TkTrbFAQ4

FAQs on Tank Troubleshooting 4

Related Tank Troubleshooting FAQs: FAQs 1, FAQs 2, FAQs 3, FAQs 5, FAQs 6, FAQs 7, FAQs 8, FAQs 9,

Aquarium refugium I am having trouble with my new tank, and I hope you can assist me with this dilemma. I will try to be as thorough as possible. I have a perfecto 220 gallon aquarium the filtration system consists of two external 1" pvc piping one acting as the siphon and one obviously the return I have a Rio 3100 pump submerged just below the water line bringing water down into a prefilter box with filter floss and bio balls (approximate size is about 6" L 5" W 10" D with about a gallon of bio balls) water then enters the main filter which consists of a all glass 55 gallon aquarium I have three chambers the first is water coming out of the prefilter in to the tank in this area I have a aqua clear aquatics macro protein skimmer with a Rio 1700 currently running it this is a 350 gallon capacity skimmer (venturi style) the water then cascades down to the refugium area where I have 4 jars of Caribbean sea m2 mud 40 pounds of crushed coral on top and two mangrove seedlings and live rock ruble (size of refugium area 24" L 11 1/2" W 6 1/2" tall the water then cascades over and through my external little giant 4 msrv pump back into the tank. <Good> The tank itself has 150lbs of Tonga live rock 200 lbs of Bahamas oolitic sand and 80lbs of crushed coral as a buffer. <Good> The tank has been up and running since November 15th 02' I recently put about 6 damsels in monitored for about two weeks 1 died no big deal tested the water all is good added a spotted lion fish monitored two weeks all is good on January 3rd added a queen angel fish a gold Tonga puffer and 4 blue Chromis. <Even though your tank should be completely cycled, you added this last batch of fish too fast. Even though your tank is large the water chemistry is still changed when you add fish. You didn't quarantine? You really need a quarantine tank> Guess what happened they all died from ich, fungus, stress and an ammonia and nitrite spike not too high but definitely in the unsafe zones several water changes got it under control all levels are perfect ammonia 0 nitrites o nitrates 15 ph 8.4 alkalinity hardness good salinity 1.022 <Most likely it was the ammonia and nitrite spike first followed by the illnesses. You are over working the biological filtering capacity of your tank by adding too many fish at one time. The ammonia and nitrite that you mention, stress the fish to the point that they become susceptible to parasites and such. Please be patient and add only one or two fish at a time, feed lightly, and wait at least a couple of weeks before adding more> This morning I noticed the lionfish is breathing heavy and his eyes are clouded water is still fine. <He is showing the effects of water problems that occurred in the past. Unfortunately, the breathing indicates the possibility of Amyloodinium (marine velvet) which kills fast. Read up on disease and disease treatment at Wetwebmedia.com You should consider letting the tank go fallow for a month or so while your new fish go through the quarantine process. I'll say it again, you really need a quarantine tank> What can I do I am very frustrated and I am losing fish & money. <Understood. Aquariums can be frustrating and are always expensive. Fortunately, I think your problem is caused by adding too many fish at one time...easily correctable. There is the possibility of some type of toxic tank condition, but at this point, I really think your problem is adding too many fish at one time. David Dowless> Thanks, Frank Sanna

A question (sick fish) Thanks for the reply, and last night I got home both my Naso & Dottyback were dead :-( I've never seen such a healthy established fish die so fast, I'm kind of bewildered. I did not quarantine the fish and that was probably my fault, as it probably is the reason for their demise. Live and learn. Chris <I'm sorry to hear about your fish. When it happens this fast it is likely Velvet, you will need to treat your other fish and leave your tank fallow if this is the case. Please read up on marine parasites at WetWebMedia.com and follow the advice you find there. QT for two weeks minimum with copper, no fish in main, and two weeks of QT with no copper to be sure. I would highly recommend reading the quarantine section as well, it will save you a ton of money and heartache. Best of luck, Craig>

- Roam Where you Want To! - <Greetings, JasonC here...> I have a 55 gal. with 40 pounds of live rock.... 2 anemones; shrimp, crabs, snails, and 1 sea cucumber, and several feather dusters. I started w/ 2 damsels to cycle the tank. The fish I *had* were: coral beauty, mandarin goby, Basslet, yellow tang, clownfish, and a fox face.. I emailed a week or so ago about the sudden death of my tang. Then the anemone ate the goby. Since then, the coral beauty died (apparently from ich) but no other fish shows signs of ich. I replaced the tang, only to find him in the anemone 3 days later. Just 2 hours before that he was fine. The Basslet was also consumed by the anemone. I have lost almost all of my fish to the anemones (except the first tang and the coral beauty). Can you help me to understand what is going on. <I can try. My take on this is that there isn't enough room in the tank. Anemones are best kept in either very large systems, or better yet systems all to themselves. With 40 pounds of live rock in a 55 gallon tank, even a wary fish can accidentally run into an anemone.> I cannot figure out if the fish are sick and being eaten, or if I just have a couple of mean anemones. <Anemones don't have good or bad intentions, they are what they are.> I did treat the tank with NO-ICH at the first sign of the coral beauty getting sick. <Personally, I am always skeptical about 'reef-safe' ich treatments because they are either not reef safe or they are completely ineffective against ich.> All of my parameters are OK... salinity, PH, ammonia, nitrite/ate. I just do not know what else to do. <Don't pack so much into this tank, that's where I would start.> I would get rid of the anemones if I knew that would help. <It would.> My tank is crystal clear, coralline algae growing good. All the invertebrates are thriving. I keep the sides and front clean and let the back glass go. I do have some white (calcium like) deposits on the back glass and living rock. I was told this is probably some coralline growth... true? <Or some calcium-based tube worms... shouldn't be a big deal, bleached coralline is another possibility.> It is just like specs or dots. <Probably the worms.> Right now I am down to 4 fish, the 2 damsels (one is acting funny)... the Foxface and the clownfish. The clownfish is the oldest fish I have besides the damsels and he seems to be thriving well... no signs of sickness with him. <Consider in the future when treating these types of problems a separate quarantine system - more about those here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/quaranti.htm > I am just beginning to wonder if my local pet store knows what is going on. <So many variables here... no matter the business, it's hard to find good employees, and even then the owners may only be in it for the money. Sad but true, but not all local fish stores are this way. Consider looking for some alternatives.> I enjoy this hobby, but I cannot afford to keep loosing expensive fish. <Who can? Certainly not me.> Thanks for your help. BTW, last time you suggested toxins in the water.... I have kinda ruled that out now. I have done a 20gal water change and have changed the carbon 2 times in the last couple of weeks. <Hate to say it, but that's not enough for me to rule it out. A 40% change still leaves you with 60% of the regular water remaining... and again when you change the same amount later. Likewise, activated carbon won't get everything - try a PolyFilter, these are much better at removing a broad spectrum of badness from your tank.> Thanks again, Michael <Cheers, J -- >

Nightmare At The LFS! I have read over some of the questions submitted by other hobbyists and feel quite comfortable with the responses that you given-I am hoping that you can assist me with the dilemma I am having in my saltwater system at work. <I'll try! Scott F. here> We have an eight foot section of saltwater fish thriving on the MARS system. About a month ago, we received a shipment of clown fish that started looking "ragged" after about 3 days in the tank (fins jagged, paling of skin, almost a white, chalky appearance, not eating). We lost all of the 24 perculas within a week and since that time, we have had problems with every fish introduced to the other tanks in this 8 foot section. <Sounds like a possible Brooklynella or Amyloodinium outbreak?> Since they are all connected to the same sump, it seemed logical to me that if these fish were affected, then our others could soon follow. <Very good thinking...A big problem with central filtration systems.> Everything acclimated to the tanks in our weekly shipments would, over a period of 3 days, deteriorate and eventually die by the third day. They would have similar symptoms to the clowns received weeks earlier (our clowns come from a different supplier than our other saltwater fish). <I'd think again about using that supplier...> Finally, at wits end, we decided to pull out the hermit crabs, Condylactis, and snails and start over (all our tests were coming out ok-ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, PH,). This is when we detected small, white, wormlike creatures moving in the substrate! Now, my question (I know, finally-ha) is, is there anything broad spectrum that can take care of the parasites? <Well, lots of possibilities here. This may not be parasites that you are seeing...Might be harmless interstitial life forms. Unless you noticed the same creatures clinging to your afflicted fishes, I'd reconsider the possibility that they were the cause of the fish deaths. I didn't say that they could not have caused the deaths, only that it seems unlikely. The diseases that I mentioned above are caused by protozoans, which are generally indistinguishable to the naked eye as individuals> I have read Formalin is pretty successful for treating for various parasites. <Correct, but they do interrupt the nitrification process, which can lead to other difficulties, as you are aware> Or.. is it better to drain the system and start over, or put in fish that will eat the parasites? <I'd do the difficult, painful, but ultimately more effective thing: Break down, dump substrate, sterilize, and start the system over> It has been recommended that we acclimate mollies to our tanks to eat them; however, why would these parasites be eaten by the mollies and not the salt fish, why would they only kill the salt fish and not the mollies? <Sounds, ahem- fishy-to me. I didn't know that mollies are "parasite eaters"...hmmm. Seriously, though, biological controls for disease on the level which you have experienced are few and far in between, and would be difficult to utilize effectively. I'd opt for the breakdown, as discussed above> and how could I guarantee that all the parasites were taken care of and the water is safe for the return of salt fish again. <If you thoroughly break down and sterilize (see the wetwebmedia.com FAQs for more info) everything, I think that you could be quite comfortable in assuming that the disease can be eradicated> I appreciate your advice and apologize for the length of this email, I just wanted to ensure you got the whole picture. Thank you so much, JR <No problem, JR- sorry that I had to be somewhat "general" in this response, but I think that you get the idea...Proceed with caution, and I think that your store will be up and running again soon! regards, Scott F>

