The cost of brooklynella

[WDLV]

The cost of brooklynella

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My heart sinks low in my chest today. I have made some very poor decisions that have cost me a lot of money and time and several of my favorite fish their lives.
I typically don’t quarantine fish as I have had really bad luck with quarantine. Perhaps this has to do with ammonia buildup.
My general philosophy has been to provide a healthy environment for my animals and let their immune systems do the rest. It has worked really well generally. Ick doesn’t stand a chance using this method.
Last weekend I bought five fish, two shrimp and an anemone from a LFS called Roozens. I put the five new clowns in my new broodstock setup along with the occellaris pair, sandaracinos/akallapisos pair and a black saddleback that were all residing in there. Each pair was kept in separate compartments but were tied to a common sump.
On arrival, all newcomers were given a formalin dip before being added.
When I started loosing fish I decided to add the new blackfoot clowns to a separate tank connected to the main system because they looked healthy and I expected the anemone in that tank to weild some sort of mystical powers to keep them healthy. No really I did.
As a result of this purchase I lost two new A. polymnus clowns, two new A. nigripes clowns and one new sebae clown. I also lost several of my previous inhabitants consisting of my two A. chrysopterus clowns, and one polymnus clown. I'm certain my most prized inhabitants (leucokranos clowns) are sick and will die in the next few days despite my last ditch effort to hypo the salinity in my main system. Oddly enough the Skunks and the False Percs appear to be unaffected???
As if the emotional crush is not enough, here’s the cost breakdown.

Black A. polymnus (from another reefer) $25.00
A. polymnus (Roozens) $48.00
A. polymnus (Roozens) $48.00
A. sebae (Roozens) $38.00
A. chrysopterus (Live Aquaria) $48.00 + shipping
A. chrysopterus (Live Aquaria) $48.00 + shipping
A. nigripes (Roozens) $48.00
A. nigripes (Roozens) $48.00
A. leucokranos (DC MACNA) $125.00
A. leucokranos (online source) $350.00 plus shipping

Please don't turn this into a bash thread. Every retailer I frequent has something negative that could be said about them whether it's their prices, health, customer service etc. The facts are on the table. The fault is my own.

What I think and hope this thread will be about is quarrantine.

I don't think I should have made such a careless decision to have bought these fish without a QT ready for them.

I have cost myself a lot of grief and a lot of money.
To combat this in the future I intend to complete the setup of my broodstock setup and use one of my tanks in this system any time I want to add new fish. I will cut off the water supply to this tank and run a HOB power filter. This will allow me to isolate and treat any fish that becomes ill. If the fish looks healthy for a period of 30 days I will open the flow to the main broodstock system. If there are still no problems for a week, I will add the fish to my main display. What do you all think of this idea? Can it be improved upon or is it adequate?

 

[criccio]

I think we've all been there to some degree, that's the cost of acquiring WC clowns. IMO, you should always have a properly set-up QT/Hospital tank running.

What symptoms are your caps exhibiting?

 

[JamesJR]

I've been there too man. I've lost too many clowns that way. IME working retail and just as a hobbyist, wild clowns are always a risk.
From now on I am going to quarantine.

 

[WDLV]

View these for a second opinion.

http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e...os/?action=view&current=LeucsLaststand001.flv

 

[zooqi]

Ouch, it cost thousands and many clown fish in the past. I tried blue stripes many (close to $1000) of them and each time I tried they did not make it because of brooklynella. I put them in big running tanks with lots of corals and fish and they did not make it. One day I bought from the same LFS and I was going to give it the last try but this time I moved a pair out of 5 gal minibow and put two new blue stripes in there (good size) and they did fine. brooklynella was on them and in few days it was gone.

 

[WDLV]

Thanks guys. Whaddya think of the QT setup I described?

 

[redvipe2010]

What size QT tank do you plan to use? How many fish do you plan to add to QT at a time?

 

[WDLV]

30 and 40 breeders with the ability to insert a divider. I already have 40 breeders.

