All my fishes dying :(

[Saltwater newbie]

Well looks like I really screwed this up. So my tank had been running Smoothly for a month with my huma huma trigger and a lion fish so I decided to add a new fish. I went with a tomato clown fish, and everything was going good i waited a couple days {This is where I believe I messed up.}and added a yellow tang. kept checking water and it was all good and fish were eating very well. So I added a Purple Tang.BAd Idea !!!!!!!!! The purple and yellow started fighting so after about 4 days I returned the yellow tang. And me being so impatcient had to replace him so i got a peaceful tang a Naso, and a semi agr. Powder blue. keep in mind these are big fish in a 150 gallon tank, the huma huma is 4"lion fish is 6" purple tang 6" powder blue 5" Naso 7" Clown 3". So for about a week everything was going good fish eating and seemed happy. Then one morning I saw "IT" the purple tang and powder both had lots of white spots. It was ich. So I did a 15% water change and waited. (by the way no qt tank.) The next morning the purple was covered the powder had more spots the clown,naso,and huma huma all had it on them. So i went to the lfs and he recommend using this green medicine I forgot the name but i know it had no copper in it. He said to put a small dose in everyday and do a 5 gallon water change everyday for a month. The fish were still all alive after about a week then I woke up and my Powder was dead. I called the LFS and told them, I also told them that the purple was looking bad he said bring him in we might be able to save him. So I took him in and the owner was like Holy **** That is full Blown Ich im not sure if he will even make it through the night. He didnt, that was about 4 days ago so I got up this morning and my Naso and clown were both dead. So I dont know whats gonna happen with the lion and the huma huma I stopped using the medicine because its not good for scaleless fish like the lion. I was using it before because the other fish combined were alot more expensive than the lion but there gone now.....

So let this be a lesson learned Take it slow when adding fish. I feel really bad about killing my fish because they were so big and healthy when I got them.

Im also getting rid of my canister filters and having a sump and overflow installed on thursday. and getting a Qt Saturday what all do i need to put in a QT tank , live sand live rock ? or just leave it empty with a heater and filter?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

...
So let this be a lesson learned Take it slow when adding fish. I feel really bad about killing my fish because they were so big and healthy when I got them....

Sorry for your loss, but YOU didn't kill your fish... sounds like ich did.

BUT...

The real lesson should be "Use a quarantine tank". One of those fish had ich, and no matter how slow you would've added fish, it STILL would've had ich. Eventually it would have made itself know. Use of a quarantine tank, with a single fish at a time for a 30 day quarantine period, helps you make sure you're only putting healthy fish in your display tank, AND forces you to only add one fish every month. (Unless you get multiple quarantine tanks going!)

Thanks for posting about your experience so others that are just starting up can ponder it.

 

[melosu58]

I agree with kurt. Sorry about your loss but QT is a very good idea.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php

 

[Joker741]

Atleased you relaize you need to set up a QT. I have read you want the tank to have the bare minimal in it. Like some sand and a little LR.

 

[roka64]

QT, no sand and no LR, use PVC for hiding. The sand and LR will/can absorb any meds put in the QT, not to mention hyposalinity will kill off the critters in the LR.

 

[Joker741]

I knew that a freshwater QT was that way, but I didn't know about salt. Thankfully I said that I read that.

 

[rob_mango]

all i have in my qt tank is a heater and a small over the back filter and right now i keep my fish in it for 30-35 days with no meds unless i need them right now i have a moorish idol in mine and after 1 week i noticed she was starting to get popeye so she is now being treated for that (and it is clearing up)

 

[roka64]

No problem fishkeeper, some folks do use rock and sand, but personally, a bare tank and PVC is easier to clean....