Powder Blue Dead, Blue Eye Tang Dead, Kole Tang Not Looking Great

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begginersluck

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
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Location
Jersey Channel islands
I'm not having the best of luck with white spot in my tank. As I said I've lost 2 fish over the weekend and my kole tang is looking a bit fragile too. Normally he's out and about in fact one of the most active fish in my setup. Today he barely comes out and when he does I make sure I get as close as possible to check him out. It's happened Witt the 2 fish that died hence why I am worrying..... They all had white spot and suddenly developed a flaky skin appearance. I can't see much white spot on the kole tang but it does look particularly flaky. Is this due to the parasite eating away at its flesh?

The only other tang I have in there is a Regal tang and so far it's been the most fortunate. It has had white spot in the past but always fought it off. She's big and strong and nothing gets in her way, however not aggressive towards any other fish.

I'm actually surprised the copperband butterfly I added with the PBT didn't get any white spot. He's also eating frozen and dried food. Good for him!

We are hopefully moving house, viewing a property on Wednesday that looks and sounds like the perfect spot. My intention is to set up my old tank Juwel Rio 240 and QT all fish and treat for white spot. I will in the mean time move the new tank to the new house, set it up with fresh saltwater, maybe half old water and half new (nitrates are quite high with my current set up) and allow the tank to go 'fallow'. I want to be able to add another PBT in the future without any worry there is white spot in my tank. I also plan on QT'ing all fish going forward.

Thanks in advance for all your help and advice.
 
I forgot to mention I also lost my favourite coral. Only had it about 3 weeks. It was a stunning green hammer coral and it got brown jelly disease. It wiped it out pretty quick. Not sure if anything has any relation to each other here but hey..... Rather annoying!
 
Nitrates are between 20 and 30 ppm. Phosphates are about 1 ppm. Ammo and trites zero.


The reason the fish died was white spot. The reason the hammer died was brown jelly.

I'm just a bit concerned about the kole tang as I've never seen this flaky appearance on any other fish before.
 
Nitrates are between 20 and 30 ppm. Phosphates are about 1 ppm. Ammo and trites zero.

The reason the fish died was white spot. The reason the hammer died was brown jelly.

I'm just a bit concerned about the kole tang as I've never seen this flaky appearance on any other fish before.

Water changes. Phosphates are too high, need to be under .1ppm. The disease outbreak can be a result of stress and poor water quality, it's what sets the disease off, the fish looses its slime coat and parasites can attach. Certainly is what killed the hammer as well IMO. Size of tank?
 
90 gallon. I'm really pissed of as I bought a RODI system from a company in the uk and I've not had ANY customer service whatsoever. It's taken them 12 weeks to sort out a pump box as I'm on bore hole water and I still haven't got one. My TDS is reading 4 something and the nitrates are through the roof.
 
To add I've ordered some Bio Phos 80 to replace my old media as I think it's done its most.


I'm doing weekly water changes but its almost pointless as my RODI water I'm getting is producing water with 50 ppm TDS and over 30 ppm nitrates.
 
Have you tried to use distilled water? At least until the other problem is resolved? It reads at 0 and it's like 79 cents per gal at the local store...may help with the issue...I also just added Phos guard ultra to my tank that has finally brung phosphates down to 0. My nitrates have been 0 too since using distilled water...Maybe worth a try.
 
I agree that stress and/or poor water quality are the main problems that lead to this type of scenario.

For the water, I'd try the big water dispensers outside, or maybe in, your local store (or gas station). I use that and it usually is just over zero TDS. For 25 cents a gallon, it works for me. Not perfect, but much better than other options.

For stress...it is the common issue of Tangs being in "too small" tanks, IMO. The Kole is the only one you mentioned that is suitable for a 90g. Multiple Tangs in a large tank can be tricky. In a small tank (for their requirements), its gonna be difficult to pull off. Even with pristine water, they are gonna be stressed due to what they see as a cramped environment.

For the current problem, I would consider QT and treating now. Drain and clean the DT and start fresh at the new place, if that works out for you.
 
I'm seriously considering the QT option for all fish but I don't have a filter set up and cycled so how would I go about that? Daily water changes? If so I desperately need the DI resin so I can make up a load of water.

I just returned home this afternoon to find 3 anthias dead and the kole and has also died.

I have a rose bubble anemone that went into hiding at the weekend. I had to move some rocks to remove the PBT when it died and I noticed white almost furry looking flesh on its foot. Could this be the cause? I see the anemone under a rock and it still looks inflated but I don't trust it.
 
So what fish do you still have alive? Ideally you have something to throw in from the DT that would have some BB in/on it (some always have a little filter going, or even a piece of sponge). I'd almost throw in a little live rock if you are okay not being able to use it again (if you go the copper route for treatment). At least you have some BB that way. Watch the parameters and change water as necessary to keep everything in check.

I'm not sure about the PBT or the anemone. Others can probably help with that. It's been years since I had a reef and I thankfully had few problems with that back then.

Sorry to hear about the deaths and good luck with the property.
 
Just checked and the new looks fine. Attached and fully inflated.


Currently livestock is as follows (fish),

3 common clowns
4 green chromis
1 Regal tang
1 yellow tail damsel
1 copperband butterfly
Approx 5 or 6 anthias

I'm starting to think I may have added too much in one go.

With regard to the QT I have a Juwel rio 240 empty with a built in filter. Would I need to buy sponges for this? If so what sponges?
I have loads of live rock in fact I was given some recently for free so I could use that.

As I'm writing this I'm watching my regal tang be cleaned by one of my cleaner shrimp. Cool!
 
Oh god no haha sorry for the confusion there.


About 2 weeks ago I added a powder blue tang, a copperband butterfly, 4 anthias and the kole tang. This is what I should have mentioned.
 
thats still to much to quick. How long has the tank been up? Tangs in a tank less than 6 feet will stress and get ich. Some Anthias need a bigger tank to. I would take a deep breath, and be patient. Don't add anything till you figure out the problem. Give us a comeplete run down on all equipment you have
 
That's a lot of fish for a 90g too, IMO.

Water parameters aside, you have Tangs that like lots more space than they are being provided and that can get funny with one another even in large tanks. That equals stress. You've got three clowns, which are usually pairs, so you've got a lucky clown that has not been beaten down down by the pair. Clowns can be territorial and harass fish, which equals stress. Fish sometimes learn to steer clear of Clowns after learning they will be chased away, so their available space is even more limited by invisible barriers. Then you've got a damsel, which are notorious for being aggressive. All are cool fish, but on paper, there's a lot of potential for stressed fish. Stressed Tangs come down with Ich.
 
The anthias are only wreck fish and are fairly small. The clowns are great together one of them is very small and they all host one anemone with no aggression and the regal tang I've had for absolutely ages in a much smaller tank and never shows signs of stress.

I've unfortunately found another 2 dead wreck fish this morning:

I just did a high range nitrate test and it came out just under 10 so not as bad as I though plus my DI resin came today so I'm back to zero tds and zero nitrates from my RODI unit.

I think it's either added too much in one go or something is politic my water. I'm going to do a large water change tomorrow with the new good water I've got and while I'm at it I might syphon out some of the sand and have a look under the rocks for anything nasty
 
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