Sick fish in 10g

[Tat2demon]

About 3 weeks ago the bi-color blenny in my sons 10g suddenly died. He was fine and healthy at night and the next morning looked like crap. It looked kind of like ich but maybe a bit more film like.

By afternoon its fins were almost disintegrating. By evening it looked like it hadn't eaten in weeks. Even its sides near the backbone were sunken in. I figured I should do a 30% water change. By the time I was done the fish was dead.

I figured maybe it just happened to get sick and we would get more fish after a while.

Well, 3 weeks goes by and we get 3 small damsels. 2 yellowtails and a 3 spot.

That was 3 days ago.

Last night all 3 fish were active, healthy looking and eating like pigs.

This morning all 3 are showing signs of what the blenny died from. The yellow tails are still eating but the 3 spot had no interest and his body is very skinny and has the film even over its eyes. Im sure he will be dead by tonight.

All inverts are fine and healthy. Boxer shrimp, small serpent star, pink mithrax and a few snails/hermits.

According to my tests and refractometer all params are where they are supposed to be.

I tried taking pics but the problem isn't showing up very well on the camera.

 

[Ston3]

How many fish did you have when you had the blenny? Your current stock list is way too heavy for a 10g. I have a 37g + 10g sump and I have a Midas blenny, two clowns, and a little shrimp goby. With that many fish, I imagine the water quality is very poor. I don't mean to bash on you, but it's the truth.

 

[Tat2demon]

The blenny was the only fish at the time. Water is fine. All tests are showing good, double checked at the lfs and I do a 10% change every other day.

 

[ninjamini]

10% every other day is excessive? What are your water peramaters? Including salinity (+ how do you measure this). Something in the water chem is off. What do you top off with?

Where did you get the water? Did you make it with an ro/di? I am thinking chlorine from tap water.

Thats a lot of fish for a 10 gallon.

 

[Tat2demon]

10% every other day is excessive?

Hm? I didnt say it was excessive.

What are your water parameters? Including salinity (+ how do you measure this)

Params are fine and I check with a refractometer that I calibrated a couple weeks ago and rechecked yesterday. Something in the water chem is off. What do you top off with?

Where did you get the water? Did you make it with an ro/di? I am thinking chlorine from tap water. 5 stage ro/di

Thats a lot of fish for a 10 gallon

They're each under an inch long for a total of less than 3 inches and this same exact thing happened when it was just a blenny. There is obviously some kind of disease in my there..

 

[ninjamini]

Diease would not effect everyone that quick or at exactly the same time.

I think its something in the water. Wish I could help more.

Good luck

 

[Ston3]

If you think it's something in the tank, you could get a new 10g, they're only $10. Or you can get a bigger tank, your fish are gonna need more space.

I still feel the tank is inadequate even considering the size of the fish. Even if you think it's big enough now, what about in a few months down the line?

 

[Tat2demon]

If you think it's something in the tank, you could get a new 10g, they're only $10. Or you can get a bigger tank, your fish are gonna need more space.

I still feel the tank is inadequate even considering the size of the fish. Even if you think it's big enough now, what about in a few months down the line?

Changing tanks wouldn't matter. It would still be the same animals, rock and sand.

Im working on a 75 right now that should be up and running within the next week and a half. Building a wall and waiting on my pumps to show up.

Regardless, as long as parameters are in line the amount of fish shouldn't matter. Theyr'e getting a long fine and they are certainly less crowded than the tank I bought them from.

This is the same thing that happened blenny had when it was the only fish.

 

[Tat2demon]

Ok, I tested everything again and had my lfs test with their kit to make sure it wasn't a bad test. Again everything was perfect. He didn't have any clues to what it could be either.

One thing I thought about it the powerhead I have/had in there. Its a cheapo piece of junk branded by Petco. Is it possible something could leak from it and cause this problem? Its supposedly saltwater safe. Just in case I removed it. Did about a 50% water change and put an old hob filter on for flow.

 

[steelhead77]

OK, some type of disease is in your tank. In your first post you talk about a film like issue on the fish. This is NOT ich. There are diseases that can affect and kill fish quickly. Ich is not one of them. I know you have a larger tank coming, this is good. IMO, a 10 gallon tank is WAY too small to support a saltwater system. Parameters can get out of whack very quickly and things can spiral out of control before you know what's going on. Even tho you say everything is fine in the 10 gal. obviously something isn't. Change tanks. Buy a new tank and keep it bare bottom, with a basic filter, a few pieces of pvc for hiding spots and observe the fish there. I would not use any of the sand or rock from the existing 10 gallon in your new system. How much can there be? It's not worth the risk of contaminating the new system.

 

[clownfreak]

Did you measure ammonia? It sounds like you could've added fish too fast. Did you cycle the tank and if so, how long and how? I'm certain putting three fish in a 10 gallon at once would cause a huge ammonia spike.

 

[Tat2demon]

Yeah all levels are zero. Its been set up for a couple months. Sadly as I expected the 3 spot and one of the yellowtails were dead this morning. Strangely the other yellowtail shows no signs of being unhealthy.

Just like the blenny before, both dead fish were fine not showing any visual symptoms or acting strange the morning of their last day, by night looked bad and didn't care to eat and dead by morning. What ever it is acts very very fast once visual symptoms pop up.

 

[clownfreak]

Have you tried any anti-bacterials or some product like that? May be worth a shot

 

[Tat2demon]

No I havent. Are they safe for inverts? Also, if the last fish doesn't seem to be effected should I still try dosing with something?

 

[clownfreak]

I'm not entirely sure about inverts, I'd assume it varies from product to product. I know that copper will kill your inverts and fish too if you're not careful. If the last fish isn't affected I'd skip dosing anything. If it ain't broke don't fix it, but if it shows symptoms or a new fish does I'd try some medicines.

 

[Tat2demon]

Yeah I think Ill leave it for now. Even though this situation sucks Im happy to say that in the several years Ive been in the hobby this is the first time Ive had fish problems.

 

[clownfreak]

I'm fortunate enough not to have many fish problems... yet