New fish, whats wrong?

[metal112524]

Just bought two 3 stripe damsels now noticed they have big white spots (about 1mm) on them. They are hiding, not eating, and have stringy white poop. I went to the store again the next day and found the rest of the ones in the tank dead. What do I do? My biggest concern is I also bought a beautiful Ocelleris clown from another store and don't want him to die. Should I quarantine the lone clown (only been in the main tank for 2 hrs) or take out the infected fish? Note: I didn't notice the unhealthy fish before I put the clown in

 

[MrTuskfish]

A pic would really help. You just haven't given us much to go on. The stringy poop is probably internal parasites and Prazi-Pro often takes care of it. But i suspect you have something much more serious going on. Are the fish scratching, breathing hard, etc? Google "marine ich and marine velvet images and see if something fits. The clown will need to be treated in a hospital tank too.
For future reference: all fish should be in a QT for 4-6 weeks before going into the DT. I've seen a few species called 3 stripe damsels; you probably have Dascyllus aruanus. These little terrors become one of the nastiest fish that swims, IMO & IME.

 

[metal112524]

Wow, I had no idea, I mean it makes sense now, but no one told me, nor had I read to do that anywhere. The damsels are gone and yes, they were panting. Now the clown is a bit stressed from me scooping out the damsels, moving the live rock, and doing a water change. But I think he is going to be just fine. Still concerned for the remaining bacteria or parasites that are in the water. Any advice?

 

[MrTuskfish]

I think you're giving "stress'' way too much credit. Stress is real, but any fish can handle what you're describing. I'd bet your fish had one of the protozoan parasites; ich, brooklynella, or velvet. If that's what killed the damsels, its in your tank and the clown should be treated in a QT while the DT stays fishless for 9+ weeks. Its common for these parasites to disappear, then return X100. This is a prime example of why all new fish need to be quarantined. I'd read the stickies at the top of this forum section; this is vital info for any hobbyist. Any decent book on our hobby will tell you to use a QT; but sadly, books aren't read much anymore. Not your fault, this is a very common occurrence for new hobbyists.

 

[metal112524]

Oh I know, I mean besides whats already wrong with the clown, the stress is contributing to its condition. It also has stringy white poop. What can I do with main tank to kill off parasites quickly, empty it? I have about 15lbs of live rock.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Unless you want to kill all the good bacteria that cycle your tank, there isn't a magic bullet. There are no meds that can be used with LR & substrate that will kill these parasites. You would end up having to recycle the tank and just start from scratch. Dead rock, substrate, etc. A fallow tank will let the parasites die-off without a fish host. This is the most common topic on the disease forum, there just isn't an easy, fast way. Whatever you do; you can avoid doing it again by having a strict quarantine regimen. Of course, not knowing what killed the damsels makes this tough; But it sure sounds like one of the parasites I referred to above. Because it killed so rapidly; I'm guessing velvet or brooklynella, rather than ich. Its important that you research these parasites, because you're almost certainly going to have to treat the clown and different parasites require different treatment. Sorry, no easier way.