Mahoney
Well-known member
Hey Everyone! It's been awhile since I've posted, and I'm very new to the forum world, so bear with me. 
Background--newer to saltwater tank world (had tank about 2 years or so). 55g tank with fish and soft corals only (hammers, zoas, polyps, feather dusters, etc. Fish are--two black mated clowns, 1 yellow tang, 1 green goby, 1 six lined wrasse.)
On 2.1.13, I noticed my chalk bass had a funny, bulging eye, just on one side. I tried to catch him to better get a look at it but was unable to. It was a water change day, so I did my standard monthly 5 gal water change. I kept an eye (no pun intended.... haha) on him for a couple days and it seemed like it was getting better, but on 2.6.13, his eye was HUGE! I tested the water (pH, Kh, and Nitrates). All was good except the nitrates--they were at about 40ppm. So I did a 15 gal water change at the suggestion from a local fish store. They had said crappy water can cause that among other things. It's also important to note that on 1.26.13 I added some more hermit crabs, some snails, a green goby, and a baby 6-line wrasse. I have been fresh water dipping things I add into the tank, but I was heading to work that night and left the stuff with my hubby to add (not my norm but I was picking up an extra shift on the spur of the moment). He said he forgot to do the fresh water dip when he added the fish. So, i'm not sure if the cause could have been from the stuff I added, crummy water, etc. I keep a log of when I test the water--the worst I've every found the nitrates to be was 40ppm. It's usually not more than 20ppm, and I've had it read at 0ppm.
So anyway, by 2.10.13, my chalk bass appeared to be gone--wasn't coming out to eat. I hadn't seem him for a couple days. But then 2 days later, I barely got a glance of him under a rock. I was elated until I truly saw him. Now both eyes were ginormous and he was looking pretty pathetic. I flew to the fish store to get some advice (shoulda gone here first, but I dunno what I was thinking!), they gave me some antibiotic stuff by Seachem called KanaPlex. So, I followed the directions and was going to just dose the tank, but I felt so bad for the little guy, I tore thru the tank and pulled him out too and dosed him in a bowl by himself. Well, upon putting him back in the tank, he just looked so bad--even worse--not swimming, funny "posture", etc. I literally picked him up out of the tank with hand and decided to let him go the way of the swirling drain. I wanted to cry! I'm such a girl. Haha. On 2.17.13 I did another 10 gal water change.
My question comes regarding how to deal with the abx in the tank afterward. I only put one dose in the tank (1.8g total) instead of the possible 3 total doses. The guy at the fish store (i'm not too trusting of this place. They don't exactly have the image of confidence that you'd like/hope for) said something about using carbon to filter out the Antibiotics? Is this a must? Can I just do a bunch of water changes and have it eventually gone from the system? What bad side effects am I looking at if I don't do the right thing whatever that may be? I.e. is it going to be harmful to the corals, fish, etc.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Looking forward to anyone's thoughts
Thanks so much!
Amanda
Background--newer to saltwater tank world (had tank about 2 years or so). 55g tank with fish and soft corals only (hammers, zoas, polyps, feather dusters, etc. Fish are--two black mated clowns, 1 yellow tang, 1 green goby, 1 six lined wrasse.)
On 2.1.13, I noticed my chalk bass had a funny, bulging eye, just on one side. I tried to catch him to better get a look at it but was unable to. It was a water change day, so I did my standard monthly 5 gal water change. I kept an eye (no pun intended.... haha) on him for a couple days and it seemed like it was getting better, but on 2.6.13, his eye was HUGE! I tested the water (pH, Kh, and Nitrates). All was good except the nitrates--they were at about 40ppm. So I did a 15 gal water change at the suggestion from a local fish store. They had said crappy water can cause that among other things. It's also important to note that on 1.26.13 I added some more hermit crabs, some snails, a green goby, and a baby 6-line wrasse. I have been fresh water dipping things I add into the tank, but I was heading to work that night and left the stuff with my hubby to add (not my norm but I was picking up an extra shift on the spur of the moment). He said he forgot to do the fresh water dip when he added the fish. So, i'm not sure if the cause could have been from the stuff I added, crummy water, etc. I keep a log of when I test the water--the worst I've every found the nitrates to be was 40ppm. It's usually not more than 20ppm, and I've had it read at 0ppm.
So anyway, by 2.10.13, my chalk bass appeared to be gone--wasn't coming out to eat. I hadn't seem him for a couple days. But then 2 days later, I barely got a glance of him under a rock. I was elated until I truly saw him. Now both eyes were ginormous and he was looking pretty pathetic. I flew to the fish store to get some advice (shoulda gone here first, but I dunno what I was thinking!), they gave me some antibiotic stuff by Seachem called KanaPlex. So, I followed the directions and was going to just dose the tank, but I felt so bad for the little guy, I tore thru the tank and pulled him out too and dosed him in a bowl by himself. Well, upon putting him back in the tank, he just looked so bad--even worse--not swimming, funny "posture", etc. I literally picked him up out of the tank with hand and decided to let him go the way of the swirling drain. I wanted to cry! I'm such a girl. Haha. On 2.17.13 I did another 10 gal water change.
My question comes regarding how to deal with the abx in the tank afterward. I only put one dose in the tank (1.8g total) instead of the possible 3 total doses. The guy at the fish store (i'm not too trusting of this place. They don't exactly have the image of confidence that you'd like/hope for) said something about using carbon to filter out the Antibiotics? Is this a must? Can I just do a bunch of water changes and have it eventually gone from the system? What bad side effects am I looking at if I don't do the right thing whatever that may be? I.e. is it going to be harmful to the corals, fish, etc.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Looking forward to anyone's thoughts
Thanks so much!
Amanda
