The cost of brooklynella

[WDLV]

Well, I did decide to start the regamin described above. It was after day three of that regamin (today) that she started eating. Does one have anything to do with the other? I don't know or care. If things are working I'm going to continue for the full course of treatment then set them up in a breeding tank.

This has been a terrible and costly experience on several levels. I have however walked away with some good knowledge that can save me some grief in the future. For example I could never get a single fish to live through a quarrantine process. Now I have done so and with my most prised specamins.

 

[WDLV]

BTW,
I owe any level of success that I have to people who have been through these trials and tribulations before me and have been kind enough to share their successes and failures with me. I know I'm hard headed, and I appreciate all those who looked past that and gave me their help and support. Thanks you Reef Central, CMAS and Rare Clown Fish.

 

[Rare Angels]

MarinaP's comment was true, if they had brook it would have killed them quick.....like 2-3 days at the most and hypo wouldn't have helped at all.

They had to of had/still have something else, stick with what you are doing and keep a close eye on them. Keep us updated also.

Dave

 

[WDLV]

What did you think about my response to MarinaP's post?
Most of the fish did exactly what you guys are saying. That was why I took the extreme measures I took. I payed dearly for it, but I also accomplished my goal whith those actions.

BTW, I am not looking for a fight. Just a friendly debate. I may not always seem like I'm listening but I am. It just takes a bit to sink insometimes.

Unless you guys ellaborate, no one including myself has any idea why you're saying what you're saying.

What's the thought behind your statement? Is there something else in particular that you think it could have been?

 

[Slakker]

I think the main point Dave was trying to make is that it (probably) couldn't have been brooklynella, as if it had been the chances are really high that your fish would not have survived.

In the end, I'm not convinced it really matters what they truly had, as long as they keep improving and end up healthy and happy.

I'm really happy to hear that she's started eating...that's great news. I think that your odds have just gotten much, much better...I would expect them to have a full recovery at this point.

Congrats, and definitely keep us posted!

 

[WDLV]

Thanks for your support. I am very pleased. I could do back-flips. They look great. Color is better, breathing is good, no more film on their bodies and oddly enough, they won't leave each other's side. I think they have bonded through this traumatic ordeal.
I will post some pics soon. That is if I can get the camera out of my wife's clutches.

I may be picking up some ultra-rare clowns in the next week or so. I also have a lead on another leucokranos, and have already purchased a nigripes I am yet to pick up. Yes. They will all be quarrantined and treated with what will now become my "standard precautions."
I need to pick up some 10-20 gallon tanks and build a stand. But I will not likely take any of them in until close to the end of the month.

 

[traveller7]

fwiw: I would suspect Amyloo over brook based on the symptoms/descriptions/and source provided.

fwiw2: A. nigripes rank up there with Chrysopterus for disease sensitivity. Definitely a species that goes straight into a very controlled environment if not out right treatment.

 

[WDLV]

Funny you should say that. I lost a pair of chrysopterus and a pair of nigripes during the course of this.
I'll have to read up some more on amyloodinium.

I plan to treat all new clown arrivals the same from now on.
They go immediately into a 72 degree hypo tank with 1cc formalin/5gal for 10-14 days. Then I'll remove one control factor at a time. First the formalin, then the temperature, then the salinity.
I just need to decide on a tank size. 10, 15 or 20 gallons for my QTs.

 

[traveller7]

Really love my Nigripes, but not sure I would try them again......high effort, low yield during arrival. Thankfully they are consistent breeders and fairly hardy in my current system.

It would be my most humble opinion: Perform a formalin dip on arrival, then move them into a QT and begin dropping them toward hypo.

I have not found adding formalin at low dosage to the treatment tank productive against: brook or amyloo. I would consider adding copper immediately to combat amyloo and performing an arrival formalin dip.

I lost a conditioned well established beautiful black chrysopterus(and others) when I skipped new arrival QT procedures. Such a painful lesson I tend to be a bit more extreme on my current QT approaches.

Wishing you the best of luck on the new additions

 

[LargeAngels]

I would also highly recommend copper, Cupramine specifically, for ich or amyloo. Hypo is affective against ich, but not amyloo.

I treat all my fish now for amyloo. Nasty little buggers that spread like wildfire.

 

[WDLV]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the input.

 

[WDLV]

Little Update

Little Update

Here they are this morning.

 

[Slakker]

Glad to see them....are they still improving steadily?

 

[WDLV]

Yeah, there are no visible signs or symptoms. It's a terrible shot, but everything looks good.

 

[kevin2000]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10036230#post10036230 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WetSleeves
I have rarely if ever seen a fish recover from an illness using medication and a "sterile" tank, but there's people all around making that claim. So, it must be possible.

Live rock and substrates tend to interfere with certain medication ... thats why the plain jane/ sterile tanks are recommended. Further ... a bare bottom tank combined with some PVC makes it easier to siphon out food and fish debris which will significantly improve water quality (ammonia still is the no. 1 killer in QT's). Lastly a plain jane/bare bottom/sterile tank facilitates capture of fish .. and since the title of this thread is brooklynella you should note that the recommended cure for brooklynella is a series of formalin baths which require both QT and repeated capture of the fish .. much easier in the "sterile QT".

I made the switch to barebottom tanks with PVC about 15 yrs ago .. no doubt in my mind that they are far superior to the old QT's with substrates and live rock. They are easier on the fish and easier to maintain. They facilitate experimentation with different foods without the risk of ruining water quality and fish really don't care whether their hiding in pvc vs live rock.

Those who think that fish need substrates etc just don't know how fish are handled during their distribution to their LFS. Something to consider.

 

[WDLV]

Yes. I agree with everything you've said here. This has been a huge learning experience for me. How to do a proper quarrantine without killing the fish is one of the things I learned.
My next problem is that I have to go on a business trip and will not be there to do water changes for almost a week. This fact just struck me as a problem because I have no other sterile systems to put them in that have a biological filter of any sort....
AHHHHH!!!

 

[Slakker]

Maybe a local reefer has a sponge filter that they keep in their main tank or sump to use in case they need to QT that they could lend you, or could even stop in to do water changes and feed them?