[PortWash]

I must own up to my ignorance in not quarantining my fish. I played Russian roulette and lost. I had three casualties over the course of 2 days and one night. RIP Kole Tang, Ocellaris, Yellow tail damsel. I shall set this up. I have had my 90g tank (29g Sump with ASM G3 and 5g fuge) running since November and began adding fish mid February. Obviously I ignored most of what I have read from this site and others. Friday I came home from work to find my Kole Tang dead. I had him for 2 weeks and Thursday he didn’t come out to eat but was in the rock and I thought I saw him eating and maybe the Hippo was harassing him when I wasn’t home. Saturday I woke up to my yellow tail dead and my ocellaris swimming at the top. Within the hour the ocellaris was dead as well. I turn the lights on and the ocellaris and yellow tail are in a mucous and my hippo has black spots/marks all over his body. Being a jackass of course I have a package arriving Saturday with a Regal and Anthias. I then drove to the fish store purchased 2 29g long tanks and 2 air pumps. After purchasing 15g of water and making 10g I began filing the tanks. I added the water from each bag into each tank. I couldn’t I then matched that with and 3x freshly mixed water. I pulled all my rock to catch the hippo and goby. I gave them a 100ml Formalin 3 bath for 45 minutes. I then dipped them in freshwater for 2 min and then into the QT tank. In the QT tank I have Maracyn 2. The hippo is hiding in a corner but appears to be doing fine and the goby is moving around and also appears to be ok. By the treatment you may deduce that I believe the problem is brookynella.

Any guidance is appreciated. I feel terrible and want to essentially try to start over and properly proceed with this hobby. At 25 I would like to have many more years with this hobby. Thus, I want to go about things in the proper manner realizing that what I read is NOT extravagant but rather a necessity for proper hospitality.

The pics of the hippo are bad but I didnt want to stress him to much and will try and get more pics up tomorrow.

[leebca]

For brooklynellosis you may be overkilling the treatment. Use either Formalin or a FW bath, but not both. It is unclear from your post whether you know the proper procedure to follow for treatment. Just to be conservative, make sure you are following the directions for Formalin treatment given here: Formaldehyde: Friend or Foe - Treating Saltwater Fish Diseases

All the information you need for starting over the right way is given in this and other forums here on Reefland. Please look at this Table of Contents to find the posts you need:
Table/Contents - Link List

The benefit of 40+ years of experience and education is given in the posts here on Reefland. Good luck!

[cdearing]

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your fish. That is tough. I appreciate you sharing your story though so that others can learn from your mistake. I have made some big mistakes myself but am learning. I have two month old tank with a couple of small fish. I have been told to slow down on my introduction of fish so have been trying to be patient. I did, however, start up a QT so that it is ready when I have a new addition. I only have a 29G main tank and a 10G QT. I imagine some people would say that is overkill as only about 5% of aquarists even use a QT. I just decided that it was a small price to pay and not too much of a bother to just go ahead and do it to be safe. I hope that your other fish will bounce back and your new additions will flourish.

[PortWash]

Thank you for the link I will follow those direcitons and administer two more dips and abstain from the freshwater dip. I will read about the QT procedure. So I wont ask any questions with that regard until after reading. In terms of my main tank, if indeed it is brooklynellosis, how long until I can safely place the fish back? Also if that time period is shorter than the time to properly treat in QT I wont rush that process and make the same mistakes as before.

[PortWash]

Also, can you take a look and see if it is brooklynellosis? Sorry for the poor pics.

[leebca]

Diagnosing brook is not easily done through photos. There are many visual indications to brook AND many behavior clues too.

The photos are hard for me to tell what I am seeing is on the sidewall of the aquarium or what is on the fish. In general, it seems like the fish is infected with ? (something). See if the fish improves after the series of Formalin baths. If not, repost.

If it is the causative agent of brook, it is something that is not easily eliminated from an aquarium. For the most part only Anemonefishes are at high risk of contracting brook. Tangs are not in the group that is very susceptible to brook.

Leaving the marine system go fishless for 8 weeks should take care of many parasites and that is what I would recommend. Then only put fish into the system that have passed the 6 week quarantine process.

If you choose to put Anemonefishes into your marine system, they should be treated for brooklynellosis before going into the display tank even if they are not exhibiting any symptoms.

[PortWash]

Will do thanks for the advice

[johnmaloney]

What are your water parameters like? Take care of the water, and the fish will take care of themselves. (For the most part at least...) Keep the faith, everyone in this hobby will lose a fish at some point.