Getting frustrated

[aviator]

I awoke this morning to find my flame angel lying on the bottom of the tank, still breathing, but on his way to the big ocean in the sky.
Last night he was just fine, swimming happily and grazing on algea.
Water parameters are are fine with the exception of phosphates. I pulled the canister filter last night and added a cup of phosguard in one of the baskets to bring it down. This morning it's less than 1ppm (yesterday It was 2.0)
is it possible that this single procedure could have killed my beloved flame angel?
I'm moving him to the QT tank as we speak, I have the drip acclimator going and in a few hours I will put him in. This is a pristine tank, no nitrites, nitrates, phosphates and the Ph is 8.2, temp of 78. What are my chances of getting him to recover?

 

[meowzer]

What type of flow do you have? is this an open top or closed top tank?

 

[aviator]

This is an open top 55 gallon tank thats been up and running for a couple of months now. I have a Rena Xp3 exahaust on one side, and a Koralia 3 on the other, flow apears to be very good and particles will cirulate in the tank in 15 seconds or less, plenty of surface agitation.
As a side note, the fins, especially around his tail and his anus appear to be scragly and tattered, I'm thinking parasite, but is it too late or this little guy? how would I identify the parasite and why wouldn't it affect the clown in the same tank? He's perfectly fine (at least I think) and ate well this morning.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by aviator
http:///forum/post/3121711
I awoke this morning to find my flame angel lying on the bottom of the tank, still breathing, but on his way to the big ocean in the sky.
Last night he was just fine, swimming happily and grazing on algea.
Water parameters are are fine with the exception of phosphates. I pulled the canister filter last night and added a cup of phosguard in one of the baskets to bring it down. This morning it's less than 1ppm (yesterday It was 2.0)
is it possible that this single procedure could have killed my beloved flame angel?
I'm moving him to the QT tank as we speak, I have the drip acclimator going and in a few hours I will put him in. This is a pristine tank, no nitrites, nitrates, phosphates and the Ph is 8.2, temp of 78. What are my chances of getting him to recover?

I am not sure of what happened to your angel...So just for information:
Angels require sponge in their diet. They sell a frozen food that contains sponge just for angels. Those little filter feeder sponges that grow in the tank are great for them to graze on...so not so much algae, but they do need sponges.
I hope your little angel makes it. We could sure use a little prayer smailey, or fingers crossed..Something like that. Any idea who is in charge of the smileys..?

 

[aviator]

Thats good to know, if he survives, I will make sure to suppliment his diet. Right now he's been eating an algae mix frozen cube with spirulina in it, at least until this morning... :-(

 

[meowzer]

When you get the angel into the qt try adding vitamins to the foods...and yes, maybe get some specific angel foods...I use mega marine angel, it comes in frozen cubes
Here Flower

 

[aviator]

I'll give it a shot, but right now he's not swimming or anything,he's just laying flat on the bottom, I'm afraid he's too sick to eat.
I still have at least an hour before he is acclimated to the QT tank... come on little fish!!! stick it out!

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3121757
When you get the angel into the qt try adding vitamins to the foods...and yes, maybe get some specific angel foods...I use mega marine angel, it comes in frozen cubes
Here Flower

Where do I get a little prayer? It is so perfect to use when a fish is sick or people need a little courage...and hope.

 

[spanko]

From our friend Bob Fenner;
"Dwarf angels, unlike their larger brethren are notably not as dependent on sponge materials for nutrition. Algae are very important, making upwards of half their total intake by volume. If you don't/can't provide this by growing in situ, dry, prepared, frozen and fresh green foods have proven efficacious. As your pocketbook and skills permit, some purchased or "cultured" live rock is a very good idea, allowing self-feeding on demand with low risk of pollution. If your dwarf angels lose color, weight, apparent interest in feeding, buy them a piece of algae ridden rock or if you have one, move them to a "live-reef" tank for at least temporary rehabilitation. Rinsed spinach is acceptable if that's all that is available, but greens should be offered/available every day.
Rarely does a healthy specimen refuse food. Make sure there's not a titanic struggle going on between tank mates. An opened fresh or frozen shellfish placed near their home turf sometimes does wonders."