 

[heap]

the broodstock setup i just threw together has a similar idea in mind w/ the QT - if i turn off the return line for that tank, and move a HOB filter that i keep on the sump to that tank...that's the QT.

after the fish 'pass muster', i move 'em to a different tank, drain the one they QT'd in, and refill it as part of water change...i also give the HOB filter a good cleaning, and throw it back on the sump so it's ready for next time.

best of luck getting things running again, man...that's gotta be heartbreaking.

 

[criccio]

Re: The cost of brooklynella

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10024570#post10024570 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WetSleeves
I intend to complete the setup of my broodstock setup and use one of my tanks in this system any time I want to add new fish. I will cut off the water supply to this tank and run a HOB power filter. This will allow me to isolate and treat any fish that becomes ill. If the fish looks healthy for a period of 30 days I will open the flow to the main broodstock system. If there are still no problems for a week, I will add the fish to my main display.

I don't think you want the chemicals (copper, formalin,...) you use to treat sick fish to possibly leach into your system once the QT is complete.

 

[MarinaP]

I agree with Chris. I would not even put a QT in the same room with healthy fish. Sooner or later you will contaminate your main system. It is only a matter of time.

Roozens seems to have succeeded in breeding very violent and drug resistant strain of amylo Copper survivors at 0.30.

 

[WDLV]

I agree with you guys. So, if I do a separate setup, it will need to be something that I can set up and will remain set up. That way when I make those spontaneous purchases, I will have something that is self sustained and ready immediately on arrival home. Some things you just can't plan for. If you see a leuc or a latz at the LFS, you've gotta pick it up then and there. There is no coming back later.

So, how to deal with ammonia.... I want a life too. I don't want my system running it anymore. So what is a low maintenance way of maintaining a functioning nitrogen cycle? Mollies?

 

[redvipe2010]

Some LFS will hold your purchases. I keep 35 gallons of WC water ready to go at all times. I'm also going to be running a skimmer from now on in the QT tank to help with water quality.

 

[MarinaP]

Just keep a 10G running with whatever SG and pH, keep one of sponge filters in your main tank. Once you get new fish, adjust parms, add a heater and sponge filter running on an airstone.

Don't have Roozens keep your fish, don't let them even open the bags.

 

[WDLV]

Here's what I woke up to this morning.
Note:
SG is 1.015 (via swing arm hydrometer) to help keep the trophonts from spreading
Temp has been in the low 70s since yesterday to slow the life cycle of the disease and slow the metabolism of the fish so respiratory needs are minimized.
Honestly I expected dead fish this morning. But both fish are active and bickering over the anemones. Lesions are reduced by 80-90%

 

[LargeAngels]

MarinaP: Have you tried Cupramine? My favorite copper treatment of all time.

 

[WDLV]

I'm sure that would work well with my corals....
It does not work on brook.

 

[LargeAngels]

WetSleeves: Yes, I am well aware of that. Question was in regards to this statement "Roozens seems to have succeeded in breeding very violent and drug resistant strain of amylo Copper survivors at 0.30."

I hope you didn't lower the SG to 1.015 on your coral tank.

 

[WDLV]

Yes. Sure did. Here's the thought process. If the leucs have any chance of living, it's worth whatever coral losses I sustain. If they die I'll wait a month to insure it's run it's course then sell off everything and taking a break. After ten years of obsessing over this hobby I think a short break would do me some good.
I'm just so ****ed off and frustrated at this point I think I could use the break.
Oddly the only thing that seems to take exception to the hypo treatment is the LTAs One of which decided to take a trip through the CL yesterday....

BTW, I know the tone of my last post sounded a little hostile. Just so you know, it's not meant to be directed at you. I'm just frustrated.

 

[Jovreefer]

If you want to keep a QT running at all times you could always do a small tank with just some hermits & live rock, throw a few pieces of food for the hermits about once a week.

I also believe "natural QT" is better than nothing but a few pvc pipes in a tank & lots of meds.

If you wanted to section off one of your tanks as you mentioned I've seen that done before for QT & if the fish get sick take them out for dips instead of treating the whole tank. Once the fish go into the main tank keep that tank offline for a month just incase they brought something in.