What can I expect for the rest of my fish?

[Manny’s Reef]

Short story: I’ve purchased all my fish from Dr. Reef Quarantined fish. Wifey was being nice and drove to the LFS to surprise me with a coral beauty. She didn’t understand the importance of buying QT fish. That thing didn’t last long as it arrived already in bad shape. It was bloated and never ate. Then my purple tang started looking like it it inch/velvet. Well, it died today. Here’s how bad it looked when I pulled it out. What can I expect for the rest of my fish? My black storm clowns look like they have a white fuzz on them. Is this likely going to wipe the whole tank?

 

[fishguy242]

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal

 

[Manny’s Reef]

Fish was actually still kicking when I pulled it out. Tried to swim out of the net. I knew it was a goner so I didn’t try saving it. It lasted only about 15 seconds out of the tank.

 

[Chrisv.]

Do you have a qt tank that you can put your other fish in for treatment?

 

[Manny’s Reef]

Do you have a qt tank that you can put your other fish in for treatment?

I have a few spare tanks I can set up. Issue is I’m not too familiar with QT process. That’s why I buy from Dr Reef.

 

[Chrisv.]

I have a few spare tanks I can set up. Issue is I’m not too familiar with QT process. That’s why I buy from Dr Reef.

There are some very helpful stickies in this forum that are worth a close read. What I can tell you for sure is that it's a pretty involved process.

The first thing folks will ask you for here is some photos of the fish that are still alive. They need clear pics under white-ish lights.

For a treatment tank you will need a pretty minimalist set up: a heater, some sort of biological filtration (e.g. an old power filter or something, with filter floss or bio media from your tank), ideally an air pump, because O2 is often depleted during treatment. Ideally some PVC elbow fittings for fish to hide in. I like to use the seachem anomia alert badges to keep track of ammonia in the tank, which can kill fish if it rises too high.

If you can, get a hospital tank set up asap.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not sure how on earth anyone is offering advice without a couple of pics of current fish (under white lighting ) and assessing what the issue may be and determining what treatment you will need.
Please provide pics. My suspicion off the bat is Velvet but pics will best determine this,
Best recourse for a QT tank will be basic but essential none of what you use is contaminated. Basic means-
Basic heater
basic light
Basic filter- Hang on back is mechanical but best for flow and waste entrapment. Eliminate the carbon from cartridge.
Sponge filter- Will provide biological factor plus add oxygen with coarser bubbles
basic light- even a desk lamp with LED light bulb
You'll of course need meds (to be determined) - If copper, you'll need a reliable copper test kit (No API )

The bare tank allows the effective use of medication, good observation of the fish, and the opportunity to keep the tank bottom clean. However, fish cannot survive long or well in such a setup, and the water should be discarded after each use. If a fish does bring a problem home with it, this should be evident within two or three weeks and, depending on the disease, treatment can be eradicated in the quarantine tank or in a bare treatment tank. A small quarantine tank is a lot easier to keep free of disease than a large display tank, and can be used to brighten up another corner of the room and allow the fish to eat without aggressive feeders stealing it.

 

[threebuoys]

If you want to read more about the current quarantine protocol beyond what was posted above, go here

Current Quarantine Protocol

2023 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed quarantine process can effectively eliminate these parasites before...

www.reef2reef.com

As @vetteguy53081 explained, the precise treatment depends on the likely parasite or condition. Pictures of the survivors, and information about how long you've had the fish, symptoms you observed, respiration rate will aid in possible diagnosis.

 

[MartinM]

I can’t recommend enough the H202 protocols on Humblefish if you find yourself in need, especially when combined with (properly rated) UV.

 

[Chrisv.]

Not sure how on earth anyone is offering advice without a couple of pics of current fish (under white lighting ) and assessing what the issue may be and determining what treatment you will need.
Please provide pics.

Did anyone offer advice?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Did anyone offer advice?

I just see basic info to links to research QT lol.

@Manny’s Reef how are the fish today? Any pics so we can help determine best course needed, if ya need it?

 

[Manny’s Reef]

It was difficult capturing pictures last night. I had a busy evening. I checked in the tank at 11pm last night. The 3 clowns were gone. This morning the fox face was gone. I have a few gobies and a cardinal fish still in there. Here’s what I could do for pictures.

 

[Chrisv.]

Ugh. So sorry. Tagging Jay @Jay Hemdal in case he missed this thread.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

It was difficult capturing pictures last night. I had a busy evening. I checked in the tank at 11pm last night. The 3 clowns were gone. This morning the fox face was gone. I have a few gobies and a cardinal fish still in there. Here’s what I could do for pictures.

Very sorry to see this Manny.

The clowns are tripping me up a bit. I would have said velvet but for the clowns to go first..?

Did you notice white slimy mucus coming off of the clowns?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not brook or mucus. I see nodules on the fish which suggest either flukes or lymphocystis.
One way to alleviate and reverse this is to pull remaining fish and give them a freshwater dip (same temp water as display tank) for 5 minutes and then place in a bucket or rubbermaid container in Ruby Rally Pro for 90 minutes with aeration.
Give the tank a very Good water change (at least 50 -60%) and after bath return those fish to display
Lympho is viral and often triggered by poor water quality and/or diet.
After FW dip, using a flashlight see, if you see what looks like sesame seeds or fish scales on bottom of bucket. If so- Those are flukes.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

It was difficult capturing pictures last night. I had a busy evening. I checked in the tank at 11pm last night. The 3 clowns were gone. This morning the fox face was gone. I have a few gobies and a cardinal fish still in there. Here’s what I could do for pictures.

Are you seeing rapid breathing? If so, with the speed the fish are dying, I’d say velvet, Amyloodinium is a possible cause.
Jay

 

[Manny’s Reef]

Are you seeing rapid breathing? If so, with the speed the fish are dying, I’d say velvet, Amyloodinium is a possible cause.
Jay

Quite the opposite actually. Very slow breathing. Fish seem to act dead, then get a burst of energy, then slow down again right before dying.

 

[Manny’s Reef]

My engineer goby is now showing the same signs as the others did. Here is a pic.

Did a 2 minute fresh water dip with aeration in this goby. Didn’t really notice any flukes falling off. Fish still looks just as bad. Maybe a little better. If so, very little.

 

[Qasimja]

sorry this happened how fast the fish are dying suggest a parasite. velvet wiped out my entire tank back in november 2019 so i know the feeling.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Quite the opposite actually. Very slow breathing. Fish seem to act dead, then get a burst of energy, then slow down again right before dying.

That engineer goby looks to have advanced ich. When it gets to that stage, it doesn’t look the same as ich typically does, and people often misdiagnose it. The cardinal fish isn’t as clearly ich, but it could be. The dead fish? Can’t say with those, death obscures things pretty quickly.

Jay