I know a lot of people jumped on your neck in here, but dont take it personally, everyone here is super dedicated to their pet fish, corals, and all inverts so they were probably upset about the response rate (Im guessing). That being said, I hope that this doesnt keep you away from the hobby, but at the same time I hope you do very extensive research before moving forward.
First, I hope everyone makes it!.
Second, if you havent already, check out the forums myself and others linked earlier (Fish Disease, Diagnosing, Setting up QT) to find out as much as possible about setting up a hospital tank, as that is your first and foremost priority to try and save the fish.
Third, read about disease treatment (especially Velvet - as its been diagnosed by
@4FordFamily who is extremely knowledgeable), and purchase what you need. If you are not already familiar with it, there are two major online vendors (
Bulk Reef Supply and Marine Depot) that carry almost anything you can imagine for the reefing hobby, offer them at lowest prices anywhere, and ship fast! You've mentioned that you are in an area that is not around many local fish stores (or at least good ones). If that's the case, always plan ahead and get your treatment and dosing supplies from vendors online. To be frank, although I have some good stores near me, I often buy dry goods for the tank through those online vendors because its so easy, but I have to plan ahead for that.
Fourth, ask questions about the treatment process in the Fish Disease forum - you'll typically get more helpful responses there when it comes to diagnosis and treatment. However, be warned that if you ask, and you get information from people who have been doing this for a long time, they will not put up with too much talk back in the form of "well, Im going to do this instead." Many are considered pretty much experts in this area or have been a hobbyist with decades of experience, so when they take the time to reply and give advise, they are doing it with the mindset that is best for the critter (whether it be fish, invert, or coral). And for what it's worth, it probably a good idea to heed their advice.
Fifth, if you stick with this hobby, I can make 2 very major recommendations: 1. read, read, read, and 2. patience. Let me elaborate. Before buying a fish or coral, its very good practice to read as much as possible about it from books, forums, and any other place. Dont just take the LFS employee's response as final, unless you've double checked their responses independently in the past and found that they are knowledgeable in the field. Less that, always do your own research, and the more the better. On top of specific research, just reading through this forum sticky pages or other help request pages, you'll learn a great deal of info. That is all knowledge that will sooner or later be put to the test in this hobby. And finally, patience; this hobby requires a great deal of it. Nothing good in this hobby happens fast. For example, proper treatment of fish can take weeks, establishing a proper eco system in the tank weeks to months, corals grow at mm's a month, etc, etc, you get the point. On the other hand, bad things can turn worse in a matter of hours.
If you have to restart, that is ok, just slow down and learn first, then give it a shot again.
So, be patient, be methodical, be educated, be prepared in what you do in this hobby and it'll reward you extremely.
EDIT: As to what Urban Coral Farmer was talking, I think I can clarify. Rock and sand absorbs medications and then leeches them back out. Because of that you have to be careful never to use rock or sand that was in a QT or hospital tank again in one of your "Display" tanks. Also, because rock and sand absorb medication, dosing accurately is a challenge. Most people who set up a QT/Hospital tank will not use sand or rock at all (unless its a specific fish species that absolutely requires it). Instead they use some large PVC fittings (Corner, Tripples, etc) to create hiding spots for fish, which allows for more accurate dosing of meds and easier to clean after. However, if you go that route (no sand, or rock), you have to make sure you have enough correct bacteria available to sustain the tank and keep ammonia from spiking. This can be achieved with sponges that are either established for some time from a display tank, or by adding Dr. Tim's bacteria to it. This is just general issues to watch for... a lot more details and info is around regarding setting up a Hospital tank.
