Tank Crash

[Swirlygig]

I have a close friend that lost his entire fish livestock to an infection last week. Many fish he has had for years. He is getting his system back up and running again. Does anyone have any fish they are looking to get rid of for a decent price? As we all know this isn't a fun felt loss and I figured with my experiences dealing with many of you on here (nothing but great!), I figured I would try to see if he could make some contacts to help him get back on his toes again...

Thanks!

 

[Canarygirl]

how does your friend know that a newly added fish wouldn't get the infection?

 

[flfirefighter13]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10735750#post10735750 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Canarygirl
how does your friend know that a newly added fish wouldn't get the infection?

Very good question, what kind of infection? what has been done to remedy it?

 

[Swirlygig]

Well, unfortunately I was out of town...I told him to go see his local fish store and get something to treat it...They told him to do a water change and he ended up leaving without a treatment...Long story short from the sounds of it it sounded like a bacterial infection from a new fish that was not QT'd properly...He learned his lesson that is for sure...he said their skin looked like it was peeling but they were still feeding...They died in only a couple days...!

So far he has done major water changes (all inverts still alive) and is replacing some equipment...getting a new protein skimmer...

 

[gwrench]

I would perhaps say buy a three dollar chromis and see what happens at this point.
With no other data to base the deaths on it is like starting over.

 

[dugg]

I would say get that blue fin damsel that is posted for free and see how he does first. His tank may have to sit empty of fish for 4 to 6 weeks to kill off whatever bacteria or parasite is in there.

 

[Swirlygig]

That is what I was thinking...Thanks guys! I will keep you posted on how it goes...^_^

 

[chrisstie]

Did the skin look like it was peeling up and white? like scales were curling up and off? It could have been flukes. Working at an LFS has taught me that there are many things out in the wild that... while out there can be easily taken care of by natural remedies .. (for example cleaners like shrimps and gobies etc, i'm sure theres stuff out there we haven't ID'd or even know is out there to keep a fish healthy)

But when you bring a fish into the aquarium you're lacking a lot of the natural bits out in the wild that would keep something like that under control.

One of the most common afflictions I see are flukes. While this can eventually be lethal to the fish (and potentially spread to others).. if caught early with a trained eye it can be treated with fresh water dips and there are even some medications now that are supposed to help.

 

[waterfaller1]

Could have been Brooklynella also.

 

[jsl6v8]

Brooklyn strikes again.

 

[chrisstie]

Ah true. You would probably see some really nasty slime coming off of the fish if I remember brook correctly? It isn't just a clownfish disease either- I think if fishes are exposed to it it can spread yah?

 

[Swirlygig]

hrm, interesting thought...just something to knock out his fish that fast would have to be something of that nature...I will poke him more later to find out a more detailed description...

 

[55semireef]

I wonder if keeping the tank fishless will kill out the disease. Most parasites need a host to survive. They don't kill the host or they will die too. If this disease killed the fish wouldn't it be plausible that the epidemic could surivive without fish? Makes sense to me. I would buy some cheap test fish and see how they fare. Try to get a hard one and a sensitive one to have variety.

 

[chrisstie]

That's kind of cruel to the fish if there is something in there. It would be easier to just leave it fallow for a good 6 to 8 weeks to be sure. Most things can't live that long so far as I know

 

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10748552#post10748552 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrisstie
That's kind of cruel to the fish if there is something in there. It would be easier to just leave it fallow for a good 6 to 8 weeks to be sure. Most things can't live that long so far as I know

Then wait 6-8 weeks and then use test fish. I never said you had to do it right away.