Parasite identification

[jap783]

Main Tank Set-up: 40 Breeder, 2x AI Primes, Hang-on Refugium, Tunze Skimmer 9012, and hydor powerhead ~ 700gph. Main Tank Water parameters: temp-76.0, pH-8.3, phosphate- 0.07ppm, nitrate- 0.75ppm, alkalinity- 8.5, ammonia and nitrite- 0ppm. Inhabitants: Yellow Tang, 2 adult female mollies, 6 juvenile mollies of various ages.

Quarantine Tank Set-up: 20 High, 4x 24 Watt t5, Hang-on Refugium, Coralife Hang-on Skimmer, fluidized sandbed, and 2x 300gph powerhead. Quarantine Tank Water parameters: temp-78.0, pH-8.1, phosphate- 0.5ppm, nitrate- 4ppm, alkalinity- 8.5, ammonia and nitrite- 0ppm.

Tank history- The main aquarium was started in February and the quarantine has been running since January. The yellow Tang and female mollies were acquired in February and they remained in quarantine until April. In April I purchased a pair of flame angels and introduced them to the tank a little early and lost all fish except the yellow tang and two mollies to an amyloodinium outbreak. All remaining fish were returned to quarantine and treated with aquatronic's Marex. The three fish were returned to the main display July after two months showing no signs of disease and allowing a two month fallow period in the main display.

Current problems:

Quarantine:
Ever since the three original fish were returned to the main display I have not been able to get a fish through quarantine until recently. They all showed nearly identical symptoms, eating well for 3-4 weeks, then they would suddenly stop eating, and then perish 5-7 days later. I went through a pair of ocellaris clowns, a juvenile hippo tang, a tomini tang, and a royal gramma. I have since bleached the quarantine tank and recycled the system. Currently, there are 3 mollies and 3 green chromis that have been in quarantine for 6 weeks without showing signs of illness.

Main display: I occasionally lose juvenile mollies born in the tank, even older ones that I would assume would not have problems with tank mates or equipment. Recently I noticed there are white blotches on one of the female's right pectoral fin and on the juvenile's caudal fin. The yellow tang currently shows no sign of disease.

Attached are photos of the yellow tang, the juvenile and adult mollie with blotches, and the fish in quarantine. This weekend I was going to take one of the juvenile mollies to work and look at the blotch under a microscope to see if there's anything I can identify. I am worried that with everything I've been through with the unidentified culprit in quarantine, my main fish may be typhoid Mary's and give something to the new fish. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jap783]

This week I was able to do a fecal wet mount on a Molly, a skin impression, and a skin scrape. The wet mount shows a couple of organisms that I'm not sure if they are the same species or if they are truly pathogenic. The skin scrape showed some cocci growing on some cells .he skin impression was on an ulcer and only showed some nucleated red blood cells. I am going to put them on the antibiotic duo flake (kanamycin and erythromycin) the duo anti parasite flake (praziquantel and metro), and the double metro flake. Anyone have any idea on a protocol I can use to feed these flakes based on the organisms present?