Brooklynella?.. what to do?

[MrTuskfish]

One clown is dead.... Left to go to park with daughter. Came home to dead fish with Nass eating at it.

Sorry to hear it, but not surprised. Brook is horrible stuff. You hear a lot about using a QT to prevent ich; but I think brook & velvet are much more dangerous and sure act quicker. IMO, this death makes it almost a sure thing that brook is the cause and I'd get all your fish into QT, with the Quick-Cure ASAP. I've never used, or even heard much about, Quick Cure. But its available to you and its ingredients say it should work. Again, treat ALL your fish. They may not have symptoms now, but as the brook life cycle progresses, they almost certainly will. I sure can't promise anything, it could be something else, but I doubt it. Even with immediate treatment, this is a hard parasite to eradicate from fish. Leaving your tank fishless for 6+ weeks should make it safe again. Then QT everything before it goes into your DT.

 

[Mindflux]

Ok got my 29 with an eclipse hood fired up and mixing salt.

One question I have. I bought this off someone a month ago and it's been sitting in my garage with the gravel in it, bio wheel and filter with carbon.

I'll remove the filter with carbon when it's time to dose, but is there any chance between the biowheel (even though it dried up) and the gravel (which was still damp/had detrius once I got below the dry substrate that I have enough 'beneficial bacteria' in the tank to safely QT these guys without new tank syndrome?

 

[cougaran]

I'd say probably no..Besides with a QT tank you want to start off with a clean tank to make sure you are not introducing anything else to the fish. I would clean the entire tank with a 1 part bleach to 10 part water solution to make sure that you sterilize eveything. Ditch the gravel, you want bare bottom for QT. Get some pvc pipe from hardware store and clean it, the fish like the hiding place and the PVC doesnt absorb any medicine.

 

[Mindflux]

most of the gravel is gone, it had almost a 5 gallon bucket worth, now it's just has what I was too lazy to remove by hand. maybe a couple pounds.. it's mostly bare bottom.

and yes I bought some pvc elbows and T's last night.

Also right now I have my tank mixed at 1.020. Should I go higher ? That should be in FOWLR range, right?

 

[MrTuskfish]

Ok got my 29 with an eclipse hood fired up and mixing salt.

One question I have. I bought this off someone a month ago and it's been sitting in my garage with the gravel in it, bio wheel and filter with carbon.

I'll remove the filter with carbon when it's time to dose, but is there any chance between the biowheel (even though it dried up) and the gravel (which was still damp/had detrius once I got below the dry substrate that I have enough 'beneficial bacteria' in the tank to safely QT these guys without new tank syndrome?

No chance. The nice bacteria need a constant supply of food (ammonia, from decomposing organics) and steady water flow. Do you have any filter media in your DT that you could use? A filter sponge, sock, anything similar would help. Rinse the garage substrate (I prefer not to use substrate in QT) and filter well, toss the carbon. I haven't heard many success stories (some, though); but this may be a good time to try one of the "instant cycle" products. Plenty of WCs may be your only option. The ammonia neutralizing products (Prime, Amquel, et al) are lethal with copper ; but I don't know if they can be used with the ingredients (formaldehyde & mal. green) in Quick Cure. Hopefully, someone on the forum will know or I'd call the mfg and ask.

 

[Mindflux]

No chance. The nice bacteria need a constant supply of food (ammonia, from decomposing organics) and steady water flow. Do you have any filter media in your DT that you could use? A filter sponge, sock, anything similar would help. Rinse the garage substrate and filter well, toss the carbon. I haven't heard many success stories (some, though); but this may be a good time to try one of the "instant cycle" products. Plenty of WCs may be your only option. The ammonia neutralizing products (Prime, Amquel, et al) are lethal with copper ; but I don't know if they can be used with the ingredients (formaldehyde & mal. green) in Quick Cure. Hopefully, someone on the forum will know or I'd call the mfg and ask.

I have a filter sponge that I could use, but then I wouldn't have a filter sponge for my DT. I haven't had a chance to order more.. normally I just wring it out with dirty tank water as I'm doing a water change to keep it debris free.

 

[Mindflux]

Alright, the clown (only one for now) is in the QT with the QuICK cure and some StressCoat+ to help with the sloughing skin.

We'll see how it goes.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I have a filter sponge that I could use, but then I wouldn't have a filter sponge for my DT. I haven't had a chance to order more.. normally I just wring it out with dirty tank water as I'm doing a water change to keep it debris free.

The debris could contain enough bacteria to cycle your QT. I'd just swish the sponge in DT tank water and put it in an HOB filter, or put an airstone under it, to use in your QT. The Dt can wait until you get a new one. Keeping a small QT ammonia-free isn't easy.

Re: Stresscoat. Was suggested on the Quick Cure label? Mixing meds with other conditioners or meds can be disastrous: like mixing copper & Amquel.. I think you'll be all right, but the stresscoat won't help at all ----IMO.

 

[Mindflux]

I read an article on wetwebmedia.com about formalin and stressgard (but I couldn't find stressguard).. so I chose stress coat+..

Also went out and got more filter media for the tank and tossed the old filter into my eclipse II hood on the QT tank. The "stock" eclipse filters use carbon so I have that removed (which gives me no mechanical filtration).. but I guess that's OK for now.

