View pictures at the bottom of the post.
One year ago, almost to the day, I inherited a 55 gallon with a Valentini Puffer, 2 clowns, and 2 green chromis. This is the first saltwater tank I ever attempted. Over the last year, it evolved into the description below. I was so proud that in my first attempt at a saltwater tank, that in one year, I only lost a green chromis and a clown. The clown died on the second day I had him and the LFS gladly replaced him.
Saturday 2/13/2016, I noticed the creatures in the goby picture growing on the puffer and the goby. I thought is was ich pretty much due to me being a rookie, it's the only disease i had heard up to that day. I decided to use levamisole hydrochloride labeled "œProhibit" from AgriLabs due to many other chemicals not being compatible with the starfish. I dosed one eighth of a teaspoon. The creatures almost immediately fell off the puffer, and most fell off the goby.
Sunday, did a 20 gallon water change. (All water is RO/DI via a SpectraPure MaxCap MC-RODI-90.) The goby continued to get worse. The puffer stays in his sleeping position in a place he usually does not visit.
Monday the goby died along with the green chromis and yellow tail. I did not see anything on the chromis or the yellow tail. I realize not seeing anything does not mean they were healthy.
On Monday, i did another 20 gallon water change and dosed another one eighth of a teaspoon.
Wednesday, a clown and the puffer died. I dosed one quarter teaspoon. This was the last dose.
The worm-like creatures never returned to the outside of the puffer, but he was very bloated as seen in the picture. Perhaps there were worms in the gut. When he was by the glass, i looked at him with a magnifying glass. I could see what looked like extremely fine grains of sugar or sand around the eyes and beak. Was this possibly scare tissue from the creatures being attached?
Fast forward to Thursday, in 5 days, the only remaining fish are the 2 Blue Gudgeon Dartfish, the blue damsel, and the starfish. Plus i did another 20 gallon water change.
The creatures looked like tiny white worms. This is the first salt water disease I have seen, thus not familiar with any, and obviously totally unprepared to deal with it. It is an extremely expensive lesson, but i did learn something.
Now that the levamisole did not do much, i am wondering if it was ich?
55 Gallon
4 Green Chromis "“ all dead
2 Firefish "“ dead
2 Ocellaris Clownfish "“ both dead
1 Valentini Puffer - dead
2 Blue Gudgeon Dartfish "“ both still alive.
1 Blue Damselfish - alive
1 Yellowtail Damselfish - dead
1 Goby (type is unknown) - dead
1 Chocolate Chip Starfish "“ alive
No rock, no corals.
pH 8.0 - API
Ammonia 0 - API
Nitrite 0 - API
Nitrate 20 - API
Phosphorus(ppb) 50 "“ Hanna Phosphorus ULR
Phosphate 0.15
Alkalinity 9.41 dkH "“ LaMotte 4491
Calcium 330 ppm "“ LaMotte 3609
Salinity 1.023 "“ Milwaukee MA887
76 degrees "“ cheap floater
One year ago, almost to the day, I inherited a 55 gallon with a Valentini Puffer, 2 clowns, and 2 green chromis. This is the first saltwater tank I ever attempted. Over the last year, it evolved into the description below. I was so proud that in my first attempt at a saltwater tank, that in one year, I only lost a green chromis and a clown. The clown died on the second day I had him and the LFS gladly replaced him.
Saturday 2/13/2016, I noticed the creatures in the goby picture growing on the puffer and the goby. I thought is was ich pretty much due to me being a rookie, it's the only disease i had heard up to that day. I decided to use levamisole hydrochloride labeled "œProhibit" from AgriLabs due to many other chemicals not being compatible with the starfish. I dosed one eighth of a teaspoon. The creatures almost immediately fell off the puffer, and most fell off the goby.
Sunday, did a 20 gallon water change. (All water is RO/DI via a SpectraPure MaxCap MC-RODI-90.) The goby continued to get worse. The puffer stays in his sleeping position in a place he usually does not visit.
Monday the goby died along with the green chromis and yellow tail. I did not see anything on the chromis or the yellow tail. I realize not seeing anything does not mean they were healthy.
On Monday, i did another 20 gallon water change and dosed another one eighth of a teaspoon.
Wednesday, a clown and the puffer died. I dosed one quarter teaspoon. This was the last dose.
The worm-like creatures never returned to the outside of the puffer, but he was very bloated as seen in the picture. Perhaps there were worms in the gut. When he was by the glass, i looked at him with a magnifying glass. I could see what looked like extremely fine grains of sugar or sand around the eyes and beak. Was this possibly scare tissue from the creatures being attached?
Fast forward to Thursday, in 5 days, the only remaining fish are the 2 Blue Gudgeon Dartfish, the blue damsel, and the starfish. Plus i did another 20 gallon water change.
The creatures looked like tiny white worms. This is the first salt water disease I have seen, thus not familiar with any, and obviously totally unprepared to deal with it. It is an extremely expensive lesson, but i did learn something.
Now that the levamisole did not do much, i am wondering if it was ich?
55 Gallon
4 Green Chromis "“ all dead
2 Firefish "“ dead
2 Ocellaris Clownfish "“ both dead
1 Valentini Puffer - dead
2 Blue Gudgeon Dartfish "“ both still alive.
1 Blue Damselfish - alive
1 Yellowtail Damselfish - dead
1 Goby (type is unknown) - dead
1 Chocolate Chip Starfish "“ alive
No rock, no corals.
pH 8.0 - API
Ammonia 0 - API
Nitrite 0 - API
Nitrate 20 - API
Phosphorus(ppb) 50 "“ Hanna Phosphorus ULR
Phosphate 0.15
Alkalinity 9.41 dkH "“ LaMotte 4491
Calcium 330 ppm "“ LaMotte 3609
Salinity 1.023 "“ Milwaukee MA887
76 degrees "“ cheap floater
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