Everything Died! What now?

[alyssahum]

This is the first time I have used this Forum, so sorry for the lack of knowledge. Recently, my fish became sick. I have a 40g tank and have had damsels and a clown and a Tang for almost 2 years (I also have inverts and live rock). I added new fish almost 3 weeks ago. I have no idea if this is what started the trouble. My water param. are good w/the exception of a lower PH (7.9) My PH seems to want to stay at this level no matter howmany water changes or ph increasers I use. About a week ago I noticed some of my fish rubbing up against the rock etc. I have had parasites before, so I began a treatment that has always worked for me. It's a medication from the pet store of mainly malcheit green (sp) and gets rid of parasites and other harmful things. Although I never noticed any white spots, I assumed this medication would cure the problem as it has before. (I use it in half strenght due to the inverts). Well, one by one my fish began to die and it seemed that there was nothing I could do about it. When the fish were almost dead and hardly swimming, I could see a white "slime" or "coating" covering the fish and some shedding off. Also, the covering was on the eyes of the tang. Now, there is nothing left in my tank but inverts and I don't know what to do. Should I start over and use 100% new water? Should I do a water change? How do I know that new fish I may buy won't die? Any help to this problem would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bang guy]

Welcome to SWF.COM!!
Really sorry for your loss. Perhaps we can get you up & running again.
Your disease sounds to me like Brooklynella but disease isn't my expertise. My initial thought is that not quaranteening your new fish was a big mistake and your tank was getting overcrowded as your fish matured. An overcrowded tank is a ticking time bomb for disease. I don't think it will take much to get you going again though.
Guy

 

[thomas712]

Welcome to the board.
I also am no disease expert but I would agree with Bang Guy's post about it being Brooklynella.
The quarentine tank is also a must piece of advice IMO-in my opinion. Please visit the sticky post about Q-tanks in the disease forum.
If it were me I would get as much of that malichite green out of your tank as you can. That stuff has never been on my list of things to add to a saltwater tank.
Also at this point I would do a large water change say 30%, then let your tank run without fish for a while, like at least a month.
In the meantime I would take the time to visit this board, talk about your system and tank setup if you like, ask questions
As to your fish, besides the rubbing was there any heavy breathing, were the gills of the fish working, did they exibit a relaxed behavior? Loss of color?
Thomas

 

[bdhough]

Adding on to what Thomas said, the reason you are leaving the tank fishless for 4 weeks at least is to let any fish oriented disease die off without any kind of host. If you were to add a new fish now he would most likely get sick like your other fish. Sounds like what happened was you had an isolated tank and brought a disease into something that has never seen disease before. Kind of like the Europeans bringing Small Pox to North and South America long long ago when neither had seen small pox before.....

 

[alyssahum]

Yes, they were breathing hard and had a loss of color. Why do you dislike medications (they have always worked for me in the past). Also, will my tank really need to run for a month before I try new fish. I still have all of my inverts and live rock. Finally, do you think my low PH has anything do to with my problems? It has been low for almost a year and nothing will raise it. I'm beginning to think that 7.8 or 7.9 is homeostasis. Thanks for the help.

 

[bdhough]

Adding on to JW this time alot of medications are NOT suited for reef tanks. Some are copper based which is toxic to inverts and corals. Treating your main tank for a disease usually ends up messing it up far more than it helps. Not to mention it takes alot of work getting the display back to normal. Thus why setting up a QT tank is indespensible. It will reduce the risk of a disease outbreak immensly. A 10 gallon tank is fine with a filter and some simple large pvc pieces for hiding. For the cost of your now dead fish you could of had a QT tank and probably prevented this..... if cost is your concern.