Bellus Angel issues. Uronema or swim bladder?

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

That head up, fast sculling motion almost makes it seem that the bellus is now negatively buoyant.

Ugh - I saw a rock beauty angel. When I worked for the Shedd Aquarium, we stopped collecting those because their one year + survivorship was so poor. They look good, eat well, and then just don't do well. I did have one that lived over 4 years though.

Jay

 

[Miami Reef]

That head up, fast sculling motion almost makes it seem that the bellus is now negatively buoyant.

Ugh - I saw a rock beauty angel. When I worked for the Shedd Aquarium, we stopped collecting those because their one year + survivorship was so poor. They look good, eat well, and then just don't do well. I did have one that lived over 4 years though.

Jay

What’s the solution for a negatively buoyant fish?

 

[Reefahholic]

@reefaholic

The fish is ALIVE! It looks MUCH better from last night.

It ate some blackworms too. I am already starting to dose copper. I’m going to get it to 2.5ppm within a few hours.

Miracle! Nice…yes, just get him in therapeutic copper and maybe he’ll pull through. Transfer in 3 days a do a 5 min FW dip or 30 min H2O2 bath before he goes back into new tank dosed with therapeutic copper power. If he gets really bad again, transfer in 24 hrs to reduce the numbers.

 

[Miami Reef]

Edit

 

[Miami Reef]

Edit

 

[Reefahholic]

It seems like the issue is a swim bladder disease - not parasitic.

Did you see the video I posted of the fish swimming? It’s almost certainly a swim bladder issue, and I don’t know what to do!

Yes, the fish is eating, but I don’t know. It seems like the person who caught this fish didn’t acclimate it from the deep waters where it was found. Now it might die from losing energy to stay buoyant.

Yeah I saw the video I thought you said there were parasites.

if it’s a swim bladder issue you’ll have to vent it.

I’d still prophylactically treat though.

 

[Miami Reef]

Small update. Fish is swimming much better. It has phases where it glides like a normal fish, then simultaneously flaps both fins, then acts normal.

Very interesting. Anyway, there is a drastic improvement from yesterday, and the fish is eating well. So we’ll see. I’ll keep you guys posted.

 

[Miami Reef]

Yeah I saw the video I thought you said there were parasites.

if it’s a swim bladder issue you’ll have to vent it.

I’d still prophylactically treat though.

There was one parasite. I am treating for the parasites, but my main concern was the swimming issue.

I don’t see any visible bubble, so I cannot vent anything. Seems like the issue will resolve on its own?

 

[vetteguy53081]

It looked like uronema because it was fast like a race car, but i will admit my experience with microscoping parasites is VERY short and limited.

The angel is swimming much better than before. However, it appears like it’s (paddling?) with both fins simultaneously. Besides for that, the fish is eating and breathing well. Fish is not below water surface, and not breathing dry air. Looks like a completely normal fish.

Uronema is the oppsite- slow and does NOT require a host to survive. It can actually can survive off bacteria, dead tissue and mainly detritus in which going fallow will not eradicate it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

There was one parasite. I am treating for the parasites, but my main concern was the swimming issue.

I don’t see any visible bubble, so I cannot vent anything. Seems like the issue will resolve on its own?

I always preach Good diet and water quality is essential .

 

[Reefahholic]

 

[Reefahholic]

There was one parasite. I am treating for the parasites, but my main concern was the swimming issue.

I don’t see any visible bubble, so I cannot vent anything. Seems like the issue will resolve on its own?

If there’s not a noticeable bulge then I wouldn’t try to do the procedure

 

[fisheriesdoc]

I don't think throwing more stressful chemicals at it would help.

If this they will float, or have a hard time swimming back down correct? Whenever I've caught deep sea fish it was either squeeze their air bladder, or poke a hole in it. Usually anything over 40 ft deep if came to surface too fast. Odd things would happen weeks later. What kind of issues?

Purely speculation, but I think the delayed response could be bacterial infections from relieving the swim bladder. That’s the reason that barotrauma relief has shifted from puncture to recompression for game-fish fisheries. I’ve seen some studies indicating that barotrauma related mortality can occur 30 days post capture.

 

[Miami Reef]

Small update. Fish is doing great! It’s in the DT and swimming completely normal. I really believed this fish wouldn’t make it, but I’m glad I was wrong.

 

[Flame2hawk]

That head up, fast sculling motion almost makes it seem that the bellus is now negatively buoyant.

Ugh - I saw a rock beauty angel. When I worked for the Shedd Aquarium, we stopped collecting those because their one year + survivorship was so poor. They look good, eat well, and then just don't do well. I did have one that lived over 4 years though.

Jay

Agree Jay, RB best left in the ocean as even 4 yrs, while good vs other results, is hardly enough to claim victory. They are notorious for hunger strikes for no apparent reason and just withering away over time.