Chelmon disease

Jotap · Oct 25, 2022

Hi everyone,

Don't know if someone here can help to understand what is the problem with my Chelmon, seems to be fungus, but not sure... if it's a fungus what should be the treatment?

Thanks for your help!!

Jay Hemdal · Oct 25, 2022

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

It is often not possible to diagnose an issue based on just a photo, many diseases look the same. It helps for us to have more complete background information about the fish and the tank. That is described in this post:

Some Helpful Hints When Posting or Responding to Threads in the Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Section

Aquarium Fish Disease Problem Solving Determining the best course of action for a problem with your aquarium can be a difficult task. Even advanced aquarists will often need to seek the help of others for complicated or unique issues. Our intent here on Reef 2 Reef is to offer expert advice...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

Absolutely Fish · Oct 25, 2022

Do you have any tangs?

Similar shaped fish will sometimes fight and unfortunately we've never seen a copperband win. If it is not aggression causing the lesions I always start with a simple water test. From there you can rule out any Ammonia or nitrite causing irritation and making the fish flash against the rock.

If the water test checks out, you can then assume there is some type of bacterial or parasitic infection. Unfortunately copperbands are very tricky to get to eat so medicated food may not be an option.

You may have to remove the fish and put into qt or dose the aquarium with a reef safe medication.

Other things to consider would to reduce lighting, do frequent water changes, and ( if you have one) check your U.V. sterilizer and make sure you are getting proper flow, the bulb is lit, and the quartz sleeve is clean.

We hope you are able to recover you fish!!!

vetteguy53081 · Oct 25, 2022

This is not a water quality issue but obvious scrapes or bites and as Jay requested. . . Need to know what occupants and if any aggression.
Additionally, what is age of tank ? They are not good first fish.
Is breathing normal or labored ?
Is fish eating or showing interest in food?

Jotap · Oct 25, 2022

Hi everyone,

So the thank is 2 years old (800 liters/220g), UV, filter role, Skimmers i have several Tangs and Wrasses, water quality is ok (ICP last month was ok, this is a SPS and LPS tank) no aggression at all (at least for what i can see), the fish was eating very well until yesterday, today he has stop eating...Is breathing normally for now, i removed for the main tank and is now in a QT. But dont know what kind of treatmon i shoud apply... i have at home prazipro, but not sure if is the right to apply.

Thanks!!!!

Jotap · Oct 25, 2022

By the way this is my tank

Jay Hemdal · Oct 25, 2022

How long have you had this fish?
Jay

Jotap · Oct 25, 2022

Jay Hemdal said:
How long have you had this fish?
Jay

For almost a year

Absolutely Fish · Oct 25, 2022

If you caught it out and have it in qt , it may be useful to freshwater bath the fish for about 5-10 minutes. Match the ph with some buffer and also match the temp. I recommend using tap water for the dip and dechlor with prime or any other tap conditioner. My experience using R/O water with dips has not been good.

Jay Hemdal · Oct 25, 2022

Jotap said:
For almost a year

If the lesion is only on the one side, it almost assuredly is not a protozoan or metazoan infection (they grow more randomly) so I would not do a FW dip on this fish. This is most likely a bacterial infection. Treatment in a QT with a broad spectrum gram negative antibiotic would be one course of action.
Jay

Jotap · Oct 25, 2022

Jay Hemdal said:
If the lesion is only on the one side, it almost assuredly is not a protozoan or metazoan infection (they grow more randomly) so I would not do a FW dip on this fish. This is most likely a bacterial infection. Treatment in a QT with a broad spectrum gram negative antibiotic would be one course of action.
Jay

I was reading about that but not sure what is the right/best antibiotic.. so many options I’m a little lost here. Do you have any suggestion? Thanks

Jay Hemdal · Oct 25, 2022

Jotap said:
I was reading about that but not sure what is the right/best antibiotic.. so many options I’m a little lost here. Do you have any suggestion? Thanks

That is the trouble with antibiotics - without a lab doing a sensitivity study, there is no way to really know which one would be best. Over the years, I've found that most external bacterial diseases of fish are gram negative. So - a broad spectrum, gram negative one would be the best choice. I don't know what you might have available in Lisbon (you have a great public aquarium there by the way!). Neomycin is one good choice, maybe Kanamycin as a second choice.

Jay

Jotap · Oct 26, 2022

Jay Hemdal said:
That is the trouble with antibiotics - without a lab doing a sensitivity study, there is no way to really know which one would be best. Over the years, I've found that most external bacterial diseases of fish are gram negative. So - a broad spectrum, gram negative one would be the best choice. I don't know what you might have available in Lisbon (you have a great public aquarium there by the way!). Neomycin is one good choice, maybe Kanamycin as a second choice.

Jay

Thank you all for the help, I will try to find this antibiotic in Europe