Another Sick Fish

[sundog101]

My blue dashed blenny has been doing great for a couple months, but I think he may have an intestinal issue. Unfortunately I don't think he's going to make it.

Background
I've had 3 fish succumb to what I think was internal parasites. They will be doing well, but start to look thin despite eating good. Then they become more reclusive and show a loss of appetite. Eventually they stop eating and die. All with no signs of injury or illness. The only outside sign I've seen is them becoming thinner and thinner. This is over about a two week period.

About two months ago I treated the fish I had with metro + focus. All went well. Shortly after treatment I bought a blue dashed blenny from Divers Den (did not QT.... I know). He's done great since I've had him.

The Problem
The blenny started to show the same symptoms as the other fish. Hes now stopped eating and I don't think he'll make it much longer. So my plan is to just see if I can get him eating anything for now. We'll see how that goes and after that I'm thinking treat the fish again with metro and don't skip QT.

Is it ok to do metro treatments close together?

Would you recommend prophylactic treatment for internal parasites in QT?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[GHsaltie]

How long did you feed the metro to them? have you noticed their poo looking white and stringy or does it look normal? Have you tried adding some garlic to their food to entice them? I would recommend you go for 14 days of treatment this time around and see if that knocks it out. You can usually forego treatment for intestinal parasites if careful observation does not show any signs of it. Typically though if I get a fish that's thin already I will treat just to be on the safe side.

 

[aykwm]

Its weird to have several fish with same symptoms over different period of time, its either that you tank is infected with some sort of bacteria, or maybe the water chemistry or some other external factor is playing a role. Is the water chemistry in check? Any stray voltage or other stress factors that might play a role? If not, then I suggest you repeat the treatment that you found successful, make sure you complete the whole course (10-14 days) and probably add some vitamins and enhancers. Best of luck

 

[Brew12]

My blue dashed blenny has been doing great for a couple months, but I think he may have an intestinal issue. Unfortunately I don't think he's going to make it.

Background
I've had 3 fish succumb to what I think was internal parasites. They will be doing well, but start to look thin despite eating good. Then they become more reclusive and show a loss of appetite. Eventually they stop eating and die. All with no signs of injury or illness. The only outside sign I've seen is them becoming thinner and thinner. This is over about a two week period.

About two months ago I treated the fish I had with metro + focus. All went well. Shortly after treatment I bought a blue dashed blenny from Divers Den (did not QT.... I know). He's done great since I've had him.

The Problem
The blenny started to show the same symptoms as the other fish. Hes now stopped eating and I don't think he'll make it much longer. So my plan is to just see if I can get him eating anything for now. We'll see how that goes and after that I'm thinking treat the fish again with metro and don't skip QT.

Is it ok to do metro treatments close together?

Would you recommend prophylactic treatment for internal parasites in QT?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Can I ask what it is that you are feeding them? If a food isn't meeting their nutritional needs they may learn to not waste the energy eating it.

 

[sundog101]

How long did you feed the metro to them?

Once a day for 14 days

have you noticed their poo looking white and stringy or does it look normal?

I have not noticed any white or stringy poop

Have you tried adding some garlic to their food to entice them?

I've never had great luck with garlic, and I've been focusing on variety. I'll give it a try though.

Is the water chemistry in check?

All is good

Any stray voltage or other stress factors that might play a role?

I haven't checked stray voltage lately. I'll check tonight. No other stressors that I've noticed.

Can I ask what it is that you are feeding them?

Chopped clams, oysters, mysis, nori, rods food, nutramar ova, spectrum pellets on occasion

 

[4FordFamily]

I'm thinking something different -- it almost sounds like it could be velvet. I've had a strain more than once that didn't ever show spots. The fish would stop eating and die within days. Angels would discolor after a few days, and 2-3 days later they'd usually die. I couldn't figure out what it was. Eventually, a chevron tang showed classic velvet symptoms and I figured it out. But I couldn't figure out what it was for nearly two months. I'd treat or change something I swore was the culprit. I'd add new fish when I thought I solved the case, nope.

Fish with ich or velvet will often get thinner and thinner because their body spends so much energy fighting off the parasites and the parasites steal so much energy that their metabolic rate rises so high they lose weight.

That many deaths and from the same symptoms .. its possible. Some fish like blennies, gobies, some wrasse, dragonettes, etc can fight off velvet for quite awhile. I had a melanarus and some other wrasse that lived in an ich and velvet management tank. Any other kind of fish would quickly die. Some wrasses died, too.

 

[sundog101]

I'm thinking something different -- it almost sounds like it could be velvet.

I haven't really thought about velvet since there has not been any spots visible. That's pretty much what happens though. Would there be a way to confirm velvet, say if the blenny doesn't make it?

 

[Brew12]

I haven't really thought about velvet since there has not been any spots visible. That's pretty much what happens though. Would there be a way to confirm velvet, say if the blenny doesn't make it?

Getting a salt water conditioned black molly is a good indicator test. Ich and velvet show up clearly and since they aren't native marine fish they are very unlikely to have a natural immunity.

 

[4FordFamily]

Have any of the fish swam in to powerheads? Breathing heavily?

 

[sundog101]

Have any of the fish swam in to powerheads? Breathing heavily?

No they seem to become really reclusive and they have died in the rocks.
I would say somewhat increased breathing, not extreme though.

 

[melypr1985]

Then they become more reclusive and show a loss of appetite. Eventually they stop eating and die. All with no signs of injury or illness.

This could indicate velvet. There are strains that show no signs at all in the form of white dust or spots. Just the behavioral symptoms. Tat's not to say that intestinal worms weren't part of the problem though.

I have not noticed any white or stringy poop

Without white stringy poop from any of the fish, intestinal worms being the cause drops down on the probability list. If you have seen then poop normal recently, then it's not as likely to be part of the problem.

Chopped clams, oysters, mysis, nori, rods food, nutramar ova, spectrum pellets on occasion

This is a great mix of food! Very healthy

black molly is a good indicator test

The black molly is a great idea. Get a freshwater molly, convert it to saltwater yourself. You can put him directly into the display and watch him closely. You should be able to see any issues on the molly easily because of the black color and it should be fairly quick since he would have no resistance.