What kills a healthy looking, eating fish overnight?

Drewcipher

Premium Member
We put several fish in QT on Aug 21st. There were 2 fish in the already, a copperband and a YWG. The copperband had been in there for several weeks prior to this, and the goby for several years. The copperband had wiped out all the aiptasia in the tank and was eating frozen mysis like a pig.

When we got some small wrasses and anthias, the first to die was a leopard wrasse. All the other fish were eating and swimming. Then one morning a female male anthia was up and dead. A day or 2 passed and the male anthia, who ate every day 2-4 times was dead. At night he was swimming around tending his females and eating anything we put in the tank. The next morning, dead. The next day we lost a male filamented wrasse. The next day, the female went.

Since then all has been fine. The remaining 2 anthias have been eating and swimming, one even seems to be changing already as it has a growing pink spot on the top of the head. The exquisite and solarensis wrasses, the copperband, and goby have all been swimming, eating, and looking really good and healthy for a couple of weeks.

Last night, everyone ate and was swimming before lights out, and wham, this morning, the copperband is dead.

We can see no outward signs of any fungus or disease of any kind, and the fish are eating right up until the bitter end. We are at our wits end as to what to do.

We are testing the water and getting 0 for nitrites and nitrates, and up until this morning ammonia. This morning it was about .25ppm, before I removed the copperband. Salinity is 1.026. The tank has been in operation for about 7 years, though we moved from CA to CO 3.5 years ago. We haven't had any problems since then though.

I don't really want to randomly treat for something, but I just have no idea. Anyone with an idea, please share. I am sick over the losses and I want to stop them now.

Thanks
 
Ok, I did nearly a 50% water change today, and I cleaned up a cannister filter and put chemi-pure in there and hooked it up. I waited 2 hours and just fed the tank. Both Anthias, both wrasses, and the YWG came out and ate. I fed flake food. Hopefully everyone will make it through tonight.

Still looking for any disease that doesn't have blatant symptoms.
 
My guess, and it's just a guess, is Brook - that is based solely on the speed to which it kills. The new fish you speak of, did you actively treat them in QT?
 
My guess, and it's just a guess, is Brook - that is based solely on the speed to which it kills. The new fish you speak of, did you actively treat them in QT?

I have never actively treated in QT. I go on an as needed basis. Obviously I need something. I have never seen brook, I will research today and see if it fits, and if I can get some medicine quickly. I don't live near anything, so...

Thanks
 
Ok, so a couple of days ago we started seeing symptoms in a fish for the first time. He was shaking his head and scratching his gills on the rocks. Verdict is....flukes!!!

Well, I was not going to lose another, so I hopped in the car and drove the hour to my closest LFS and bought some Prazipro. I returned in the evening and put it in the tank. The next morning, no sign of any symptoms on the Solarensis. He came out fine and had his appetite back and all seems good now almost 3 days later.

WOOHOO!!! I think we go it. My learning experience is, I will actively treat all new fish with Prazipro, unless I get it locally. The store I like treats with Prazipro and QTs all new fish for 5 days before moving them out to the floor. Internet sales, however...treat treat treat!!!
 
Ok, so a couple of days ago we started seeing symptoms in a fish for the first time. He was shaking his head and scratching his gills on the rocks. Verdict is....flukes!!!

..... He came out fine and had his appetite back and all seems good now almost 3 days later

Thats quite an assumption. Hope you're right but the 'recovery' you see could just be part of a protozoan cycle. The twitching and scratching is in no way exclusive to flukes. If I were you I wouldn't assume everyones now got a clean bill of health. JM2c
 
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