All sorts of problems-Boy do I need help

[Jazquez]

Ok I guess I will start at the beginning. I have a 30 gal tank, running a fluval 204 filter, a powerhead 402, all lit up by a 36" orbit power compact with dual daylight and dual actinic bulbs. I began the tank in July with sand and live rock. Since then I have stocked the tank with a bi-color blenny, a blue hippo tang and a female lyretail anthias. Since I want to have a fish and reef tank I have also placed in some coral frags.

As a newbie I was having some trouble stabilizing my water values but I believe I am starting to get a hand on it, however I am worried about my tang and Anthias.

I think the tang may have ick. He has a couple of white spots but he also has some raised bumps on his side (his same color kind almost like pimples). He swims around fine and eats like a pig. If my diagnosis is right what is the best thing to do? Should I set up a QT and treat him with medicine. Or should I let him be and see what happens. I just ordered two cleaner shrimp to help clean him up.

My anthias has black spots on the tips of her fins that kind of look like burn marks. Like the tang this fish shows no signs of lethargy or sickness except the visible markings described.

My tank is a mess. Any advice to keep these fish alive and nurse them back to health would greatly be appreciated.

 

[austinsdad]

Others may tell you more about the black spots on the anthias or the raised bumps on the tang. But sounds like you do need a hospital/QT tank right away. You've chosen a difficult care level fish in the hippo. Some have very good luck, but yur tank sounds like it could be too new and too small for a hippo. How big is the tang and how are you parameters? I'll betcha it's a water quality issue.

And welcome!

 

[quarryshark]

Agree with austinsdad.
Definately get a qt set up and move ALL the fish to it. There you can treat with hyposalinity or cupramine and leave the main tank fallow of fish for 6 weeks. This allows the parasite to go through its life cycle and die off due to lack of fish hosts. Inverts and corals should remain in the main, they are not hosts.
Welcome to AA!!!!!

 

[Jazquez]

Thanks guys

I definitely appreciate the help.

The hippo is about 2.5" - 3" long and like I said earlier I don't see any sickly behavior. He and the anthias swim around together they attack the different foods I give them (veggie flakes, marine flakes, and Frozen mysis shrimp).

My water levels:
Sg 1.024
Ammonia 0
nitrite 0-.25
Nitrate 10-50
PH - 8 - 8.3 Had to tell with those color tests but I have been using seachem reef buffer which is supposed to get and stabilize Ph to 8.3.
Temperature is set to 78 degrees.

 

[austinsdad]

The anthias gets to about 5 inches. The hippo tang isn't recommended for anything less than a 70g. You're already having nitrate issues, most likely 'cause of the large bioload in such a new (and did I already say small?) tank. Nitrifying bacteria needs to establish at a rate fast enuf for the bioload of yur fish choices. I thinnk you've overdone it. You also need to re-consider your fish choices or you will continue to have problems in that 30g tank.

I know it's hard not to get excited with a new tank, but I think you're moving too fast and not being as informed about fish choices as you should be. Ask me how I know. OK, don't ask, but I did stock too fast the first time around. Killed 8 fish with a velvet outbreak from poor water quality.

 

[Jazquez]

The intention was to learn hands on with this 30 gallon tank and then move to something larger, although everything I have read says that it is easier to control water levels in a larger tank. One of the guys at the LFS said that the tang would be fine in my 30g for a while and that it would take while to grow. He even told me that he was going to put one in a 12g reef tank he was starting. The anthias was all my girlfriend. As far as stocking the tank I only wanted to add a flame angel, 2 firefish gobies and maybe 2 orange spotted file fish.

I didn't plan on adding these fish any time soon. I actually was starting to work on the coral. Now my main concern is the health of these fish. I don't want to lose them. I am always willing to listen and learn from someone with experience.

 

[srgetz]

Since they are active, and not lethargic or sickly, the first thing I would do is attempt to get an accurate diagnosis. White spots are not always ich, and I am not sure what the bumps may be. Can you get us a couple pics? This may be a good time to get qt tank ready, just in case. Also is a good time for several large water changes (~30%) with aged sw. I say you slow down and figure out what he has, we will help. Others will respond...

 

[austinsdad]

So, gonna target a larger tank? That'll definitely be needed as your fish and interest in the hobby grows. I agree with the water changes. Need to get on that now. Pictures would be good if you can get'm. Good luck. I'll be asking someone how to attach pics someday, being an elementary school level computer graduate.

Check out some of the info on setting up your QT. Not much too it, but you're gonna need one to treat w/copper if your shite spots are ick. Don't want that stuff in your main tank.

Also, you won't be able to do flame angels with coral. Read up on the various fish @ liveaquaria.com. They got a pretty decent looking compatability chart also. Also, how much LR you got in your 30?

 

[Jazquez]

The help is well appreciated

I will try to take pictures of the two fish tonight when I get home from class.

I purchased a sponge filter yesterday and started running it in the main tank so that I can use it in the QT. I also put two cleaner shrimp in the tank this afternoon so maybe they can help a bit.

Live rock I believe I have about 40-50lbs. I just kept buying pieces of rock at my LFS and added them little by little.

I've also been told and read that flame angels are generally reef safe.

Also does anybody have any experience with seachem's paraguard, it seems like a cure all for viral/bacterial/parasitic infections.

 

[quarryshark]

For parasite I would treat with Cupramine or even better hypo. Copper and hypo are the sure fire cures for ich. Most of the other meds have spotty results at best.
And above all, make sure with any med it is administered in a qt setting.

 

[austinsdad]

... and copper will kill the shrimp. Remove them fist.