sick fish helppppppppppppp

[tasha]

I'm new with the saltwater fish thing....but I have had my tank set up for 6 months with just a few damsels. Well 2 months ago i added a copperband butterfly, 2 urchins and several hermit crabs. Last month I added a clown, yellow tang, a naso tang and an juv korean angel. I noticed the yellow tang and the angle started looking funny (color fading and mouth open.) I put medication for parasites in the tank but have lost my cooperband, the angel is not far behind, the yellow tang looks like he has had a bad day and to top that off my naso' s mouth now has some white "stuff" around it and I really do not want to loose all my fish!!! What do I do please please help meeeeeee!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah I have also done a 15% water change right before I put in the medication

 

[corey21]

Are you sure its ich?? Are your fish breathing rapidly? I would maybe try an antibiotic if it isnt ich. It could be a bacterial infection??

 

[lefty]

First off, do you have all of these fish in the same tank? Most of those fish should not be in a tank under 100 gallons. I would imagine they're all pretty stressed right now, besides the fact that they're ill. Please research all of the fish you have and find out their proper tank sizes. This is very very important because their quality of life and lifespan are very much tied into the size of the tank they're in and the other inhabitants that are in it with them.
What kind of medicine did you add to your tank? I do not recommend adding medicine to a display tank at any time. There are ones that claim to be safe for inverts and all that, but they are not nearly as effective as others and will often harm the helpful bacteria in your tank.
Now, about your fish. What are the exact parameters of your water? Ammonia, salinity, nitrites, etc.? How did you acclimate the fish and when did you add them all? Could you better describe the "white stuff"? Or, better yet, could you get a clear picture of it?
At this point, all's I can say for sure is that you need to QT these fish.
-lefty

 

[tasha]

Yes, the rapid breathing is off and on. The angle's eyes are cloudy and very disformed. And now the naso tang has white "things" hanging from his lips. I have put in somethig made by mardel called coppersafe for external parasites, and it says not to overdose and I have put in the correct amount, so I don't know what else to do. I am also haveing a problem with my ph and buffer readings. I have added buffer up etc and still the levels arent getting right!!! I'm starting to wonder if I have bit off more than I can chew!!!!!

 

[lefty]

:scared: Copper should never be added to a main tank. It is very difficult to remove and will kill any inverts, live rock, corals, etc. in the tank (or that you put in the tank at a later date).
When you say the angel's eyes are disformed, are they bulging out or just shaped funny?
If you could get pictures, this would be extremely helpful.
I highly doubt copper would be effective at this point. It works well for ich, but you have not mentioned white, salt-like spots on the fish. I still don't know what your fish have. It could be bacterial, fungal, or just a result of a poor environment.
I am still curious to know what the water parameters are. And when I said to describe the "white things" better, I meant do they look cottony or what? Adjectives = good.
-lefty

 

[tasha]

Im sorry I know my descriptions could be better..... salinity 1.023, nitrite 0
nitrate 40, ph 8.0 and my alkalinity is really a shade on the tester strip of a more blue instead of a green. Of course i used the coppersafe on the advise of the lfs. As far as acclimation, I did the drip method like saltwaterfish suggested. thanks for being patient with me!!!!! And the white things look like matter around the lips with two small strings in different places.

 

[lefty]

Just a word of caution about your (and most everyone's) LFS. Their definition of the correct thing to do is usually different from our definition of the correct thing to do ('our' being the more advanced and knowledgeable people in the hobby). Your LFS thinks there's absolutely nothing wrong with adding copper to your tank. That in itself should tell you that they're probably not the best people to consult for advice (you had no way of knowing this, so I'm not at all blaming you. People who run a fish store should really know what they're talking about before running around telling impressionable hobbyists what to do).
If you ever want to have inverts or LR in your tank (unless you already do?), you will need to get the copper out. The use of carbon filter media and things like Cuprisorb can help. The problem with copper is that it can seep out of the silicone seams later on. I have heard that you can get rid of it, but it would require taking your tank down. A strong acid will eliminate the copper. Muriatic acid (also known as hydrochloric) will work. It can be found at places that sell pool supplies. Advice from Bang Guy: "Be careful with this stuff and do it outside as the vapors are really bad. Dilute the acid and brush it on all the seams. 15 minutes will do the trick. Rinse with a lot of water."
As for your parameters, your salinity's a little low (not a huge deal, but you may want to consider bumping it up to 1.026 over the next few days) and your nitrates are a bit high. You want them to be closer to ten. If your pH and alkalinity are both off, you may want to check your calcium levels. Good job using the drip method! This is something a lot of people don't even know exist, and I am glad to hear you used it.
I really wish you could get a picture. Is that in any way possible? The white strings hanging off could be peeling skin or some sort of fungus from what I've heard about it (meaning I still can't tell you exactly what it is or how to treat it).
-lefty

 

[tasha]

Thanks so much lefty....i have a pic but i can't seem to attach it. I lost the yellow tang already, I went in to check on the fish and he gave up on me! But I don't want to loose my naso. I have a perc clown who seems to be fine. And the angel is still hanging on....I will try to attach the pic again. again thanks so much

 

[lefty]

The picture needs to be at or less than 500 x 500 pixels and should be a .jpg for a smaller file size. If it already is, then the picture function isn't working at the moment. This happens sometimes. :happyfish
I'm sorry to hear about your tang. What size tank are they all in?
-lefty