John,
Staring at the tank is an important part of the hobby.
What you're most likely experiencing is brought on by a couple of factors:
1) Nutritional deficiencies;
2) Water quality.
Our tanks always have an abundance of microorganisms in them. In an excellent environment with proper nutrition, these bacteria basically don't pose a problem to our fishes. But when either fall off, it allows bacteria to get the better of them. The above two factors lead to bacterial infections ranging from minor to life-threatening.
I don't believe copper treated your previously ill Chromis. What you did do, is remove the fish from part of the source of its stress and gave it a chance for it to catch up on the infection, on its own.
The description of your tank indicates a change in the microbial population towards those which thrive in less than excellent water. So there is a question of water quality. There are plenty of opportunities for the water quality to fall off. Just to name a few: build up of 'hidden' detritus, dead or dying organisms (from microbes to inverts to fish); decaying things (left over food, organics, etc.) and things you're putting in the water that feeds them (the foods you use, additives, etc).
You listed what you're feeding, but I don't know if that is their proper diet. I don't care to keep Chromis, so I don't know what they eat in the wild. Do they eat copepods?What I see missing so far in your list is supplemental vitamin and fat additives to their feed.
Although you can remove the ill fish and treat them (a better treatment would be an antibiotic, but I think that some of the over-the-counter remedies may prove useful) you still have to address the issues of nutrition and water quality, in the long run. During treatment it is imperative they get the proper nutrition, have excellent water quality AND get immune boosters like vitamins & beta glucan in their diet.
Along the nutritional lines, many people over-treat their water with things like activated carbon. After a week of carbon treatment, all the carbon does is remove vital elements from the water. That is why I and others use carbon once a month for a stretch of 10 days. This figures into a grey area of nutrition and water quality. Our fish get some of the trace elements from their water. If we repeatedly remove them, their health suffers.
Anyway, I've tried to give you a 'bigger picture.' Hope this helps.
Good luck! :rollface:
Staring at the tank is an important part of the hobby.
What you're most likely experiencing is brought on by a couple of factors:
1) Nutritional deficiencies;
2) Water quality.
Our tanks always have an abundance of microorganisms in them. In an excellent environment with proper nutrition, these bacteria basically don't pose a problem to our fishes. But when either fall off, it allows bacteria to get the better of them. The above two factors lead to bacterial infections ranging from minor to life-threatening.
I don't believe copper treated your previously ill Chromis. What you did do, is remove the fish from part of the source of its stress and gave it a chance for it to catch up on the infection, on its own.
The description of your tank indicates a change in the microbial population towards those which thrive in less than excellent water. So there is a question of water quality. There are plenty of opportunities for the water quality to fall off. Just to name a few: build up of 'hidden' detritus, dead or dying organisms (from microbes to inverts to fish); decaying things (left over food, organics, etc.) and things you're putting in the water that feeds them (the foods you use, additives, etc).
You listed what you're feeding, but I don't know if that is their proper diet. I don't care to keep Chromis, so I don't know what they eat in the wild. Do they eat copepods?What I see missing so far in your list is supplemental vitamin and fat additives to their feed.
Although you can remove the ill fish and treat them (a better treatment would be an antibiotic, but I think that some of the over-the-counter remedies may prove useful) you still have to address the issues of nutrition and water quality, in the long run. During treatment it is imperative they get the proper nutrition, have excellent water quality AND get immune boosters like vitamins & beta glucan in their diet.
Along the nutritional lines, many people over-treat their water with things like activated carbon. After a week of carbon treatment, all the carbon does is remove vital elements from the water. That is why I and others use carbon once a month for a stretch of 10 days. This figures into a grey area of nutrition and water quality. Our fish get some of the trace elements from their water. If we repeatedly remove them, their health suffers.
Anyway, I've tried to give you a 'bigger picture.' Hope this helps.
Good luck! :rollface:
