Fish dying...help please

[aprilschutt]

On June 17th I noticed my yellow tang having signs of ich in my display tank. I set up my quarantine tank, caught all my fish and put them in to begin treating with copper safe treatment. Several weeks later the ich seemed to clear up however since it was in my DT I need to keep that fishless until the beginning of September to insure it dies off in there.

So, everything was going good with my fish in quarantine and then on Tuesday my yellow tang died. The only think I noticed a few days before was that his color seemed a little less vibrant but he was eating and swimming fine.

THEN today I lost a clown and then a few hours later my other clown.

I have been doing water changes every few days and check my levels regularly. I cannot figure out what happened. Any thoughts or advice? I am super discouraged. Of course all that is left in my quarantine are my stupid blue green chromis. Why couldn't they have been the ones to die???

Background info:

10 gallon quarantine tank
2 1/4" yellow tang
2 small blue green chromis (about 1 1/4" long)
2 small clowns (just under 2 inches long)

Amonia 0
Nitite 0
Nitrates >10
ph 8
temp around 77

The only thing I can think is that we have had a house full of people (lots of little kids). Could it be the tang died from ich even though he didn't show an spots anymore? And then it seems strange to me that the clowns both died very quickly and within a short time frame of each other, my only thought there was maybe one of the kids we had in the house put something in the tank? Not trying to blame them but I am really puzzled here...

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I'm a newbie here and now feeling like a complete failure...

 

[snorvich]

Please describe behavior and appearance. Ich does not have a mortality curve that acts so quickly.

 

[CHSUB]

it would be challenging to keep 5 fish alive that long in a 10g qt tank. they were most likely under great stress. parameters would be hard to control, a drop in pH could have been the cause, but many other things are possible. going forward, you will be a better reefer!

 

[aprilschutt]

The tang had snow like dots all over his fins and body. He was "scratching" on rocks too which is why I treated for ich.

 

[Deinonych]

The tang had snow like dots all over his fins and body. He was "scratching" on rocks too which is why I treated for ich.

The rapid onset of mortality is more consistent with velvet than ich, per Steve's post above.

 

[aprilschutt]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I obviously have much to learn and was quite discouraged after today. I just wish I was a fish vet or something and knew how to fix it. It's so hard to see them die...

If it was velvet is there something I could have done or noticed to catch it?

 

[aprilschutt]

I did some looking though and saw that the treatment for velvet is also copper which I have been using so could it still have been that?

 

[CHSUB]

The actual parasite is immaterial, neither kills their host intentional; the parasite overwhelms the fish and death ensues. Imo, parasites were not the cause, because you would have seen very clear signs while in your QT. what is important now is understanding how to qt properly.

 

[aprilschutt]

Well any thoughts on what I did wrong or how I qt properly for the future?

 

[ThRoewer]

Lots of kids around the tank could result in someone putting something into the tank that may be harmful for the fish. Sometimes it's even enough for someone to reach into the tank as skincare products for example can kill some fish quite quickly.
Is the tank open or closed? How old where the kids? Where you always around?

A disease is also a possibility, though if the fish have been with you for quite a while I would be skeptical about velvet or brook. A bacterial infection on the other hand could be possible and would fit the timeline.

Snowflake like stuff on the fins and body sounds like Lymphocystis, but that is rarely lethal and for sure wouldn't kill 3 fish in short sucession.

Should you ever have velvet, the best treatment is not copper but Chloroquine Phosphate (= NLS Ick-Shield Powder).

 

[aprilschutt]

Ok, now today with the two chromis I have left I noticed that their fins are starting to look "shredded" not sure how to best describe it but it's almost like they are torn...I didn't notice this with my tang or clowns before they died but with this information does anyone have an idea of what I'm dealing with and what the best treatment for my chromis would be?

We did have 13 kids here ages nine and under and several were in and out of the house unattended. I honestly do think that one of the younger more, "rambunctious" kiddos did put her hands in the tank (based on what my kids told me...) but I am not sure really this is the problem since my tang died the day before. But perhaps that is why my clowns died? Bug spray was used earlier that evening...not sure. But based on what I am now seeing on the fins of my chromis I likely have something else going on right?

Ahh, I feel so scared now to even start again. Since most of my livestock is gone now how do I get anything new and feel confident??

 

[ThRoewer]

With clownfish involved it could be brook (fits the frayed fins and white plaque like stuff on the skin) though brook usually moves faster.
When did you added the last wet item to your tank?

BTW: Bug spray is something you need to keep far away from any fish tank.

 

[aprilschutt]

Ok I am so frustrated. Today I lost a chromi. Looked and acted fine for the day. Ate this morning, when I came home tonight it was dead. It sort of looks like there is a bloody red color coming from the side of its body right by each fin. I know it is too late here to treat obviously but I am trying to learn what to do differently for next time. Anyone know what it probably had? I'm down to one last chromi and it would be nice if I could save it...

 

[ThRoewer]

A Chromis with bloody patches sounds like Uronema marinum. Best treatments are formalin dips or Chloroquine Phosphate (NLS Ick-Shield Powder) for in-tank treatment.
Though CP will also kill all algae, corals and snails.