Tank With Problems? Am having tank problems. <How can I help? Scott F. here..> All three Ophiocoma cf. scolopendrina seem dead. I cant find a living one. I think I introduced a disease. I thought about the water but nitrate, magnesium, kH and calcium all appeared ok before the water change. I am worried because until it was siphoned away I had a problem with purple Cyanobacteria (since a water change it has also receded inside the skimmer), and green algae is flourishing on a rock. Also a Fungia isn't expanding as much as he was and seems to be white around the mouth (while writing this just after moving him he doesn't seem as white around his mouth but hasn't expanded more!). He was shedding mucus earlier and I moved him to a better current. Does this sound like the problem with him? <Well, Fungiids will eat a wide variety of foods, and in nature they tend to cast a mucous net in order to capture food. This could be a simply a normal behaviour of a hungry specimen. On the other hand, excessive mucous shedding could be a sign of injury or stress. I am assuming that this specimen is located on the sand? Fungiids should always be placed on soft sand substrates, not on the rocks, where they are susceptible to injury. You probably already know this, but I just thought I'd bring it up as another possibility..> The Trochus, Physogyra and all the macroalgae seem to be ok, and the tests do say the water is ok. <Phosphate as well, yes?> The Penicillus though, is now a stump but started losing green colour and stiffness before). I know Penicillus grows in sand but I have coral gravel. Does this matter? <I've seen it grow in crushed coral. Sand is better, but the crushed coral should be okay, as long as other conditions are acceptable to the algae> If my aquarium is a 23 UK gallon then could I add a Kole tang to clear the Cyanobacteria if it returns? I know it seems a bit small. <Yep- I think that the tank is too small for a tang. Besides, tangs tend not to eat Cyanobacteria, in my experience. Koles do a nice job on diatoms, both in the sand and on the rocks/glass, however.> Alternatively is three Fluval + 2 internal filters enough water movement for this size of tank if I keep Physogyra and Fungia? <Yes- these should be fine for these species. Remember, you don't want too much current on the Physogyra, as they can be damaged in a direct, high current situation. > I'm really worried now about what might be wrong. <I'd keep an eye on all water conditions in this tank, maintain a good maintenance protocol (i.e; regular water changes, protein skimming and skimmer maintenance, etc.>, and consistent environmental conditions...look beyond the obvious if you are seeing continuous decline of your animals. With patient attention to water quality, you should see your animals improve steadily. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Wacky Water...? Hello! <Scott F. here today> I need help. It may be to late. I have a 55 gallon saltwater tank. It has been up for almost a year. Very few problems until now. The water parameters are temp 78 - 79 degrees, specific gravity 1.024, PH 8.3-8.4, nitrates .3 mg/l , nitrites 0. ammonia 0. KH is high about 14 dh. I have a yellow tang, maroon clown, a yellow wrasse, and 5 green Chromis. Various snails and hermit crabs. 220 W PC lighting. CPR Protein Skimmer , about 80 lbs of live rock. Exchange rate of about 600 gallons per hour. <Sounds nice...> About a week ago, I would find two or three snails at a time turned upside down. If I would turn them over, they would move somewhere else, but this was pretty constant for the last several days. Some mushrooms, and polyps have closed up. Now the fish are breathing rapidly, not interested in eating (today for the first time they did not eat anything) and the Yellow tang has orange/red patches appearing on body by the tangs and by the gills. He was going down hill fast, so I moved him into a quarantine tank. <Very good, decisive move on your part!> I have down about 20 gallons in water changes over the last three days, but it does not seem to be helping. I am using RO water and Reef Crystal salt. Both from the same source for the last year. What else can I do? Thanks! <Hmm...The fact that both the inverts and fishes are behaving strangely would make me think that some kind of toxin may be at work here in the water column. On the other hand, the patchy discoloration on the tang seems indicative of some sort of disease. Do read up on the disease FAQs to see if you can find information on any disorder that seems to fit the description of what your fish might have, and take action quickly. I would investigate a number of other options in the mean time. Perhaps there are other water problems, such as copper or other heavy metals...? Do check the membranes on your RO unit (perhaps they need replacing), employ chemical filtration, such as PolyFilter and activated carbon. Continue aggressive skimming and regular frequent water changes. Keep a close eye on other water parameters, such as phosphate, as well- leave no stone unturned in your quest for answers...Let us know if you need any further assistance! Good Luck! Regards, Scott F>

Protein Skimmer Good Day crew, <Hi!> I just brought a protein skimmer at the LFS today, I installed it and towards the end of the day two of my fish were dying. I took out the skimmer but had no clue what happened? Thank You <No problem! David Dowless>

Big Trouble In a Medium-Sized Tank! Something has gone terribly wrong in my 75-gal fish-only tank! Things were great until a couple of weeks ago when I introduced a new Foxface into my tank (no QT tank----i didn't know i needed one). He obviously introduced something nasty into my tank (parasite I think). <Well- nothing is ever wasted, I guess-You'll never skip quarantine again, huh?> It took out my Fiji puffer within days then quickly moved on to the Foxface after which I started adding copper. <In a "hospital tank", I hope?> I should also tell you that the water quality was great and no fish had any external symptoms until they went to the bottom, displayed labored breathing, and then died. After about three days of copper treatment, my lunar wrasse died with same symptoms leaving only two clown fish. My clown fish did get the same symptoms, but overcame whatever this was. They were both better until they developed red spots on their bodies (I'm thinking sec bacterial inf). Now I am trying to clear the copper before I use Neosulfex. I feel my time is limited -- the clowns have started breathing heavily again. How long do I need to try to clear the copper before I use the antibiotics? Help, Help, Help! Thank you! <Well, you may be dealing with Amyloodinium, or even Uronema, instead of ich. These diseases are much more lethal, attack more quickly, and are very lethal. If it was ich-hopefully you confirmed this, you really needed to utilize copper in a separate treatment tank. As you are discovering, copper can be very difficult to remove from a display tank. It can bind with the rocks, sand, etc. If you ever intend to convert to a reef tank, you may run into many problems with the constant possibility of copper leaching into the water. As far as removing (or, in this case-reducing) copper, you can use PolyFilter medium in your system, combined with large water changes. You really need to remove the fishes to another tank for treatment, especially because, as you correctly feel- time is of the essence! Do use the disease FAQs on the wetwebmedia.com site to confirm what you are dealing with before medicating again. Good luck! Scott F>

Dying Fishes (Pt 2) Hi there. thanks Scott for the advice <You're quite welcome> I have some question here again. tomorrow I will do 100% water change and my question is can I leave the liverock and the sand when I do the water change? <As long as you took out the suspicious ones> And I think I like to buy more liverock. My question is can I throw the new liverock inside the tank after I buy it? Thanks, Azman (Singapore) <As long as it's cured- should be okay . Good luck! Scott F>

