Sick Fish (Another Newbie)

[macman]

Help! I've just lost 4 ocellaris clowns and a green chromis!

I've got a 55 gallon FOWLR - about 25 pounds live rock (well established when I bought it) and another 24 pounds of reef rock - the tank is about 3 months old and had cycled nicely - ammonia and nitrites at 0 and nitrates negligble, SG at 1.023.

I had the four clowns in, and they were doing really well, and then I added the chromis. Within about 2 weeks a couple of the clowns stated looking "dusty" - not really spotted, just sort of a dullishness to their color. Their eyes looked clear, and they were feeding well (I had to make sure that the chromis weren't getting all the food; as long as I was careful, everybody got fed.)

Then a few days ago one of the clowns died. Two days later, yesterday, and two more of the clowns were gone. The last one was looking really mottled - white splotches all over. He had also stopped eating. I quarintined him in a small container hoping to take him to my LFS today (it was too late last night), but by the end of the evening he was gone.

Now my wife just called and one of my chromis is dead!

I don't know enough to say if this is ich or something else, and I can't get to my LFS until tomorrow. I'm open to any suggestions before I loose any more fish...

Help!

[Joe Reefer]

How many fish did you add at once?

[macman]

I first added the clowns - all four, and about 4 - 6 weeks later added the four chromis.

[Joe Reefer]

You may have shocked your system by adding to many fish at once causing an ammonia spike. Adding 4 fish at once to a 55 is to many IMO. You should spread out your additions weeks apart to let the systems nitrifying bacteria catch up.

[TheReefGeek]

I dont think that would explain the white splotches though, or the dustiness, those sound more like parasites.

I guess you can't post any pics any more? Do some searches on marine parasites and see if any of the pictures look like what happened to your clowns.

[Pan]

Originally Posted by TheReefGeek

I dont think that would explain the white splotches though, or the dustiness, those sound more like parasites.

I guess you can't post any pics any more? Do some searches on marine parasites and see if any of the pictures look like what happened to your clowns.

does not ich come on from stress....ammonia spiking from 4 fish atr once would defn. stress them.

[phreezee]

Originally Posted by Subdued

does not ich come on from stress....ammonia spiking from 4 fish atr once would defn. stress them.

No it doesn't, it comes from a parasite LOL. Stress increases susceptibility, but obviously the guys problem is not an ammonia spike, but the fact that he has parasites in his water system.
(he even says ammonia at 0 in his initial post)

Sounds more like Velvet anyway.

Amyloodinium ocellatum
Common names: saltwater velvet, coral reef disease

When whole aquariums of fish are lost in a short period of time it is usually to oodinum. Oodinum is a parasite which first attacks the gills. Therefore, heavy breathing is the earliest recognizable symptom. As the infestation advances, the body will take on a powdery or velvet-like appearance. The spots are much smaller than Cryptocaryon spots. Oodinum can kill fish in less than a week! Careful observation of your fishes' respiration rate is important for an early diagnosis. By the time your fish has a velvety appearance, it may be too late!

[Chaloupa]

I gotta agree with the Velvet. We had it come through our FOWLR tank and lost everything but a Niger Trigger and Yellow Wrasse. Sounds just like what ours looked like.

[Pan]

Originally Posted by phreezee

No it doesn't, it comes from a parasite LOL. Stress increases susceptibility, but obviously the guys problem is not an ammonia spike, but the fact that he has parasites in his water system.
(he even says ammonia at 0 in his initial post)

Sounds more like Velvet anyway.

well jeez you assumed i could read whoops

[macman]

If it is velvet, how do I treat it? And where would it have come in from? The chromis when I introduced them?