Fish Catastrophe, What is killing them - Please see pics

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Describe in detail what you are seeing. The pics look like a very bad case of ich to me. Lets just treat with copper. Copper will address ich and velvet. No need for formalin.
 
M

marineang

Guest
It was evident this morning that the Tang has ich, it literally appeared overnight. Last night though I noticed that my Gramma was covered in a filmy speckled slime, she was breathing heavy and her lips her dark and puffy. My cardinal looked similar just not as bad. My clowns are free of anything I can physically see. My firefish and chromis have red undertones by their gils, it really looks antibacterial.
Everyone is now in another QT, salinity is down to 1.17.
Beth, I have rid-ich on hand - will that suffice?
Should I continue with hypo or not?
Ohh thanks for everything guys. I'm not sure if I want to pursue the hobby after this point, but I'm hell bent on saving these guys and giving them the life they deserve.
 

paxrom

Member
If you use copper then you don't have to use hypo.
If you do not want to use Live rocks as filtration then you have to do whatever it takes to make sure there is no detected ammonia all the time (chemical filtraton?)
I never heard of going hypo kills nitrifying bacteria, but if this is a concern, use copper in lieu.
best wishes
 
M

marineang

Guest
I'm still at a reasonable sg so it's not too late. What method is best? Which have you had better luck with?
 
R

rcreations

Guest
Copper is the best in my opinion and the only treatment guaranteed to work. You need to buy Cupramine and the Copper test kit from Seachem. Very important to buy the right test kit that goes with the copper treatment you'll use. Cupramine is the best because it gives you a lot of room for error without being overly toxic to the fish. Then follow the dosage instructions on the bottle and test the copper level at least once a day.
Also, when you raise the SG back up, you have to do it slowly. Slower than when you lowered it. Check out Beth's info on hypo to see how to raise it properly. Fish can't take a sudden increase in SG.
 

txfishman

Member
one thing to add is that the tang most lickley had ick for a few days proir to this you just couldnt see it. Once your fish look better you still have to wait on your DT to kill off all the ick. good luck!
 

rotarymagic

Active Member
Don't use copper in the display tank because it'll ruin the tank and you'll never be able to keep liverock, livesand, inverts, or corals in it ever again. copper only in a dedicated QT.
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
If you haven't started copper, then continue with hypo. What are using to measure salinity?
 
M

marineang

Guest
No, haven't started copper, was waiting on your advice as wether or not to do it. I am using my refractometer.
Question now that I think about it...when I have to maintain the sg at .09 for 3 weeks, does anyone know how much of the normal 1/2 cup of salt to use to get it close? I brought my buckets out and am getting ready to make them, of course I can just inch it slowly to where it needs to be, that will just take more time.
All fish are alive, and the Tang looks normal - though I know he just must be in another stage of ich. Just hoping everyone pulls through.
Thanks for everything, I'll be around as usual
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
No sure I understand your question. To attain hypo, you take out salt water, and add in buffered fresh water. When I say buffer, I mean that the fresh water has been brought up to appropriate pH level for SW fish.
Go with hypo. Follow the procedure exactly as detailed in the FAQ Thread at the top of this forum.
 

deejeff442

Active Member
this is something i am trying to avoid when i add some fish in a couple weeks.
glad to hear the fish are doing good.
 
Originally Posted by Beth
http:///forum/post/2878637
No sure I understand your question. To attain hypo, you take out salt water, and add in buffered fresh water. When I say buffer, I mean that the fresh water has been brought up to appropriate pH level for SW fish.
Go with hypo. Follow the procedure exactly as detailed in the FAQ Thread at the top of this forum.
Ok honest question here...What if you DON'T add any buffer? I'm sure you remember the thread I started. When I did hypo to my QT tanks I just added freshwater that was NOT buffered and I did not have a problem. As a matter of fact all of the fish are looking better than ever right now chilling in hypo. Very active and eating like champs.
Marineang, don't give up. I was new to the hobby when my ick broke out a few weeks ago. I fought off treating it until I absolutely had too, and by that time I really thought I was going to lose my tang. She was laying on the bottom on deaths door and I have brought her back to perfect health.
 
M

marineang

Guest
Originally Posted by Beth
http:///forum/post/2878637
No sure I understand your question. To attain hypo, you take out salt water, and add in buffered fresh water. When I say buffer, I mean that the fresh water has been brought up to appropriate pH level for SW fish.
Go with hypo. Follow the procedure exactly as detailed in the FAQ Thread at the top of this forum.
Beth,
No, I completely understand hypo. My question wasn't worded correctly. Measuring out salt for regular water changes for example, 1/2 cup approx per every gallon of water. I was wondering if anyone knew how much salt it would take to get to a sg of 1.09 as opposed to the regular 1.21 that it normally is. I was asking because water changes at the hypo level will have to be done to keep ammonia down. It's ok though, I can just start it low and tweek it w/ the refractometer.
I've lost 2 fish so far, the 2 that were pretty bad to begin with. This will be my 3rd tang over the past year, losing to ich. The other 2 I FW dipped which they didn't make it long after that. This time I tried hypo but I didn't get there fast enough. I'm really hoping the rest pull through by my gut it telling me I'll be starting all over again.
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Originally Posted by LKGRenegade22
http:///forum/post/2878942
Ok honest question here...What if you DON'T add any buffer? I'm sure you remember the thread I started. When I did hypo to my QT tanks I just added freshwater that was NOT buffered and I did not have a problem.
Well, normally FW is pretty neutral pH. Ideally, you test your FW and it should read around 7.0 pH. If you bring the pH up to 8.0, or whatever your fish are used to, it is best to do this before hand, and have a stable pH of freshwater going into the tank. However, if you just add the FW, then you need to test, and add buffered water as needed. In your case, you didn't need it. Its best to mix the buffering agent in FW water beforehand. Some may not be set up to do this.
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
marineang, I get your question, but I've never really done the measuring. Sorry. If you do, let us know! I think it will be around 1/2 or the normal amt of salt you use.
 
M

marineang

Guest
First I lost the Gramma
3 days ago lost the Kole Tang
2 days ago lost the cardinal
yesterday lost the chromis
today lost another chromis
Only the clowns, 1 cardinal, 2 firefish and the puffer left. Puffer has visible itch all over his fin. Sg has been at 1.09 for 2 days...only 19 more days to go. I had a sick feeling I was going to lose all of them. Damnit...
 

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by Beth
http:///forum/post/2881068
marineang, I get your question, but I've never really done the measuring. Sorry. If you do, let us know! I think it will be around 1/2 or the normal amt of salt you use.
I don't measure, so I don't know the correct formula for 1.009. I test as I go. I let my water mix for several days so that I have time to make adjustments. Sorry I don't have a better answer to give you on that.
Originally Posted by marineang

http:///forum/post/2882456
First I lost the Gramma
3 days ago lost the Kole Tang
2 days ago lost the cardinal
yesterday lost the chromis
today lost another chromis
Only the clowns, 1 cardinal, 2 firefish and the puffer left. Puffer has visible itch all over his fin. Sg has been at 1.09 for 2 days...only 19 more days to go. I had a sick feeling I was going to lose all of them. Damnit...
Beth says not to switch to copper, I trust her judgment. Stick with the hypo. It takes about a week before all parasites drop off. You THEN count three weeks. When not one spot is on any fish you begin to count three weeks.
 
Top