Cbb and flasher wrasse in qt

Areseebee · May 9, 2017

I have a cbb and mccosker flasher in qt right now. I watched the cbb on 2 different days in the LFS and he was eating well (frozen mysisseeking off the bottom mostly). I've had them since Sunday. Last night I noticed the cbb shaking his head some and he's doing it tonight still, just now I saw the mccosker flash twice and rub on a pipe. I don't see any signs of ich or other spots on the body. The mccosker eats and seems healthy otherwise, the butterfly seems fine otherwise although I haven't really seen him eat (maybe a little of LRS food rubberbanded to a rock).

Would it make sense to start prazi hoping that these signs are just flukes?

Ocelaris · May 9, 2017

I believe prazi can be a appetite suppressant, so I'd try to locate live black worms for the cbb and the start prazi. Live brine isn't very nutritious, but can stimulate an eating behavior.

4FordFamily · May 9, 2017

Ocelaris said:
I believe prazi can be a appetite suppressant, so I'd try to locate live black worms for the cbb and the start prazi. Live brine isn't very nutritious, but can stimulate an eating behavior.

Agree entirely. Get the copper eating voraciously blackworms and then try prazi if possible. Don't wait more than a couple days.

Stress levels need to be low for CBB to eat, as well.

Areseebee · May 9, 2017

Ok I have a live littleneck clam I'll try tomorrow morning too.

Ocelaris · May 9, 2017

I've heard shucked clams on the half shells work too. But a few days of intense eating would give me comfort for starting meds. But I didn't think scratching was flukes unless it was the gills? External parasites might be a sign of scratching.

Formalin is a harsh external parasite med that I'd shy away from, but there is a more delicate one if you suspect it's an external parasite.

I thought prazipro was for internal worms not flukes?

melypr1985 · May 9, 2017

I've heard of CBBs doing the head twitch thing that is normal for them. I would still run prazi and your normal QT routine, but wait until you get him eating unless you see other signs that he needs intervention right away.

Areseebee · May 9, 2017

Awesome my instinct was to let it go for now, I just started worrying when I saw the flasher flashing. But to this point t it was just the one incident with no visible signs so I'll keep observing and feeding.

Areseebee · May 10, 2017

Update: tried a clam this morning and he really wasn't interested. The brine gets his feeding response going but he would look and look prepare to hit and then just back off. I ran out and bought black worms, he was uninterested u til I realized he wanted them on the liverock rubble. So I placed some on there and he hunted each on down and pulled it off. When I came home all the worms were gone (many drifted off or were still on the tank floor from other feedings). Tonight I threw some more in and he went nuts and ate a bunch.

I'm going to do another 33% water change tonight just because the clam was in there for most of the day (or a strip I cut and attached to the rock). Now that they both eat I just want to maintain.

The bad news is I saw the copperband scratch exactly once. I still see no spots on anyone and they both seem very happy. Gonna prazi maybe starting Thursday night. I haven't decided on an ich/velvet plan yet.

Ocelaris · May 11, 2017

Good on the worms! I'd mix in other stuff as time permits, but that should keep him in good health for the prazi.

I've always wanted a cbb, but worried about the health and my aggressive yellow tang.

Areseebee · May 13, 2017

Did first dose of prazi, the flasher really hated it. The CBB is cool with it, still eliminating worms at a crazy rate. I did a 30% water change after 24 hours and things seem good again with the flasher, not excited for dose 2 but I think we are probably through the worst of it.

What is my best option for Ich prevention here? The CBB is small but I feel like putting him through my 10G TTM protocol would be pushing it also I don't much want to move a fish with that kind of snoz 5 times. I have cupramine, is it worth getting coppersafe and the appropriate test kit for them?

4FordFamily · May 13, 2017

Areseebee said:
Did first dose of prazi, the flasher really hated it. The CBB is cool with it, still eliminating worms at a crazy rate. I did a 30% water change after 24 hours and things seem good again with the flasher, not excited for dose 2 but I think we are probably through the worst of it.

