Most important fish product.

Most of you I'm sure know of Selcon, and if you've been in the hobby for any amount of time, you probably use it, but this is for the newer reefers on the forum.
Selcon as a food additive should, in my opinion, be the #1 staple for keeping a saltwater tank. I've used this off an on to promote good health in my tanks, but recently I acquired some new fish for my 125g, and I've had some issues.
A few of you know of my 'Great tang Massacre' where a small Powder Blue tang killed a lavender and kole tang, chased my YT Damsel into hiding, and chewed on my poor shrimp goby to the point of death. After returning him to the store and placing the survivors in my 125 I thought it was over. I ordered a Lavender and Tomani from LA and waited patiently for my new fish.
The day they shipped I noticed ick on my Clownfish and my Goby and began to panic. I was about to introduce 2 new tangs, the most ick prone fish in the hobby, into an infested tank!

I cursed the heavens, and prayed it was just loose sugar sand to no avail. It was ick. My tangs ariived, and got a few spots. I started feeding garlic infused food in hopes my frozen food blends and garlic would save me and the ick began to slow. They my goby got pop-eye and sploches on his body, soon dying.

He was pretty old though. I got him a year earlier, already over 5 inches almost sick. It could have been stress coupled with old age right? Probably not. Two days later the tang started getting that swollen, grey filmed look to his eye. Soon he had discoloration and blotches, and I realized he had HLLE.

This is when I picked up Selcon. For the couple weeks all their meals have been soaked with a healthy dose of Selcon. The eye infection disapeared, and the splotches are almost gone! I made alot of rookie mistakes the last few months with my tanks in preparation for my new system, but this supplement probably saved all my fish. The causes of HLLE are numerous though unproven, but anyone suffering should think of Selcon as an additive. Its worked for many reefers and for general fish health, I hope everyone who reads this considers it a staple as well!

 

+1 Great stuff

 

I will have to invest in some. I have only really been involved in saltwater aquariums since last June. Thanks for sharing your story. It can be difficult to admit mistakes to others at times, but it can be so important to the success of others.

 

Yeah alot of people don't talk about what mistakes they commit. I'm a huge supporter of negative reinforcement. I like people to tell me what im doing wrong instead of telling me what im good at. I usually *think* im doing it right or I'd be doing something else!

The kicker is when i realized I had HLLE and how bad it can be especially for tangs. There isn't a whole lot of info out there on how to prevent/cure it. Best advice is 'maintain good parameters" and its less likely to occure.

Couple that with the fact there is no HLLE confirmed in ANY wild fish in their natural environment I started feeling like a giant D6@g. Most articles I read and threads i researched (I search reef stuff about 2 hours a day because im a forum addict) referenced selcon.

I originally got it for Zoa color and growth (stable Vit C and essential marine lipids are a good combo) And never really noticed any difference, but the fish love it. Garlic is widely thought to cause liver problems in marine fish, so an alternative to that is helpful! Turns out Selcon last a long time for 8 buck bottle its sort of a no brainier!

 

I researched that myself about a month ago. http://www.3reef.com/forums/fish-food/garlic-bad-fish-liver-126031.html You would have to feed a lot of garlic in order for it hurt a fish's liver.