About a week ago, went away for the weekend, came back to find my kole tang and a lyretail dead. Kole had white film on him, looked like brook, which made sense with how fast he died. Everyone in the tanked looked fine as far as I could see, everyone was eating fine. Over the next couple of days, fish would start dropping, lost another lyretail, 2 bartletts, and my mandarin. Didn't see white film on the lyretail or bartletts. I did see white film on the mandarin. Over these 2-3 days, nitrate < 5ppm, ammonia was 0.
I managed to transfer the survivors to a QT tank. A clown, starry blenny, lyretail, bartlett, and bangaii cardinal. No white film on any of them that I saw. I performed a freshwater dip on them all for 5 minutes. The next day I performed a Ich-X dip (5% formaldehyde), as I couldnt find formalin or quICK cure locally. They didn't eat the first couple of days after this, they are just now starting to take to food slowly.
No visible signs of brook or velvet on any of the survivors right now. No heavy breathing or flashing in QT, no discoloration, no white slime coating.
I have since ordered and received the following medicines: Formalin MS, NLS ick shield powder (CP), Prazipro, Cupramine. I have equipment for TTM if needed (two 10 gal tanks with air pump and heaters). The QT currently in use is a 40gal with HOB filter, heater, pvc pipes, and an old skimmer. I will be leaving the display tank fallow for 72 days.
Question: How should I go forward from here? Now that I have proper formalin should I go through brook treatment, as they have been exposed even if not showing external symptoms? Formalin dips and a long term formalin bath? Should I just keep them in QT with no medications for the 72 days and if nothing comes up they're free of all parasites?
I want to take this opportunity to make sure the fish and the DT end up completely free of any parasite or disease going forward. I didn't have a definitive diagnosis of brook, only a strong suspicion, which is why I'm worried I'll do this wrong and miss something.
Please advise, fish disease gurus.
TL;DR Fish died. Probably brook, not sure. Moved fish to QT. Fish will stay in QT for 72 days, DT fallow for that period. Now have many meds. What do I need to do to eliminate possibility of any disease in that period?
I managed to transfer the survivors to a QT tank. A clown, starry blenny, lyretail, bartlett, and bangaii cardinal. No white film on any of them that I saw. I performed a freshwater dip on them all for 5 minutes. The next day I performed a Ich-X dip (5% formaldehyde), as I couldnt find formalin or quICK cure locally. They didn't eat the first couple of days after this, they are just now starting to take to food slowly.
No visible signs of brook or velvet on any of the survivors right now. No heavy breathing or flashing in QT, no discoloration, no white slime coating.
I have since ordered and received the following medicines: Formalin MS, NLS ick shield powder (CP), Prazipro, Cupramine. I have equipment for TTM if needed (two 10 gal tanks with air pump and heaters). The QT currently in use is a 40gal with HOB filter, heater, pvc pipes, and an old skimmer. I will be leaving the display tank fallow for 72 days.
Question: How should I go forward from here? Now that I have proper formalin should I go through brook treatment, as they have been exposed even if not showing external symptoms? Formalin dips and a long term formalin bath? Should I just keep them in QT with no medications for the 72 days and if nothing comes up they're free of all parasites?
I want to take this opportunity to make sure the fish and the DT end up completely free of any parasite or disease going forward. I didn't have a definitive diagnosis of brook, only a strong suspicion, which is why I'm worried I'll do this wrong and miss something.
Please advise, fish disease gurus.
TL;DR Fish died. Probably brook, not sure. Moved fish to QT. Fish will stay in QT for 72 days, DT fallow for that period. Now have many meds. What do I need to do to eliminate possibility of any disease in that period?
