fish dying in SPS reef

[vmacisback]

So about three months ago i transferred my livestock (fish and coral) over to my new 250G. Soon there after I have been battling against loosing fish left and right. It seems like the fish that made the transfer successfully were the wrasses and a hogfish. Most of the fish that didnt make it died from ich or possibly an ammoinia spike in the new tank. Fast forward about 3 months to today i am still having problems keeping new fish that I add staying alive. I added a kole tang, it died of ich, i added 10 Barletts anthias, they all died. Added 2 orange striped cardinals, they both died. Then added a larger naso tang he was covered in ich and died in about a week. Same with an Achilles and blue tang.

I added 3 yellow tangs and seems like they were strong enough to battle the ich and look good and are eating. Last friday I added a Chocolate tang who today is covered in ich and is not eating well and i presume will die. I am very frustrated at this point and feel like I cant really keep fish in the this new tank. I am contemplating a UV 57W to help with the ICH but am not sure that will even help. I am a long time reefer and am pretty upset with thats been happeneing as of late. Seems like every fish I have added either will not eat or breaks out in ich and cant survive long enough to fight it off. Heres a current stock list:
2 x yellow tangs
chocolate tang (new with some signs of ich)
Flame Hawk
Flame wrasse
Labouti wrasse
red velvet wrasse
midas blenny
algae blenny
yellow hogfish
magnificent foxface (new with some signs of ich)

 

[snorvich]

Several things. Stop buying fish. Read the ich stickies to make sure you have ich rather than another parasite. If you do have a parasite, your tank has that parasite and your tank will need to remain fallow. Ich is not something that fish "fight off" and unless you fix the problem, the problem will persist. The timeline for death suggests a parasite more virulent than cryptocaryon irritans; normally ich overwhelms over time before killing. UV will be of no value in regard to parasite elimination.

 

[snorvich]

Oh, and I also suggest you develop a quarantine protocol.

 

[snorvich]

Please describe the fish behavior and appearance, and if possible provide some pictures.

 

[vmacisback]

Please describe the fish behavior and appearance, and if possible provide some pictures.

fish are usually covered in white ich spots and almost have a whitish film on them. They aren't real active and have no real appetite, kinda like they are just waiting to die. They will swim around but usually just linger in the same spots.

 

[vmacisback]

Several things. Stop buying fish. Read the ich stickies to make sure you have ich rather than another parasite. If you do have a parasite, your tank has that parasite and your tank will need to remain fallow. Ich is not something that fish "fight off" and unless you fix the problem, the problem will persist. The timeline for death suggests a parasite more virulent than cryptocaryon irritans; normally ich overwhelms over time before killing. UV will be of no value in regard to parasite elimination.

If i do decide to keep the tank fallow for 8 weeks can I leave my eel in the tank during this period? He may be real tough to get out.

 

[Deinonych]

If i do decide to keep the tank fallow for 8 weeks can I leave my eel in the tank during this period? He may be real tough to get out.

No, eels are fish and can act as hosts for cryptocaryon.

 

[vmacisback]

No, eels are fish and can act as hosts for cryptocaryon.

Thanks didn't know that. Does the fallow method help with something like marine velvet as well?

 

[snorvich]

Thanks didn't know that. Does the fallow method help with something like marine velvet as well?

Yes, you are correct, you more than likely have velvet. Fallow period of marine velvet is two life cycles or six weeks. All fish must come out.

 

[snorvich]

Please see the appropriate section of this.

 

[vmacisback]

wow great info thank you, actually sounds like a combo of marine velvet and ICH. I think fallow for 8 weeks and treat my fish in the QT. Thanks

 

[snorvich]

wow great info thank you, actually sounds like a combo of marine velvet and ICH. I think fallow for 8 weeks and treat my fish in the QT. Thanks

If you have ich, the preferred fallow period would be 72 days.

 

[crissie]

Oh, and I also suggest you develop a quarantine protocol.

When you've treated the Velvet/Ich, please do make sure you follow this advice or you will risk reintroducing another bout of parasites or infections, thus killing another load of fish.

 

[vmacisback]

When you've treated the Velvet/Ich, please do make sure you follow this advice or you will risk reintroducing another bout of parasites or infections, thus killing another load of fish.

got it thanks, I do have a qt

 

[crissie]

got it thanks, I do have a qt

Excellent, you should soon be able to keep healthy fish again then