Crash n burn.. Ich, Brook, Cyano. Need encouragement...

[MindlessToxin]

I started my tank up the beginning of December. Finished the initial cycle and added my first 2 fish a pair of small clowns. A couple weeks later I purchased 3 fish from Liveaquaria 2 of 3 arrived dead. The lone survivor was a powder blue tang. He of course had ich and I introduced it into my DT. If I knew then what trouble lied ahead, I would have definitely started with a qt. I told my wife I needed one before I started adding fish. She said "We are not spending more money on another tank, have faith they will be okay" HAHAHAH! I went hypo in my dt for over 30 days and everything seemed to be good. I added some more fish while I was hypo thinking it would be a good way to keep from introducing any more parasites. Everything was good fish appeared healthy. Tank was maturing, I started adding corals. Corals filling out nice. Well the ich came back on the PBT. I decided I was going to feed heavy frozen with Vitachem and Chelcon and hope his immune system would fight it off. Well this last month or so it had gotten a lot worse. So I bought some Polylab Medic and a diatom filter. I haven't introduced any new fish in months. The same time I started dosing medic I added a Bubble coral. The ich didn't seem to be getting any better. So I talked my wife into the qt. Got it set up with copper power at 2.0. I stopped with the medic and diatom. Within 24 hours of stopping the medic 4 fish died. I'm thinking that maybe the bubble came with Brook and the Nedic was suppressing the Brook. It took out my PBT and one of my clowns. I mean it was fast! I'm thinking the PBT's already compromised immune system let the Brook take hold easier. I also lost the other clown and a coral beauty that weren't even really showing symptoms. I have my One Spot Foxface in qt rn. He is in rough shape barely eating but still hanging on. I still have a Flame Hawk and Melanurus in the DT. Spent hours trying to catch the dang Flame Hawk. Broke my Birdsnest in the shuffle. Couldn't find the Melanurus. I'm feeling so defeated men. Neither the Flame Hawk or Melanurus are showing any symptoms but I'm just ready to get them in qt so I can get rid of this crap and start fallow period. On top of that I been struggling with red slime and stringy algae. I'm assuming cyano or maybe dino. I dosed chemiclean today after I gave up chase of the Flame Hawk. For anyone reading this thank you for "listening" to my rant. There has been times in this hobby I have felt SO GOOD and accomplished but days like today make me want to just quit it.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

I think we have all been here. Sometimes this hobby can really, really suck. I am so sorry with the struggles you have had, but just know, if you keep trying you will achieve what's in your dreams. Wether that was a full on reef tank with beautiful, colorful, mature colonies of coral and healthy fish, or just a FOWLR. None of us want you to quit this (sometimes) amazing hobby. You have the whole Reef2reef community willing to help you. If you have just the slightest concern, don't be afraid to make a thread. There are many, many people willing to help you. You got this!

 

[Lavey29]

Truly sorry for your struggles but looking at your post history this seems like a classic case of trying to do to much to quickly. This hobby requires patience and that is sometimes a very hard aspect. Also your 75g tank is like 55g with rocks and that's probably why you had ich and or other stress symptoms develop because some of those fish don't belong in that size tank. I hope you are able to restart effectively after appropriate fallow time and will research better the type of fish for your size tank. Good luck and don't hesitate to use the forum resource.

 

[MindlessToxin]

Thanks guys. I'm just hoping to salvage/ save the animals I still have and do it the right way this time/ from now on. I read it probably a thousand times on here "patience" and "quarantine". It took a big slap in the face like this to finally be a responsible fish tank hobbyist and do it.

 

[Lavey29]

Thanks guys. I'm just hoping to salvage/ save the animals I still have and do it the right way this time/ from now on. I read it probably a thousand times on here "patience" and "quarantine". It took a big slap in the face like this to finally be a responsible fish tank hobbyist and do it.

You can certainly start it over right. Take your time and buy one or two fish that have been professionally QT or QT yourself. It cost a little more but worth it. Your tank will be fine in fallow but you have to get remaining fish out and QT them. I had to do this early on myself also and it really established the patience aspect in me after the fact. You will eventually have a beautiful reef if you go slow and enjoy the hobby.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

I'd consider starting with hardier fish too. PBTs are no way to cut one's teeth in something as unforgiving as reefkeeping. (I've been keeping a reef for 30 years, and there's no way I'd try one. I like fish that live, reliably.) Neither do they belong in a 75; consider looking at the "minimum tank size" guidelines, and then tripling them (because fish with more room are less stressed fish, and less stressed fish are healthier fish), and then still don't get any species that are 90% likely to die within the year.

Best not to buy from online (or local) vendors that are known for poor quality, or even OK quality. If we all give money only to the best vendors, eventually we'll have all best vendors. Even if a person thinks they can fix up a sick fish that shows up, or thinks that they'll come out dollars ahead even after loosing a couple fish, all the ones that die (in the box, or because treating sick fish has a fairly poor success rate) are just a waste of really nice fish and jet fuel.