Saltwater smells bad Inhabitants are: cleaner wrasse (1.5 years) <Very unusual. This critter usually expires fairly quickly after acclimating. They hardly ever eat much of anything except parasites. Maybe you "...got struck by lightning" with this one. It does happen...but rarely> Kole tang (6 years) <6 years! Now we're talking!> tomato clown (5 years), rose anemone (2 years), fox fish (1 year), purple pseudo (1month), 4 scissortail gobies (1.5 years), bicolor goby (8 mo.s), orange Linckia star <Need to target feed this critter...frequently> brittle star 1.5 years, anemone worm, several Turbos and red/left handed hermits, cleaner shrimp, coral banded shrimp. Corals: cabbage soft leather, yellow devils hand, brown finger leather, several mushrooms, torch coral, button and colony polyps. <This tank sounds gorgeous! The longevity of the critters that you name is what everyone should strive for. Many fish can live ten years or more. Keep doing what you're doing...it's working!> Lighting: 288w 10K daylight, 288w actinic 03 on for a total of 11 hours but in a timed blue on, white on, white off, blue off fashion to replicate natural rise and set. Bulbs replaced 11/02 in a staggering fashion over a 2 week period. <Fabulous!> Skimmer: AquaC EV90. I don't run anything in my sump with the exception of filter media. Below the filter pad in the open sump I have a thin layer of 'mud' and several small sponges about 1/8 to 1/4 in with small holes all over and one hole (looks like an intake) with small hair like extensions around the opening. <I'm not sure I like the mud and sponges. Pick some of it up and smell it. This very well could be where your smell is coming from> These are on the heater, the glass, the power heads. everywhere, and they live with a few worms (bristle and fan) and seems like hundreds of little "bugs" (amphipods?). <Copepods...most likely> These bugs are tiny and clear and scurry when I turn the light on over the sump of aim a flashlight on the mud. <Yep> I am assuming they are harmless and possibly good? <Very good! The fish will love them> This is my dilemma, yesterday the sump water began to smell, kind of reminds me of when I cycled my rock in the garage (yuk) just not as strong. And today, my tank water also smells. <Check that mud and sponge stuff> All fish, coral and inverts are doing fine and everyone is accounted for but the smell is getting stronger and the skimmer is skimming like it has been told this is its last meal?!? <Yeah...You need to be concerned. Something is wrong> I can't figure out why my water smells so badly. I plan to do a 25% water change today and clean the skimmer out but I want to know why this smell has seemingly come out of nowhere. I cant imagine one snail dying that maybe I cant see smelling this badly... <Nope> I have had snails die in the tank before and never has it smelled this rotten. I also don't know why my rock would suddenly re-cycle if that is what is causing the smell. The filter pad in the sump is new and I change it out about every 2 weeks or sooner if needed. Apart from the lights I have only made one other change and that is I stopped feeding my fish frozen brine (was their daily staple...amazing to find it has no nutritional value...even more amazing they have flourished this long.) <Egads! I'm glad you realized this...I am also amazed that have lived this long!> and made a blender batch of my own food comprising of fresh shrimp, squid, scallops, broccoli, red seaweed, some prime flakes, crab and baby vitamins) The first time I fed this was yesterday right after I mixed it up. Could that be what is making my water stink? <Did you feed like...a lot? I mean...You accidentally poured in way too much?> I didn't feed them any more than usual and actually, even less since there was no filler to the mix <That settles that question> I also add marine snow once a week for the filter feeders and I have smelled that and it smells fine. <There are mixed accounts about this products usefulness> I feed every day but in small quantities <Good> when I was feeding frozen brine I was feeding two standard frozen cubes is this too much? <Not IMO> Now that I plan to feed the homemade frozen I will feed what will equal one cube because it is so dense. Is this too little? I also supplement my algae eaters with purple and green seaweed (about a 2-3 inch strip) in a clip a couple of times a week but remove any uneaten food after 2-3 hours. <Once again...Sounds good> I haven't fed them any seaweed in the past two days. How much and how often should I feed the tank with the homemade mix? <Keep the regiment about like you were doing before switching to the homemade concoction> Do I still need to supplement the homemade mix with food for the filter feeders? <It all depends...If the homemade rations are in very small bits it ill be fine> Should I be running carbon in my sump? <Wouldn't hurt...With this bad smell that you are describing (does it smell like rotten eggs? I think I would want to add some carbon...soon> What in the heck do you think is making my water stink so badly? <It's hard to say...If it's a rotten egg smell it may be hydrogen sulfide which most often occurs with the use of a plenum. For sure I would do a series of substantial water changes over the next few days. If this were my tank, I would want the substrate more evenly spread out in the tank. Most people suggest either less than 1/2" or more than 4" throughout the tank. Are you sure none of the corals have died? Sometimes softies will look alive and be very dead...and no missing fish? With your skimmer producing so much skimmate, I would be looking for some kind of decay. Is your circulation brisk? Tank turnover more than 10 times per hour?> Is my lighting sufficient to keep SPS hard corals? (aqua cultured pink birds nest) <May I suggest that you read our extensive collection of information on Wetwebmedia. I feel good about you keeping low light LPS but SPS? I don't think your lighting will make it. Read our info on the site and decide for yourself> And lastly...I have these things growing on my rock that I cannot ID can you please help me? I am attaching a few pictures. They grow at a decent rate and in total I have 7 and what looks like could be 2 new. The 1st pic is with the flash and the other 2 are without. <I'm sorry but your attachment didn't come through. No pics available> I know this is a lot...but I wanted to give you as much info as possible hoping you can answer all of my questions. I cant seem to find answers in my searches. <No problem. It was my pleasure> Thanks again, not only for any help you can give me specific to this email but for all the great feedback and knowledge you have given me through other posts. I have learned so much, thank you all! <You're more than welcome! I'm going to search our server and see if I can find those pics...David Dowless>

Mysterious Sudden Deaths I have a dogface puffer, percula clown, and watchman goby that get along fine. I then added a small royal Gramma that died within 2 days. Water was fine fish seems fine at the end of the first day and the second day seemed fine until I saw it deceased. The next week after a water change and check after a couple of days I went to LFS and bought a larger one thinking maybe the small one was too weak (young). Same thing happened only 3 days later. I have several small blue legs living and took my water to LFS for testing several time to be sure my tests kit are accurate. I acclimate them just as suggested and I saw no signs of attack. What do you think? Am I just a murderer? I would like to stock my tank 65 gal-60lbs LR, LS, wet/dry, protein skimmer, and power compact. Please help me I don't want to kill anymore. Jill <First off, Jill-please don't be too hard on yourself. As unfortunate as these events were, you can at least draw some benefit if you can attempt to learn something from this experience. That being said, lets look at some things that could have contributed to this tragedy. First, were the specific gravity, temperature, etc. the same as the parameters that the fish was being kept in at the store? If not, did you slowly acclimate the fish to the new parameters. Sudden deaths like this are usually attributable to toxic conditions, such as ammonia, nitrite, etc. There is also the possibility of harassment by the other fishes. Was there any visible sign of trauma on the fishes' bodies? I didn't see that you quarantined the new fish prior to releasing them into your tank. Quarantine of all new fishes purchases is a really important procedure that can help eliminate the possibility of diseases being brought into your tank. It also gives the new fish a chance to "harden" to new surroundings. Did the fish look healthy at the store? As unlikely as it may seem, some collectors still uses drugs to collect 'grammas. There is always the possibility that yours may have been collected this way. As you can see, it's pretty tough to ascertain with 100% certainty what caused this, but maybe these thoughts can give you some theories to pursue. Hang in there, look beyond the obvious, and don't give up! Good luck! Scott F>

Powder Blue and Pale Green Hi guys I have two problems that I could use some advice . I have a 120 gallon that houses Xenia corals , mushrooms ,star polyp and a small yellow polyp rock. I have about 180 lbs. of LR . My fish are a powder blue , a yellow tang and a flame angel .My problem is the powder blue has ich from about the beginning of November . The fish eats like a pig and doesn't appear to be stressed. I think he got it after I did a water change at the end of October. I was fortunate to net him once and give him a fresh water bath . Since then he is on to me and I can't get close . What should I do to help him ? <Re-occurring ich breakouts are not uncommon with this species. The problem with this disease is that, once it's in your tank, it can be very difficult to eradicate. It's good that your other fishes are not showing signs of infection, but I wouldn't be to confident here. All it may take is a slight stress factor (i.e; temperature drop, bad water change, etc.) to initiate a full-on break out of the illness that affects everyone. Not trying to scare you, but I do think that there is a "clear and present danger" in any tank where even a single fish shows signs of ich. This may not be what you want to hear, but I think that the best way is to remove all of the fishes to a separate aquarium for observation (and treatment, in the case of the PBT). Any medications must be administered in a hospital tank. The main system, meanwhile, will sit "fallow", without fish, for about a month. This will result in a seriously reduced parasite population due to a lack of possible hosts. The fish can then be returned to the tank after this period (assuming that they are healthy, of course). This is not a fun process, but it is the best, and most reliable way to eliminate ich, in my opinion. Feeding garlic, increasing tank temperatures, and using cleaner shrimp generally will not do the job completely, IMO. And, so-called "reef-safe" medications are just a terrible idea, if you ask me.> Also what causes Star polyps to close up and stay closed for a while , only to reopen without much of the fluorescent green color left . All water parameters are good. Rich <Well, Rich, it is possible that the Star Polyps are victims of too much lighting. Metal halide lighting, for example, can cause washed-out coloration and "bleaching", if it's too strong. Could also be incorrect spectrum as well. These corals seem to favor a daylight to blue light spectrum to look their best. DO review the lighting and positioning of your Star Polyps in your aquarium. Good luck! Scott F.>

