Keeping New Stocks of Fishes...

[MilesJT]

Hi, please help me, shared your thoughts and experiences...

So I am setting up new tanks to keep Marine Fishes..

So far, all I have are live rocks in filter, matrix, matrix carbon, purigen and skimmer, uv (not sure if it helps).
And sock filter...

The water is clear though, however, I cannot battle ick & velvet, I've lost nearly 200pcs of fishes already... even the healthy & eating ones are just died off. So far, I have a few anthias from the first stock that immune to this though, they... never got sick, not sure why... some anthias didn't make it though. Only 3 is immune.

And I have eels... lost of eels, Zebra Moray, Ghost Ribbon, Orange Garden Eel, Harlequin Eel & Snowflakes... and eel tanks are having dsb... And I also have scaless fishes like blennies. Also some invertebrate like Nassassius Snails, moon snails, anemone, hermit crabs...

And so far, all the medications I could find in my country is Cuperamin, ParaGuard, API Super Ick Cure, Prodibio Spots & Velvet...

But most is out of stock, right now I only have Cuperamine & Paraguard.
So far, I got no luck from Paraguard... and I am still lingering on using Cuperamine because I read that scaleless fish like eels are sensitive to copper. And I read that having dsb would be difficult to deal with ick & velvet.

But my corals stocking tanks are done soon... if needed, I can remove eels & invertebrates (hermit carbs, cleaner snails, cleaner shrimps) to coral tanks.

But as far as I've lost many things, I've never lost an eels. They all eating fine... and all have now accepted frozen food (tweezer feed)..
I have nearly 10pcs of Ghost Ribbon, 4pcs of Zebra and about 50pcs of Garden Eel (eat floating brine shrimps) and 2pcs of snake eels, 10pcs of Snowflake Eel.

And another problem, I have new shipment of fishes coming every week... so I need to find a way to dips new fishes... any recommendations?
Some people say they use MelaFix as dip, some say paraguard work best... so far I think not... because after my new tank was done, before Move fishes... I did do an hour + dip with paraguard before put fishes in new tanks and I've always been doing this, yet somehow Ick & Velvet appeared.

So I need helps on:

1. How to improve filter? My filter is very big, with lots of live rocks.
2. Is there a way to dip new fishes and rid of parasite?
3. How to battle Ick & Velvet with eels in it?
4. How to use copper properly? Can eels & blenny tolerate it?
5. I am always reading a bit of NH4 & NO2.
6. I cannot get my pH to go higher than 7.6, my tanks are in a closed room.
7. Will a big air pump to bring the fresh air outside would helps raise pH?

I was told to use, Carbon Reactor, Ozone, Zeovit and more live rocks.
But however, I am having a hard time using Carbon & Purgen too because I apply para guard nearly everyday, so I have to pulled carbon out...

Please anyone, help me share your thoughts & experiences... thank you very much....

 

[Dmorty217]

You need to take the fish out and let the inverts and rock ect go fallow for 6 weeks to rid the display tank of velvet. The current fish and eels need to be put thru Chloroquine Phosphate. You may need to go to a vet to get a prescription and get it from your local pharmacy.

 

[Buddy55]

If you have the resources, read up on tank transfer method. Do a group of fish at a time and place in a parasite free tank. Preferably cycled or you will be busy making water changes a lot. My .02. I don't use copper and have had great luck.

 

[ThRoewer]

The key is to properly identify the problems and fix them.
Most importantly is to identify the parasites that are killing your fish. Many parasites have different appearances on different fish - what you see (or think you see) is rather the fish's reaction to the parasite and not necessarily the parasite itself. So how it looks like depends a lot on the fish's skin structure.
Guessing is not a good approach - I just made that painful experience first hand.

Before putting any more money into fish you should rather invest some money in a good microscope, or better two: one binocular that allows you to put a whole fish underneath for inspection, and another one for inspecting wet-mounts on glass slides.

The next thing you need are a few books on identifying fish diseases.

Trust me, these will be worthwhile investments that help you saving money in the long run.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I would see if you can get Formalin and use that as a dip for 45 minutes and after the fish is through with the Formalin you need to do a round of PraziPro during the TTM (tank transfer method) which can be found in the stickies of the fish disease forum.

Using these three methods will rid fish of most of the normal unwanted hitchhikers that come in on your new fish.

I also agree with the others.

 

[sde1500]

Lost 200 fish? Holy hell...

I'm not sure ParaGuard works on ich. I use it when I add the fish to the first round of TTM. Cuppramine should though. I know you said you are hesitant about using it because some of those fish are sensitive, but you are losing them anyway so would it really hurt to try? Def look into doing TTM.

Also, ThRoewer is right, I wouldn't get more fish until you figure out what is going on.

 

[suta4242]

Are you a shop? Just that the strategies need to be different if you are.

 

[MilesJT]

My country don't need any special permission to buy any drugs.
I can get anything that are available for sale, although I am not sure with Chloroquine Phosphate.

What is it? I think no one have it here. And even they do, what should I do?

 

[MilesJT]

Yes.. I am a shop owner.

The problem isn't keeping them...
Although all my tanks do running to one filter.
But it's a powerful filter. It was fine almost 6months.

The problem is new arrival fishes...
I just can't seems to find away to dip them make them disease free.

I think my problem started with Clownfishes.
And it definitely Ick & Velvet... It was Ick and Later Velvet.