Healthy Fish: What's the secret to success?

[Crabs]

I don't have any fish but I do have crabs.. and they are healthy!

 

[Billldg]

I voted other only because I am superstitious. I am in the sense that I will not jinx myself. My fish are currently great and I will leave it at that.

 

[arussellnsg]

Today let's talk about our little finned friends, our reef partners, our little fishy buddies and how to keep them healthy! Obviously getting a well collected and treated fish is probably the best and number one way to have healthy fish but let's skip that and go straight to the fish you already have. They are already caught, already bred, already shipped, already acclimated, already quarantined, etc. NOW WHAT? Let's talk about it!

1. Once a fish is in your aquarium what are some of the best ways to keep them healthy and thriving? List what you do to ensure success!

I don't do anything other than keep my water and feed variety of foods. I don't add anymore than my bioload can hold

2. What percentage of your fish do you consider to be healthy?

I have 8, and all 8 are healthy. I have many inverts including peppermint shrimp, Sand seastar, emerald crab, snails. 100% are healthy as long as my water is good and stable

image via @scchase

 

[rcassiram521]

My fish are all great since my major Marine Velvet disaster 2 1/2 years ago. I lost half my fish, all my inverts had to copper nuke my tank, killed dried and bleached 400lbs of live rock. Then used 1/2 of it as base rock to re-set up. I bought 200lbs new rock to top off which I let go fallow 60 days in baby pool. I no longer add things directly to my display. Corals go to my 20gal for 60 days, same with inverts. Fish get full copper treatment and dewormed before going into display. After I watched my Beautiful Emperor Angel and Blonde Naso literally peel before my eyes and having to put them down I don't risk it. My Blue Hippo 5yr old lived but has scars, my Koran lived will be 10 yrs in Nov., but has a cataract in one eye from secondary infection. I lost so many fish. I added a Toadstool and bam, 48 hrs later every fish had velvet except strangely my Blue Hippo he didn't get it till the very end. Very hard to treat when you have many large fish in large display with corals/inverts. My Koran is now about 14'' my QT is a 20 gal, no way to get every fish in there , just few small guys. Sometimes this hobby sucks. I'm very careful now.

I am 9 years into a fish only and recently lost my 10” blonde naso (sweet lips) and majority of my fish due to not QT an emperor angel I bought. I am down to 2 fish and learnt that everything starts with a QT irrespective of how healthy you think your water condition is.

 

[HB AL]

IMO the #1 thing for healthy fish is having pristine water conditions.
#2 feeding good food, in my case I feed frozen foods as i have over the decades figured out that a variety of different frozen foods is superior for fish health than flakes, pellets, freeze dried, etc..
I feed them a variety of Hikari frozen cubes, pe mysis and Rods food.
#3 having lots of rock which creates alot of passages, caves, areas for the fish to go if they just wanna chill away from the crowds, and plenty of sleeping quarters for the fish. Here's a fts and a video showing the layout of my tank and the 14 fish that are all healthy and happy especially when I toss some food in there.

 

[Paul B]

Looking forward to arrival of your book via Amazon XOXOXO <3

It is there. I think! ;Woot

 

[Trouble1375]

I selected mostly healthy. We buy from our LFS - one of which uses copper in their fish systems and the other one (taking chances) fish always appear healthy and we make sure they are eating first. Our 2 odd-balls who are why I selected mostly healthy. The sailfin tang came from a local reefer who was tearing down his system due to moving. She is the only tang in our system - she is missing her dorsal fin and has scars from HLLE but she eats really well - eats Nori from my hand. He had gotten her from LFS that basically was counting her as done - she came in their shipment with the missing fin and HLLE. He nursed her back to health and had her for 5 years before we got her. She's about 8" right now and super happy. The boxfish has Lymphocystis. It doesn't seem to bother him. We had him in QT for 5 weeks before we added him to DT. He hangs out with the Sailfin all the time - they share the Nori at the feeding station that I built.

We have, I lost count, 24(?) fish, 2 large starfish, 5 emerald crabs, 1 hermit crab and various CUC in our DT. We are done adding to the fish stock. Everyone gets along because we have extensive rock work with lots of caves and hiding spots. 5 cubes of frozen a day Ocean Nutrition Formula Variety Pack - 2 at lights on and 3 in the evening - the cubes get put into a de-thawer and they eat it as it falls. I buy sushi quality unflavored Nori and cut it into strips that go into the feeding station I made. I put 3 strips in with the evening feeding and it is usually gone in about 5 minutes. On Wednesday they get some flakes, spirulina pellets and the frozen cubes get thawed and broadcast fed because that is when I spot feed the corals and I want the fish to leave the corals alone to eat.

2 peppermint shrimp and about 10 hermit crabs between the 2 sumps for cleanup down there - they hang out on the ATS alot.

The tank is 125 gallon mixed reef.

 

[WVNed]

I don't have any fish but I do have crabs.. and they are healthy!

I like crabs too

 

[Paul B]

I don't have any fish but I do have crabs.

They have medication for that.

 

[Timfish]

Since I do have fish living as long or longer than their wild counter parts I'm comprtable thinking most are healthy. But it is a guess. We don't have any tests that would give us any indicators of parasites, pathogens, diseases or metabolic issues like we have with cats or dogs.

