Pink Square Anthias disaster

joelatx

New member
Tank had been cycled for about a week, NO other fish, just two hermit crabs. Tank parameters: Salt - 1.024, Ammonia - 0, Nitrate - <15 ppm, Nitrite - 0, KH- 180, PH - 7.8 (PH a little low, but all others good)

My beautiful new Pink Square Anthias looked good in the store and when I got him home. Mouth had a little spot, that I thought was from transport.

But by later Sunday night, the spots started to appear. He was hiding so I didn't get a good look at him.

I treated with Melafix on Monday after work. I removed the carbon filter and turned off the protein skimmer.

I took this photo on Tuesday evening, by Wednesday evening he was dead.

Others say flukes, I have more post mortem pictures. If they would help.
Was he mistreated by the LFS?
Has he infected the NEW tank?

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Not sure about the fluke diagnosis...looks like it might have been Brooklynella given the physical evidence and time frame. Either way, your DT has been exposed. You'll need to leave it fishless for 8 weeks to make sure the parasite dies off (it needs fish to complete its life cycle). Recommend that you also invest in a quarantine tank for future additions to prevent disease from getting into your DT.

Frankly, as a fellow Austinite, I no longer purchase livestock from the LFS in our area. Too many have fish for sale with visible disease present. I only purchase my fish online now, and quarantine them thoroughly. It's unfortunate, as I would prefer to support the local economy.
 
Do you mean that the tank had completed its cycle a week ago, or it was setup a week ago? Assuming the former, does not look like flukes to me (they are generally clear) so it could be brook.
 
Looks & acted like brooklynella to me. If that's the case, all fish are in trouble. You may have to treat all fish in a HT with formalin. Quarantine would have prevented any problems to other fish.
 
No Fish for 8 weeks, well that sucks. Can I add other stuff?
Just how contagious is this stuff, I realized today that I move a carbon filter from the new tank back my old tank. It had been filtering the water for about 24 hour.
I plan to remove and sterilize it tonight. But have I domed the other tank?
 
You can add corals or inverts but the clock will start over as they can not host parasites but they can be carriers. Anything wet can be a carrier.
Did you take the carbon from the contaminated tank and move it into the new tank? If so, then yes. The new tank is now contaminated and it will also have to remain fallow.
 
Thanks everyone. This is going to be one VERY long setup time, I started before Christmas and the tank has been cycled for about a month now. Yes, I will setup a quarentine tank, and get the supplies for a fresh water dip.

Because I possible contaminated my old main tank(Clown, spotted hawk, shrimp and crabs), is there any medicines that will help prevent an infection into that tank?
 
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