Dreaded disease has killed 5 fish already!

[pecan2phat]

Formlin dips are the way to go if the disease is brook. You should start lowering the salinity in the Qt tank to help ease osmoregulation.

 

[JLAudio]

Im already coppering, I was told copper and hypo could be too much for fish. Any advice on what should be done with the main tank? Its been empty of fish since friday and planning to keep it like this for a month, while the rest (now only 4) stay in a 20 gallon QT. The 4 left seem to be unaffected but I am carefully observing for the skin to get whitish and peeling, there eyes getting cloudy and decreased appetite and movement

Should I treat the main empty tank? Currently I am running a diatom filter on it and plan to keep it running all month and I did a 50% W/C and Planning another 50% this week.

 

[KathyC]

That is true - you cannot use copper & hypo at the same time.

I thought you'd decided it was Brooklynella..what changed your mind?

Did you get a copper test kit? It is the only way to know if you medicaing that the proper level. This will become more difficult to know as you move forward and do water changes. You cannot re-dose athe full dose so you will need to test to get back to the correct level.

Have you added an airline? It is very important when you are medicating with copper!!


You need not do anything to your main tank..but it must remain fishless for 6 full weeks or you take the chance of the cycle starting all over again when you put the fish back in there.

Which 4 fish have made it this far?

I think you said you put some ich product in there. It wouldn't hurt to run some carbon & you do want the salinity at the correct level

 

[JLAudio]

That is true - you cannot use copper & hypo at the same time.

I thought you'd decided it was Brooklynella..what changed your mind?

Did you get a copper test kit? It is the only way to know if you medicaing that the proper level. This will become more difficult to know as you move forward and do water changes. You cannot re-dose athe full dose so you will need to test to get back to the correct level.

Have you added an airline? It is very important when you are medicating with copper!!


You need not do anything to your main tank..but it must remain fishless for 6 full weeks or you take the chance of the cycle starting all over again when you put the fish back in there.

Which 4 fish have made it this far?

I think you said you put some ich product in there. It wouldn't hurt to run some carbon & you do want the salinity at the correct level

I am still pretty sure it is brooklynella, and I am testing the water in Qt to make sure I dose at the effective yet safe dose, recommended. Yes I have an airstone in the qt. As for the ich product (kick ich) I put one dose in and than stopped after getting a wave of negative feedback regarding the product. I will keep it empty for 6 weeks than, I CAN NEVER HAVE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN, I honestly couldnt deal with it again. I will keep a Qt up permanently regardless if for a fowlr.

Does anyone know of a testing lab or kit that tests water for disease (to see if its bacterial, protozoan, if ich still in water), so you could properly treat the tank?

If not I think it could be A good idea

 

[JLAudio]

Now there is 3 fish in QT, they are a foxface, porc puffer, and sailfin tang. ironically the puffer and sailfin showed ich first and were immediately QT'd. There ich might have saved there life

 

[KathyC]

You can call your local vets office and see if they can look at a slide (would be most helpful if you had kept one of the deceased fish) under a microscope. It is likely that unless you get incredibly lucky, they won't find anything in your water as ich drops down into the substrate.

What I don't understand is if you feel strongly that your fish have Brooklynella, why are you treating with copper?
That is the wrong medication for Brooklynella.

I would not change what you are doing at this point as these fish have made it this far.
Are you seeing improvement?

Practice good husbandry on your DT for the next 6 weeks and it will take care of itself. Think of it this way..if it's of any help...if you have a bacterial issue in the tank the ONLY way to make sure the bad bacteria is gone would be to kill ALL bacteria in the tank.
Truly a poor idea.
If there is ich in the tank..whatever kind...and you leave the tank
fallow for the next 6 weeks..it too will die off with no fish to host it.

Please do keep us updated on how your fish are doing!