Longfin Bannerfish, Healthy->Whitespot Dead < 4hrs?

[Zaita]

Hey guys,

We purchased a Longfin Bannerfish on Saturday and put him into our 200L tank (also contains pair of O.Clowns, Boxer Shrimp and Blue Mandarin). The tank has been running for 18mnths with no issues or illness.

Last night we noticed the bannerfish had developed some whitespots and wasn't swimming too happily, but hours before appeared fine. We tried to feed it garlic soaked food but it wouldn't eat.

I moved it into a breeding net for the night incase it got better/died and woke up this morning to find it dead and more than 50% of it covered in white film (like ALOT of white-spot).

I wasn't aware Ich could be this aggressive? We are talking a 2-3" Fish completely covered overnight in an established tank with no prior infections?

Ammonia, nitrate and Nitrite are all 0. Sg is 1.022, Temp: 24'C, Ph 8.2 which is all normal for the tank.

Anyone offer any suggestions to if this was White Spot / Ich? As I feel this was very aggresive infection? Could the fish have been infected prior to us receiving (was in tank 3 days til death)?

Any advice or information would be helpful. I have read alot of the articles on WhiteSpot/Ich that have been posted.

FYI: We also added a Purple Goby yesterday prior to noticing the whitespot, chances of survival?

Thanks,
Scott.

 

[Percula9]

Fish most likely infected to begin with. Was he eating in the store? Never buy fish unless you see them eat first. Look for clear eyes and any body discolorations. I also ask how long as he been in the store. Look for frayed or clamped fins. Observe swimming behavior. Darting is a possible sign of illness. Your best bet is to set up a Quarantine Tank. Observe for a month, if sick you can treat without exposing your display tank to a possible pathogen. Ich usually doesn't kill this fast usually. If any other fish are infected give a 5min fresh water bath, but no more than 10min. If you don't want to QT you can give fish a fresh water bath before putting in display tank.

 

[Zaita]

Hey,

Thanks for the reply.

The fish was eating in the store. Frozen Bloodworm, He was darting around but the LFS had a variety of peaceful and semi-aggressive fish.

I do wonder if the fish was over-stressed during capture at the LFS?

They had arrived in that store the day prior.

The fish looked ok up until the afternoon I noticed the spots. The gf is now deadset on buying a QT tank (I had told her previously but you can't teach some woman)

If I notice any signs on the other fish they will be getting the FW dip for sure . We have 2 clowns and a purple goby at risk. The other inhab's are CBS and Blue Mandarin.

 

[Percula9]

This is why I don't like to buy fish that have just arrived. If I want it I come back in two weeks to see if he is still there. If he is, then I might buy him if he passes all my criteria. If he is not there then it wasn't meant to be. I would rather use the fish store as my QT provider. I would soak your food in Garlic extreme for 15-20min then feed to fish as a preventative.

P.S My name is Scott also.

 

[Zaita]

Yea it'd be nice to be able to do that here. You have to place your order with the importer or with shops prior to fish even arriving in the country.

I believe New Zealand gets 4000 fish per year. So it's a first-in first-served situation. We had waited 6mnths for a Mag Firefish to come through

Will be purchasing a QT tank in the very near future. At the moment my 520L is acting as a QT for my Hippo tang

 

[Percula9]

I didn't know fish were so difficult to obtain there. Your own QT is your best bet, good luck.

 

[Zaita]

Yea thanks, going to buy QT tank this week I think. Better to be safe than sorry imo

 

[Zaita]

Ok.

This is cont... I get home tonight to a white-murky tank... Maybe from the garlic or this mystery illness that killed our fish so quickly.

I notice... my Red mushroom covered rock is mushroom less... So i pick it up and more white mist comes out and my mushrooms are nothing but slime...

So I say to the gf "ffs, my mushrooms are fuked" and she goes 'o yea, they didnt look too well last night when the fish was alive".

*** sorta event has happened in our tank? We had a fish go from healthy to dead in a very short amount of time and my mushrooms have given up the ghost. I did try to feed the fish garlic, but I cannot see this having any effect on the mushrooms?

Anyone got suggestions? similar experiences? I am starting to doubt white-spot, I have looked at Marine Velvet but I still don't think it's this progressive.

 

[Percula9]

I don't know what made the water murky, but it wasn't the garlic. Could be a bacterial bloom, check your water qualities. Did you put in any medicants? Imediately do a 30% water change. Probably the mushroom death may have caused the cloudiness. I didn't know there were any inverts in your tank. Keep me posted. Do the water change, don't add any fish for at least a month till everything appears stable. You may want to add a U.V sterilizer. Have you checked for phosphates?

 

[Zaita]

Ok.

So we reckon it was infact a bacteria bloom. Wiped out mushrooms and other coral frags. Did medicate yes, but after mushrooms were looking ill.

All other fish and shrimp are looking fine, going about normal daily tasks without any change. We have added a Purple Goby and 2 Blue/Green chromis (they were ordered and arrived :S) and have had no further issues.

Water is clearing up with large daily WC. Everything seems to be settling down. Hopefully we don't have any more issues for a while.

Was treated with melafix. Have used this previously with no issues.


All tank mates are eating, and seem happy

 

[Percula9]

I'm glad to hear things are setteling down. Meanwhile don't add any live stock for a while. Make sure water completely clears up. Then slowly start to add some corals again. Make sure you check all your water parameters before you add any inverts especially nitrates.