Agh, the frustration

[waynem]

Well I am new to this forum and fairly new to this hobby. I purchased a saltwater tank about two months ago and I know all about the frustration that comes with it. I currently have a Coral Beauty, a Seabae Clown and a Flame Angel. In the past two months I have lost a Blue Regal Tang and two Percula Clown fish. The guy that I am dealing with is the only one in my local area so it is hard to say what exactly happened. And now my Flame angel has white ick!! Just had the owner of the saltwater store dip my fish in fresh water, but it doesn't look too well. I have to get a hospital tank really soon. Sorry for babbling on. Can anybody give me any helpful hints or tips, thanks.
-WayneM

 

[ronald]

Sounds like your rushing things.
Slow down and be patient.
Don't buy such expensive fish to begin with.

 

[beth]

Hello, Wayne: You have my email by now, and should know exactly what you need to do!

Why is the guy at the store doing fresh water dips for you? Get yourself distilled water from the grocery store and do your own dips. Also, you can do formalin baths for 1 hrs each day until you get your hospital tank set up. Your fish also needs antibotics, which you can include in the formalin bath.
The dip or bath procedure is this: Get distilled water from the grocery store. Choose the fresh water dip or the formalin bath [not both, as this is very stressful for the sick fish]. If you are going for the dip, then let your fish swim in the distilled water for 1 min then retun him to the tank. If you are going for the formalin bath, then use your water from your tank and add formalin per the instructions of the medication bottle and let your fish swim in this for 1 hour each day. Make sure your dip bath temp is the same as your tank temp to reduce fish stress.
These procedures are very drastic and hard on an already sick fish. They are meant to be a supplement to the other treatment procedures that I detailed in my email.

 

[seamore]

Wayne, I agree with Beth, but you are loosing fish for another reason. Are u using live rock? what are your trites,ammonia, trates? SG? temp? please contact me, i will try to help u, and dont listen 100% to what ANYONE, even i, have to say. If you are with it in a year, u will know what i mean. Good luck. email: eisenbahn@mindspring.com