Blue Assessor, need help identifying sore.

[slipstream]

I noticed this sore in the side of a newly acquired blue assessor. Is it some type of bacterial infection?

 

[Ben.QLD2]

Photos are a bit dark and grainy but could be a small ulcer from an injury. I can't tell if there is any active infection or inflammation with those photos, and uronema can probably not be ruled out at the moment either, though that's probably more unlikely.

Is the fish otherwise well?

 

[slipstream]

Photos are a bit dark and grainy but could be a small ulcer from an injury. I can't tell if there is any active infection or inflammation with those photos, and uronema can probably not be ruled out at the moment either, though that's probably more unlikely.

Is the fish otherwise well?

He’s pretty reclusive and his swim pattern is unusual but that’s pretty normal for the species. Some what poor appetite.

Here’s a few more photos, hopefully they’re a little clearer.

 

[slipstream]

I really don’t want Uronema in my DT though. I was thinking of treating with metroplex just in case.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I really don’t want Uronema in my DT though. I was thinking of treating with metroplex just in case.

I haven't worked with enough of these to know the prevalence of Uronema in them.....I don't have any cases noted though. The lesion don't look like typical Uronema, less red and seeing two of them at once isn't typical.
Despite what you might hear, inter-cellular Uronema, once the lesions reach the surface, has a rapid, 100% mortality rate, despite any treatment. Metronidazole is useless unless used orally, and before the lesions reach the surface. Is this fish tank raised? Less likely to be Uronema if so.

That said - if it is bacterial, it would most likely have had some instigator. Any other fish in with it?
If it were my fish, I would start it on a broad spectrum gram negative antibiotic in a treatment tank.

Jay

 

[slipstream]

Thank you Jay for your insight.. I wasn’t aware that Flagyl had to be ingested to be effective against Uronema. The little guy has a habit of squeezing into tiny unusual shaped crevices and He’s been in hiding since I got him. There was a Naoko wrasse in QT with him but I never witnessed any outright aggression, maybe a tiny amount of posturing. Maybe he scraped a scale while hiding? I’m not sure.

 

[slipstream]

I’ve also saw that there is a s

 

[vetteguy53081]

Agree with jay- Looks like a rub or injury that has become bacterial.
Treat in quarantine using Seachem Kanaplex for at least 5 days and increase oxygen with an air stone during treatment

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I’ve also saw that there is a s

An "s"?

Jay

 

[slipstream]

Sorry the message got cut off, there’s a split in his tail also.

 

[slipstream]

Here’s a poor photo. I’m currently away from home at the moment or I’d send a better pic

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Here’s a poor photo. I’m currently away from home at the moment or I’d send a better pic

Weird - that also looks like tankmate damage, but I don't think the wrasse would have done that.

jay

 

[slipstream]

Not sure if the injuries had become more pronounced after receiving him. I thought there was a small split previously. Regardless he’s current isolated.
Thanks for all of your dedication to the hobby guys! I’m just glad it’s unlikely to be Uronema. I was having a bit of difficult getting kanaplex so I picked up polyguard instead, figured the sulfa would be broad enough to treat the infection.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Not sure if the injuries had become more pronounced after receiving him. I thought there was a small split previously. Regardless he’s current isolated.
Thanks for all of your dedication to the hobby guys! I’m just glad it’s unlikely to be Uronema. I was having a bit of difficult getting kanaplex so I picked up polyguard instead, figured the sulfa would be broad enough to treat the infection.

They market that for FW diseases, but it does have sulfa in it, so it may help stem secondary bacterial infections.

Jay

 

[slipstream]

I was wondering about why they marketed it for freshwater. Looks like the nitrofurantoin loses effectiveness as a bacteriocidal agent as ph increases. Guess that’s why it works great for urinary infections and why it’s marketed as a freshwater treatment. I’ll pick up kanaplex when I can but I wanted to start the little guy on something now and the sulfathiazole should have a bacteriostatic effect as you mentioned.