Follow-up on anomalous loss Hello once again guys. <Good to hear from you> I have now officially read every page on the web site....including some of the best and enlightening info tonight. <That is an accomplishment!> The skinny was this: excellent water parameters, all around, 10 perfectly happy and healthy damsels, and everything else I try dies. Here's a few ideas, please give some input. Is it possible I have low oxygen? 78 degrees F, 1.023 spg, and there are 3 units (filters, skimmer) "pouring" water in and 2 1-inch airstones, also, 2 AC 802 powerheads that are set up to disrupt the surface, create waves. Keep in mind there are 10 damsels breathing this O2. Also, could it be environmental? Is it possible that although I have not seen active hostility from the damsels, they are bullying the new guys to the point of "lethal stress"? <They definitely could be stressing the new fish. No doubt about it. If you spend time watching the tank, I'm surprised you haven't seen it> The fish die awfully fast for it to be disease, I think (only a week after introduction, usually). <Disease is possible but you haven't related any information that really points to disease> Finally, I use a SeaClone 150...until my TurboFlotor1000 comes FedEx on Wednesday...SeaClone was crap. <The T1000 will pull stuff out of the tank just remember to keep adjusting the water level in the sump until you find the sweet spot. I recently replaced my T1000 with a Euro-Reef and you know what? so far it hasn't performed as well as the T1000! I've been miserably disappointed. Keep watching EBay. I may put it up for sell in the near future! HA! > I am hoping that these ideas may lead to keeping the angels and tangs I so desperately want to keep. At any rate, I spent 3 hours fishing tonight for damsels...got them all out, put in QT. Will run fallow till Christmas. Then, no damsels. <Trade them in at your new LFS> Let me know what you think about my plans, ideas, David Dowless esp., he asked to hear about the follow-up. The best part of this adventure is that it is an academic hobby; learning made fun. Keep up the good work. <Yes! It is a bit academic. I think you're on the right track and as I stated before...nothing you have related jumps out as being a problem. IMO you should try a new fish supplier and watch the fish a long time before buying> Matt Kraick <Thanks for the follow-up! David Dowless>

New Tank, Fish are dying Hello. I set up a 75 gallon salt water tank about two weeks ago with two emperor 400 power filters cleaning it out. I cant keep a damsel alive for more that four days in my tank. They all seem very healthy for the first 24 hours but then after that begin to breath rapidly and refuse to eat. All of my water properties are perfect. Ammonia, Alkalinity, PH, nitrate, nitrite etc. I consulted my local fish store and they are very knowledgeable by the way, and they are completely stumped. My question is this, my 2 filters are causing very tiny air bubbles to circulated around the whole tank. They aren't actually clinging to anything or the fish but I read something that stated this was very bad but It didn't elaborate very much. By the way the last damsel that died had swelling of the eyes once it started dying. Could you please help me out? Thanks a lot. <Please go to the Marine Stocking section of WetWebMedia.com. Read about quarantine tanks and introducing livestock. I doubt it is bubbles causing problems, but the bubbles could be an indication of excess nutrient content or skewed water chemistry. These fish might be suffering from parasites when stressed. I doubt seriously that your ammonia/nitrites are as low as you think. Much to uncover at WetWeb to help you. Craig>

Re: the Grim Reaper.... Hello guys. This is a tough one. I need someone to convince me NOT to drop this whole thing and give up and sell my equipment for 10% of what I paid for it and take up basket weaving. So here's the story, as abbreviated as possible. Started a 120gal. FOWLR 4 months ago. LR did a marvelous job in cycling, have had 0 NH3, 0 N02 and 20 NO3 for over 2 months. 8.3 pH by day, 8.1 by night. 78 degrees F. 90 lbs. LR. First I added 10 damsels. <Ten damsels is a lot of damsels> Then little by little I tried my hand at Tangs and Angels since this is what I wanted to begin with. Well, I have gone through 5 different angels and two tangs.....no luck. I have exactly what I started with....10 damsels, all thriving and happy as can be. I watched every fish eat, show brilliant coloration, and healthy movement. I also watched every fish get slightly pale one day, and every one dead the very next morning. No visual signs of disease. I cannot keep anything but these damsels alive. Is it just because it's a new tank? <Having a mature tank is a plus but yours is a little too old sot be suffering form "New Tank Syndrome". Well, if the damsels have been in the tank for 4 months it's pretty safe to say the tank isn't toxic...Which is good news...> Is it possible that my protein skimmer is the culprit? <Not likely...However, heavy organics may be a problem. Try this...tape a sheet of white paper to one end of your tank and look through the opposite end of the tank at the paper. If the paper is any color other than white, you have significant level of DOM (dissolved organic matter). This can and will affect a fish's health. Tangs and angels do need crystal clear water on order to thrive> It is a SeaClone 150...I know your opinion on this model, and I will choose a better one next time (soon). At first it seemed to work great, but I have gotten no skimmate in the past 2 weeks.... obviously this must change. <Yep...With ten damsels in there you should be collecting skimmate daily.> But, is it possible that with all other parameters seemingly perfect, that a crumby skimmer could be killing all my non-damsels? <Never say never my friend> I am going crazy trying to keep a beautiful fish alive for more than two weeks (they all live 1 to 2 weeks before they die.) The other issue is this: when I run the tank "fallow", which I am thinking about doing, does this include snails hermits and LR or does this just mean remove all fish? <Fish only although it wouldn't hurt to get the snails and hermits out as well IMO.> I think perhaps the culprit may also be an "invisible" disease, which is why I may just let it sit for a month or two, fish-less. <Knowledge and patience is the key to success in this hobby. Only bad things happen fast. May I suggest that you buy a few books that cover disease and treatments as well as read the articles and facts at WWM concerning toxic tank syndrome and disease: mainly ich and velvet. Do the dead fish ever look like they have cotton tufts on their body? That's what velvet looks like and it does kill fast...but usually not overnight. Ich is normally slower to kill. Fish start flashing, then they start gasping for air at the top of the tank, and finally they get lethargic and stay on or near the bottom of the tank. At that point it's too late to save them. Have you seen any of these signs that I've mentioned? Please convince me I am not wasting my time, with any advice and ideas you may have. I really appreciate all you do. Matt <Personally I never buy a fish that I don't watch in the store for at least 2 hours. Shop owners think I'm crazy but it's worked for 5 years. You might consider finding a new fish supplier and buying a better skimmer. Good luck and let me know how all of this turns out. David Dowless>

