My Second Quarantine Tank

[goldenmean]

Last winter I set up my-first-quarantine-tank Over the next couple of months I lost two different fish in the QT and at Leebca's reccomendation I decided to tear down the QT and clean it thoroughly.

It remained dry for about 3 weeks while I seeded new sponges in my DT sump. In Early May I set up my 2nd QT. I added a little ammonia 2-3 ml and a small raw squid (to feed the bacteria) to kick start the cycle. I decided to be more laid back with this QT.
I did not test daily to track the cycle. I just let it go. Every couple of weeks I added a little more pure ammonia and I kept a small piece of fresh food to keep the bacteria well fed.

In late May I knew this tank was ready for a fish. I added 5 ml of ammonia and tested the next morning. Ammonia was 0. NitrIte was 0. TrATes were HIGH as expected. 50% WC. Then I started watching Divers Den for a Long Nose Hawk Fish. They soon had one but I hesitated for some reason and missed out on him. I did weekly 50% WC and kept a small piece of fresh seafood to keep my bacteria fed.

Saturday evening after work I stopped at my LFS and they had a great looking Midas Blenny. Larger than my first one. It looked healthy and it ate well at the LFS. I brought him home and acclimated him to the QT.

He acted rather tramatized trying to hid at the bottom of the tank. He did not swim around much that I could see. When I walked into the room he would go to his safe place if he wasnt already there. I tried to stay away and the lights in the room stayed off. Sunday late afternoon I introduced him to mysis shrimp that I had soaked in garlic and selcon. He ate well and he seemed a little less shy afterwards. By Monday afternoon he was swimming around the tank. He ate well again early on monday and again he seemed less shy afterwards. He is out and about until I walk into the room and then he goes to a safe spot and peeks around the corner. If I sit still in a chair in front of the tank he comes swimming out.
He is also getting his bright yellow coloring back. When frightened or stressed the midas blenny gets some dark colorations that help Camouflage him in the rocks

Of course I am testing for NH3, NO2 and NO3 twice daily.
I had no ammonia until this afternoon and I did a 50% WC.

Oh right after the WC I set up and calibrated a ph monitor that I bought from Woodstock. Thanks again Doni. ph was a bit low - 7.83 so I raised it to 8.0 using a PH Adjuster which is just NaHCO3 and NaCO3.

Its been tough getting a decent pic of him. . . or her.
But I tried.

 

[Woodstock]

He acted rather tramatized trying to hid at the bottom of the tank.

Excellent work Jeff!

FYI... I noticed with my baby clownfish that if they 'nose dive' to the bottom, the light is too strong. Strong light can shock/stress them out quickly. You might want to reduce your lighting or maybe acclimate new fish more slowly?

 

[goldenmean]

The new Midas Blenny has been in QT for 10 days now.
He had gotten over his initial timidness.
He had been eating very well. Mysis.
He would come out to greet me when I came into the room so He had learned that I was to feed him
I had tried to introduce new foods to him but he was not interested in anything but the mysis. He wold go for the new food but then spit it out.
I had tried some pellet food, a meaty flake food, Prime reef, Rod" food, some of my homemade fresh seafood slurry, and even brine shrimp. All food have been soaked in Garlic and selcon.

He ate twice a day all last week and sunday morning. Sunday eve he came out to eat when I walked up to the tank and went after the mysis but then spit it out.. The same thing yesterday too. He was interested but would not eat.

With the problems I had with the first two fish I am like, "oh no! here we go again!"
ph has been right at 8.0 - 8.1. reading taken with ph monitor.
temp is a 78.1
ammonia and nitrIte are both 0.
(the first couple of days I was having a bit of an ammonia problem.
ammonia would read 0.25. I did twice daily large WC to get it down then I started using Seachem's Prime.

So what do I need to do now?
treat with Maracyn-2?
There are no other visible symtoms of anything wrong other than he has not eaten in a day and a half. He is not breathing hard. He no longer has his stress markings (cameflouge) going on - His color is good.

Part of me fears it is a water quality issue in spite of all test results and I should just move him to the DT but I know that is not right. That come from losing 2 fish in QT and not wanting to lose a third.

What do you suggest Lee? Doni?
anyone else?

 

[Techno-Vicki]

It is so hard to make a QT tank work, and I have always struggled with them to the point of putting in the DT. I know, not good. Great efforts Jeff!! Your Blenny looks great, hope it all works out.

 

[Woodstock]

Do not put him into your display until the QT period is complete.

