Stupid disease

[Russter]

I am so frustrated right now. My mimic tang,pearly dartfish and coral beauty have all died from what I think was either ich or marine velvet. All fish died while struggling to get oxygen it seems. :sad2: Very tiny white specks all over their bodies. The coral beauty died in QT and I was unable to catch the tang without having to rip up all the rock and corals. I have the other fish in QT right now treating with copper, but already the ammonia is creeping up in the QT. I added a cup of sand from the DT in hopes to help with some bacteria. Of course my wife who is not very supportive of the tank (due to the money involved) is trying to get me to sell everything. I guess I will just let the tank go fallow for six weeks and hopefully the other fish can handle the QT.

 

[RBU1]

It is a very frustrating hobby no doubt about it. My wife is similar to yours and really could care less about my desire to keep my tank running and in great shape.

Now the disease issue is also a major pain in the ***....If you don't properly QT everything that goes in your tank. If you take the time to do things right it makes things go a little easier. But just as you think things are going good something else happens....

 

[Ryno368]

I agree rbu it does get discouraging at times

but as for the white spots i personally would not use copper i know it is a proven method but you said you have corals in your DT right. after you QT the fish and get them all better the fish could carry trace amounts of copper back to your DT possible having bad effects on your inverts and corals.

with hyposalinity it will rid the fish of white and black ich and marine velvet
just need to drop it down to 1.010 but over 2 days

another point is if you are doing hypo in your QT while also doing copper treatments it will be hard on the fish giving them less of a chance to survive

week 1: what i recommend is to remove all the fish from DT and put them in QT and use hyposalinity along with a product like rid ich or ich attack or paraguard (remove carbon) (25% water change end of week)

week 2: no medication but still maintain hypo (add carbon) (25% water change end of week)

week 3: continue medication of which ever product you chose rid ich, ich attack, or paraguard (remove carbon) (25% water change end of week)

week 4: use melafix this will promote fin growth and repair their lesions
(remove carbon) (25% water change end of week)

week 5: add your carbon back and monitor for ich signs and water parameters

week 6: continue carbon and monitoring and at the end of the week if everything thing seems to be in order with fish (no signs of ich) then over 3 days bring the salinity back up

day1: bring the water up from 1.010 to 1.015
day2: bring the water up from 1.015 to 1.020
day3: bring the water up from 1.020 to 1.023-1.025 which ever you keep it at

now remeber this is all happening in your QT and while this is happeneing keep the DT void of fish the whole time you are treating your QT the 6 weeks will allow the ich to die off in your DT

this is just my humble opinion also but this is much less stressful and less toxic to your fish and corals and inverts

 

[Russter]

Thanks for the help and kind words. I think I will try what you are saying with the hypo. I am going to do a water change in QT today and not add any more copper. After a few days I will do another water change and then start the hypo process. Hopefully the copper will be diluted enough at that point that the fish won't get too stressed out.

 

[RBU1]

There is traces of copper in the salt mix you use. Nothing to be concerned about. Copper is a much better thing to use then Hypo. Especially in my opinion Cuprmaine. Hypo should be done at 1.008-1.009 and MUST be maintained perfectly at that level or the treatment is useless....

I suggest you use Cuprmaine and follow the directions adding it slower then they suggest. BUT ONLY IF YOU ARE TREATING IN AN ESTABLISHED QT.....

 

[Russter]

Unfortunately not treating in an established QT.

 

[RBU1]

Treating anything in a non established QT is just asking for trouble. Make sure you keep a real good eye on ammonia.