2 fish down!!

[ChrisJackie]

My husband and I have recently upgraded from a 30 gallon saltwater tank to a 75 gallon. We kept about 75% of the water from the 75 gallon tank and set it up about 2 weeks ago. All the levels in it are fine except the Nitrate level. It stays on the high side but is finally coming down a bit. My question is this....I've lost 2 of my fish and do not understand what the problem is? I had an Engineer Goby and a Royal Gramma. They were both very active and seem to do fine with the move. It was only about 3 days ago that I notice my Goby had a weird look about him. His skin looked as if it were peeling off. I thought it was from him burrowing in the sand, but a day later he was out among all the other fish swimming and bumping into things. I separated him and put him in my hospital tank but it was too late. Then I noticed my Gramma acting very reclusive. She wouldn't come out to eat and looked like she didn't feel well. I caught her and noticed she had the same appearance as my Goby (her skin peeling) and also her tail looked like it was chewed on. I also separated her, but again it was too late. I'm not sure what the problem might be, but am wondering if anyone can help with this. I first thought it might be tail rot, but then the skin peeling off the body was a new thing for me. Can someone please shed some light! :?

 

[quarryshark]

Sound like it may be velvet. Did you introduce any new fish recently? Or maybe a bacteria infection of some kind. Do you still have the 30 gallon? I would remove the remaining fish to the 30 gallon (bare bottom, no substrate) to observe and be ready to treat. Any other fish acting strange?

 

[ChrisJackie]

No other fish seem to be affected. We introduced a Powder Blue Tang about a week ago but removed it to a QT after 2 day because it looked to be infected with ick. The Tang is doing fine and has been in QT for a week and a half now. I also have a Mandarin that has been acting a little funny. He usually comes out and pecks at the rocks but he hasn't come out yet this morning and is sitting in one spot in the back of the tank and I guess I'm getting paranoid that all my fish will get sick. Will taking them all out and putting them in a hospital tank for 3 weeks help? If I take all the fish out and let my 75 gallon run will the parasite die without a host? Also, I treated my Tank with E.M. tablets (Erythromycin) and she's doing fine. Will this help my other fish if I QT them and one gets sick?

 

[quarryshark]

I had a velvet outbreak in Jan(didn't qt new arrivals). Lost 3 fish in the proccess. I moved everyone to a 40 gallon qt and treated with cupramine. I left the main fallow of fish (inverts are OK) for 8 weeks and everyone is back in and fine now. It was a nightmare, but pulled the rest through.
Many state that 4-6 weeks is enought, I did 8 to play in safe. Without fish hosts, the parasite goes through its life cycle and dies off. The fish may be clean right now, but because of the parasites life cycle, it may come back and attack 2 fold. Thats what happened in my tank, I waited too long. Its you call, but I would move them and get ready to treat. Make sure you have a proper copper test kit. I used cupramine and their test kit (seachem).
Here are a couple of articles
http://www.amdareef.com/ho_parasite.htm
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_VM004
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/
Maybe this will help you figure out what is is.
Good luck.