Boxing day fever expensive mistake

[Guybeaux]

On December 26 I had a new 26 gal Tank Cycled, params Ok and ready to get new fishes. I waited until Boxing day special considering I was going to get multiple fishes. I bought 2 large German Rami (the last ones in their tank), 9 guppy, 9 very small Cardinal, 6 Harlequin. Within the first day one Harlequin died, the next day I noticed the more dominant Rami was rubbing against rock. I moved him in my hospital tank with "Super ICK Cure" treatment. Next day the other Rami start showing same symptoms. He joined the other one in Hospital tank but unfortunately died over night.
I've been loosing a fish a day since than in my 26 gal tank. Last night I've remove the live plants and my 2 Mexican dwarf Crayfish and start treating the 26gal tank. So far so good this morning no dead fish.
My mistake: buying to many fishes at one time on a very stressfull  boxing day

[Pastis]

Keep an eye closely on the parameters of your water now, it is probably not good at all now...

[Guybeaux]

So far so good. I've only lost one rummynose since I've started treating the whole tank. Tonight as suggested I have to do the water change and put back the active charcoal in the filter. I'll cross my finger that everything should be back to normal.
It's a bit frustrating the fishes and financial lost when confront to the 5 day store warranty.
I live over an hour from the store, I'm not going to spend 30$ gas every trip for one cardinal lost a day and by the time hell break loose in the tank you are past that 5 days period.  Just a thought

[Black_Rose]

Whenever I add new fish to a tank, I add 3 or 4 at a time and use Seachem Stability to augment the beneficial bacteria in the tank to account for the new fish.

[Filet_O_Fish]

Did you purchase them from Big Als?

[Guybeaux]

The water quality was ready for fish. While cycling it I was using some component from my other running tank such as filter foam, decorative item like dead wood, filter ceramic, some gravel...
I've also used seachem stability + Prime detoxify ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and yes the fish were bought at big Al's.
I don't blame the whatsoever. I'm quiet certain that it all start with the Ram's. Before 24 hour one was rubbing against rock and object. I then moved him it my hospital tank with ick treatment. By the way is doing fine. Unfortunatly the other died the next day in the main tank. This is when I've decided to treat the main tank. In the last four day I've lost one fish. In total So far I've lost at least 15 fishes. I agree the right way of doing things would have been to add 4, 5 fishes at the time with 2 weeks between new comer but that's what happen when you take a chance I guess.

[kevino]

buy a ten gallon tank and sponge filter and start a quarantine tank. assume every fish is carrying parasite or disease until
you know it is clean.
that way meds are much cheaper (only 10 gallons to treat) and its easiier to observe fish

[Guybeaux]

I already have a 10gal hospital/quarantine tank with the first fish the Ram that was sick and treated.
Which he recovered well with 3 twin tail guppies. Because I didn't want to transfer 20+ fishes in that small tank I have instead transfer my live plante and my two Mexican dwarf crayfish in the small tank and treated the 26 gal tank were the disease had a good hold on to. I still have 5 guppies, 6 harlequins, 1 cardinal and 4 Dwarf Cory Panda in the 26 gal tank. They feed well, swim well no sign of sickness. I asked at Big Al's today if I should start another ick treatment but he suggest me no since he think it would stress the remaining fish. I will do another water change tomorrow and cross my finger 🙂

[Filet_O_Fish]

Another member bought guppies from Big Als and they had suspect ick.

[Guybeaux]

Lost the last Cardinal this morning 😡
I need to go to Montreal today and I'm going to try to go to AQuarius for another opinion.
It's becoming ridiculous. Some of these fishes I bought were destined to my 46 gal Discus tank
At this rate my discus wont get new friend for a year 😳
Coincidence or fact ! My quarantine 10 gal tank came with a led led light hood. The fishes (Ramirez and 3 guppies) that I treated in that tank recuperated very well after the ick treatment while the same treatment in my 26 gal tank that has a fluorescent lighting system dont do so well. Scientists are starting to recognize that some Led wave lenght could be dangerous for our health. I'm starting to wondering if the ick parasite isn't Led lighting sensitive. For that reason I might buy a Led light system for my 26 gal tank today. Am I going insane or or may I have found another solution ?
I'll keep my result update here 🤔

[Filet_O_Fish]

Bring the dead fish with you. Someone knowledgeable could see if there are any infections.

[Guybeaux]

I live a little over an hour from the store. Not very convenient + I was loosing a fish a day so  I would have had to go back 18 times with the big pick up truck and it would have cost me 400$ more in gas 😄
Because of my line of work I drop by the store often during the week. They know my story and nothing was offered to help me beside bring the dead fish back. Unfortunately because most of the fishes were very small they all got stock on the filter intake and there wasnt mush of them left for analysis.
Last night I've decided to use what I have left of ick medication which equal about half of what it should have been
I'll wait two days and then do another water change. Hope is all I got left for this tank 🤕

[Calico3]

 So sorry for all the problems you have had. Yes I have had some similar experiences and  when they do happen and I have often thought about drastically cutting down in the hobby .  It sounds that you have an occurrence of new tank syndrome and having purchased many fish and some that had  " ick " problems didn't help.

You mentioned that you had youngsters caught on the intake filter.  I have purchased the largest black sponges at Al's  and cut a hole and placed on the bottom of  all my  intake pipes . Less likely to have fish caught up if they have health concerns. 

Also as I am on our soft Ottawa water I do not change anymore then 1/3 of the tanks water on each water change.  Some say only 1/4 at a time. Less of a shock to the fish and for me less chance of having a loss of beneficial bacteria so that my tanks stay cycled.

Hope this hard time is in the past for you.

[Gowalkitoff]

Honestly just sounds like ammonia spike from adding too much at once

[Guybeaux]

Thank you for all your advice. Yes ammonia kickstart the fatal events.
My MISTAKE: adding at one time to many fish 27 to be exact in a 26 gal tank.
Even though they were pretty small and my Nitrite/Nitrate level were good,
Adding to many fish at one time triggered an ammonia spiked reducing the fish's defence against skin parasites.
Treatment / Solution: this is another challenge on its own. After limited success with the original ICK treatment I wanted to do a second treatment.
I received conflicting advice. One person advised me not to do a second ICK treatment and yet  another person advice me to do a second treatment.
With regular 1/4 water changes, reducing food and yes doing another ICK treatment I think I'm getting somewhere. (Thank's to Ed)
Another lesson for me: not just check Nitrite, Nitrate @ PH level but also check the Ammonia level. Lesson learned !
Once everything get back to normal I will add Ammonia control pad in my filter.
I hope others learn from my costly experience.