Fish Dying Hi Bob, <Good evening! David Dowless answering tonight> I have a 55 gallon reef tank that has been plagued with problems the last nine months; Every three months my fish die. Everything else in the tank is growing and doing well, fact we just had our first baby serpent star. <Congratulations!> The fish don't act sick or die all at once, it is usually one or two a day. My first concern was water quality, although the readings were all within normal range and I change out four cups of <Do you mean that you do mini water changes on a daily basis? Four cups, literally speaking, isn't enough> salt water daily, plus do top offs. I use either reverse osmosis or deionized water and use the same type of salt mixture. <Do you buffer and aerate the top-off and changing water?> Last time this happened I contacted a place were I get my stuff from and they suggested that I might have a parasitic problem. I put in my UV sterilizer treated for parasites <Not copper...I hope...> then did a broad spectrum antibiotic. This has not helped. Three and one half months later I'm suffering the same problem, the day I began loosing fish, I started treating for ich with No-Ich Marine because some of my fish began to scratch. <Generally these products like Kick-ich, No-ich...don't help much of anything.> This was Saturday. Since then I have lost my Heniochus Butterfly, both of my small Clowns, a coral banded shrimp, two Fire Gobies, my Mandarin, <Mandarins are very difficult for anyone to sustain for any significant amount of time. Most last less than a year. Why you ask? They have very specialized feeding habits.> and my Moorish Idol. <Oh no! Not a Moorish idol!! It is very rare that this pitiful fish makes it even a few months in captivity. If yours lived three months consider yourself lucky. Most won't live anywhere near that long. Save your money! Specialized feeding habits for this guy also. Mandarins and idols are beautiful...but...> The only thing similar to the last time is these huge red bristle worms, (last time there was only one and we flushed it.) My anemones--who have been in the same spot since I first added fish to my tank--suddenly were not happy were they were began to move away from the rocks, one of them is currently on the glass four inches away from my live sand bed, the other one looks like it might be dying--it was healthy this morning when I fed. <Anemones are also difficult to maintain. They have a tendency to roam the tank especially if their basic needs aren't being met. Often times they will end up in powerheads or other aquarium devices. They also need very strong lighting.> I guess you need to know these specifics about my tank. I have 75 pounds of live rock, 35 pounds of crushed shell substrate then 30 pounds of live sand I have corals everywhere Goniopora, <Another impossible critter to sustain for any prolonged period of time> Galaxea, <Many authors rate this coral as being difficult> Torch, Frogspawn, Hammer, Xenia, Cabbage, Sinularia, Colt, Polyps, and several types of Mushrooms. <You also have a mixture of soft and hard corals that may not work log term. Stonies generally react negatively to the presence of Sinularia, Alcyonium or Sarcophyton species> I have Caulerpa that is kept in check by the vegetarians in the tank. I have three clams- <Maxima? Also needs very strong lighting> use to be four but something ate one of them. Hermits, snails and peppermints. All of the test I do on this tank comes up Normal, though this afternoon I had a trace of ammonia, <Really, really bad. You need a water change immediately and find out where the ammonia is coming from. Please don't feed until the ammonia is gone> nitrates and nitrites, <No nitrites please> thought it was from the three dead fish I took out this morning. <Very possible> I feed Mysis, Prime reef, Sea Veggies, dried sea weed, fortified live brine, <Brine is like popcorn to you and I. Tasty but nutritionally deficient. I would leave this one off entirely> blood worms and dehydrated brine shrimp. <Same thing for dehydrated brine shrimp> All the feed have vitamins and at least once a week Garlic. Do you have any ideas? I have five saltwater tanks going, All but this one are fine. I'm really getting discouraged, I can raise sea horses, but I can't keep a tang or damsel alive for more than 3 months. <Success in this hobby is normally measured in terms of years. My friend...in some instances you have set yourself up for failure by purchasing animals that die in nearly everyone's tank. Get a good book like Marine Fishes by Michael Scott. It's a pocket size book and contains a hardiness rating system that you will quickly appreciate when it comes time to buy a new fish. Borneman's book, Aquarium Corals is the current industry standard for coral care. He gives hardiness ratings also. In this hobby knowledge is power and the power to make the right choices equals success! I invite you to begin your research efforts at Wetwebmedia.com> Thank you for your time, Lesa <It was my pleasure. I hope I've helped! David Dowless>

Re: missing fish! I have a 75 gallon salt water tank with ten fish (all compatible and reef safe). <How do we know?> 2 days ago one of my cardinal fish vanished! Then yesterday the same thing happened to my scooter blenny. Besides that I've had 1 banded starfish ripped apart and killed, and now the new banded starfish is missing 2 legs that were just there. What could be going on? All of my other fish are doing great and my corals are growing beautifully. My water tests which I do once or twice a week continuously come back good. I have live sand and Tonga ridge rock, could there be something hiding in my rocks? <Yes, likely a Mantis Shrimp. Does your tank make a clicking sound? Go to WetWebMedia.com, scroll down to the google search engine and type in "mantis shrimp". You have to trap it. Be careful they can injure you, no joking. Perhaps a crab too. Craig>

Reversing a Disaster (And Preventing Another) Hello WWM crew, <Hi there! Scott F. here tonight> First off, I love your web site I am learning new things every day! Thank you. <That's great! And that's why we're here!> I'm new to the hobby of keeping marine fish and I've had good luck and bad. <Part of the learning curve!> My first try was a disaster. I lost my whole tank of fish after being up and running for several months. There's combination of reasons why, but that's not why I am writing to you. I have started all over and everything is great. <Very good to hear- keep learning from your mistakes!> Here's my set up: 45 gal tank FO salt water, Filstar XP3 canister, SmartLite power compact 130 watts, Prizm skimmer, 2 power heads for circulation, heater (78 degrees), 70 - 80 lbs. live rock, 1.5" live sand, silk plants and 1 skeleton coral. Fish : 5 green Chromis 1" ea.,1 rock blenny 3",1 porcupine puffer 3", 1 Huma trigger 2.5", and 1 orange tail damsel 2.5". My water is good: PH=8.2,ammonia=0,nitite=0,nitrate=20-30,gravity=1.019. My question to you is am I over crowded or do I have room for more fish? <Ok- you asked- I'll tell you!. First- I love your enthusiasm and enduring spirit- and I want you to succeed! Take this constructively...The puffer and the trigger are totally inappropriate for a tank of this size. The Humu is one of my all-time favorite fish, but he can and will reach 8-10 inches, and will make life miserable for all of his tankmates along the way (if he does not make a meal of them first! The puffer is a cutie, too- but he'll get even larger than the trigger- and he is also a messy eater. These fish both require very large aquariums even when kept alone, not to mention if kept in the same tank (and I would not advise that they be kept together at all!). My recommendation is to either get a larger tank, or find a friend or friends with large tanks who can properly house these fish.> I would really like to add a small lion but I know they require lots of space. If not maybe a yellow tang. Your input would be greatly appreciated. <For many of the same reasons cited above (size, habits), neither of these is a good choice. Arm yourself with a good book (like Bob's "CMA", and consider the ultimate size of your future choices. You're going to be much more successful, and your fish will be much happier, if you take a more conservative approach to your selections. read and learn all that you can! Why not try more small fish, like gobies and blennies? They're cool fish, and really neat to watch. Much better choices abound for smaller systems.> Thanks again and keep up the good work, Tim Good luck, Tim! You're gonna be fine! Scott F.>

Major Problem with Fish Hi there. I was told to e-mail you on the advice of Tori at the Lakewood Petco, here in Washington. Here is our situation. We have a 125 gallon tank that has been up since July. We're running a wet/dry filter w/protein skimmer, canister filter and UV sterilizer. We have normal lighting with no live rock or invertebrates. Our temp. has been stable at 81 degrees. We have 2 oscillating powerheads on either corner, two big airstones taking up almost half of the back of the tank, plus the return also generates oxygen. We have good movement throughout the entire tank. Our Ph is 8.1, 0 nitrites, about 10 nitrates, and 0 ammonia. In the tank we have: a Naso Tang, Yellow tang, powder blue (deceased this morning), Heniochus, bi-color angel, and 2 Percula clowns. We had a dog-faced puffer that we removed 2 days ago. I know you're thinking we have all these tangs, and that they don't get along, but the truth is that they do, and we never had any squabbling at all. Everyone, even the puffer got along great. We added the powder blue 2 weeks ago, and then last Sat, it looked like he was coming down with ich. The Naso doesn't tolerate any medications or changes very well, so we didn't want to medicate the tank. We don't have a hospital tank, so we didn't remove him. Instead, we removed the puffer, and got 2 cleaner shrimp. That was 2 days ago, and the fish were very excited, and were getting cleaned all the time, even though only the powder blue showed any visible sign of any infection. Yesterday, the Heniochus was kind of lethargic, but seemed to bounce back in the afternoon. His eyes were cloudy, though. We went to bed last night, and everything was OK, and when we got up this morning, the Powder blue was completely covered from head to foot in white spots and some darkness too. He acted blind, as he was running into the sides of the tank, but he was swimming. We went ahead and took him out. Our Naso now is discolored, and it looks like he has fine spots on him. The Heniochus has small white spots also, and won't swim either. The yellow tang has a little bit, but is acting more normal, and the Bi-color and clowns look perfectly fine. Everything in our tank was fine and stable before adding the powder blue. Obviously, he infected the tank. Do you have any suggestions so that we can save our pets. We are just sick about this. We did a water change this morning, leaving the salinity a little low. We would appreciate any help you can give us on this matter. I attached a pic. of the Naso, showing his discoloration. Oh, the salinity is .20. Please hurry, the Naso is starting to list. Thank you, Kirsta Lopes <Hi Kirsta, If this were me I would make a choice now about what kind of quarantine tank I want (aquarium or Rubbermaid container) head out to the store and get it set up ASAP and get those fish in a QT with copper at 0.25 ppm. You may see some temporary relief from freshwater dips as you transfer them. You can use tank water for the QT so there should be little time delay. The reason for using a QT is it's hell making water changes on a 125 and the copper will kill off your wet/dry filter. I wouldn't delay and I would NEVER add any new fish ever again without a mandatory quarantine. I know you won't do this again. There is a lot of free information on treating with copper at WetWebMedia.com (scroll down to the bottom and enter "copper" in the google search. Also "ick" and "velvet". You need to treat your fish for two weeks of copper and two weeks without while keeping fish out of the display so the parasite has no hosts. The shrimp will be fine in the display with light feeding of fish food. Good luck! Craig>

