Sick fish question

[aquamanpc24]

I am having a mass die off in my system, some fish show fungus some fish show external parasites, no medicine baths have helped, been medicating foods and they are all eating and dead the next day. Anyway, I wanted to know where I should send the bodies to determine what was the culprit. Life truly sucks and to all the people who will comment on quarantine and hospital tanks, just know my system hasn't had a new fish in over 2 months. And this literally just came out of the blue. So please only helpful advice, I don't need any more negativity im losing fish that are 12 years old

 

[Deinonych]

Can you post pictures of the affected fish? Fungal infections back are pretty uncommon in marine fish, so it's likely something else.

 

[aquamanpc24]

I have 9 diff tanks plumbed together, in one tank the fish have signs of ick or velvet. Others have no visual signs of anything and just die. I have been medicating foods and enhancing their nutrition and they were eating one morning and gone that night, and then some where knocking on the deaths door, and have bounced back, not out of woods bounce back but started eating again and looking healthy. I will post pictures tonight, its completely depressing. Only thing that changed was I was in hospital for 4 days when we had our baby girl, and I had a family member feed them once a day instead of my normal 2, and she knew the amounts to feed, as she watched them for a week when I went on honeymoon. So I think its circumstantial.

My main question is where to take/send fish that have passed so I know what I need to do afterwards to prevent or stop this. sigh

 

[Newsmyrna80]

The problem with diagnosing post mortem is the parasite usually vacates the host pretty quickly. Do you have a marine biology center or a vet college nearby?
But to pointedly answer your question I've not heard of anywhere you can send a fish for diagnosis. That's why this forum is so busy.
If you would like help from the people on this site we will try to help. Understanding that you have not added any fish in 2 months what about corals, inverts or LR?
You had someone watching your fish, is it at all possible that something fell into the tank? I had someone watching my fish and they didn't realize that a battery fell into the tank behind a rock (how I'll never know).
Ruling these things out will help to pinpoint a diagnosis.

 

[aquamanpc24]

The problem with diagnosing post mortem is the parasite usually vacates the host pretty quickly. Do you have a marine biology center or a vet college nearby?
But to pointedly answer your question I've not heard of anywhere you can send a fish for diagnosis. That's why this forum is so busy.
If you would like help from the people on this site we will try to help. Understanding that you have not added any fish in 2 months what about corals, inverts or LR?
You had someone watching your fish, is it at all possible that something fell into the tank? I had someone watching my fish and they didn't realize that a battery fell into the tank behind a rock (how I'll never know).
Ruling these things out will help to pinpoint a diagnosis.

No new coral, or inverts, I did move some inverts around so that every tank had a cleaner wrasse/ or cleaner shrimp, but they were all in the system, I had the wrasses for 2-3 years now, I love the symbiotic relationship and I feel its a moral boost for fish. To date, I only ever had a problem with my clown trigger who stole food from an eel and developed an infection at his pectoral fin, 90 days of hospitalization successfully brought him back, not his pectoral but never bothered him after.
My sister in law said a hanger fell in to the tank, but it was plastic and she got it right out. The tank it fell in has had no casualties. I suppose anything is possible, my thinking is, since their is so many variations of external signs, perhaps its a bigger issue that is taking their immune system out, and diff enviromental variables are attacking them while weak. Granted its still in system some how and layed dormant for years. Only thing that keeps sticking in my head, is new era aegis food. I switched to new era foods and the rep said 4 weeks on 4 weeks off, so I just used it once a week every 4 weeks since I have so many diff types of foods and vary the diets. If their was a toxin wouldnt it effect the sessile inverts and corals? they are happy and healthy. ty for support, I am sorry if I came off strong, I just know I am hurting here.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

I have 9 diff tanks plumbed together, in one tank the fish have signs of ick or velvet. Others have no visual signs of anything and just die.

Where the fish showing these symptoms after or before you added your last fish 2 months ago? How long after the symptoms presented did they die? What were their symptoms? Flashing, spots, golden sheen, heavy breathing?

 

[ThRoewer]

To your question where to send fish:

Dr. Edward J. Noga
NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine
4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606

In his book he has instructions what and how to send in and a form that should be filled out and send with the specimen.

In general small live specimen are preferred over dead ones.
Several fish with different stages of disease are preferred.

I hope someone here has a PDF of the form and can post it here together with the instructions.
Otherwise I would recommend getting a copy of the book - especially if you have so many fish.


As to your "outbreak"
Pictures and a detailed description would be helpful.

How are your tanks connected (rooms, order of flow, filter technology used)
Which fish are in which tank?
Which tank showed the first symptoms (not necessarily deaths)?
What kind of symptoms?
How did it progress?
Are there any tanks or fish that seem unaffected? Are there any that are especially affected?
What are your water parameters?
Have been any chemicals (cleaning agents such as ammonia, hairspray, deodorants, nail polish or nail polish remover, paints, smoking,... you get the idea) used near the tanks or even inside the room(s) where the tanks are located?
Who has access to the rooms with the tanks and what are they doing there?

 

[aquamanpc24]

heavy breathing was last day/night before death. went to hospital 2/25 came home to manually top of sumps and ato sumps and fish where good no signs. saturday 2/28 was day I came home and noticed white spots on some and white patterns or slime on others. Immediately did 80 gallon water change, and did 6 more 80 gallon water changes over 5 days. Started medicating foods blending all together with vitamin c amino acids garlic selcon metro focus and prazi and fish were gobbling. sunday night noticed fish with coverage looked tired and lethargic. some flashing but mostly just slow to eat, but still eating and then next day dead.

 

[aquamanpc24]

Here's a couple fish from 3 diff tanks but then I also have fish that have discoloration only no spots

 

[aquamanpc24]

Her body feels soft and fragile, hard to explain but I have felt fish in past from fishing and such and their spongy notice on her side imprints

 

[aquamanpc24]

Local vet id'd as velvet. Immune to copper if u guys get a fish sick with this medications that work are chloroquine phosphate. Normal meds don't have any effect. It's a known issue and it originated from the Philippines and its at the way stations and distributors so be careful. I am starting to use meds vet gave me, but she said at first signs of symptoms its most likely to late.