Royal Screw up!!!!

[For100]

Just as you would expect…. I had new fish in a quarantine tank for almost 6 weeks. I moved a hero fish to the quarantine tank, everything was golden for 2wks. No issues whatsoever….

Fast forward to early this week, I moved all new fish to the display tank on Tuesday. I did not notice any issues with any fish, we left for a weekend getaway. While here I tried to keep monitoring the tank with the help of my younger son.

Guess what….. This morning asked for a picture of the tank, all fish from one breeder (different to hero fish) were dark and lethargic. Classic case of cross contamination, I am kicking my self now because not only I screwed up by transferring fish without testing both lineages but I am also 2 days away from coming back home and next week we have a Xmas trip planned.

As you can imagine, I am NOT enjoying my trip with the wife and I am SUPER worried about my fish. My son helped me dose Nitrofurane green for the entire tank and turned off the lights.

I know I did not filled out the disease questionnaire…. But is there anything else I can do while I away from home? Looking for some advice in desperate times.

thanks

Freddy

[Iminit]

Rid-ich plus.

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Feddy, I wouldn't mix meds at this time but are salt and water changes possible with the younger son?
Pat

[brewmaster15]

Just as you would expect…. I had new fish in a quarantine tank for almost 6 weeks. I moved a hero fish to the quarantine tank, everything was golden for 2wks. No issues whatsoever….

Fast forward to early this week, I moved all new fish to the display tank on Tuesday. I did not notice any issues with any fish, we left for a weekend getaway. While here I tried to keep monitoring the tank with the help of my younger son.

Guess what….. This morning asked for a picture of the tank, all fish from one breeder (different to hero fish) were dark and lethargic. Classic case of cross contamination, I am kicking my self now because not only I screwed up by transferring fish without testing both lineages but I am also 2 days away from coming back home and next week we have a Xmas trip planned.

As you can imagine, I am NOT enjoying my trip with the wife and I am SUPER worried about my fish. My son helped me dose Nitrofurane green for the entire tank and turned off the lights.

I know I did not filled out the disease questionnaire…. But is there anything else I can do while I away from home? Looking for some advice in desperate times.

thanks

Freddy

Freddy, Theres something not right here with the scenario or I am missing something. If you had a Tank of fish in Qt (group A) 6 weeks and had a tank already of fish longterm(group b) . If after 6 weeks Qt you added a fish from tank B as hero fish and for 2 weeks there was no problem... its really unlikely the issue is from the new fish meeting old..

Was there a third group of fish involved in this?
Also the sick tank.. does that tank have those sterbai you had a problem with?

Id like to see the pic your son sent you before the addition of the antibiotics...

Since you started antibiotics keep them going at least until your return. Have your son add salt at 1 tablespoon per 1 gal. Using a measuring spoon.. it should be a level tablespoon. If he does water changes keep track of the gallons removed and replace whats taken out of the salt.

How old is your son? Is there any chance something unrelated to disease happened in that tank? Adding a bunch of fish at once can cause an ammonia spike or nitrite spike. Does he know how test these? Also check heater.

[For100]

Morning Al,

Yes, there is a third group. In the display tank, there were two group of fish. One group from Kenny and another group from I purchased locally about a year ago. The hero fish was a Kenny fish, no hero from the other group. Sterbai are still in another tank, separate room.

It is going to be impossible for him to make a water change. It involves quite few thing he does not know what to do to pump the water back in the tank. It will have to wait until I am back tonight. About salt, I will ask him to see if we have any no -ionized salt in the kitchen. I think I used quite a bit during the quarantine.

Here is a picture of the tank, trigger was the fish at the top left of the tank (reflection D).

72435779694__A7121BB2-9A02-4FA3-8C2A-793006AC9621.jpg72435779694__A7121BB2-9A02-4FA3-8C2A-793006AC9621.jpg72435779694__A7121BB2-9A02-4FA3-8C2A-793006AC9621.jpg

[brewmaster15]

Im stumped. The only thing that makes sense is the new fish were carrying something that they had in check with their immune systems. The stress of being mixed must have caused them to crash..

The display tank fish having been together so long pretty much are the same now. You did no wrong with your use of a hero fish from one of the two groups. I would have done the exact same thing. This is probably viral and group that got sick just wasnt exposed at any time to it.

The good news is most of the time if its a mild response it will clear up in a few days. I would keep the antibiotics in.. and see if you can get salt in. Iodine salt is fine here. Lights off.. and no food at all. Your biofilter will take a hit so less ammonia production the better. If you use prime.. I would have him add some tomorrow.

[For100]

Thanks for confirming what I thought would be the right decision….

