For future reference-
Wasting disease is usually from an internal parasite. If not treated while a fish is still eating and active it become difficult to prevent death. You should have noticesd it was not pooping normally but in a big community tank that can be hard to spot. I would suggest two meds, one more potent than the other for this problem.
Praazi Pro is the milder choice and the stronger option is Flubendazole.
Finally, from the onset of infection to the time the fish starts looking thin and then acting out of sorts can take months. Curing it becomes increasingly difficult the later one starts with a med. Bear in mind that parasites can spread so you may want to consider doing a round of Prazi as a precaution. Follow the directions, do not overdose. Be sure to remove any carbon if you decide to treat the tank.
This fact is why a Q tank is important and that the amount of time a fish should be in it is way longer than many consider is needed. A Q tank should be bare bottom so you can easily see how much food is being eaten and what the poop looks like. I have always use the following guidelines for Quarantine:
- For tank bred fish from a good source, the minimum number of consecutive days with 0 issues is 30, more is fine too.
- For wild caught fish, especially recent imports, the minimum number of consecutive days with 0 issues is 90, more is fine too.
What this means is if you have to treat fish in Q, when they are "cured" the clock starts again from 0 days.
It is a lot better to be overly cautious in terms of quarantining and do it for too long than doing the opposite. Also, bare bottom tanks can have decor and this includes fake plants or live ones attached to decor or rooted in pots. There are two considerations in when setting up a Q tank. Assing decor creates places to hide in or behind and that helps keep stress levels lower and this is important. The ability to observe the fish and see the food and poop is even more important.
Wasting disease is usually from an internal parasite. If not treated while a fish is still eating and active it become difficult to prevent death. You should have noticesd it was not pooping normally but in a big community tank that can be hard to spot. I would suggest two meds, one more potent than the other for this problem.
Praazi Pro is the milder choice and the stronger option is Flubendazole.
Finally, from the onset of infection to the time the fish starts looking thin and then acting out of sorts can take months. Curing it becomes increasingly difficult the later one starts with a med. Bear in mind that parasites can spread so you may want to consider doing a round of Prazi as a precaution. Follow the directions, do not overdose. Be sure to remove any carbon if you decide to treat the tank.
This fact is why a Q tank is important and that the amount of time a fish should be in it is way longer than many consider is needed. A Q tank should be bare bottom so you can easily see how much food is being eaten and what the poop looks like. I have always use the following guidelines for Quarantine:
- For tank bred fish from a good source, the minimum number of consecutive days with 0 issues is 30, more is fine too.
- For wild caught fish, especially recent imports, the minimum number of consecutive days with 0 issues is 90, more is fine too.
What this means is if you have to treat fish in Q, when they are "cured" the clock starts again from 0 days.
It is a lot better to be overly cautious in terms of quarantining and do it for too long than doing the opposite. Also, bare bottom tanks can have decor and this includes fake plants or live ones attached to decor or rooted in pots. There are two considerations in when setting up a Q tank. Assing decor creates places to hide in or behind and that helps keep stress levels lower and this is important. The ability to observe the fish and see the food and poop is even more important.