 

[Treefer32]

My fish occasionally fight, they get small gashes in their scales, and scratches discoloring them. Within a few days they are healed up. I'd consider all of my fish healthy. They are highly active, feed well, and surprisingly by adding more fish to my tank, my tangs have calmed down and don't fight with each other as much. Mind you they've been together for over a year, some close to two years. One of the tangs has been in my possession for 7 years. They all calmed with each other and agression with them reduced since increasing my fish population from 16 to 28.

 

[PanchoG]

All my fish are healthy, I think the low stress environment and healthy food are the key.

 

[Vapor_Tsunami]

I don't keep fish, but my corals are looking really happy and healthy in my 10 gallon (I would post pics but I just did a water change)

 

[stanleo]

I would say my fish are 99% healthy. My yellow has scars from HLLE but other than that nothing.

I read on here about believing that not quarantining was a good thing because it allowed for the fish's own immune system to fight whatever decease might be in the tank. Stress has a lot to do with decease so putting a fish in a sterile tank that you are constantly messing with that is most likely too small for it, I believe, does more harm than good. It is a risk I know that I may buy a fish that has some horrible thing wrong with it and wipe out my current stock. But the way I figure it, I am taking a risk either way and QT doesn't guarantee that won't happen. I think not quarantining, keeping my parameters stable, are the ways I keep my fish healthy.

But the most important thing I do is be absolutely rigid with maintenance. Having a clear schedule when things need done, water changes, pump cleaning, skimmer maintenance, and testing on a regular basis. I think that is the big secret. I think it helps to have a touch of OCD.

 

[nudave]

Feeling like a failure. Purchased two clowns at the beginning of March as the first fish, both died. Tank is again fallow, with only snails. I suspected flukes, but 5 min FW dip revealed nothing and the first death occurred 5 hours later. Dosed Prazi, everything seemed ok. 6 days later did a water change according to prazi instructions, the other clown wasn't acting normal. Hiding under rock, breathing heavy. Dosed prazi again, 2nd clown dead 3 hours later. Thinking of leaving fallow for 70 days, then start the process over... I guess. Not sure what to change next time around.

 

[schooncw]

#honestyinreefing
I chose other again today.
The fish in my office tank are all healthy!
BUT my Living Room DT:
I recently added 6 chromis from LA DD and they had Ich and are slowly wiping my tank, I have 3 fish left.
Will be going fallow and will only purchase fully QT'd fish from Dr Reef, TSM Aquatics and New Wave Aquaria.
This is directly my fault, not trying to dump on LA DD; please QT your fish and/or buy QT'd from reputable sources.
I learned the hard way, my daughter is also upset, that breaks my heart the most, letting her down.

As for health.
I do use Garlic Power, Selcon and high quality food from local grocer and frozen from BRS.
DIY my own fish food plus supplements.

The benefits of garlic are highly exaggerated and not proven

 

[Iggy305]

I follow simple rules, while my experience with Saltwater is limited, I spent years keep freshwater. Everything from standard platy to aggressive peacocks and flower horns with a lot of success.

1. Research, learn about what you’re going to keep. Can’t stress this enough, research.

2. 2nd most important, Observation. Fish all behave differently and have different personalities. Learn them it helps you identify problems when all of a sudden someone is acting different.

3. Quarantine, protect your existing live stock. This is difficult for some, but I’ve learned nothing good happens fast. One infected animal can wipe out your tank. If you can’t QT, double up on #2.

4. Clean Water, it’s the job we love to hate but you gotta stay on those parameters just like coral.

5. A varied, suitable diet. Especially in reefs, fish have options so they should have them in the aquarium as well.

6. Lastly be prepared, things are going to happen it’s inevitable. Have a plan for sick fish and have a plan for incompatible fish, such as re-homing.

 

[Iggy305]

My fish are all great since my major Marine Velvet disaster 2 1/2 years ago. I lost half my fish, all my inverts had to copper nuke my tank, killed dried and bleached 400lbs of live rock. Then used 1/2 of it as base rock to re-set up. I bought 200lbs new rock to top off which I let go fallow 60 days in baby pool. I no longer add things directly to my display. Corals go to my 20gal for 60 days, same with inverts. Fish get full copper treatment and dewormed before going into display. After I watched my Beautiful Emperor Angel and Blonde Naso literally peel before my eyes and having to put them down I don't risk it. My Blue Hippo 5yr old lived but has scars, my Koran lived will be 10 yrs in Nov., but has a cataract in one eye from secondary infection. I lost so many fish. I added a Toadstool and bam, 48 hrs later every fish had velvet except strangely my Blue Hippo he didn't get it till the very end. Very hard to treat when you have many large fish in large display with corals/inverts. My Koran is now about 14'' my QT is a 20 gal, no way to get every fish in there , just few small guys. Sometimes this hobby sucks. I'm very careful now.

The benefits of Quarantine, hard for some to be patient but I feel this is one of the most important things in fish keeping.

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

Ideal water conditions are quintessential to fish health.

 

[Jekyl]

Diverse healthy food and proper tank size.