The Lightning Project

Well, water change, dosage of Fish Protector and Kent’s Vitamin C.  Removal of GAC already.  Turned off the BULB on the UV but not the flow – not sure if I can run UV while using Maracyn SW.  Dosed with Maracyn SW.  The only products carried by my local Petco are “Lifeguard” and “Maroxy”.  Maracyn has been solid against this exact malady in the past when applied quickly (have seen this exactly same Fin Rot like this rampage through my Dragonette broodstock a few years back..it wasn’t pretty).  I should also mention that Maracyn SW is noted as a valid treatment for fin rot.  Anyone know the MARDEL company website?  I want to email them some questions but I can’t even seem to find a good solid contact for them.

Let’s hope this at least stalls things.  I am contemplating sequestering the Lightning Maroon back behind an eggcrate wall again – Dustin Dorton from ORA asked me about that as well this evening.  And once again, thinking about removing the Lightning Maroon from this tank…he remains a typical healthy Maroon Clown.  There is legitimate concern that leaving him in with her could cause more harm than good.  Of course, I don’t like my options for alternate homes, and there is also the concern that removing him from her would cause him to become a her…

It’s funny how this all has taken precedence over any concerns about the known ongoing low-level issues with Cryptocaryon (ICH).  I’m still debating whether I should push back down to 1.010 or even 1.009 as Joe Lichtenbert has suggested.  I should point out that the better sources on Hyposalinity treatments do agree that the difference between 1.009 and even 1.010 might make the difference between successful treatment or not.  Of course, you’re riding a fine line at 1.009 where fish death is a real possiblity (if you’re refractometer is even only slightly off).

Last night I set up a batch of saltwater for an anticipated water change today.  For those who don’t know, I basically run a 5 gallon “Homer Bucket” from Home Depot with a 25 watt Visitherm Stealth heater and a MaxiJet pump to mix the water.  I fill it to a line I’ve marked, and from there, I know that it takes five half-cups (2.5 cups total) of Reef Crystals to bring up the water to 1.025.  So, to make 1.010 water, I scoup out 2 half cups (1 cup total) and I’m good to go.

Well, I recently started using Seachem’s Reef Salt, and guess what?  Apparently by volume it is more salty   2  half cups mixed up to closer to 1.013.  So of course, I tested the Maroon Clown’s tank and it’s running closer to 1.012 right now.  I’m guessing it didn’t get up there through evaporation, but through my recent water changes!  Now, this raises the question – do I have an ICH problem on the female because the specific gravity rose up to 1.012?  I honestly don’t know, I’ll have to ask the advisors about that.

And yes, there is still Cryptocaryon on the female Maroon Clownfish.  Still not doing anything to directly treat it, but keeping an eye on her.  She is still eating this morning.

So I did my 5 gallon water change, treating the water with Kordon’s Fish Protector.  Will be dosing Vitamin C in a few minutes.

The “Stinkbomb”?  Well, when doing the water change,  I was sucking out uneaten food off the glass and I bumped into a Turbo snail shell that I thought was empty.  NOPE.  It was full of black goop…a dead Turbo Snail.  VILE…it never left the water, went through the siphon hose and STILL the stench was unbelievable.  I think I found the source of my cloudy water.  WOW.

Water tests are still OK overall…today’s test showed no visible traces of Ammonia, and pH around 8.0.  SG as mentioned prior was 1.012.  I may leave it, or I may drop it back to 1.010.

The last thing I did today was note that officially ALL medications have run their courses of treatment.  Yesterday was the last day of a 5 day treatment with Maracyn SW.  So, today, a big bag of fresh GAC (granulated activated carbon) went into the filtration.  A recent talk given at NERAC V by Ken Feldman really floored a lot of people as he put the science out there on GAC vs. Protein Skimming as it relates to DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon).  Bottom line, GAC is far more efficient and effective at removing more DOC from the water.  DOC, in laymans terms, think “fish waste”.  Or in my case, black slimy decaying Turbo snail leading to cloudy water.  I will probably change out the carbon by the weekend for another fresh bag.

…that the female Maroon is still alive this morning.  I genuinely thought she was a goner.  I could say that there is growing consensus that at this point separating the female PNG Maroon from the Lightning Maroon is a good idea.  However, this notion flies in the face of “keep things stable, avoid stress” etc.  I’ve been making preparations.

The Brine Shrimp I had hatching failed yesterday (some did hatch out, but mostly it ended up being a bacteria soup, which means that bottle of decapped is no longer “good” and it’s time to order a new one…has been here at least a year, so no fault of Dan’s).  I mentioned it to the group of Advisers.  Kent Vitamin C and Live Adult Brine Shrimp arrived from Mark Martin @ Blue Zoo Aquatics this morning – thanks for the quick shipment Mark!  I’ll get that adult brine set up in a bucket and start feeding it with Rotifer Grow Plus (from Reed Mariculture / Reef Nutrition).  Vitamin C will get dosed as the level prescribed on the bottle.  Mark made a very good point about Vitamin C.  I normally use Reef Plus for vitamins, and I had suggested that I knew I could easily and safely double the dosage of that.  Mark’s point – when you get sick,  you don’t up the dosage of all your vitamins, just the Vitamin C.  Very very true, and thus, Vitamin C on hand for direct singular dosing.

Edit - I did dose Vitamin C, 8 drops into the 20 gallon tank.  The rate is 20 drops into 50 gallons daily.  There have also been concerns about secondary infections.   Christine Williams is a proponent of Kanamycin, but I am a fan of Erythromycin in the form of Mardel’s Maracyn SW.  It has worked on a myriad of occasions.  I tried it on the other QT system in conjunction with the Formalin and it stopped the bacterial problems I had once I started dosing.  Maracyn SW is also high in B-Vitamins that stimulate appetite.  I keep Maracyn SW on hand at all times.  And I’ve never killed a fish dosing Maracyn SW.  So, the 20 long got hit with Maracyn this morning as well.

Lightning Maroon was perky this morning.  Darn female…I want them BOTH perky.