Black spot on Fin

Reefer1978 · Sep 5, 2017

Guys please help ID. My new bimac antheas has developed a black spot on one of the fins. Fish is in QT, so far went through 2 weeks of cupper, followed by 24 hours carbon, followed by 48 hours of medicated food + first PraziPro treatment.

What do you think this is and should I worry - do anything else. Appreciate the help.

Humblefish · Sep 5, 2017

Could be a bacterial infection; although it could also just be bruising due to injury. Do you think maybe he banged himself on something in the QT?

Reefer1978 · Sep 5, 2017

Humblefish said:
Could be a bacterial infection; although it could also just be bruising due to injury. Do you think maybe he banged himself on something in the QT?

QT is pretty clean. It does seem to be getting bigger over the last 2 weeks. But I don't see any fuzziness on it.

melypr1985 · Sep 5, 2017

nvladik said:
QT is pretty clean. It does seem to be getting bigger over the last 2 weeks. But I don't see any fuzziness on it.

A bacterial infection is less often fuzzy and can present in several ways. If all the anthias are female then it could be that one is vying for dominance and beating up on the others a little to cement that.

Reefer1978 · Sep 6, 2017

melypr1985 said:
A bacterial infection is less often fuzzy and can present in several ways. If all the anthias are female then it could be that one is vying for dominance and beating up on the others a little to cement that.

I do have a trio in the QT, but the fish with the black spot is not the dominant one, it's actually the loner. I guess main question is, today is the second dose of Prazi and Saturday should be transfer day to the DT. Do I transfer all of them, or leave the black marked one behind?

melypr1985 · Sep 6, 2017

nvladik said:
I do have a trio in the QT, but the fish with the black spot is not the dominant one, it's actually the loner. I guess main question is, today is the second dose of Prazi and Saturday should be transfer day to the DT. Do I transfer all of them, or leave the black marked one behind?

That makes sense. She could be bruised from the more dominant one asserting itself on her. Just watch it carefully for now. Note any changes in size or severity and be ready to treat with antibiotics.

Reefer1978 · Sep 6, 2017

melypr1985 said:
That makes sense. She could be bruised from the more dominant one asserting itself on her. Just watch it carefully for now. Note any changes in size or severity and be ready to treat with antibiotics.

Thanks Meredith. I am already feeding food with metro - hopefully starts healing before the end of the week.

Reefer1978 · Sep 7, 2017

@melypr1985 hi Meredith. It seems to be getting worse, area is growing, I see redness on he body where it the fin is attached. PraziPro dose 2 went in last night.

How should I proceed? I keep feeding antibiotic food, but it doesn't seem to have an affect. Do I transfer the fish with no signs to the DT on Saturday and treat the QT with remaining fish alone or do I treat all fish. Also what do you recommend for treatment? I have Metro+ and BiFuran powders.

melypr1985 · Sep 7, 2017

nvladik said:
@melypr1985 hi Meredith. It seems to be getting worse, area is growing, I see redness on he body where it the fin is attached. PraziPro dose 2 went in last night.

How should I proceed? I keep feeding antibiotic food, but it doesn't seem to have an affect. Do I transfer the fish with no signs to the DT on Saturday and treat the QT with remaining fish alone or do I treat all fish. Also what do you recommend for treatment? I have Metro+ and BiFuran powders.

I think the ones that appear to be healthy and have completed their QT can go into the display. Use the bifuran to treat the infection. If you can get kanaplex to add to that, it would be helpful.

Reefer1978 · Oct 11, 2017

@melypr1985 hi Meredith, need some more help if you have any advice at all. This latest batch is kicking my butt. One of the antheas and and the powder blue got super thin with stringy poop. A week ago I got them on metro, trying to fix internal parasites. (metro from hikari + focus mixed into PE Mysis and re-frozen, fed twice a day). It's a week later and I don't see any improvement at all.

Original issue with the Antheas above is still there as I want to finish all this treatment first before I move forward with treating the other Antheas's flesh issue.

Any thoughts/ideas?

Reefer1978 · Oct 11, 2017

Tagging @Humblefish too!!! Appreciate any thoughts on what to do next.

