**All Fish DIED (one by one)** What do I do next? (To rebuild tank with Fish again)

[Wally.B]

Well this is a first for me in 15 years of this hobby.

My Fish started dying, and over last 2 weeks all have died (3 clowns, Golby, Tang). Only 1 left (now quarantined in 10Gal spare tank).
.
** SHRIMP DID NOT DIE, Hermits did not die, Snails did not DIE **
** NO CORALS DAMAGED **

When things were going bad, I was thinking all kinds of things? PH spike, First Dead Fish chemistry going bad (Ammonia, Nitrate.......etc). Nothing really stood out, so I was scrambling.

In hindsight and thinking back, I believe this was caused by introducing a diseased Clown Fish (from a new start-up store). This new fish died after a few days (thought shock killed it). BIG MISTAKE buying from an UN-reputable fish store.

Yes not doing Quarantine was another mistake.

Too late, can't do anything. Lesson learned for future.

So I tore apart the tank to get lost dead fish. While rocks all removed, I clean them, and the tank and put all possible removable corals, hermits, snails into a Bin, with heater, spare skimmer for circulation.

Did 80% water change in tank. 100% new water in storage bin for Corals.


WHAT DO I DO NEXT?

IS THERE DISEASE FLOATING IN THE FISH LESS TANK, or in the rocks?

Corals are in 100% new water, in a bin. Did they carry over the disease to the bin?

The Cardinal and shrimp will remain quarantined, and I may never put them back, unless someone tells me it's ok. (When? (After they live for a few weeks in quarantine?)

WHAT DO I DO NEXT? To be able to start re-building the tank?

For now the rebuilt tank is just running with just rocks, with skimmer in Sump, (Little lighting), lots of new Carbon, most floss/media removed (but kept some to keep bacteria). Running Phosphate reactor (old media).

I am adding Coral Snow 3ml (daily), and ZeoBak 3 drops (every other day), to help tank clean up, and keep bacteria.

ALSO running few bags of GFO in sump. (Plan to change weekly)

1) Do I need to treat the tank with just Rocks , a large Leather on large rock, plus the odd Zoo on rocks?
2) Do I need to treat the bin with all corals?
3) What do I treat with? Get a UV sterilizer?
4) How do I know the disease is gone? Wait a while and introduce a new clown, and see if it survives?

5) I have Calc, Alk, Mag, Ammonia (Nh3, Nh4) kits. Just got new Nitrate, Phosphate kit. Good Enough? What should I monitor closely.

Any advice appreciated. (90 Gal mixed Coral Tank (NO SPS), 30 gal sump).

 

[CoralsAddiction]

I went through this once. I was buying poly filters and doing all kinds of stuff. But bc my corals and inverts weren't dying and because of the symptoms some fish exhibited I came to a conclusion it was marine velvet. Most fish didn't show any symptoms at all. They swam around and ate normal then boom...dead fish floating.
I ran my tank fallow for 8 weeks and all was good again in Kings Landing (just a Game of Thrones reference).

 

[snorvich]

Without more behavioral or visual information, I would guess, based on the clownfish "symptom" that you have brook or uronema. I suggest you develop a quarantine protocol and apply it to all existing fish and all future fish. I also suggest reading the stickies which have a lot of information.

 

[Wally.B]

OK. Reading, and much more to read.

I am going to run tank Fallow for 10 weeks, possibly more. I am assuming that "Fallow" means just no fish. Corals can go back. Correct?

This fallow period will give me plenty of time to clean up the Algae problem I had in this tank.

This will give me plenty of time to focus on my new 8 month young SPS only frag tank.

I'll be sure to not cross any equipment between my two tanks. (ie test kit syringes, tools, WC hoses, etc). At least sterilize in vinegar and dry fully 24hours before using.

Is it ok to put back any of the snails, hermits?

If Corals can go back, I assume I can feed them lightly?

I guess when I start to introduce fish again (Slowly) 10 weeks from now , I'll go through a series of mini cycles. Correct?

 

[snorvich]

Fallow is no fish.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Is it ok to put back any of the snails, hermits?

If Corals can go back, I assume I can feed them lightly?

I guess when I start to introduce fish again (Slowly) 10 weeks from now , I'll go through a series of mini cycles. Correct?

Yes you can safely keep inverts and I would throw in some brine or mysis shrimp in smaller quantities couple times a week to keep your beneficial bacteria alive.

 

[Wally.B]

I do take a lot of photo's, even daily. But when things were going bad, I was not interested in taking nice pictured of my tank. In hindsight I should have, to understand that capturing fish appearance would have helped now.

I can briefly describe the fish behaviour. And below are few photo's that I managed to take.

It all started when I netted one of the clowns by mistake. He jumped into the net while I was fee
ding rinsed frozen food. I found him the next day in the net. Then the paired clown got depressed (my opinion) and stopped eating. That's when I tried to get a replacement clown. First new clown died within a few days. Then subse quent clowns introduced died. Then Blue Tang, then Goby, then last clown.

As far as the Larger Power Blue Tang. He did eat till the day before he died. However he did start appearing pale. Kind of whitetish/grey, instead of bold blue. No ICK stood out. His behavior in last few days was not swimming as usual. Stayed low in the tank. Didn't run the walls like stressed fish do. Yes I did notice faster breathing. Family knew something was wrong based on his swimming behavior.

Faster breathing was kind of the symptom for all fish as they got worse.

However for clowns, they all stopped eating at various stages.

The goby also stopped eating at the end, and never came out of hiding places. The only thing unique about the golby before he went into hiding, is he started hanging around in the clown in the Toadstood Leather (caught a pic). Something he never did before. That contact probably was his doom.

A the end I did clearly notice ICK on one the last surviving clowns. ICK or some kind of white spots.

** HOWEVER I thought and correct me if I'm wrong. Doesn't ICK get bad first before killing a fish **
** I say this because I had a one fish with ICK before (different tank). It got worse. Spread over fish's body. So I quarantined. Treated with Copper, and it survived.

At this point the Cardinal in Quarentine still show no ICK, spots or fast breathing. His skin is perfect and clear. Shrimp is still alive and look great.

Here are the best photo's I could find (all around the time when fish were dying)

However the event is over. Going into Fallow for a long while. I kind of like my corals in a bin with MH light hung above. I'll care for them there till I'm ready to fully reassemble my tank properly.

ONWARDS. LESSON LEARNED!!! That's how you get better in this hobby.

HERE IS A TRIBUTE to my original fish (Especially "BOSS" my Blue Tang of 15 years. My buddy)

Taken Back in Oct, 2014. (A YOU TUBE VIDEO) Clown Pair and Blue Tank Alive and Well in my Tank

 

[snorvich]

Looks to be brook. however the white sheen on the tang coupled with reclusive behavior could have been velvet. The moral of the story is: develop a quarantine protocol and put your remaining fish through that protocol while leaving your tank fallow. Fallow period should be 72 days if you are sure you have ich, but only six weeks if you think you have velvet. My blog has useful information on fish diseases and developing a quarantine protocol.