I lost My fish of 12 years to Brook.. scared to start back. advice?

[tayyybra_]

hi all, i moved a few months ago, my tank did really well surviving the move and all was great. once i felt ready, i added a one spot foxface to my reef stock of: 2x 12 yo clown fish, a 4 yo tomini tang, a 2 yo bicolor blenny, a 4 yo Aiptasia eating file fish, and a 1yo watchman.. the foxface survived around 6 days and died, (mind you, i hadnt set up a QT just yet) when i found his body it was white spotted and covered in mucus. by the next morning, everything in my tank was covered in white dots, except for my file fish and my watchman. took them all about 2 days of rapid breathing to die, even with freshwater dips and formalin baths, because at this point i assumed it was brook. all the bodies looked the same, covered in thick slime and uneven white spots. ive fully expected to lose my entire tank of fish because i cannot get the watchman out from under the rocks to QT, and the file fish likes to wedge himself in base rock pieces when nets are near, however. my big ugly file fish lives on and has shown no signs. the yellow watchman also is alive with no signs. its been 2 weeks. anyone know why they survived? i mean im VERY happy they did but i had already accepted my huge loss and was going to just stick to my mixed coral reef with no fish because losing my 12 yo clowns was traumatizing. And also, where would you go from this point? help?

 

[vetteguy53081]

hi all, i moved a few months ago, my tank did really well surviving the move and all was great. once i felt ready, i added a one spot foxface to my reef stock of: 2x 12 yo clown fish, a 4 yo tomini tang, a 2 yo bicolor blenny, a 4 yo Aiptasia eating file fish, and a 1yo watchman.. the foxface survived around 6 days and died, (mind you, i hadnt set up a QT just yet) when i found his body it was white spotted and covered in mucus. by the next morning, everything in my tank was covered in white dots, except for my file fish and my watchman. took them all about 2 days of rapid breathing to die, even with freshwater dips and formalin baths, because at this point i assumed it was brook. all the bodies looked the same, covered in thick slime and uneven white spots. ive fully expected to lose my entire tank of fish because i cannot get the watchman out from under the rocks to QT, and the file fish likes to wedge himself in base rock pieces when nets are near, however. my big ugly file fish lives on and has shown no signs. the yellow watchman also is alive with no signs. its been 2 weeks. anyone know why they survived? i mean im VERY happy they did but i had already accepted my huge loss and was going to just stick to my mixed coral reef with no fish because losing my 12 yo clowns was traumatizing. And also, where would you go from this point? help?

Brook often associated with clowns but can affect some angels and butterflies. Prevention is first step, giving fish a 60 minute bath in ruby rally pro

 

[tayyybra_]

Brook often associated with clowns but can affect some angels and butterflies. Prevention is first step, giving fish a 60 minute bath in ruby rally pro

so do you think it would beneficial to try to go thru the hassle of digging the two survivors out and bathing them? itll disrupt my reef prettttty hard

 

[vetteguy53081]

so do you think it would beneficial to try to go thru the hassle of digging the two survivors out and bathing them? itll disrupt my reef prettttty hard

If they have been quarantined for at least 6 weeks, give a bath and maintain water quality using reliable test kits in the process and providing good diet

 

[KrisReef]

I think you had Ich, not Brook. Losing fish is a horrible experience.

 

[tayyybra_]

I think you had Ich, not Brook. Losing fish is a horrible experience.

It's possible but I've never seen ich kill so fast. Especially hardy, older fish

 

[MnFish1]

hi all, i moved a few months ago, my tank did really well surviving the move and all was great. once i felt ready, i added a one spot foxface to my reef stock of: 2x 12 yo clown fish, a 4 yo tomini tang, a 2 yo bicolor blenny, a 4 yo Aiptasia eating file fish, and a 1yo watchman.. the foxface survived around 6 days and died, (mind you, i hadnt set up a QT just yet) when i found his body it was white spotted and covered in mucus. by the next morning, everything in my tank was covered in white dots, except for my file fish and my watchman. took them all about 2 days of rapid breathing to die, even with freshwater dips and formalin baths, because at this point i assumed it was brook. all the bodies looked the same, covered in thick slime and uneven white spots. ive fully expected to lose my entire tank of fish because i cannot get the watchman out from under the rocks to QT, and the file fish likes to wedge himself in base rock pieces when nets are near, however. my big ugly file fish lives on and has shown no signs. the yellow watchman also is alive with no signs. its been 2 weeks. anyone know why they survived? i mean im VERY happy they did but i had already accepted my huge loss and was going to just stick to my mixed coral reef with no fish because losing my 12 yo clowns was traumatizing. And also, where would you go from this point? help?

This does not sound like brook but rather another parasite. Brook does not have white dots - and would normally not kill quite so quickly. Some fish are more susceptible to various disease than others. Since you added a fish - and that fish died, it would make sense that that fish was the problem. Ich or velvet would be more common. I would treat the remaining fish with copper and prazipro - and leave the display tank fallow for 60 days. Unfortunately, the lack of quarantine in your case probably caused the issue - along with the tank move. Sympathies.

 

[MnFish1]

so do you think it would beneficial to try to go thru the hassle of digging the two survivors out and bathing them? itll disrupt my reef prettttty hard

I do not think a bath is beneficial here - I would treat them with copper and prazipro.

 

[JC Reef]

I think you had Ich, not Brook. Losing fish is a horrible experience.

Agreed!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Sounds like what I term "stale ich", if untreated, the ich trophonts cause mucus growth and it ends up looking a bit like Brooklynella. Baths and returning the fish to the same tank won't cure ich - the fish just get reinfected.