Fish Died Hello to all. Need help. <Scott F. here- What's the problem?> I have a 25g tank with UGF and a Sander piccolo skimmer. The problem is that all fishes in the tank died. No visible signs of diseases or stress was seen, they just died overnight over the past 4 days. Tank : Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0.5 ppm PH 8.0 Temp 75F 10 pounds live rock Inhabitants : 2 common clowns (dead) 2 Lysmata amboinensis (live) 1 small white spotted hermit crab (live) 1 six lined wrasse (dead) 1 regal tang(3 inch) (dead) 2 Broadstripe goby (dead) 1 BTA (live) <That's a lot of fish for a 25 gal tank, BTW> I assume it can't be bad water quality because the inverts are still alive and green algae are flourishing on the glass. Most inhabitants of the tank have been there 5 months (tank age 7 months-got rid of damsels after recycling) <Well, it's really hard to tell exactly what went wrong. Sudden "wipe outs" of entire fish populations usually are indicative of either poisoning of some kind, or a build up of dissolved organics in the system. Curious, because your water conditions seem to be fine (pH a bit low, though), and the inverts (which are usually more sensitive to water problems) are all alive. Some questions to ask yourself: When were the most recent animal additions? Did you have a big fluctuation in specific gravity? What is the specific gravity? Did you recently do a large water change? How often DO you conduct water changes? Is your protein skimmer working efficiently? Did you change foods recently, that only the fish ate? Maybe some kind of additives? Is there sufficient aeration in the system? Unfortunately, these kinds of mysterious wipeouts require a bit of "forensic" work on your part to find out what the cause could have been, and how to prevent them in the future. Learn from this setback, don't be discouraged, and keep plugging away!>

The Vanishings Greetings from sunny South Africa <Hi there! Scott F. here!> I have marine reef system that until recently housed a Flameback Angel, a Bicolor Blenny, a Sixline Wrasse, three Tube Worms, two White-Striped Cleaner Shrimp and a number of Corals. I say recently, because all of the tube worms and both of the shrimps (which appeared to be thriving), seem to have mysteriously vanished over the last 2 weeks. There is not a trace of the shrimps and the tube worms have disappeared leaving only their rather sad looking tubes behind. <Sorry to hear that> Am a bit stumped as to the cause of all of this, especially since all the other tank inhabitants continue to do well, and was wondering if there was some sort of predator that might have eaten both the tube worms and the shrimp, or if it is more likely to have been caused by diet, tank conditions etc. Thanks for a really informative site. William < Well, William-that's a tough one. Although the fish that you have are generally "reef safe", there are exceptions to this: The Flameback Angel, being a Centropyge species, is not above nipping at coral or harassing your tubeworms to the point where they will not longer extend to feed, and then they can die. Ditto for the Bicolor Blenny. These fish do occasionally (and I've had it happen to me) nip at some corals and inverts, perch on them, and generally irritate them. These are some possibilities. Also, there is the possibility of the shrimp doing the deed, as well! There is also a chance that the tubeworms have starved to death from lack of feeding. Were you doing "target" feeding with them? Do check your environmental conditions as well. As far as the shrimp are concerned, there could be a number of possibilities here as well, ranging from starvation, to being harassed and munched on by somebody. Once again, don't eliminate the possibility of a change for the worse in water quality, or even a toxin somewhere. Finally, there is the outside chance that the shrimp are still alive, and have molted, or are simply in hiding. Rule out the obvious, and then take it from there! Perform water tests, do water changes, study, and learn! Don't give up! Hope I gave you a few ideas to try. Good luck!>

New tank syndrome...maybe? Ok guys, bad news. I started my 120 gallon FOWLR with 100 lbs of LR, and things were good. A few weeks later, the inhabitants were 9 damsels, 2 damsel-sized tomato clowns, and a 4-inch Yellow Tang. <This seems a bit much for after "a few weeks" but...> I waited two months, everything was great. Then I added a Pseudochromis diadema and a Keyhole Angel, all good. Then I added at the same time my last two fish, a Kole Tang and a 3 inch Koran Angel. Everything seemed fine for one more week. Then one morning I woke up, and the Koran and Kole and Keyhole were dead, no warning, just dead. 12 hours later, the Yellow tang got dark brown spots on his head, then 12 hours after that everything was dead except the damsels. Every single one of them is still alive (this is 4 weeks later). So now I'm sitting here with a brown encrusted tank and 9 damsels. The only upside is that the live rock looks fantastic now, lots of colors. The damsels seem in perfect health. So.... 1.) What happened? I know this is very broad, perhaps too broad. <My best guess is a disease, probably parasitic in nature.> 2.) What do I do? If it was disease, is there a test I can run to know if it's gone and it's safe to add new livestock? Keep in mind, I have done NOTHING since the losses, besides the basics; water changes and top-offs. The tests all show 0 ppm for the bad stuff, etc, etc. I do not have a quarantine tank, nor did I dip (I know, I know). <You are currently buying one, right?> 3.) Can you recommend a better test kit than the Hagen Master Test Kit? <I like Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Dry tab Master Test Kit as a basic (pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate). It comes with dry reagents (less chance of contamination) and they are all individually packages and dated.> I just don't like it. It seems very imprecise, and not very trustworthy. Thanks so much guys. Let me know if you need anyone to help with your research. I am a biostatistician by trade. Gotta do something to pay you back for all the great help ;) Matt <We will definitely keep this in mind. -Steven Pro>

Ongoing Tank Problems Dear Sir, I had a question (that hopefully you can add some insight to) about an ongoing problem that we have been having in our tank. The tank has been up and running for 2 years now, the first year and a half without any incident at all! The problems we have been having are in the last 6 months and we cannot seem to rectify the situation. All of the fish became sick, Ich, eye cloud, fin rot, the whole deal, after the introduction of a small Queen angel. She was not quarantined first (shame on us, and we are now paying the price) She died after a week, but everyone else has lived (thank goodness!) After the severe sickness, which was originally treated with fresh water dips, medicated baths, and the addition of Melafix to the tank, the fish dramatically improved. The red sea never became sick...the imperator was mildly affected, the puffer was just fine...but the Hepatus and the trigger were affected severely. The trigger really surprised me, as I thought he would have been one of the more resilient ones. Every fish in the tank has seemed to make a full recovery, with exception to the Trigger and the Imperator. All the fish still have voracious appetites (never lost their appetites, even when they looked as though they were on death's door step), but the Trigger continues to have "frayed fins" and cloudy eyes, with the occasional bout of Ich spots and the same is true for the Imperator. None of the other fish show any of these symptoms. The eye cloud clears up after a few days, as does the ich...and they will be fine for a week, then it will return. Even though I did everything I could to avoid it, I broke down and treated the tank for two weeks with Copper sulfate. Cleared it up for a week or so after the treatment was complete, but it again returned....only with those two fish again! In the last 6 months, we have added the sump with Caulerpa to help remove toxins and nitrate from the tank and to help improve the biological bed. The tank is 125 gallon: protein skimmer, UV sterilizer, ground probe, heater, wet/dry (with live sand and Caulerpa), a Fluval 404 canister filter (for additional mechanical filtration), and 50/50 lighting. The tank is a fish only tank, housing 1 clown trigger, 1 red sea Sailfin, 1 stars and stripes puffer, 1 hepatus tang, and 1 imperator. The tank, I know, is at or a little bit beyond capacity....but we already have a custom made 300 gallon tank to move them into....we are just waiting to move ourselves before we make the change (in about 5 months). Sorry for the long winded email.........Water quality is as follows: Ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, pH is at 8.2, specific gravity 1.23, and Nitrate is at about 80 ppm. We run the light over the sump at night, to help keep the pH from fluctuating when we turn the main tank lights off. We do weekly water changes of about 33% with reverse osmosis water. We feed the fish 2 times daily....alternating between Dried seaweed, dried prepared foods, frozen angel formula, freeze dried krill, Spirulina, and the occasional frozen brine shrimp. I have tried to think of everything possible that could be causing stress to the fish: water quality, electrical shock, nutrition, etc.....I am afraid that the problem is so obvious that I am simply overlooking it, but for the life of me, I can't figure it out. Please help! Dave Schroeder <Hi Dave. Please go to WetWebMedia.com and type "ick" in the google search engine. Read about treating for ick, using copper and quarantine. You have a long standing ick infection and you aren't curing it. You then re-infect your fish by keeping them in an infected tank that has not been fully treated or held fallow of fish for the quarantine period, which is two weeks of *copper* in a bare bottomed QT, and another two weeks to be sure they have been successfully treated. While this is going on, the main tank must be without fish hosts for ick or the whole shebang treated with copper for two weeks if there is no live rock, sand, or inverts. The copper will kill your bio-filter or severely effect it and possibly NOT kill all of the ick. Your choices are: Treat in main for two weeks and hope the treatment killed the ick in the tank, or put all fish in larger QT, treat them, and hold tank fallow for at least one month. I know I don't ever have to mention a quarantine tank to you again, right? A month for one fish in the QT beats this any day. Hope this helps! Craig>

