Fish keep dying, is it ich or some other parasite?

[morganatlanta]

For the last year, most every fish I've added to my tank has died after six weeks or so. Since the summer, I've lost a burr fish, a naso tang, a rabbitfish, and yesterday sea grass wrasse. The fish were purchased from several different local stores (2 from Sea, one Atlanta Aquarium and one from Deep Blue Aquatics). All of them seemed to be doing well, but then one day they seemed sluggish and were gasping for breath, and within 24 hours they were dead on the bottom. In addition this fall, I lost a midas blenny that had been in the tank at least a year and a half. I didn't even notice he was having an issue until he was dead on the bottom.

The tank is a 125 with just 7 small fish, rock and some softies. The parameters seem in line, with Nitrates only at 5 ppm, so I don't think "water conditions" are the issue.

I don't think the deaths of the new additions were due to aggression or anything like that. They seemed to be getting along and eating okay. The most recent one was a sea grass wrasse I picked up from Sea just before Christmas and put in the tank Christmas eve. It was about 6 weeks from when I put him in, which seems like a similar time to that of the others.

I did not notice white spots on any of the fish, and no fuzz or anything on their bodies, and other fish in the tank seem fine. Still, I'm wondering if it could be ich or some other parasite, and the other fish are just living with it, but the new ones are more susceptible and less resistant. If it isn't that, what could it be?

What do you think?

 

[ralph atl]

you have an infestation of some type of pathogen that is in your tank, and as long as you continue doing what are you doing, it will continue no matter where you get your fish at this point.

you need to have all remaining fish in QT and treated, and your display fallow for 8 weeks before anything....then, after all fish are heathy, either get a QT tank, or get the fish from SEA......after 3 months, you should be ok if treated.....

it's like if your brother infected your house with norovirus...it's still there.....

 

[saltloco]

May sound real goofey. But are you using decent power heads and providing enough flow? I've made a lot of silly mistakes as a novice. So that's one reason I ask. Other wise mystery sounds on point to me.

 

[ichthyoid]

Sounds to me like possible Brooklynella outbreak.

In any event, I would-

-remove any fish to a plain hospital tank for treatment. Adding some large pieces of PVC will provide structure and reduce stress. A hang on filter with filter floss only, no GAC. Low light, reduces stress too.

-dose with quinine sulfate from National Fish Pharmaceuticals with their recommended treatment protocol (including 25% water changes and med top off daily)

-allow main display to remain fallow (empty of fish) for 4-6 weeks

After all of that you should be fine.

 

[morganatlanta]

saltloco;836006 wrote: May sound real goofey. But are you using decent power heads and providing enough flow? I've made a lot of silly mistakes as a novice. So that's one reason I ask. Other wise mystery sounds on point to me.

2 Koralia 7s and one K4. Flow is definitely not an issue.

 

[gmpolan]

Agree with bill, def sounds like an internal parasite.

 

[kirkwood]

What is your alk? Years ago on my 1st fish only tank I used tap water and cheap salt at salinity of around 1.017.. With a less than opportune frequency of water changes, eventually my alkalinity became very low... At that time I never tested it nor really knew what it meant.. So with the low alk my PH would drop significantly every night... I would add new fish but they would never make it past the first 4-6 weeks and they would show no sign of disease.. they would just be kind of lethargic...

 

[morganatlanta]

Alk is 163 ppm. Last fall I was running a calc reactor, but I pulled that a couple months ago and started dosing pickling lime with vinegar in the top off water. The fish problem spanned both methods. Ph is tracked by my Apex and stays within 8.2 to 8.5, generally with a night/day swing of about 0.2 on any given day.