Good thing I am back tonight. I can take care of the tank starting tomorrow morning. Fortunately, they look better this morning, it must be a mild response but I have to control it quickly. I will be out of town for Xmas family reunion starting next Wednesday.

Just few dark fish, but everyone is clump at the surface. Something is not quite right. Hopefully, salt, antibiotics for few days and water changes will do the trick.
72443465374__AE6B1BC3-5445-41D0-BA0F-E0349CB8D67B.jpg

[Red Eye.]

Sorry to be negative but I see no bottom feeders in tank and the slowgrowing plants look quite poor ...might be holding bad bacteria on leaves or substate?...no air stones?

They do not like being at the bottom for some resign.

Deep Clean and a large water change is in order......

[For100]

Quick update….

Arrived late last night, but I was able to manage a 50% water change, added salt and redosed antibiotics. This morning, sick fish look about the same as in my second picture, they are not in terrible shape but they are lethargic and clamped fins (no happy campers). Most at the surface of the tank, close to the overflow.

The instructions for the antibiotic are kind of funky. I would like to pick your brain.

For aquariums, it says daily 25% water changes and redose full strength for 10 days. I think 10 days is an overkill.
For ponds, it says dose once for 7 days, no water changes. After day 7 water change and redose, wait 7 days for a water change. Not sure why would it be different from ponds.

I have to leave town Wednesday morning. So, I am planning for daily water changes + replenish salt and redose antibiotics thru Tuesday night (5 days total). My hope is fish will be better on Tuesday, so I know we are moving in the right direction. But you never know….

Here is my question, on the last water change (Tuesday night) besides adding salt. Should I redose antibiotics to leave in the tank until I return? I am back on Nov 27th (~1wk).

Thoughts?

thank you again

Freddy

[brewmaster15]

If you follow those directions you most likely will kill your discus.. 25% water changes will not be enough. If you test your water right now for ammonia its probably already climbing...that class of meds inhibits your bio. Many species of fish can tolerate that.. discus arent one.

Your will use alit of water but most people treating discus with antibiotics wind up doing bigger water changes and redosing. My advice Freddy is monitor your ammonia and nitrites and if you see any spikes disregard the instructions and do big water changes.

You are in a bad spot timing wise. It usually does take 7-10 days for antibiotics..cut it too soon and you risk a relapse. Is there anyway you can train your son to do water changes? Even if you stop the antibiotics you probably will have a few days of impaired bio.

Al

[For100]

Hey Al,

Thanks for the input. I wasn’t planning on only 25% water changes, I have 3 water totes that allow me to do 60%+ changes. (LoL it did not cross my mind my email would be interpreted as I was planning only 25%).

About timing, I know it sucks. The entire family is coming, no body left at the house. So, I am really between a rock and a hard place here. I knew I was taking a risk, but I could not leave 4 large discus in the 29G quarantine tank without water change for an entire week. I honestly thought that after 2 weeks with the hero fish, calculated risk would be minimal. But here we are. ;(

From my observations this morning, there is no excess slime but rather rapid breathing, no scratching against objects. I think some of the sick fish are coming around, they seem to ask for food when I get near the tank (no feeding though). Yet, I don’t want to believe that we are over the hump.

I will see if I can have my neighbor stop by to add prime into the sump daily to manage NH4 and NO2. But water changes is a hard no.

Is it an option to dose the antibiotic on Tuesday night and leave it for a week? Or it would do more harm than good?

[brewmaster15]

Whats your pH ?

[For100]

Fluctuates between 7 to 7.5. Depends on the mix of RO/tap water.


It just crossed my mind, if it does not make sense to leave the antibiotic for a week, I buy some good bacterial in a bottle to cycle the tank Tuesday night + Prime daily. Would it be a good path?

[brewmaster15]

Fluctuates between 7 to 7.5. Depends on the mix of RO/tap water.


It just crossed my mind, if it does not make sense to leave the antibiotic for a week, I buy some good bacterial in a bottle to cycle the tank Tuesday night + Prime daily. Would it be a good path?

Thats probably a good idea given your situation. I would also leave salt in the tank at 1 tablespoon per 5 gals .. it should block any nitrite poisoning if the nitrites spike.

[For100]

Thanks Al.

Here is my plan forward, open to suggestions:

Just bought two bottles of Stability at Petco. I will do a final water change on Tuesday night, add salt 1 tbsp / 5G, add one bottle stability + prime (overkill for the 270G but better safe than sorry) and no antibiotics, will leave temp at 83F and lights off.
I will ask my neighbor to stop by to dose prime daily if possible, two caps daily.

This Xmas trip is going to bad for me but I owe to the family, my only hope is that it is a mild reaction and fish will start jumping back to normal before I Wednesday am. But after reading Mike’s update I could not be more worried.