duc1098]

Thanks for the post everyone!

I am definitely not giving up on the hobby by any means and would rather just learn from this. in the almost five years I have been in the hobby I have never come across something like this before. I know it has happened to many people before but it has never happened to me.

I took everyone's advice and ordered some Focus, Metro, Garlic, Selcon, Prazipro and Probiotic. It may not matter now since all the fish may be gone by the time I get it, but I will be prepared next time.

One question I have though. Is this mixture something you do all the time for health or only when adding new fish or when a problem arises? Will this eradicate the problems or just keep the fishes immune system strong enough to deal with illness? Can it be added to algae sheets? Everything I saw was it was added to frozen food.

Thanks again for all the advice.

[bonoxious]

Assuming no new additions, after a 2 month regimen of focus and metro, you should not have ich in your system. That's the thought process, anyway. I'm sure if it's in the water of an added anemone, that could reintroduce ich, so I would start a month (or prolong a current month) if adding something where water from an unknown system is inevitable. I did the focus and metro because brook is similar to ich parasite-wise, and I would definitely know if brook was still in my system, lol

[cet98]

first...I'm very sorry to hear about your losses....

second...I may be a little late to the party here but I see you mentioned that this tank is fairly new and wonder if you have tested your parameters for an Ammonia spike?...

[tikireefer]

Hey Adam....sorry to hear about this......text me if you need a extra hand with anything......I have extra tanks sitting around if you need a quarantine tank.

[Duc1098]

Originally Posted by Tank2379

When was the last fish added?

The last one that was added was the Gold Rim Hybrid who never really settled in. Was always a stressed fish from day one and ate sparingly and would only ate algae sheets.

Originally Posted by tikireefer

Hey Adam....sorry to hear about this......text me if you need a extra hand with anything......I have extra tanks sitting around if you need a quarantine tank.

Thanks Steve, I appreciate it. Always know that I could count on you if I needed something for the tank and I hope you feel the same. Speaking of which, I got that Par meter back when ever you want to use it. I've got an extra 40B and my 93g rimless here that I can setup for QT when I start adding fish again. No sense in setting up a hospital tank since as of last night all I had left was the purple firefish. Not sure if he is still there this morning.

Originally Posted by cet98

first...I'm very sorry to hear about your losses....

second...I may be a little late to the party here but I see you mentioned that this tank is fairly new and wonder if you have tested your parameters for an Ammonia spike?...

All my coral and my one Anemone are fine so I don't think I have an Ammonia problem. There was a concern with that much fish die-off but I was clearing bodies out in the morning. I had also added some Dr. Tim's Waste-Away to take care of any other decaying matter I didn't get.

Originally Posted by ct_vol

That's terrible. I'd tend to agree that Ick was likely not the main cause for all the deaths. Were they showing any other symptoms? Did you make any recent changes closer to the time your system started to decline?

I haven't yet gotten confident enough to buy a Rhomboid. Probably one of my favorite wrasses. I currently have a pair of Bathyphilus, pair of Pylei, a Jordani, and Pink Margin.

No other symptoms or changes. The only one that was popping up as a concern was the Hybrid Tang. All other fish seemed healthy and eating as normal. Didn't realize it was a tank wide problem until I saw all my cardinal fish dead. The Rhomboid is my favorite wrasse. They are hard to come by so if you ever see one I would recommend not hesitating.

[Fish guy 91]

Sorry to hear hope you stay in the hobby

[Duc1098]

Originally Posted by Fish guy 91

Sorry to hear hope you stay in the hobby

Oh, I'm definitely staying!

[johnike]

Sorry to hear Adam, that sucks.
I know the feeling, I just lost almost every coral I have after all these years.

[chgoblknazn]

Keep the tank fallow and go back to fish in the fall.