Losing fish slowly

[GOSKN5]

About 6 months ago I lost a fish for the first time in while. It was a Banggai cardinal. Showing no symptoms or marks. The fish one night started swimming in circles and jerking etc. Until it died in the corner.

After that other fish started to disappear. A couple showed similar symptoms as the Banggai and others just completely disappeared.

Since that time I have lost about 9 fish. Again, a few acting reclusive or swimming erratically or just seemingly vanishing.

Never any spots or marks. Always eating and active until just before the death/disappearance. I do have a large serpent star and a couple rock flowers nems (could be disposing of dead fish?).

I am left with a clown fish (been in tank for over 2 years) 3 blue damsels (in tank over a year), a leopard wrasse and a fang blenny (newest of the remaining fish). I have noticed the clown fish is hiding more lately. I have also seen her shaking and jerking some in mid water column.

Any thoughts on what could be going on? Recommended action?

 

[scuzy]

Sounds like flukes. Look up flukes for silent killers.

 

[kswan]

If you fresh water dip and don't see flukes I would start the velvet protocol.

 

[HotRocks]

I would lean towards velvet just based on the description you provide.

Also your remaining fish are all known to be pretty resistant to external parasites.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/

 

[Big G]

Anything "wet" (corals, inverts, etc.) added to the tank just before the first death?

 

[GOSKN5]

Wouldn't velvet hit quicker? And also likely take them all out? It's been going on for about 6 months...

Also zero spots or marks on any fish ever

 

[scuzy]

Wouldn't velvet hit quicker? And also likely take them all out? It's been going on for about 6 months...

Also zero spots or marks on any fish ever

I say if it's slow death it's flukes most likely. You can check if their gills are all eaten up on the dead fish bodies.

 

[kswan]

My experience is limited but when I had velvet it was a slow progression. Once spots are visible you need to move fast but it can be slow leading up to that. The speed is what also gave me trouble diagnosing because I thought with velvet they would all be gone quickly. Just my experience.

 

[HotRocks]

Wouldn't velvet hit quicker? And also likely take them all out? It's been going on for about 6 months...

Also zero spots or marks on any fish ever

Not always. @4FordFamily had velvet in a tank a few years back that festered for months before it took hold and he started to lose any fish in numbers.

The overall health of the fish have alot to do with it. Also some fish are more resistant than others. So there are alot of factors.

 

[GOSKN5]

So what would be recommended? Try for flukes in tank and go from there? or pull all fish and QT and go fallow??

 

[HotRocks]

FW dip a couple fish to see if flukes are present.

If they are. You will see sesame seed looking things come off the fish in the 3-5 minute mark of the dip.

It would be less likely to have fish dying of flukes IMO that are completely symptomless (visually).

 

[4FordFamily]

I agree with @HotRocks. I would try a freshwater dip on a couple remaining fish to check for flukes to rule that out, however.

Do so in a dark bucket. If you see little sesame seed looking things, those are flukes.

 

[GOSKN5]

Found another fish swimming erratically and dying. Was able to pull it and do a fw dip. Nothing came out that I could see.

It's crazy, if anyone came over all fish would appear in perfect health.. eating and acting normal...

 

[GOSKN5]

I agree with @HotRocks. I would try a freshwater dip on a couple remaining fish to check for flukes to rule that out, however.

Do so in a dark bucket. If you see little sesame seed looking things, those are flukes.

@4FordFamily

Since my last post my remaining fish have shown no symptoms. All eating well, acting normally etc.

Until today.. leopard wrasse looked very lethargic and was sitting on the bottom of tank and in corner... eventually it rested on the rocks and laid down flat on the rocks.. flat on the bottom... got up and went in the sand.. came out later and looked the same.. lethargic and heavy breathing...

I pulled the wrasse and did a 5 minute freshwater dip.. there were some very very small white "dots" on the bottom of the container... not sure if flukes or just sand etc or something else...

The wrasse was put back in and went in the sand.. came out later and still looks rough.. swimming near the top, floating some etc...

Thoughts?

I now have 3 damsels, a clown, a fang blenny and the leopard remaining...

All of these fish have been with me for various amounts of time.. but the clown and damsels have been in over a year...

 

[4FordFamily]

Tank pic? It sounds like it could be bacterial in nature or velvet. Of the fish you named the leopard would be the weaker link if not very well established. Then the Blenny, and the clown and damsels and in that order. Some fish can survive velvet for some time. Even if they became fully resistant, new additions later would not be so lucky. It would be a near certain death.

Flukes look like little sesame seeds when dislodged in a freshwater dip. If they were much smaller than that (less than half the size of sesame seeds roughly) I doubt they are the culprit.

 

[GOSKN5]

Here is tank pic? (Now curious why? Haha)

These were nearly round white and only two or there were there along with some smaller stuff...

 

[GOSKN5]

Tank pic? It sounds like it could be bacterial in nature or velvet. Of the fish you named the leopard would be the weaker link if not very well established. Then the Blenny, and the clown and damsels and in that order. Some fish can survive velvet for some time. Even if they became fully resistant, new additions later would not be so lucky. It would be a near certain death.

Flukes look like little sesame seeds when dislodged in a freshwater dip. If they were much smaller than that (less than half the size of sesame seeds roughly) I doubt they are the culprit.

I just cant help but think velvet would have moved faster.. this has been about 6-8 months since fish started dying/disappearing... they were so spread out and random along with no symptoms that i seriously didnt connect the dots until the last few..

I also cant help but think that some external symptom would have shown with velvet?

I have been in the hobby for a while and am very observant and involved with my tank... if a single spot or symptom had been there I would have seen it right away...

 

[4FordFamily]

I just cant help but think velvet would have moved faster.. this has been about 6-8 months since fish started dying/disappearing... they were so spread out and random along with no symptoms that i seriously didnt connect the dots until the last few..

I also cant help but think that some external symptom would have shown with velvet?

I have been in the hobby for a while and am very observant and involved with my tank... if a single spot or symptom had been there I would have seen it right away...

I had velvet with existing tangs and angels and it took a couple 2-3 months before I figured it out. Hippo tang made it for 3 months before it got the upper hand. Fish can build quite a resistance — particularly your remaining fish stock list.

Not saying it’s velvet, but the hardiest fish with the thickest slime coat remain. That’s probably not a coincidence.

 

[4FordFamily]

Here is tank pic? (Now curious why? Haha)

These were nearly round white and only two or there were there along with some smaller stuff...

For one, I can now guess that your water quality is high and you probably aren’t new and the tank isn’t new. This helps me rule out many concerns associated!

Beautiful tank!

 

[GOSKN5]

For one, I can now guess that your water quality is high and you probably aren’t new and the tank isn’t new. This helps me rule out many concerns associated!

Beautiful tank!

Thanks! I figured that might be the case ... I have been in the hobby a while and follow a pretty strict water change/test/ regiment etc...

I have had sick fish before and even went through a fallow period for ich 5 or so years ago.. always had some symptoms or at least a new fish to point at etc...

I ordered prazipro for the remaining fish...wondering if I should go with that or try to pull them and QT all with something more significant?