 

[meowzer]

Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3121768
Where do I get a little prayer? It is so perfect to use when a fish is sick or people need a little courage...and hope.
When you go into freesmileys.org....it is under Angelic Smileys

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3121776
When you go into freesmileys.org....it is under Angelic Smileys
I got that, and it is great for my e-mails...how did you get it on here? Please PM me with insructions..I don't want to hitchhike the thread. Thank you in advance...

 

[aviator]

Well, he's still sticking it out, he's now in the QT tank, but resting on the bottom, he wil swim if given a little encouragement, but will eventually make it back to the bottom and lie on his side. I'm really worried..

 

[spanko]

Probably not much you can do right now, lights out, try alitte vitamin enriched flake spirulina once in a while, watch the ammonia and be ready with water changes if needed.
Hope it makes it. *****fingers crossed****

 

[aviator]

I'm very lucky in that I have a GREAT lfs. I called them and told them what was going on. they told me to bag 'em up and bring him to the store. When I got there, they immediatley took him and started to acclimate/treat him. Lets hope they can bring him back. They said they would do all they could to get him back on his fins.

 

[aviator]

Unfortunatley, the flame angel went to be big reef in the sky yesterday, so long little buddy.
The lfs said that I did everything right, that he probably had either a bacterical infection, cyanide poisoning, or something fungal, but that they tried everything they could to nurse him back to health with no avail. In their words "it's one of the risks, especially with saltwater wild-caught fish, sometimes there's something going on internally that no one can see and doesn't manifest itself until it's too late. Had you not purchased him he would have either died in our tank, or died in someone elses tank, there wasn't anything we could have done"
Thats great and all, but a $50 fish down the drain... man that hurts the pocketbook!

 

[meowzer]

Sorry to hear it.....But sometimes they just die....

 

[matth2181]

i feel your pain i really do, tho mine wasnt quite as bad as 50 bucks. i bought a 6 line wrasse that did fine for about two days and was eating and swimmin in and out of live rock happily. then one day i awoke to see him lying on his side (just as ur angel) struggling to breathe. i left him there for a few hours then decided to move him to a hospital tank but he actually died in transit. really sucks that stores dont gaurentee salt water for at least a few days any way to cover for those kinds of things... i stil have no idea what killed him i have clown in my tank thats been there for a month and just added a coral beauty thats going on a week and is doing just fine. i know it sucks to virtually see money go down the drain... sorry m8... in ALL honesty, i know it sounds crazy but i have had very good luck with *****... i dunno why, maybe their fish are more tank raised so they are hardier, but from what i can see their fish are well taken care of, i personally know the manager. maybe giv them a shot next time you make a pricey purchase, cause their fish are also usually cheaper tho they usually dont have nearly the selection, i have however seen flame angels.

 

[aviator]

Yes, it definatley sucks. We actually purchased this fish the DAY it came into the store. we let it stay at the store for two weeks to let them get it eating and make sure it wasnt' going to die on THEM (not me) - after two weeks, it was eating heartily and swimming happily, so we took him home... two more weeks and wham... dead fish.
We've considered *****, but instead, we made our first purchase from saltwaterfish.com yesterday, we're hoping to get the new arrivals today, we'll see how they do.
15 day guarantee can't really be beat in this business!

 

[matth2181]

yea thats true! i just cant get over the shipping cost of next day air... i would love to buy fish online cause theres such a better selection but to make it worth it, you need to buy alot... and ur not supposed to add a ton of animals at once as it is... can lead to ammonia poisoning. but yea tahst crazy it died on you even after two weeks of being in the store and two weeks of being with you... what else is in the tank?

 

[aviator]

Right now, very little, it's a 55gal:
Skunk clown
coral banded shrimp
green striped hermit
peppermit shrimp
emerald crab
Thats it.