His lack of appetite could be from a digestive upset, worms, or collection method (cyanide).
Did you purchase this fish from the same place as the last midas blenny? Their wholesaler could be the same?
Is he showing any other outward signs of illness? rapid breathing, off colored, swimming behavior changes, swollen abdomen...etc. anything unusual that would signify a parasite or infection?

If the mysis you've been feeding are freshwater, that could be stressing his system. Make sure you're feeding him only marine organisms and a variety of those. If he seems like a finicky eater, don't keep feeding him the same foods he likes even if that means you have to vacuum up uneaten food for a few days. Assuming he is healthy, he will eat different items when he gets hungry. You wouldn't feed a child only icecream every day

Perform a large water change and wait a day to offer him food again (not mysis). If no signs of improvement, I would start him on myracin2 and also deworm asap.

 

[goldenmean]

His lack of appetite could be from a digestive upset, worms, or collection method (cyanide).
Did you purchase this fish from the same place as the last midas blenny? Their wholesaler could be the same?
Is he showing any other outward signs of illness? rapid breathing, off colored, swimming behavior changes, swollen abdomen...etc. anything unusual that would signify a parasite or infection?

No I purchased this Midas from a different LFS that is very well established.
I have bought fish for my other tank with out any problems from this store.

No. There are no other outward signs of illness. I have been watching closely for all those things you listed.

If the mysis you've been feeding are freshwater, that could be stressing his system. Make sure you're feeding him only marine organisms and a variety of those. If he seems like a finicky eater, don't keep feeding him the same foods he likes even if that means you have to vacuum up uneaten food for a few days. Assuming he is healthy, he will eat different items when he gets hungry. You wouldn't feed a child only icecream every day

Yesterday I read Lee's discussion on mysis (fresh water) vs. mysid (saltwater). I had two different packages and they both said mysis and list of ingredients was also mysis.
While I have introduced other foods to the Midas I guess I need to be more persistent in getting the fish to eat the variety. He has not been interested in the other foods but then I cave and give him the mysis.

I performed a 25% WC late Sunday night and a 50% WC midday on Monday.

 

[leebca]

I would suggest you perform a very large water change -- over 60% if you can. Make sure you do this with properly adjusted new water -- see: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...7-how-make-safe-water-change-marine-fish.html

Stop soaking the food in garlic juice and fat supplements. All the food will taste the same to this fish. Give the fish a chance to savor the various flavors as nature intended before trying these additives. Keep offering different foods AND the same foods by different packagers. Give live a try (brine shrimp, mysids (saltwater mysis), tiny black worms, etc.).

Offer foods in different sizes -- starting with what you might consider too small for this fish.

Try to establish a pattern of time and place (within the tank) to feed. Do not touch the food with your hands (unless gloved). Fish have a much better internal 'clock' that we do.

 

[goldenmean]

Thanks for the help Lee.
I did a 60% WC as suggested.
I always have 20-30g SW made up at proper Sg and temp ready for a WC for my 3 tanks (including the QT)

I went to 3 different LFS this eve looking for mysiD shrimp with no luck. I know I have seen it before but I am not sure which LFS I saw it at. I was going to get live shrimp but my LFS had just run out. I did get some live tiny black worms. I offered him a few but he was not interested. I then did the large WC.

When he was eating last week I would feed him a little in the morning (8am) before I would go to work. Then I would feed a second time after work (6pm) so we were working on a schedule. The midas had come to recognize me as a source of food as he would come out front and center when I approach the tank. He is still doing this.

No more garlic and selcon.

 

[goldenmean]

This morning I offered him a bit of food.
a couple live black worms
one mysis that floated just in front of him
A small piece of fresh squid - also just floated in front of him
H watched me from a pvc pipe but never came out - showed no interest in food. This was at one of our regular feeding times.

I have suctioned up some feces the last two mornings.
both mornings it was white but this morning it seemed more stringy.
I had not noticed any feces the first 8 days when I had looked for it a couple of times. I thought it must have just been broken up as detritius that I was not recognizing.

So I left him to post this then went back to check on him he came out to see me.
So I tried to feed him again.
He show a little interest. Even Put a tiny piece of quid in his mouth but spit it out.

 

[leebca]

I would proceed to perform a treatment for intestinal parasites/worms. Since the fish isn't eating, putting the meds into the food won't work. That is the reason I immediately de-worm all my new acquisitions as soon as they eat.

There are de-worming meds for water treatment. Get one and follow its directions.

In addition, do you have access to Maracyn Two for saltwater fish? I want you to specifically use the one for Saltwater fish. This formula contains an appetite stimulant along with the antibiotic. I'd like you to treat the tank with this for a 5-day treatment. I also want you to double the dose recommended on the medication.

