Looking for a diagnosis!

[fishoholic]

Hi Shaun I hate to say it but I had a feeling you were going to have some issues. Your tank has been set up for two months and from your facebook pic's it looks like you used one piece of live rock and the rest dead rock, when you use mostly dead rock it takes a very very long time for the dead rock to become live rock. It usually takes 4-6 months for the dead rock to start to seed and up to a year before it actually becomes live rock, obviously the more live rock you have the faster this process will take. Since live rock is your main filter for your system, when you use dead rock it's like running your tank without a filter. Until the dead rock becomes live you will have issues with your tank, think of it like the tank is constantly cycling itself until the dead rock becomes live.

Put it this way; about a year ago I added 20 pounds of marco rock (dead rock) to my system. I have around 500 pounds of live rock in my system (my two 230g's and my 80g all plumbed together) and it took 4 months to turn the 20 pounds of marco rock into live rock, and that was with 500 pounds seeding it

During this time you can only really count the amount of live rock you have not the dead rock when it comes to stocking your tank. So (for example) if you have 20 pounds of live rock and 50 pounds of dead rock, stock like you only have 20 pounds. I know you recently added a foxface and a regal tang (which I mentioned a 75g was way to small for, and you said you planned on upgrading to a 180g in the future) but with the extra bio load (not to mention the stress of largish fish in a small tank) and with not enough established live rock, I'm betting that is a contributing factor to the problems you are having.

There is a product called Stability by Seachem which may help. Here's a link http://www.seachem.com/Products/prod...Stability.html, or prodibio is another similar product.

[daniella3d]

So what's the water quality like in that tank? could this be simple ammonia burn? Was water quality tested for nitrites, ammonia and nitrates?

[Shwabber]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

So what's the water quality like in that tank? could this be simple ammonia burn? Was water quality tested for nitrites, ammonia and nitrates?

Yeppers, with more than one different test kit....and by the LFS guy with his kits as well.....Filtration isn't a problem ....YET....(I know Laurie...newbie mistakes....but I'm at where I'm at )

Today's readings...

NH3=0
NO2=0
NO3=1

Via Tetratest and Elos kits.

Other Parameters today

TA=77.8F
SG=1.025
KH=8
P04=0.01

Tried a 1 hour dip with ParaGuard... she's still going ....was scary for a bit.

She's still at the top and respirating in the 100/minute range. But a bit of her Natural Orange colour has already come back on her pectoral and anal fins.

I guess the next step is all fish in the Hospital tank for prolonged treatment???

Comments??

[gregzz4]

Glad she's still showing some progress. Getting your NO3 to 0 might help with stress. As for treating the other fish, you may want to avoid that at this point as there is no reason to put undue stress on them, thus lowering their immunity. If they aren't showing any signs, I'd leave them be. Just keep a REALLY close eye on them. Take pictures everyday for reference. Then you'll know for sure, instead of "Hmm, did I see that yesterday or not?"

[daniella3d]

We don't know what it is. If it is a fungus infection and the other fish are ok, then maybe there is no need to treat all of them. Are any other fish showing sign?

But get the clownfish right away in quarantine and treat it with Paraguard. He's not going to last long in that condition and what ever it is, it must be treated very fast.

If this is a parasite, then yes all fish must be treated. I am sceptical about it being velvet, because all fish or most fish would show sign, but broklynella sometimes affect one fish for a while and then move on. You said it was like for about 3 weeks now? and no other fish showing sign?

What I am wondering at this point is if this is contagious.

To be extra safe you could treat all fish in quarantine and leave the display empty of fish for 8 weeks, but I am not sure it is necessary if no other fish are showing sign....

hmmm...what do other people think? I know if it was my fish I would treat it in QT but I would keep the other in observation in the display for now if they don't show any sign. If this is brooklynella I am wondering how come it took so long to evolve. Brooklynella is a fast killer usually but I guess there is always the exception to the rule.

It's a nice fish and I hope he makes it through.

Originally Posted by Shwabber

Yeppers, with more than one different test kit....and by the LFS guy with his kits as well.....Filtration isn't a problem ....YET....(I know Laurie...newbie mistakes....but I'm at where I'm at )

Today's readings...

NH3=0
NO2=0
NO3=1

Via Tetratest and Elos kits.

Other Parameters today

TA=77.8F
SG=1.025
KH=8
P04=0.01

Tried a 1 hour dip with ParaGuard... she's still going ....was scary for a bit.

She's still at the top and respirating in the 100/minute range. But a bit of her Natural Orange colour has already come back on her pectoral and anal fins.

I guess the next step is all fish in the Hospital tank for prolonged treatment???

Comments??

[Shwabber]

OK...She's in the HT....with Paraguard. I read somewhere that I should 2x the dose for Marine fish as the meds are for both fresh and marine.... I Have not done this. But is this true???

I really truely appreciate all the help!

[daniella3d]

I am not doing this. I use the dose they put on the bottle and it has been more than enough for me so far. I am treating 2 clownfish right now that I thought were starting brook because they were scratching and I treat with the normal dose. I don't see why treat with double.

If it's not something written on the bottle and recommanded on the Seachem web site, I would never do that. It's risky. After all Paraguard is still formaline.

So far after 2 days of treatment at regular dosage I have not seen any more scratching. They have been in treatment for 8 days now, and will remain at regular concentration for another week or so, maybe 3 just to be safe.

I also treated my niger trigger for a popeye and 3 weeks at normal dose was enough.

Originally Posted by Shwabber

OK...She's in the HT....with Paraguard. I read somewhere that I should 2x the dose for Marine fish as the meds are for both fresh and marine.... I Have not done this. But is this true???

I really truely appreciate all the help!

[Shwabber]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

I am not doing this. I use the dose they put on the bottle and it has been more than enough for me so far. I am treating 2 clownfish right now that I thought were starting brook because they were scratching and I treat with the normal dose. I don't see why treat with double.

If it's not something written on the bottle and recommanded on the Seachem web site, I would never do that. It's risky. After all Paraguard is still formaline.

So far after 2 days of treatment at regular dosage I have not seen any more scratching. They have been in treatment for 8 days now, and will remain at regular concentration for another week or so, maybe 3 just to be safe.

I also treated my niger trigger for a popeye and 3 weeks at normal dose was enough.

That is what I thought as well...thanks!

[Shwabber]

Well....she has passed....

Now to figure out what it was....and will my other clown or fish be affected....

If it was Brook....can my Fox-Face or Hippo Tang pick that up???

My Fox Face does have a couple of white fuzzy spots possibly on his tail....hard to tell for sure though.

Are there people out there who can do a kind of inspection...or is there a way I can do this myself.....more research I guess.

[gregzz4]

Sorry to hear that Shaun. Guess she was too far gone to handle the stress.