Quarantine tank problem

[Lb71]

I posted a few months ago about trouble keeping Dracula gobys and V. Bella gobys alive thru quarantine. I think my problem has to deal with something wrong with my quarantine tank. A brief summary of what brought me to this was the following all the fish ate well right up to there dying. No sign of parasites, red fins, bumps, etc. the first Dracula goby made it almost 6 weeks in quarantine, two full courses of anti fluke medications, (prazipro). Than Died overnight.
I than tried another Dracula and two V. Bell all at separate times. All ate great than mysteriously died overnight on either the 10-12th days. All fish ate right up to the night preceding their death. I decided to swear off them and bought a mocha storm clown. To my surprise same thing happened to it . Eating great than dies overnight on 12th day. No signs of distress, swimming odd and unusual behavior, scratching, redness, heavy breathing Nothing unusual. I have decided something is wrong with my quarantine tank. I will start from scratch throw a way the whole tank, hob filter any utensils I used for the tank etc. Just curious if this has ever happened to anyone else?
Larry

 

[HairyGary]

I posted a few months ago about trouble keeping Dracula gobys and V. Bella gobys alive thru quarantine. I think my problem has to deal with something wrong with my quarantine tank. A brief summary of what brought me to this was the following all the fish ate well right up to there dying. No sign of parasites, red fins, bumps, etc. the first Dracula goby made it almost 6 weeks in quarantine, two full courses of anti fluke medications, (prazipro). Than Died overnight.
I than tried another Dracula and two V. Bell all at separate times. All ate great than mysteriously died overnight on either the 10-12th days. All fish ate right up to the night preceding their death. I decided to swear off them and bought a mocha storm clown. To my surprise same thing happened to it . Eating great than dies overnight on 12th day. No signs of distress, swimming odd and unusual behavior, scratching, redness, heavy breathing Nothing unusual. I have decided something is wrong with my quarantine tank. I will start from scratch throw a way the whole tank, hob filter any utensils I used for the tank etc. Just curious if this has ever happened to anyone else?
Larry

Ammonia perhaps? Do you clean tank after each use before the new fish arrives?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I was innitially thinking ammonia as well. Are you dosing anything to the tank?

 

[joec]

Is anyone spraying cleaning products in the room?

 

[Lb71]

Is anyone spraying cleaning products in the room?

Checked parameters again pH 8.1, red se ammonia kit non detected, sea chem ammonia checker in the yellow, salinity 1.025. Have had tank up approximately 2 years. No chemicals sprayed near tank it’s a mystery to me.

 

[HairyGary]

Checked parameters again pH 8.1, red se ammonia kit non detected, sea chem ammonia checker in the yellow, salinity 1.025. Have had tank up approximately 2 years. No chemicals sprayed near tank it’s a mystery to me.

So you never have broken the tank down? What are your QT protocols? Copper? If you run Prazi do you run something to aerate the water? Prazi will deplete O2.

 

[Lb71]

So you never have broken the tank down? What are your QT protocols? Copper? If you run Prazi do you run something to aerate the water? Prazi will deplete O2.

At the end of quarantine I remove 75% of the water and refill 50% fresh saltwater and50% display tank water. I have used copper sulphate chelated and prazi pro but never at the same time. All new fish are placed in the q tank after adjusting salinity and pH , bag floated in tank until temp are the same. Fish removed from bag with as little water as possible placed in q tank. Fish observed for any problems given a small amount of LRS frozen. Again observed for Eating and distress. If fish shows no obvious problem will start prazi pro in 2 or3 days. Fish given 2 full treatments spaced 5 days apart between treatments. Fish water isthanremoved 50% and replaced with display tank water. And observed and fed for approximately 6 weeks before being placed on main display tank. If anytime I see problem I will treat with copper. Tank is bare bottom no gravel no live rock. Has 3 pieces of pvc a sponge filter and hang on back filters also have a small power head to keep the bottom stirred up. Last fish was aMocha storm. Only observed him no treatments given ate fine all the time including the night before he died. At no time did the fish show any kind of distress.
Before the first Dracula goby I had successfully q’d a copper band, flame wrasse, yellow wrasse,Swiss guard basslet, purple fire Fish, red tail blenny and a Mitratus butterfly.
Just can not understand what has happened.

 

[CindyKz]

Tank is bare bottom no gravel no live rock. Has 3 pieces of pvc a sponge filter and hang on back filters also have a small power head to keep the bottom stirred up.

Do you have anything providing a biofilter? Some bacteria will live on the filters but not much, and not if you're changing or cleaning them. How often are you doing water changes?

 

[Lb71]

Do you have anything providing a biofilter? Some bacteria will live on the filters but not much, and not if you're changing or cleaning them. How often are you doing water changes?

Tank has a hang on back filter packed with 2 sponges in it.

 

[JRAD]

Maybe you should try bio-spira or dr Tim’s to boost your bio filtration. I use bio Spira anytime I add a fish to my quarantine tank and when I add new fish to my display tank.

 

[CindyKz]

Tank has a hang on back filter packed with 2 sponges in it.

My guess is that you don't have enough bacteria to process the ammonia produced by the fish. Have you tested ammonia while fish were in the tank? How many fish were in it at once? I can't recall if you mentioned the tank size.

 

[Lb71]

My guess is that you don't have enough bacteria to process the ammonia produced by the fish. Have you tested ammonia while fish were in the tank? How many fish were in it at once? I can't recall if you mentioned the tank size.

Tank is 10 gallons, that is why I have the ammonia badge in the tank. I have never heard of ammonia in tank water not showing signs of distress in fish eg. heavy breathing, reddening and mucous sloughing off, listlessness, etc.
Larry