Fish keep Dying

[kris walker]

Hi,
If you start lowering salinity to start a "hyposalinity" treatment (down to 1.010 s.g. for 3-4 weeks) in your main tank, remove the hermits and snails. They will probably not survive it.
As for the algae filter referred to above, I believe he is referring to a refugium filled with one or more types of caulerpa. This requires keeping it illuminated at least during the photoperiod. They are great, and what the "Miracle Mud" filtering system is based on IMO.
I would also dare to say that ich will pop up anywhere at anytime regardless of UV or not regardless of how much time you go without fish. When you simply stress a fish too much, its immune system will drop, and there is probably always some miniscule amount of ich in your tanks water column at any given time regardless of the things mentioned above, which can infect your stressed fish. I bet if you take a tang, QT him for 4 weeks in hyposalinity, then put him in a 10 gal main tank by himself (the main tank being fishless for 2 months already), fluctuate the temp a bit and don't feed him well, he WILL get ich. DOn't get me wrong, I think your tank is now infested with ich, and a UV would definitely help over 2 months of being fishless, but just wanted to point this out, cause it seems a logical conclusion to think that if you QT a fish, no more ich problems, therefore the fish can get stressed without consequences, which is not true in practice.
C ya,
kris

 

[richard rendos]

I would say that when you go have your water tested, don't take "everything is normal" for an answer. Ask for exact readings from the tests they do, and what they are testing for.

 

[m1rodrig]

A couple of questions that come to mind since we are talking about u.v.Won't lowering the salinity get rid of the ick on the Fish and in the tank water?So if they die and don't make it to the u.v. they are still dead and off your fish too.But if you don't take some kind of step to remove the ick off the fish the infested fishes parasites will not pass through the u.v. therefore not killing those parasites.So yes the ick in the water will pass through the u.v. and die but not the ones on the fish.As far as Tangs being hardy every one I have ever had before caught ick, I think it was due to temp fluctuation they are very sensitive to this as Kris mentioned.I am just assuming the whole u.v. ick thing as far as I know I could be wrong maybe the u.v. will kill the ick on the fish.

 

[mac1215]

Hello everyone, this is what I currently have on my tank; uv, skimmer, powerhead, sump, heater, mh and accentenic bulbs. I was under the impression that UV will kill the bacteria swimming around in the water and the parasite would remain on the host. So in realty the tang still would have ick on him as long as he was in the tank and not treated also he could still infect other fish. I guess I want add any fish for about 2 months and monitor his progress; that is going to be pretty boring. Better safe than sorry.

 

[kris walker]

I think that is a wise, yet understandibly painful decision.
Good luck, and keep us informed,
kris

 

[don-9]

May be boring for a few months, but that is better than being frustrated. Good luck and hang in there. I've had my share of fish problems.

 

[m1rodrig]

Mac I just noticed that ick was never really confirmed by you on any of these posts.Did you physically see any white spotson the fish or any signs of disease.You might be fighting the wrong thing and this might not be the source of your problem.Your lfs told you you might have parasites but was this ever confirmed.I also agree your temp fluctuation could be a problem.

 

[ren]

1 thing on the parameters you posted - Your specific gravity is 1.022 - Alk is different. Alk is related to Ph - what are these readings - Alk and Ph?