I purchased an Australian Harlequin Tuskfish about three weeks ago from Divers Den. I kept it in quarantine for a couple of weeks and then added it to my display tank that's 210 gallons and has been set up for 4 or 5 months. The Harley has been doing great, swimming around, getting along with everyone, and eating like a champ. Three days ago today I noticed that she wasn't eating. She didn't eat yesterday either, but she was swimming around. Today she is laying on the bottom mostly and still won't eat. Salinity is 1.023 (fish only), ammonia 0, pH 0, nitrates around 15. She has no spots on her body, all of her find look fine except one pectoral fin has a couple small tears in it. I don't dip my fish because I'm not comfortable / confident enough with it. I really love this fish and I don't want to lose it, but I'm worried it may be too late. I only have two other fish in the tank. A 3" Niger trigger that's pretty calm, and a 4" annularis angel. I haven't seen either one be aggressive towards the Harley.
Harlequin Tuskfish....please help
- Thread starter Logan83
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No white stringy poop at all. I historically haven't treated in quarantine unless they show signs of something. I've found flukes, ich, and velvet in the past and treated all of them successfully (though the velvet was a pain).
I have a Harlequin tusk. He went through QT like a champ. Copper, Fresh water dip, GC and fed GC mixed with pellets for two weeks. I’d put him in Qt.. freshwater dip him first. It’s no big deal at all now that I’ve done it. Watch a video on it. RODI water, same temp as DT, air stone running ,for 5 minutes. Then run GC. Feed GC mixed with focus for anything internal. It can only help. Have u tried Mysis shrimp? Defrosted powerhead blowing it around.
EmdeReef
2500 Club Member
Can you post pics (without the blues on) just in case we may be able to spot something?
What kind of food do you feed? How long has it been in the display tank?
You could either continue observing in your DT or move to a QT to observe.
What kind of food do you feed? How long has it been in the display tank?
You could either continue observing in your DT or move to a QT to observe.
Thanks for the reply. I have tried mysis several times, as well as half a clam shell which she was eating fiercly before. With her already not doing well would the dip not stress her more? Or is the trade-off still worth it?
I feed ocean nutrition flakes some, but mostly I feed mysis and chopped up clam meat. I'll try and get a picture to post if I can get a clear shot of her.
She has been in the display tank a little over a week now I believe.
She has been in the display tank a little over a week now I believe.
EmdeReef
2500 Club Member
It could be stress related if you are sure that the fish showed no symptoms in QT and no spots or anything. Some fish take a bit longer to acclimate to the new environment.
Color pattern. I've searched her all over for wounds and the only thing I found was the tear in one of her pectoral fins. It looks slightly freyedIs that a wound or just the color pattern? Sorry it’s hard to see.
I understand, but I wouldn't be so stressed about it if she had not been acting fine for several days and eating tons of food just to suddenly stop and sulk on the bottom. I'm hoping that maybe thats all it is, but she seems to be worse off today. Now she isn't even swimming at all when I walk up to the tank.
I used the salifert ammonia test and it showed zero. The rocks were new when I got them but I've had the tank set up for several months now. I put aged rocks from another tank of mine in my sump to get bacteria started and then only left my angel and triggerfish in there until the Harley just to make sure the water was stable. pH is 8.3 and nitrates are at about 15. I keep the salinity at 1.023.
