Help ASAP Please forMagnificent Foxface

terri_ann · May 13, 2017

I got the fish over a week ago. It's been fine, swimming, eating and interacting with a few others in the QT. He seems to be very lethargic and floated over to the tank end, bumping his mouth. He almost appeared to lose his balance -floating to his side a little but reacted and straightened himself out. He did not eat. I'm not sure if he even saw the food. I cannot see anything but my eyes aren't very good either.

There has been 2 fish in the same tank, a wrasse and a springeri damsel die...those on day 3/4 and 7. Not sure why but the wrasse had a large, round pale/white/cream-colored area on its side which appeared that scales were missing, colors and looked like it was something he had rubbed against. No lighting over the QT...just using ambient room lighting. No meds have been used since I received it/them. There are other fish in with him...2 tangs, damsel.

Help please! Am I looking at a bacterial infection? What can I use? TTM not an option.

sc50964 · May 13, 2017

Have you checked the ammonia level?

terri_ann · May 13, 2017

It's fine. Doing small WC's and there's LR, established filter.

sc50964 · May 13, 2017

terri_ann said:
It's fine. Doing small WC's and there's LR, established filter.

Sounds like velvet, but it maybe too late to treat him with any meds. Cupramine is my go to meds for velvet.

terri_ann · May 13, 2017

OK but I don't think so as I don't see white spots.

Brew12 · May 13, 2017

The wrasse does make it sound like a bacterial infection.

I would recommend doing a FW dip on the Foxface. If it is Velvet that should provide for some immediate relief. You can check for flukes at the same time.
My first instinct would be to treat with a combo of Metroplex, Kanaplex, and Furan-2 but I'd like to be more sure of the root problem.

Are any of the fish breathing fast?

sc50964 · May 13, 2017

terri_ann said:
OK but I don't think so as I don't see white spots.

Then it's most likely bacterial related. This specie has an extra hard skin so they have a harder resistance to external parasites.

terri_ann · May 13, 2017

Meds I have are Kanaplex, Cupramine, PraziPro, Furan-2, Metro and Metro+, MelaFix, PimaFix, Artemiss, Paraguard. Maybe one or 2 others...

jsker · May 13, 2017

Brew12 said:
The wrasse does make it sound like a bacterial infection.

I would recommend doing a FW dip on the Foxface. If it is Velvet that should provide for some immediate relief. You can check for flukes at the same time.
My first instinct would be to treat with a combo of Metroplex, Kanaplex, and Furan-2 but I'd like to be more sure of the root problem.

Are any of the fish breathing fast?

I would also bind the above with Seachem focus so that the meds bind to the food.

terri_ann · May 13, 2017

Have never done a FW dip in the 30+ years been reefkeeping. Scares me;Sorry Focus on its way!

NO fish are breathing fast:9)

Brew12 · May 13, 2017

terri_ann said:
Have never done a FW dip in the 30+ years been reefkeeping. Scares me;Sorry Focus on its way!

It is really easy and it isn't nearly as hard on fish as you may think. Have you seen @melypr1985 's video on how to do one?

What med's are you going to use with the Focus?

Brew12 · May 13, 2017

terri_ann said:
Have never done a FW dip in the 30+ years been reefkeeping. Scares me;Sorry Focus on its way!

NO fish are breathing fast:9)

I'm an update or two behind!

As long as none of the fish are breathing fast I would skip the FW dip and go straight to the antibiotics.

terri_ann · May 13, 2017

Thanks for the video! I'll watch it! Haven't decided what meds since I don't have a good idea on what it is. I've never combined meds before either, nor used Focus. Just old school here. Needing to change my ways and get with the program..

sc50964 · May 13, 2017

terri_ann said:
Meds I have are Kanaplex, Cupramine, PraziPro, Furan-2, Metro and Metro+, MelaFix, PimaFix, Artemiss, Paraguard. Maybe one or 2 others...

I would advice to use an one-hour paraguard bath as we don't know what it has and this is a broad spectrum med.

Brew12 · May 13, 2017

sc50964 said:
I would advice to use an one-hour paraguard bath as we don't know what it has and this is a broad spectrum med.

I agree, this is an excellent suggestion.

terri_ann · May 13, 2017

NP. I'm always behind! lol Since I dob't have the Focus yet, and have never combined meds...can you advise and how?

terri_ann · May 13, 2017

With the ParaGuard bath, do I do it in the QT or separately since there are other new fish in with it?

sc50964 · May 13, 2017

terri_ann said:
NP. I'm always behind! lol Since I dob't have the Focus yet, and have never combined meds...can you advise and how?

Focus isn't a med. it's just a binder that allows the medicine to be digestible. It also voids or greatly reduces its potency by itself in the water.

Brew12 · May 13, 2017

terri_ann said:
With the ParaGuard bath, do I do it in the QT or separately since there are other new fish in with it?

Do it separately in a smaller container. I would only treat the Foxface this way for now if it is the only one showing major symptoms.

sc50964 · May 13, 2017

terri_ann said:
With the ParaGuard bath, do I do it in the QT or separately since there are other new fish in with it?

Separate as its dosage is higher. Take a 5g bucket and fill it with 1 or 2 gallon of your tank water that has no meds, then follow the one hour bath instruction on the paraguard bottle.