Fish Dying! ID please...

[skriz]

Recently I have added a school of chromis to the tank. I had 21 to start. I now have 13 left. 8 have died within 8 days. The last one to die had some white spots (which do not look like ich), but this just may be a coincidence. I didn't see any of the others dying to see if they had the same affliction. The living ones do not have these spots. What's the problem? What can I do?

Water parameters: Ammonia 0ppm, ph 8.4, salinity 1.024, temp 78F, alk 10 dkh, Calcium 375ppm (just fired up the calc reactor and am working on driving this up).

I run carbon and ozone.

Thanks!

 

[Hattie B]

HI,

This is not ich, so you are correct.

Where did the white spots appear first?

They died over 8 days, did you add them all 8 days ago and they have been dying ever since? meaning you added then one got sick then another..

Some possible suspects off the top of my head are brooke or velvet

 

[Sk8r]

I hate to tell you, but chromides practice take-out-the-weakest until they reach the optimum tank-size school. What you're seeing is a bit of fungus where they've repeatedly bitten the competition. You may see aggression damp down when they adjust the population level to their liking. Probably you don't have any disease,, unless you count the fungus. It's just survival of the fittest.

 

[skriz]

hmm. now that could be possible. That would only make 13 chromis in a 750g system! I would have thought I could keep a nice school of 30!

And yes, I did add them together. they died one after another. One died in the bag on the way home.

Funny thing is, I told the lfs it died in the bag, and they told me I need to give them a water sample! idiots!

 

[Hattie B]

hi skriz,.

Ya, if one died on the way home in the bag something is not right.

your tank is large enough for the number you purchased. However, Sk8r is right that they will sometimes pick eachother off.

But, fungus is not all the common in SW fish, bacteria bacterial infections yes.

How are they today? any new ones look ill? or have the same type of stuff?

 

[skriz]

All the others look good. No spots.

I never noticed any spots on the others that died either. But, this is the only one I witness dying. May be a coincidence, but figured I would post anyway.

 

[TerryB]

There is a partical species (member of the vibrio family) of bacterial infection that is common in damsels that is quite contagious to them. It can look a bit like Uronema (tiny parasite infection). Typically, the scales lift and often they become sort of red underneath. Fortunately, one of the best treatments for both infections is the same. Get some nitrofurazone and treat for 3 to 5 days. Do not treat in your display aquarium. Use a Qtank.

TerryB

 

[tapm]

TerryB that is what I think killed off my three chromis. Sounds exactly like you described with the lifted scales w/ red wounds. Since No one else in my tank has been affected I did not do any treatments. Does this mean if I add any fish from the damsel family they will get this same thing does it stay in the tank?

 

[TerryB]

If you have fish in the tank that are infected then it certainly is contagious if you add more chromis. Probably will infect others damsels and possibly clownfish. I see Vibrio Damsella infections most often in chromis

 

[tapm]

All the chromis died several weeks ago and no others have shown any problems. I do have some clowns but they have shown no signs of anything. They are healthy fat little pigs. I'm just thinking I shouldn't add anymore chromis but I'd like to.

 

[skriz]

It would be close to impossible to catch the chromis and treat in a QT. Is there anything else I can do? I think it has stabilzed. I have lost 10 total now. Lost one the other day.

 

[bhotep]

I also bought chromis from my LFS. I noticed a few days later that one was developing a red stripe down its side and the scales looked like they were lifting. I tried my best to catch the fish, after days later and exhausting the chromis (and myself) I got it out. The other chromis looked ok so I bought four more from another source a week later. Its been about 3 weeks now and all looks well with them.

 

[TerryB]

The safest bet is to treat all the chromis before adding new ones. Otherwise you won't know ifit is safe until after you add more fish. Don't forget to quarantine any new fish.

TerryB