First let me say hello to everyone and thank you all in advance for any help/ideas that you can give me. I am fairly new to the saltwater world and have had my first saltwater reef system now since October of 2005. I will do my best to explain everything that is going on.
I have a 125g saltwater reef system with a few polyps in it at this current time. Over the last 3-4 months I have been having problems with what I believe to be ICK. I have several fish that are symptomatic of this nuisance.
Here is a list of what I have currently in my tank:
FISH:
2 Ocelarus Clown Fish
1 Unknown Clown
1 Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby
1 Pajama Cardinal
1 Cleaner Wrasse
2 Bar (Zebra) Gobies
2 Orange Firefish
1 Mandarin Goby
1 Six-Lined Wrasse
1 Royal Grammas
1 3 or 4 Lined Damsel (Deb/Flo from “Finding Nemo”
INVERTS:
3 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Horseshoe Crab
1 Emerald Crab
Margarita Snails
Turbo Snails
Narcus (sp?) Snails
1 Conch Snail
Corals:
Yellow/Green Polyps
Green Star Polyp
Mushroom of some kind
The first problem fish is the Pajama Cardinal. I’ve had this fish (along with the shrimp goby and the unknown clown) since December and were all quarantined for 6 weeks, and drip lined into my 125g tank. None of them showed any signs of ICK before I put them into my other tank. I do not know where this fish came from as far as being tank raised or wild. No noticeable aggression towards or from this fish. It is eating both frozen brine shrimp and frozen mysis shrimp with garlic added to it.
The second fish that is having issues is my Mandarin goby that I’ve had since 1-15-07 and could not be quarantined due to diet restrictions. He was quarantined at the fish store that I purchased it at for 1 week (longest they would hold it there for me) without any spots. I don’t know if it was tank raised. Eating misc bugs in my tank, did however see it snag a piece of frozen brine the other day, so could also be starting to accept this as food. No aggression towards/from this fish.
The third fish is my Royal Grammas that I have had since 1-10-07 and again quarantined for 6 weeks. This fish is eating frozen brine and mysis shrimp w/garlic added. No aggression towards/from this fish. I do no t know if it is tank raised or not.
I don’t know if any of my fish are tank raised/wild for that matter. All of them eat well the same foods as I mentioned above.
Current parameters for my tank are as follows:
Last test done 1-25-07
Nitrate = 20
Nitrite = 0
Ammonia = 0
PH = 8.3
Temp = 80f
Salinity = 1.024
I am using the saltwater master test kit.
The filtration that I have on the tank is a sump with a catch bag that runs through my pump and ½ to my skimmer then ½ back to my tank. (I will try to post pics as well?) Or I can send them somewhere?
I currently have around 60-80 lbs of live rock in my tank plus 50lbs of crushed coral.
All of the fish act healthy and are constantly moving about in the tank looking for food of some kind. All of my fish have at one time or another “Flashed” as you guys call it (rubbing on rocks and such).
I use Kent marine Iodine supplement weekly, and nothing else. Using a salt that contains everything else that I need.
Medicines that I have used:
Cupermine (in my QT)
Stop Parasite = Useless
IMO
Marine Max – used one time and worked then nothing…
No More Sick Fish - $80 wasted
I am currently at a quandary as this parasite/bacteria whatever it is has seemed to have imbedded itself into my reef tank and because of current inhabitants I cannot treat with cupermine, nor do I look forward in trying to net out all of my fish from the reef tank, near impossible w/o tearing everything out of the tank first and stressing everyone (including me) out even more.
I think I have answered all the questions that I need to in order for you guys to help if you can. I do have a few questions of my own though.
First, can I use a
UV sterilizer in a Reef tank and what size would I need for a 125g tank?
Second, I’ve been told not to use a heater in my tank that it would bake my fish? Should I have a heater or not? I currently have 2 150watt heaters in my tank keeping a stable 79/80 degrees. Is this an acceptable temp?
Third, obviously we’re in the process of setting up a “nemo” reef tank, can both “Dori” and “Bubbles” the Regal blue tang/surgeon fish and the Yellow tang be tank mates and get along with each other?
Fourth, I’m searching for a “Poor man’s Idol” or something close to it that can be kept in a reef tank. Mostly Anemones and a few clams, nothing really spectacular, maybe some Zenia and more green star polyps. Is there anything out there? I’ve been told the ones that school are reef safe is this true?
Fifth, I’ve always been fascinated with eels, is there an eel that I can put into a community tank and have it get along and NOT eat my fish or inverts? Possibly a garden eel I think was the name I was told to look into?
Sixth, I've read that margarita snails are not good in warm water as they die too quickly, is there a better snail that I can get that is just as effective?
Thanks again for reading my long story and look forward to any helpful insights!
Linear Mode