Between the above two treatments, whatever is bothering the fish should begin to take a 'back seat' and allow the fish to heal itself.

If the above two don't help or work, then that leaves the possibility the fish is or was poisoned and/or will not acclimate. Maintain the best water quality you can at all times. Perform large water changes every other day if you can.

Read this post (which will be put in RS by Woodstock, I'm sure): My New Fish Won't Eat.

 

[goldenmean]

Thanks Lee!
I had started the Maracyn 2 treatment this morning before I left for work. I did not have the saltwater version but I just found it online. That and a Praziquantel based dewormer is being overnighted to me so I will have both tomorrow.

 

[Octoman]

I can't help much, but I'm following along with well wishes for you Jeff!

 

[goldenmean]

Thanks Mark!
I can use all the help I can get!
I certainly have not had any good luck with fish in the QT.

 

[goldenmean]

The Midas is still not eating.

I did another 60% WC this morning and administered another double dose of Maracyn 2 (freshwater). When I ordered this product last spring I know I ordered the SW version but that is not what I received and I did not notice it at the time.

Anyway the SW version is to arrive today along with the dewormer.
Lee how should I switch over to the Matracyn 2 for salt water?
Do another large WC this evening and give a single or double dose or should I just wait until tomorrow morning and give the double dose of the SW version?

I also will have a question about the Dewormer treatement.
What is your recommendation?
I bought Thomas Fish Tapes in powder form.
34 mg of praziquantel per 1 tsp dose.

From Drs.F&S site:

Fish Tapes Dewormer
Directions for Use
For treatment of Praziquantel susceptible disease conditions in freshwater and marine aquariums and ornamental pond fishes.

As a bath:

Add one level teaspoon (approx. 3.1 gm) for individual bathing in no more than 4 gallons of water.
Start treatment with as large of a water change as practical or with new water.
Do not stop filtration, but remove activated carbon and UV sterilization.
Distribute the amount around the edges or directly into the filter box to achieve the best overall distribution. A single treatment lasting 5-7 days is normally sufficient.
Repeat as necessary, but no more than once every 3-5 days. May be used as a preventive at the standard dosage. Do not use with any other drugs.
...
Ingredients
Praziquantel, Cellerose (filler).

Thank you again for all your help!
I really appreciate all the help you give to us on RS

 

[leebca]

When the Maracyn Two for saltwater fishes arrives, just double dose it in the made up saltwater and use that made up saltwater to make your next water change.

The product you posted information on is okay. Just follow its directions and continue to use the Maracyn during the de-worming treatment.

 

[goldenmean]

I did a 25% WC Friday Morning and administered the Maracyn 2 for saltwater that has the appetite stimulant.
The maracyn 2 said it would make the tank water cloudy but that did not happen until I added the dewormer medicine. It was so cloudy that I could not see the back of the tank.
It really messed with ph too - making it go down. I woke up a few times last night and checked and had to add ph adjuster.

The Midas seemed quite a bit more spunky Friday eve.
I believe he even ate ONE of the live black worms but only one.
When I first approached the tank He came to greet me in the feeding spot
I offered mysis first then seafood slurry. He was excited but did not eat that. Then I offered a couple of live worms and he gobbled one.

This is definitely an improvement but I will feel better when he eats more.

This Morning (Saturday) I did a large -75% - WC and administered another double dose of the maracyn 2 and a dose of the dewormer.

 

[lcstorc]

We'll be watching with you. He should be getting pretty hungry by now so hopefully he will start eating soon. One bloodworm is better than nothing so it is an encouraging sign.

 

[goldenmean]

Thanks Lynn! and Lorraine thanks for the Karma!!
The midas ate a little bit more this eve so we are making progress.

I stopped by my LFS after work and got some live brine shrimp.
Aurum checked them out but did not eat them.
My clowns and barnacle blenny in my nano loved the treat though.

I then offered Aurum a selection of foods.
No to the worms.
He ate 2 mysis shrimp. took a couple more in then spit them out.
Homemade seafood slurry. He might have eaten a bit but I could not tell for sure.
Rod's food. He one piece but then spit out others bits.
Prime reef flake. He took a piece in his mouth (which was more than he would do when he was eating and I was trying to get him on other foods) but then spit it out.

He was acting very interested in eating but he is still being finicky.
But he did eat a little so that is good.
Im going to leave the uneaten food in the tank for a few hours so hopefully he may take some more in then I will vacuum it up.

 

[Octoman]

How's Aurum doing?

I saw the Watchmen preview and thought of your old avatar today...

 

[Woodstock]

Following along!
It sounds like he was improving!
We need an update