What is my best option for Ich prevention here? The CBB is small but I feel like putting him through my 10G TTM protocol would be pushing it also I don't much want to move a fish with that kind of snoz 5 times. I have cupramine, is it worth getting coppersafe and the appropriate test kit for them?

I coppersafe everything..

Areseebee · May 14, 2017

Do you think it's meaningfully distinct in terms of safety? I considered doing coppersafe instead of cupramine based on the chart of copper treatment safety but I can't tell if it ends up being an important distinction.

melypr1985 · May 14, 2017

Areseebee said:
Do you think it's meaningfully distinct in terms of safety? I considered doing coppersafe instead of cupramine based on the chart of copper treatment safety but I can't tell if it ends up being an important distinction.

It can be important but sometimes that has more to do with the individual than with anything else. For most fish coppersafe is much easier on them which is why most of us use it exclusively.

Areseebee · May 16, 2017

Ok so an update. Everything is moving along fine. The CBB is voracious with blackworms and nothing else, I'm trying to pull a switcheroo to spirulina enhanced brine and Larry's but he still only eats those by mistake.

The wrasse has recovered from his prazi anger just in time for me to dose again tonight. Also coppersafe is on the way with an API test kit.

One question about coppersafe: the little LR rubble in the tank seems really important to the cbb, he hangs out on it at all times and I don't want to remove it if I can help it. Can I leave it in? I'm aware that it can then never go back in the tank etc, but I just wonder how much copper 3 pieces of small rubble would absorb. Will it make maintaining cu levels super tricky?

Edit: Oh also I haven't seen any flashing or scratching since that first day or two. I guess I watch less now but I feel like they are probably clean(ish).

4FordFamily · May 16, 2017

Areseebee said:
Ok so an update. Everything is moving along fine. The CBB is voracious with blackworms and nothing else, I'm trying to pull a switcheroo to spirulina enhanced brine and Larry's but he still only eats those by mistake.

The wrasse has recovered from his prazi anger just in time for me to dose again tonight. Also coppersafe is on the way with an API test kit.

One question about coppersafe: the little LR rubble in the tank seems really important to the cbb, he hangs out on it at all times and I don't want to remove it if I can help it. Can I leave it in? I'm aware that it can then never go back in the tank etc, but I just wonder how much copper 3 pieces of small rubble would absorb. Will it make maintaining cu levels super tricky?

Edit: Oh also I haven't seen any flashing or scratching since that first day or two. I guess I watch less now but I feel like they are probably clean(ish).

A little bit of rock can do some serious absorbing -- but as long as you test daily you'll be fine. Just expect to dose more than it says before you reach therapeutic levels. For the CBB, if the rock keeps the fish less stressed, then it's doing its job and that's imperative to keeping it eating.

Areseebee · May 16, 2017

For all I know he wouldn't care if I removed it but for now he just patrols the corner with the rock all day and basically doesn't leave that rubble pile except to quickly get around the tank. Of course, it's also the place I feed so maybe that has more to do with it!

I hope the API test is more reasonable than the test for cupramine, I felt like that test gave me absolutely zero information and I was flying totally blind to begin with.

Areseebee · May 18, 2017

So what are the tricks to transition my CBB from worms to frozen? I've been trying to cofeed with frozen but should I try no worms for a day or two?

Humblefish · May 18, 2017

Areseebee said:
So what are the tricks to transition my CBB from worms to frozen? I've been trying to cofeed with frozen but should I try no worms for a day or two?

I wouldn't mess too much with an eating CBB. ;Nailbiting Maybe start doing 2x daily feedings. Offer frozen only in the AM, but if he refuses to eat that make sure he gets his worms in the PM.

What type of frozen foods are you offering? I've had pretty good luck with the brand below and also littleneck clams (from the grocery store.)

Areseebee · May 18, 2017

I've been feeding hikari spirulina enhanced brine and Larry's fish frenzy, he doesn't go crazy for either but he has learned to associate it's presence with incoming worms.