50% of my fish have been wiped out

[tassod]

I've lost 5 fish within the last 2 weeks. Some disease not sure if its ICH or something else is furiously attacking. Here's what i've lost so far

1 Sargassum trigger (missing for 10 days now nowhere to be found)
1 Oscelaris clown (missing for 10 days now nowhere to be found)
1 Powder blue Tang
1 Blonde Naso Tang
1 Blue Chromis.

Powder blue looked like ICH but not so sure, he had white cotton like bumps all over him. I tried giving him a freshwater dip and that pretty much instantly killed him. Here's how he looked after the dip



Today my Naso tang died, he died within just a few days after the powder blue, he actually looked fine a few days ago and then went downhill fast. He looked like this which i have never seen before:



Is this black ICK or what is going on? Needless to say I have started setting up a 75G QT and started cycling yesterday. I dont have the means to setup the 75G right away and do daily water changes to keep ammonia at bay so i'm gonna cycle it and keep it going permanently. I'm hopping nothing further happens to remaining fish until it cycles.

BTW, how long does it take to get the initial ammonia spike to start the cycle? I got a piece of raw fish sitting in the QT now for 2 days and i'm still reading 0 for ammonia on a Salifert test.

 

[Deinonych]

I would suspect marine velvet given the rapidity of fish deaths you are observing. I would skip trying to cycle your QT and start treating your fish with Cupramine ASAP.

 

[tassod]

Can velvet be treated with hypo?

 

[Deinonych]

No. Hyposalinity does not affect velvet whatsoever.

 

[sleepydoc]

Copper is your best bet. Freshwater/formalin dips can also provide some relief but are not definitive treatment.

Here's a good article on velvet: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/sp/feature/

 

[Mrscribbled]

Use instant ocean bio spira to establish biological filtration instantly. It works great. Ammonia in the qt will be deadly otherwise.

 

[tassod]

I'll get some bio spira tomorrow , I tested also tonight with an API kit and it said I was at 2ppm ammonia.

 

[AdamSabina]

I'll get some bio spira tomorrow , I tested also tonight with an API kit and it said I was at 2ppm ammonia.

I used egg crate to block off 2 inches of the QT then filled with bio balls. My ammonia has stayed at 0. I probably have a light bio load but still seems to help.







2ppm is fairly high. Id do a 50%+ Water change at the same time.

 

[Deinonych]

I used egg crate to block off 2 inches of the QT then filled with bio balls. My ammonia has stayed at 0. I probably have a light bio load but still seems to help.

That's a great idea. Will keep that in mind for future QTs.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I'll get some bio spira tomorrow , I tested also tonight with an API kit and it said I was at 2ppm ammonia.

This level is deadly. When you lose a large fish, and are certain it isn't on the floor, you have to find it. It will decompose rapidly at tank temps and can kill everything in your tank. The smaller the tank, the greater the urgency.

 

[tassod]

This level is deadly. When you lose a large fish, and are certain it isn't on the floor, you have to find it. It will decompose rapidly at tank temps and can kill everything in your tank. The smaller the tank, the greater the urgency.

The 2 ppm ammonia reading is what my QT tank is right now which i just started the cycle on ...so thats a good thing. My main DT even though i cannot find the fish, my levels are still all normal with 0 ammonia, nitrite and <5ppm nitrate.

Just went to 3 stores in my area including petco and nobody has the bio spira...unbelievable. Didnt want to have to order this online.