Do i need to Fallow my tank?

[JamesCTID]

Hi all,

The other week when the temperature soared i ended up seeing white dots on 4 of my fish. Before I knew it, they died and that included my royal gramma, helfriki firefish, clown goby, plenty. Then my two oldest fish ( clowns) started to get what looked more like a mucus as opposed to white spots and died over the next 48 hours. I tried that Polyp lab stuff but I might have been too late.

Strangely I still have 3 fish alive. A cherub angel and two cardinals. Who are eating and behaving normally with no signs of anything.

I went into my LFS and he said that he doubted it was any parasite and that it was more likely to be chemical from air freshener that caused this with the high temperatures lowering my fish immune system.

He advised me to run some carbon and I even bought a UV steriliser (as I wanted one anyway) gave it a good few days and returned to the shop to buy two new clowns. Within 48 hours they had shown signs of white spot and died in my QT container.

Where im at, at the moment is i have tried to capture these 3 fish so I can fallow the tank. I have only managed to catch one of the cardinals but not the other hides at the back and doesn't come out at all and the angel is too clever.

Do you think from what ive described above that i need to fallow the tank? Is there no way I can treat any of these parasites with reef safe method ? In the past I had an NT labs formula that was reef safe and treated fin rot and white spot. Would that work if I was to buy it again?

 

[Uncle99]

Sounds like a case of ick.
Just a guess.
Only treatment for display is fallow.

UV doesn’t eliminate, but may reduce numbers.
LFS…..well…..it’s up to you.
Reef safe treatments, there are, but not proven, some collateral damage reported as well, but again, unproven.

Fallow on ick works every time. It breaks the cycle.
Causes no damage.

 

[winxp_man]

Post a 30 second video under bright white lights. Best starting point for now.

 

[JamesCTID]

Ive had to the the nuclear method and move my rocks and corals to get the last 2 fish out. Let tge Fallow begin. How many weeks would you advise?

 

[Uncle99]

Ive had to the the nuclear method and move my rocks and corals to get the last 2 fish out. Let tge Fallow begin. How many weeks would you advise?

I just go 70 “ish” days with no changes in temp.
This has worked for me, maybe a bit excessive, but more is always better IMM with Ick.

You can always go to short, but never too long.

You’ll need to “ghost feed” the fishless tank to maintain micro friends.

You can research 45 days with elevated temp if you wish, but, I’ve never tried that, not in any rush.

I added some corals while waiting.

Good luck

 

[W31Olds]

Most likely you have a Pathogen in your Tank that's impacting your Fish. The "Air Freshener" theory proposed by your LFS is nonsense. Fallowing your Tank is probably the correct approach but you with need to treat the survivors in a separate Tank. If it is Ich, you will need Copperpower and a Hanna Test Kit to monitor the Levels.
@Jay Hemdal

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi all,

The other week when the temperature soared i ended up seeing white dots on 4 of my fish. Before I knew it, they died and that included my royal gramma, helfriki firefish, clown goby, plenty. Then my two oldest fish ( clowns) started to get what looked more like a mucus as opposed to white spots and died over the next 48 hours. I tried that Polyp lab stuff but I might have been too late.

Strangely I still have 3 fish alive. A cherub angel and two cardinals. Who are eating and behaving normally with no signs of anything.

I went into my LFS and he said that he doubted it was any parasite and that it was more likely to be chemical from air freshener that caused this with the high temperatures lowering my fish immune system.

He advised me to run some carbon and I even bought a UV steriliser (as I wanted one anyway) gave it a good few days and returned to the shop to buy two new clowns. Within 48 hours they had shown signs of white spot and died in my QT container.

Where im at, at the moment is i have tried to capture these 3 fish so I can fallow the tank. I have only managed to catch one of the cardinals but not the other hides at the back and doesn't come out at all and the angel is too clever.

Do you think from what ive described above that i need to fallow the tank? Is there no way I can treat any of these parasites with reef safe method ? In the past I had an NT labs formula that was reef safe and treated fin rot and white spot. Would that work if I was to buy it again?

I think your LFS is grasping at straws about the air freshener. If it as a chemical contaminant, invertebrates would be affected before the fish would be.

Reef safe meds are also “parasite safe” once they have reached the point of fish starting to die.

I wish we could pin down the actual disease issue though…non of the current fish are showing any symptoms though?

 

[winxp_man]

I think your LFS is grasping at straws about the air freshener. If it as a chemical contaminant, invertebrates would be affected before the fish would be.

Reef safe meds are also “parasite safe” once they have reached the point of fish starting to die.

I wish we could pin down the actual disease issue though…non of the current fish are showing any symptoms though?

My little brother years ago, dropped flea powder in a tank of mine. Fish kept jumping out. Had no idea why. All life ended up dying. And he didn’t tell me till more recent times. Haha! And when he did I figured it was something more than basic water parameters. And zero ammonia.

Yes that air freshener idea makes no sense if only
Fish where effected.