Sickly Fish - Pending Tank Upgrade

[Pprice01]

Well,

The chickens have come home to roost. My fish just don't look too good.

I believe that it is a combination of bad fish keeping practices: no QT and Overstocking. While they are still all eating quite well and swimming happily, I know that I've done them a disservice.

I couldn't resist temptation and have too many fish for my space. Also, I've always just rolled the dice and added fish directly to the display with no prophylactic medication regimen or QT time.

Now, I always seem to be battling some form of disease with the fish. I can see ich scars several, but not all, of my fish, and now the Hippo seems to have battle scars on his sides that I believe are coming from the Kole.

I always knew that my tank was not appropriate for tangs being only 50g but buying them small with the knowledge that I would move them out gave me enough peace of mind that I did it anyway.

I also have a problem with other fish, that appears differently. My yellow Coris wrasse has developed a white 'patchy' appearance that is difficult to detect during the day under normal light conditions, but at night under more blues you can easily see it. No idea what this is.

Now, I'm not gonna let this keep me out of the hobby, instead, I'm going to upgrade to a larger tank.

The question is: what to do with the existing fish, coral, and rocks?

Should I set up a 55g or something and move the fish to it, then:

1. Run copper followed by other meds like Prazipro, etc.? Then let the DT go fallow for 8 weeks?
   
2. Maybe catch fish 2 at a time and try the TTM and move them to the QT for med treatments? I've heard mixed results with this.
   
3. Try running the fish-only tank in Hypo-Salinity?

After the 8 weeks move the original live rock and coral to the new display? Sell it off. Kill it all?

Start all over with Pukani and a new tank?

Thoughts? Personal experiences?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[Pprice01]

anyone, thoughts?

 

[Shanet]

It sounds like you have a couple of diseases going there. I would remove the coral, rock and snails and quarantine them in a tub for 12 weeks, then they can go into your new display. Turn your current DT into a treatment tank and treat for Ich and Velvet, I would use Chloriquine Phosphate for 21 - 30 days because it doesn't kill your nitrifying bacteria or hermits and it will kill both diseases. Then use Prazipro x 2 for flukes/worms. You can leave your rock and sand in but don't use them in your new DT until you have let the CP leach out which means re-curing them.