It all started with shriveled mushrooms... I have a 50 gallon FOWLR tank, with a few mushroom rocks and two feather dusters thrown in. It's in my office, which means I don't get to give it nearly as much care and feeding as my home reef tank, but it does pretty well with some hardy fish. About 1 month ago, I noticed some odd effects. It started with the mushrooms, which had done fine until then, shrinking badly. I have 4 40W NO fluorescents, and the mushrooms had been fine for a year, but they all shriveled across the tank. They did not die, but they still look very small. I thought I had a water quality issue, but everything I thought to test - ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, phosphates - all looked normal. The temperature is kept stable with a chiller and heater combination. A week or so afterwards, I had a brittle green starfish die. I had never actually seen one die before, so I didn't know what was happening at the time, but when the bristles started falling off, and the body expanded and cracks appeared, I knew what was happening. A week after that, one of the feather dusters left its tube - I didn't even know they could do that, and I assume it's only under severe stress. This week, the second one did the same. I tested the water quality again, everything looks fine. <Unfortunately, there are many things that we cannot test for.> The fish are fine (or at least look it), the shrimps and crabs seem fine, the other green brittle star and chocolate starfish seem fine. The mushrooms are still shriveled, but alive. The LFS has no idea what could be wrong. Any ideas? <Nothing definitive, but I can prescribe a course of action; water changes and the use of Chemipure and Polyfilter.> I don't relish the thought of doing continuous massive water changes, but not knowing what's wrong makes it hard to proceed. Arthur <When in doubt, do a water change. That is my motto. -Steven Pro>

Scratching, Thrashing, Slashing! Hi there - <Scott F. here with you> Your web site is great! I was wondering if you could give me some advice on my current situation. I have a 210 gallon fish-only tank (no live rock, no inverts). The tank was set up for me in March by the local fish shop, with UV sterilizer, and protein skimmer. I have had almost all fish die in June due to an infected hippo tang. During that episode of what I believe was velvet, I lowered salinity and increased temp, eventually treated with copper, but too late. Since July that tank has done well. I have kept my salinity on the low side, at 1.018, and my temp on the high side at 80 - with the intent of discouraging an outbreak of ick/velvet. Is there any disadvantage to keeping these settings? < I think that your s.g needs to be at "normal" ocean levels- 1.021-1.025. Better for your fish in the long run. Yes, commercial establishments often run at 1.017-1.020 to reduce parasite levels, but I have read studies linking lower s.g for protracted periods to organ damage in fishes> Current fish are: 3 1/2" Queen Angel, Flame Angel, 2 Yellow Tangs (one large, one small), Snowflake Moray, 3" Hawaiian Lionfish, 3" Huma Huma Trigger, 2 2" Chromis, 1 Damsel, 3" Spotted (or Freckled) Hawkfish, 2" Tomato Clown, 4" Longnose Butterflyfish, 5 1/2" Red Coris Wrasse, 5" Green Bird Wrasse, and 2" blue spot Toby. <That's a lot of fish in there. Could get really bad if/when everyone reaches full size> The trigger fish is a bully in the tank. On introduction, he severely injured the green bird wrasse, to the point of blood, but the wrasse has fully recovered. <That's good!> Over the last 2-3 weeks I've noticed some things I am concerned about. Wanted to get your advice. There are a few fish doing a lot of scratching - mostly the green bird wrasse, but also both angels, and the Red coris wrasse. Also, there have been fins torn/missing a hunk or fin rot - on the butterfly, clown, queen angel and 1 tang. These seem to heal up but then I notice another case. <Not good.> My guess is it's the trigger fish being a bully - but not sure if it could be some type of fin rot? <It very well may be-brought on by injury and ongoing stress, secondary infection from the injuries, etc.> Also the queen has a bit of a dusty appearance and has a few blotches/depressions in scales, however, she continues to behave well and eat well. She has looked like this since I got her on Oct 1, and has not gotten worse. <Lots of possibilities here, ranging from fungus (usually rare) to parasitic ailments, such as Cryptocaryon or Amyloodinium. These are VERY contagious, and should be positively diagnosed and action taken immediately> There is also occasional twitching going on in the queen, flame and clown. <The queen will ultimately become a very dominant, aggressive fish. There will probably be an ongoing turf war with your seemingly very aggressive trigger. Someone may have to go to a different tank at some point> The butterfly's side and rear fins are slightly dusty (not clear). Again, this isn't getting worse. <Still not a good sign> Finally last weekend, the hawkfish has developed pop-eye in one eye, and has become much more timid. Prior to the trigger, he was the bully of the tank. Based on reading your site, I suspect he had an injury, probably due to a run in with the trigger. <Popeye is actually a symptom of a disease, usually caused by bacteria, possibly brought on by the injury, as you theorized> I believe most of this may be a result from high stress due to the trigger (added Sept 6), or recently added fish being carriers of parasites (Oct 1 and 7). <Proper quarantine is absolutely essential for all new additions! You will save so much time and frustration if you make it standard procedure.> My water params are all good. The fish are all active and eating well. I do a 25-30 gallon water change every month. <Fish eating is always a good sign. You really have to keep the water quality high with all of those potential infections present from the injuries. Environmental quality lapses contribute to many diseases.> I do have a 10 gallon QT tank, but had problems with ammonia spikes when using it. Planning to cycle it with Chromis, then add a damsel to keep it going. My local shops did not have the sponge filter you've suggested. It has a filter that hangs on the side. Can I put the filter 'panel' (that has a white spun material on one side, and charcoal on the other) in my sump to get the bacteria as you suggested with the sponge filter? <Yes! Good thought! Spare the damsels! I'd even rather see you use a bottle of bacteria culture rather than use the damsels...> I only recently bought the QT setup. The last fish introduced, the lion, had a cloudy eye. I like everyone else needed to learn this the hard way. I do plan to use it for all fish in the future. <That's AWESOME!!! There will be a HUGE improvement in your fish health. That's just a great move on your part!> I do not see removing any fish as an achievable task. The tank has restricted access (something I would not do again). Any treatment, etc will need to be in the display tank. <Never desirable- sometimes unavoidable. Please reconsider, if at all possible...> I am planning to add the Epsom salt for the Popeye. 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. A question here - should I base med's like this on the actual amount of water in the tank - e.g.. Take away for coral displacement (I guess 175 gallons), or the "size of tank" on purchase (210). <Don't use Epsom salt- better to try a medicated food, assuming that the fish is eating. You don't need to throw your water chemistry out of whack. And, if you must medicate in the tank- do take away for coral/rock displacement> Second, I am tempted to add copper to help with the scratching, twitching and low level of ick that seems to be in the tank? If so, what is the best dose to minimize my flame angel/clown fish from getting poisoned from it? <I think that copper is problematic in a tank with rocks/substrate, because the medication will "bind" or be absorbed by these items. Tough to maintain therapeutic levels, then can slowly leach over time...Just not a good thing. Please enlist help and try to catch the fish and treat in hospital tank, however difficult it may be. Do it right and you'll be happier in the long run. As far as level of copper- follow manufacturer's instructions; be prepared to take action if the fish exhibit discomfort> Lastly, if I can stabilize the tank and want to add a few more fish - any recommendations on what could hold it's own with the trigger - yet not introduce new stress? I am thinking of a red sea Sailfin tang, or powder blue tang (but am wary of ick). I was interested in a batfish, but am concerned that the tank is too aggressive for that type of fish. <See above> Also, would like to increase the number of chomps so that they will school. Would new purchases school with existing fish or do they need to be bought as a "school"? <Most likely will "join up" and school> Thank you so much for your patience on reading this long note and any advice you can give me. I appreciate it! Val <No problem, Val- I wish you luck, You're doing a great thing by embracing quarantine. Just keep reading the resources here on wetwebmedia.com, make certain about your disease diagnoses, and learn all that you can...Scott F.>