Humblefish · Oct 12, 2017

@nvladik Some internal parasites can take 2-3 weeks to clear.

Just to be sure, the stringy poop you are seeing is white, correct??

Reefer1978 · Oct 12, 2017

Humblefish said:
@nvladik Some internal parasites can take 2-3 weeks to clear.

Just to be sure, the stringy poop you are seeing is white, correct??

It used to be white/clear, after a week of antibiotics it's black. What concerns me is the lack of weight gain on the fish... should I give it more time. Completely forgot to post pics I prepared yesterday... Two small changes in the last 24 hours: I moved the turning-male antheas into a lower level tank so two sick ones can eat (my QT is a 6-tank system on a central sump), and I started to give the 3rd antheas with what now is a huge black area (I can take a pic later) a 2 minute bifuran bath.

4FordFamily · Oct 12, 2017

That powder blue needs help -- it's very thin. Do you have access to live blackworms?? If not, i would order some online!

Sorry for the tangent!

Reefer1978 · Oct 12, 2017

4FordFamily said:
That powder blue needs help -- it's very thin. Do you have access to live blackworms?? If not, i would order some online!

I am sure I can find some. Antheas actually looks worse, just hard to capture in the pic - fast fish. I can get them to gain some weight - just want to make sure internal parasites that caused it all are gone for good. Before adding these guys to the DT they went through 3-week QT cycle - and didn't have these issues

Something I missed unfortunately.

4FordFamily · Oct 12, 2017

nvladik said:
I am sure I can find some. Antheas actually looks worse, just hard to capture in the pic - fast fish. I can get them to gain some weight - just want to make sure internal parasites that caused it all are gone for good. Before adding these guys to the DT they went through 3-week QT cycle - and didn't have these issues Something I missed unfortunately.

Stuff happens -- Anthias are tricky fish outside of my species-specific "expertise", I don't do well with them and I have not owned any in years. Keeping them fed and disease-free was my issue. Now that I QT, I could handle the disease part perhaps, but diet-wise -- different ballgame.

Humblefish · Oct 12, 2017

nvladik said:
It used to be white/clear, after a week of antibiotics it's black.

You're making progress. Black stringy poop means the worms are dying and he's flushing them out.

Reefer1978 · Oct 12, 2017

4FordFamily said:
Stuff happens -- Anthias are tricky fish outside of my species-specific "expertise", I don't do well with them and I have not owned any in years. Keeping them fed and disease-free was my issue. Now that I QT, I could handle the disease part perhaps, but diet-wise -- different ballgame.

I've had weird luck also... bi-colors in my older tank did really well - no feeding issues what so ever. Red saddles - waste of money. I tried a few times, they do great in QT - big tank just go into the rock and die there. Purple queen would not eat what ever I did . Bimac I am doing ok with so far, other then these parasites.

Humblefish said:
You're making progress. Black stringy poop means the worms are dying and he's flushing them out.

The poop turned dark/black within 48 hours of initial treatment, which I also took as a positive sign. But it's been black ever since, and not getting less stingy. Should I change anything at all in the diet? Add more medication?

Is it also ok to continue with the Bifuran dips? And would you have any advice on adjustment to the dip? Is 2 minutes enough? Should I do more?

Much appreciate all advice guys - keep it coming.

Humblefish · Oct 12, 2017

nvladik said:
The poop turned dark/black within 48 hours of initial treatment, which I also took as a positive sign. But it's been black ever since, and not getting less stingy. Should I change anything at all in the diet? Add more medication?

Nope, stay the course until the poop is dark & solid. You are slowly winning the war here.

nvladik said:
Is it also ok to continue with the Bifuran dips? And would you have any advice on adjustment to the dip? Is 2 minutes enough? Should I do more?

Bifuran needs to be dosed into a QT for sustained treatment.

If you are looking for a medicated bath that will help with infection, I would use this instead: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/acriflavine.282887/

lagatbezan · Oct 12, 2017

4FordFamily said:
That powder blue needs help -- it's very thin. Do you have access to live blackworms?? If not, i would order some online!

Sorry for the tangent!

Also provide nori/seaweed daily for the PB. It will definitely help fatten him up.