I really need your help

Let me start by saying that I've come down with some sort hacking cough and fever, so I'm not really thinking straight and planned on not getting out of bed today.

So that's where I was when I heard my daughter say, "Dory is covered in sand". This didn't really sink in for a while. But I get up and take a look and two things sink in really fast. First of all my BC shrimp is decapitated and hung up in my MP40 (how the heck??). Secondly, my blue tang appears to be covered with something that might very well be ich. Little white dots, a lot like extremely fine sand, all over the body. None of it was there yesterday.

Nothing has changed in the tank in over two weeks, I've added no livestock at all. The ONLY thing that changed a week or so ago was that I shorted out my UV, and it hasn't worked since.

I have no idea what this is, or what I'm supposed to do. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Parameters:

Temp - 77.7
pH - 8.27
sg - 1.025
PO4 - .5
NH3/NH4 - 0
NO2 - 0
NO3 - between 5 and 10, a little hard to read

 

I wouldn't worry too much yet. If you attempt to treat those spots then you could end up making it worse. I'd soak your food in garlic to help boost it's immune system and give him a fighting chance. Hope everything works out for you.

 

I don't know much about this. Would this mean soaking the food I'm currently using in regular garlic? Or something from LFS? Thanks.

 

Sounds like marine velvet (but could be marine ich). Hyposalinity treatments are useful against ich but I don't find them all that useful against velvet.

 

oh man, at least I've heard of ich. What the heck is velvet?

 

If you have corals in your tank you are going to want to set up a QT for hyposalinity.

I use garlic guard, it's like $10 from LFS. Just a few drops over the food.

 

I do, and inverts. And I just read an article that indicates I should plan on having the fish, all of them, in a QT for six weeks!

 

On the btighter side the decapped cb could just be an empty shell left from moulting,they do this regularly, and usually hide for awhile afterwards. You may find it hiding in your rock,back to normal in a day or so.

 

Is Dorey eating? If so then dont worry too much about it!

How long have you had Dorey? These fish are very skittish and prone to ick and/or velvet.

I personally would not move the fish to QT tank, it is just going to stress them out more. Plus in order to get hypo you have to go down below 1.009 which your inverts will not survive and is stressfull on fish.

Rather buy something from the LFS called Selcon or V3 by H20 Life. Selcon is HUFA's and V3 is vitamins, HUFA and garlic combined. I have used both and I am currently using V3. If you get selcon get some garlic supplement from LFS. Garlic simply entices your fish to eat...kind of like you probably dont want to eat right now because you are sick...same thing with fish!

Then get some Metronidazole from Seachem at your LFS. This is a reef safe additive to food that is effective against many infections, ick and velvet both

Have good food and add the selcon or V3 and metronidazole and let it soak. Then feed it to your fish.

Also replace your UV sterilizer...that will help also

 

I really appreciate all of the advice folks. Since this is all new to me it's been pretty tough to deal with. I've been spending a LOT of time reading today, and it does look like I'll be able to save the fish. I just need to relax a little, visit my LFS, and take it from there.