Ants Around Aquarium Good evening, folks: <cheers> My 125G FOwoLR is three-tiered. The lower cabinet houses the sump, the middle is the aquarium and the upper cabinet provides access to the opening of the aquarium, as well as to lights, air pump, etc. My question pertains to ants that appear on the side shelf of the top of the aquarium. While I do not believe that they are getting into the water, they are very unsightly. I know that I cannot use anything toxic, so I was wondering if you may have any suggestions as to a safe method to get rid of the little critters. Thanks, Mitch <have you tried the small plastic (stickable) bait traps? They contain bait that the ants carry back top the nest to kill the colony. Indeed you cannot spray anything fumous. Else I suggest sticky traps/double faced tape. Do find the source though at any rate... not cool in the house :) Best regards, Anthony>

Advice for scratching fish? Should I copper the tank? Hi there - <Hi Jessica!> Your web site is great! I was wondering if you could give me some advice on my current situation. <I'll surely try> I have a 210 gallon fish-only tank (no live rock, no inverts). The tank was set up for me in March by the local fish shop, with UV sterilizer, and protein skimmer. I have had almost all fish die in June due to an infected hippo tang. During that episode of what I believe was velvet, I lowered salinity and increased temp, eventually treated with copper, but too late. Since July that tank has done well. I have kept my salinity on the low side, at 1.018, and my temp on the high side at 80 - with the intent of discouraging an outbreak of ick/velvet. Is there any disadvantage to keeping these settings? <Only if you are treating for ick or velvet currently.> Current fish are: 3 1/2" Queen Angel, Flame Angel, 2 Yellow Tangs (one large, one small), Snowflake Moray, 3" Hawaiian Lionfish, 3" Huma Huma Trigger, 2 2" Chromis, 1 Damsel, 3" Spotted (or Freckled) Hawkfish, 2" Tomato Clown, 4" Longnose Butterflyfish, 5 1/2" Red Coris Wrasse, 5" Green Bird Wrasse, and 2" blue spot Toby. The trigger fish is a bully in the tank. On introduction, he severely injured the green bird wrasse, to the point of blood, but the wrasse has fully recovered. <If this is continuing, remove the Trigger, it isn't healthy to live under stress all the time> Over the last 2-3 weeks I've noticed some things I am concerned about. Wanted to get your advice. There are a few fish doing a lot of scratching - mostly the green bird wrasse, but also both angels, and the Red coris wrasse. Also, there have been fins torn/missing a hunk or fin rot - on the butterfly, clown, queen angel and 1 tang. These seem to heal up but then I notice another case. My guess is it's the trigger fish being a bully - but not sure if it could be some type of fin rot? <This is likely damage from bullying, remove the bully before someone dies or is eaten.> Also the queen has a bit of a dusty appearance and has a few blotches/depressions in scales, however, she continues to behave well and eat well. She has looked like this since I got her on Oct 1, and has not gotten worse. There is also occasional twitching going on in the queen, flame and clown. The butterfly's side and rear fins are slightly dusty (not clear). Again, this isn't getting worse. Finally last weekend, the hawkfish has developed pop-eye in one eye, and has become much more timid. Prior to the trigger, he was the bully of the tank. Based on reading your site, I suspect he had an injury, probably due to a run in with the trigger. I believe most of this may be a result from high stress due to the trigger (added Sept 6), or recently added fish being carriers of parasites (Oct 1 and 7). My water parameters are all good. The fish are all active and eating well. I do a 25-30 gallon water change every month. <Very likely stress and introduced parasites> I do have a 10 gallon QT tank, but had problems with ammonia spikes when using it. Planning to cycle it with Chromis, then add a damsel to keep it going. <This will also keep any ick or velvet going, suggest running a small filter on the main, and then switch to QT when needed. Use water changes to reduce wastes if you need it now, which you likely do.> My local shops did not have the sponge filter you've suggested. It has a filter that hangs on the side. Can I put the filter 'panel' (that has a white spun material on one side, and charcoal on the other) in my sump to get the bacteria as you suggested with the sponge filter? I only recently bought the QT setup. The last fish introduced, the lion, had a cloudy eye. I like everyone else needed to learn this the hard way. I do plan to use it for all fish in the future. <Yes, do QT all fish in the future> I do not see removing any fish as an achievable task. The tank has restricted access (something I would not do again). Any treatment, etc will need to be in the display tank. I am planning to add the Epsom salt for the Popeye. 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. A question here - should I base med's like this on the actual amount of water in the tank - e.g.. Take away for coral displacement (I guess 175 gallons), or the "size of tank" on purchase (210). <FIRST, NO, do NOT add Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) to your SW tank. The Popeye is almost certainly from ick or the parasite you introduced to your tank. Please skip to copper treatment! Are you referring to a coral substrate I hope? If so you won't ever be able to keep inverts with this substrate if you use copper in your tank. You can either treat in the main or in a larger container like a Rubbermaid tub. I would estimate water volume low like you have, and then TEST the copper level and adjust it to 0.25 ppm free cupric ion. Use the proper test for the type of copper you use. Go to WetWebMedia.com scroll down to the google search, and type in "parasites" and "copper". Read all the FAQs, they will help!> Second, I am tempted to add copper to help with the scratching, twitching and low level of ick that seems to be in the tank? If so, what is the best dose to minimize my flame angel/clown fish from getting poisoned from it? <Follow the FAQs....0.25 ppm for two weeks, then two weeks QT without copper. Lastly, if I can stabilize the tank and want to add a few more fish - any recommendations on what could hold it's own with the trigger - yet not introduce new stress? <Best deal with the trigger now before he causes you even more trouble> I am thinking of a red sea Sailfin tang, or powder blue tang (but am wary of ick). I was interested in a batfish, but am concerned that the tank is too aggressive for that type of fish. <You already have ick or velvet and stress.....> Also, would like to increase the number of chomps so that they will school. Would new purchases school with existing fish or do they need to be bought as a "school"? <As Trigger food? You better get this sorted out...see wetwebmedia.com...stocking.> Thank you so much for your patience on reading this long note and any advice you can give me. I appreciate it! Val <Better get things under control Val, before taking on more. Craig>

Help, mysterious marine losses Hello! Hi Bob and Crew at WWM. My Tank (100 gallon) has been up for a year now, and lately fish have just been dying off. It like when I get a new fish, the new fish seems to die quickly. I monitor them and nothing seems to be attacking them. All I have are a few damsels (1-2 inches) two clowns (1-2inches) a surgeon fish, about three inches, and a white banded eel. Along with my invertebrates (a few hermit crabs, turbo snails, a small emerald crab (less than an inch), and four corals, there is just live rock. I introduced this snapper when the problem started. This snapper seemed fine for a few weeks, well adapted, then I move some of the rocks around to catch a fish and it dies shortly after. Just some dusk was kicked up. Then I got a powder blue tang that died just five days after I attained him. He was much bigger than the other fish so I don't think he was harassed. Then my filter went off (I have this over hang filter that sometimes the water level is too low and the pump shoots out water) and I find that he is dead with his back arched in the corner. Then I bought a flounder. A month went by and he was fine, then I saw he had his fins bitten off on the side and he was breathing deeply. The next morning I found him with all of his fins bitten off and his throat torn out of his gill area. A brutal site. I don't think it was the eel because it was on the other side of the tank. Now I'm left scratching my head. I have checked the water, salinity is fine because the other fish seem happy, the ammonia is at a low level, and nitrate is at a low level. There is a ton of oxygen in the water (you can see it from the protein skimmer) and the temperature is at a pleasant 82 degrees. What is wrong with my aquarium? Thank You so much I really appreciate it.

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