Bacteria Outbreak?

[Thunderstruck]

I posted on this forum a few weeks ago and got some great feedback to help me with a bacteria problem I thought I was experiencing. I believed I had a speckled damsel with some type of bacteria disease. I was unable to remove him from my reef tank before he disappeared. I also have a red dartfish and a snowflake eel in my reef tank; they are fine to this day. In my one of my QT tanks, which the water from both of them come from my reef tank during water changes, I have a purple dartfish, and in the other a royal grandma basslet and another speckled damsel. The purple dartfish is fine. The royal gramma basslet in my second QT tank is also fine. However, my other speckled damsel now has a bacteria infection and also looks like a fungus developing as well. He is showing the same symptoms as the other damsel in my reef tank showed, but the basslet is doing fine. My question is this, somewhere along the line; I must have introduced some type of bacteria in my reef tank. Any feedback on how to get it out of my reef tank? Also, do you think my basslet in my QT will be infected if he hasnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t already (not sure how long it takes for symtoms to begin)? Thanks in advance for any helpââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦

Thunderstruck

 

[blazemore]

There is some stuffed called Maracyn-Two that's made to kill bacteria in "ornamental fish and/or ornamental organisms." I'd assume it's safe to use in a reef tank because it only targets bacteria. The only problem is it will also kill the good bacteria in your live rock and sand, as well, which could cause an ammonia spike if you don't kep up with the water changes after the bacteria is killed.

 

[leebca]

Usually, the presence of a 'reasonable' quantity of bacteria is normal. It isn't so much how to get rid of the bacteria as it is often how to fix the tank conditions to stop breeding so much bacteria AND providing the optimum nutrition to your fishes.

So I can't answer your question other than to recommend treating your fish in quarantine with antibiotics and antifungal meds and work on your system to reduce bacteria count in the water column AND to follow these kinds of guidelines to improve your fish's ability to resist bacterial infections:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=785228

Bacterial infections that are secondary to other conditions are to be expected to some degree. But fish just breaking out in bacterial infections is a sign that environment, tank, and/or nutrition is off.

Regarding the use of display tank water for your QT water changes. . .That works when your display tank is known to be disease-free. If there is any chance that your display tank may contain disease, then when you make your QT water changes, you need to use freshly made, disease-free saltwater.

 

[Thunderstruck]

Thank you very much for the advice! Will improve the feeding conditions as well!