 

[rinconmike]

if the display did have brook in it and you left the other fish in the display but they never come down with brook, does this mean the paasite died off? or could it sit in the tank fo weeks or months and then show up again?

thanks,

Mike

 

[MrTuskfish]

I read an article on wetwebmedia.com about formalin and stressgard (but I couldn't find stressguard).. so I chose stress coat+..

Also went out and got more filter media for the tank and tossed the old filter into my eclipse II hood on the QT tank. The "stock" eclipse filters use carbon so I have that removed (which gives me no mechanical filtration).. but I guess that's OK for now.

The sponge provides mechanical filtration, the carbon is a chemical filter media. Most carbon in "combo" media is cheap, useless carbon anyway. Neither is essential in a QT, biological filtration is.

 

[Mindflux]

The sponge provides mechanical filtration, the carbon is a chemical filter media. Most carbon in "combo" media is cheap, useless carbon anyway. Neither is essential in a QT, biological filtration is.

I'll see if I can't get some filter floss or something for some mechanical filtration. I have "combo" media, but in the event it's not crap I don't want the carbon removing my meds.

Oh yeah: Tested ammonia last night,it's reading zero. But with 1 small clown in a 29 gallon QT it may be a while before he gets it messy. Haven't had a chance to TRY and catch my chromis/6 line/firefish. In fact, I haven't seen my firefish since I netted the clown. I think he's in deep hiding.

 

[MrTuskfish]

if the display did have brook in it and you left the other fish in the display but they never come down with brook, does this mean the paasite died off? or could it sit in the tank fo weeks or months and then show up again?

thanks,

Mike

Just my best guess. I wouldn't trust it. Like ich, some fish may be very resistant to brook, but don't show much of it. All it takes is one microscopic parasite to start everything all over.

 

[rinconmike]

thanks. I have a QT that I put a clown and several other fish in. The clown got what I believe was Brook and wound up dying. I did treat the tank with Quick Cure (3 daily doses per directions).

It has been almost a month and the other fish 2 damsels, 1 dotty back, 1 coral beauty angel all seem fine.

Wondering if I should treat the tank with formalin MS just to make sure and if so, how long?

thanks,

Mike

 

[Mindflux]

thanks. I have a QT that I put a clown and several other fish in. The clown got what I believe was Brook and wound up dying. I did treat the tank with Quick Cure (3 daily doses per directions).

3 daily doses?

My directions say for marine fish, 1 drop per gallon of water once per day. So in my case 29/30 drops.


From the web:

For MARINE fish: Add one drop per gallon daily in a bare aquarium. Maximum dosage: 3 treatments. If further medication is required, perform a 25 percent water change. Not for use on baby whales or elephant noses. Not for reef aquariums.

To me that sounds like NO MORE than 3 treatments without a water change. Not 3 treatments a day. Yikes...

 

[rinconmike]

One dose a day for 3 days is what I did. in my 55 i did 52 drops each day for 3 days.

I did the water change on day 4 and ran carbon. Just wondering if I should have done more. I used quick cure since I could not find formalin ms, but since then, bought some of that so I have it now if needed.

 

[Mindflux]

One dose a day for 3 days is what I did. in my 55 i did 52 drops each day for 3 days.

I did the water change on day 4 and ran carbon. Just wondering if I should have done more. I used quick cure since I could not find formalin ms, but since then, bought some of that so I have it now if needed.

Where did you find Formalin MS? I can't find it anywhere. I wonder if it's even worth buying? QuICK cure has Formalin, and I guess that's just the "formal" name for 37% Formaldehyde, which is all Formalin MS is.. AFAIK.

Good luck on your fishies. I need to QT the rest of my population for brook too.. I'm just afraid I may not be able to catch everyone.

 

[rinconmike]

I got it from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Fish-Vet-Form...ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1309969977&sr=8-1

I got the quick cure because I could get it locally and then ordered the formalin so I have it if needed. Now have more formalin ms than I probably ever need (32 oz bottle).

just wondering if I should use it. Since the fish handled the quick cure fine, I might do the formalin treatment too just in case. Not sure how long though.

 

[boombox3]

If the Quickcure does not work I would highly recommend you to use Microbe-Lift's Herbtana. When I purchased another clown for my tank it was doing fine for the first few days and then BAM! It got Brook or something very similar to that. Within 2 days things went from bad to worst with my two clowns. I went to my local LFS and they recommended this medication which is reef safe I placed the medication in my display tank. (Have a RBTA, ricordias, zoas, xenias, shrimp, hermit crabs; everything was fine with medication) and after the 10 day treatment they were back to great health. Like I said if Quickcure does not work look in to the Herbtana.

 

[MrTuskfish]

If the Quickcure does not work I would highly recommend you to use Microbe-Lift's Herbtana. When I purchased another clown for my tank it was doing fine for the first few days and then BAM! It got Brook or something very similar to that. Within 2 days things went from bad to worst with my two clowns. I went to my local LFS and they recommended this medication which is reef safe I placed the medication in my display tank. (Have a RBTA, ricordias, zoas, xenias, shrimp, hermit crabs; everything was fine with medication) and after the 10 day treatment they were back to great health. Like I said if Quickcure does not work look in to the Herbtana.

I don't think you'll find many hobbyists who think there is such a think as a "reef-safe" parasite cure. When treating brook "or something like it"; its vital to know what you have. The meds that do a good job on brooklynella don't work on velvet or ich----and they're often mistaken for each other.